Anyone know the minimum rear disk width?
Mine are currently 2.25 cm and there is a 1mm lip round the outside.
Is that within tolerances?
24.9mm - see here
It’s likely there’s a tolerance but check for cracks when you’re in that region.
This is for the original Lotus jobbies, Eliseparts can be thinner (which doesn’t help pedal feel).
Ian
Do you know whether you are on standard discs or aftermarket ones - I think the Eliseparts ones will run thinner.
Think they’re standard ones.
Don’t particularly want to change them yet, as I wanted to look at upgraded braking options for the back end of the year.
No cracks anywhere, either.
22.5mm??? I didn�t know they could go so thin! I think you have to change them before the end of this year, or garage your car till 2007!
I had my Eliseparts discs skimmed and they’re about 22.6mm thick now. Works fine on track.
Steve, I can confirm unless you’ve changed them, you have the original standard disks.
Nope not changed them, so there you go chaps they’re the original ones. 28k and just a little thinner than new
What’s the recommended upgrade bearing in mind a SC Honda conversion later?
- Don’t bother. Standard is fine.
- Turbo Groove
- Geary’s normal alli-belled jobs
- AP alli-belled jobs
- Some other piece of kit
Looking for a good cost/benefit compromise. Not silly money but something that’ll haul you up pretty sharpish.
Got braided hoses, decent pads, decent fluid already.
Ta
Nope not changed them, so there you go chaps they’re the original ones. 28k and just a little thinner than new
According to the above posts, the original Lotus discs are 26mm, & your’s are presently 22.5mm. Sounds like a change is due to me
Looking for a good cost/benefit compromise. Not silly money but something that’ll haul you up pretty sharpish.
I have some of Geary’s ali belled ones going spare
Steve,
Eliseparts ally belled front discs and RS14s all round will do nicely.
You can leave the standard rear discs alone unless they’re fully worn.Just skim them if they’re not flat.
I thought the opinion on the Geary stuff was it’s not great. Disks too thin and don’t last long
My opinion on brakes is keep the standard disks and callipers, go RS14’s, braided lines and SRF fluid.
If you want to upgrade then go 295mm AP disks with 4pots on the front and 295mm AP disks with the original 2 pot front callipers moved to the rear with braided lines, SRF fluid and Performance friction pads. Basically the Lotus Motorsport brake kit.
Sean…
My opinion on brakes is keep the standard disks and callipers, go RS14’s, braided lines and SRF fluid.
If you want to upgrade then go 295mm AP disks with 4pots on the front and 295mm AP disks with the original 2 pot front callipers moved to the rear with braided lines, SRF fluid and Performance friction pads. Basically the Lotus Motorsport brake kit.
Sean…
Putting the existing front calipers on the rear = Loss of handbrake, & consequent MOT failure.
According to the above posts, the original Lotus discs are 26mm, & your’s are presently 22.5mm. Sounds like a change is due to me
Just checked the servcie manual and it states:
Brake Disk thickness:
New 26.0mm
Service Minimum 24.9mm
but I am not sure whether this relates to the Exige brakes which were the 11S variant of cross drilled iron or the MMC variant referred to in the section where disk thickness is mentioned?
My opinion on brakes is keep the standard disks and callipers, go RS14’s, braided lines and SRF fluid.
If you want to upgrade then go 295mm AP disks with 4pots on the front and 295mm AP disks with the original 2 pot front callipers moved to the rear with braided lines, SRF fluid and Performance friction pads. Basically the Lotus Motorsport brake kit.
Sean…
Putting the existing front calipers on the rear = Loss of handbrake, & consequent MOT failure.
I agree. The handbrake could be converted to hydraulic as well and that would get round the loosing the handbrake problem. Unfortunatly it would still be an MOT failure if the tester spots it. I have to say though, it takes a keen MOT tester to notice that there aren’t any handbrake cables. Plus Hydraulic handbrakes work about a trillion times better than a regular cable handbrake.
… Hydraulic handbrakes work about a trillion times better than a regular cable handbrake.
Until you have a hydraulic failure
It makes sense to have a completely separate system for stopping you in an emergency.
… Hydraulic handbrakes work about a trillion times better than a regular cable handbrake.
Until you have a hydraulic failure
It makes sense to have a completely separate system for stopping you in an emergency.
Yep, but a hydraulic handbrake would be on seperate system to the normal brakes anyway (as used in rally cars).
Going 4 pot caliper at the front, & 2 pot at the rear is only necessary for racing, or frequent trackday use IMHO, & it’s certainly not a cheap route to go down.
Yep, but a hydraulic handbrake would be on seperate system to the normal brakes anyway (as used in rally cars).
How easy is it to get two separate hydraulic systems operating the same calipers? Sounds like something that would be done in rallying where the handbrake is used for rather more than keeping the car still. Doesn’t seems like a sensible option for us.
I assumed Sean was talking about a lock on the existing hydraulic lines.
The handbrake could be converted to hydraulic as well and that would get round the loosing the handbrake problem. Unfortunatly it would still be an MOT failure if the tester spots it.
or there is now this solution:
[image]http://www.eliseparts.com/shop/images/large/Rear-ali-Caliper_rear-ali-caliper1_LRG.jpg[/image]
![http://www.eliseparts.com/shop/images/large/Rear-ali-Caliper_rear-ali-caliper1_LRG.jpg[/image]](http://www.eliseparts.com/shop/images/large/Rear-ali-Caliper_rear-ali-caliper1_LRG.jpg%5B/image%5D){kind=link}