Is it the calipers?

[jjferreira]

Afternoon all,

A couple of times I had a bit of a scare recently, while driving at a fair old speed in th eM25 If I had to break hard " as some idiot crossed me off in the m25" or if I had to swerve as something fallen from a lorry, I nearly had a stroke as the car both timse, started to go side to side and i felt very uncomfortable but i managed to get it back on track.

On speaking with some they suggested is the callipers,  can any one suggest a good company to get these parts from and what are your thoughts on this subject.

Tks in advance

[Richard B]

If you have a GT6 engine fitted, do you have GT6 brakes installed front & rear?

Some people only upgrade the front when they fit a bigger/heavier/beefier engine; which I feel could make a Gitfire unstable (over braked at the front).

Try Canleys or Paddocks for recon calipers....

[jjferreira]

No ideia to be honest has I got the car last year, and it was already like this how can I find out? that bit of information.

[thescrapman]

Or you could try Big Red (?)

well what ever the other thread on teh same subject said.

All about the same price.

Also change the disks and get some decent pads.

Cheers

Colin

[jjferreira]

Hi, I'm looking at buying New callipers, Pads and Disks, as its such a critical part of the car, is there any suggestions of what is best, dont mind paying a bit extra as it my life i'm talking about :)

[Freek76]

What's best?
This springs to mind:


Gets rid of the trunnion too.
Only the price is bad at 680UKP per side.

[jjferreira]

ouch... that costs me as much as the car :) any other good alternatives, that are a bit more cost effective

[Freek76]

Thought so. ;)

If you want to keep things more standard, I would recommend you get some good pads;  mintex 1144 pads are good, 40UKP, Pagid pads are also available for the spitfire calipers, very good but 165UKP.

[Freek76]

If your car swerves when braking, it's most likely a stuck piston in the caliper.
Probably rust, you could push them out, clean them and put new seals in, if they are not to rusty.
I have done this but decided later to buy a new caliper, since it had got stuck again.
So if you want to be safe buy some new calipers.


Cheers,

F.

[Steve Cureton]

Could also be ineffective rear brakes. This is rare but results in the back end trying to pass the font end! Check they haven't seized etc.

[DaveKent]

or faulty dampers?

[Richard B]

Spitfire rear brakes have 7" diameter drums, GT6/Vitesse (2Litre) have 8" diameter drums.

Are the discs scored? Calipers can either get lazy or stuck on. Rear cylinders can rust on as well.

If you are not sure what to check, pop over to a friendly MOT station and get them to check the efficiency of the brakes? Don't pay for an MOT.....  :X

MkI GT6 or MkI Vitesse rear brakes would be an easy'ish conversion, to fit if you do not already have them.

Your brake master cylinder should be either 0.7" or 0.75". If it reads 5/8" I would suspect only the fronts have been changed. GT6 front calipers are 16P or PB. Spitfire front front calipers are likely to be 14P.

[jjferreira]

Been in contact with James Paddock ( after explaining the engine been swapped by a gt6 engine), he suggested the green pads.

So looking at getting New callipers, New break disks and Green pads, any feedback on this.

Much Appreciated.

[Deleted User]

I would suggest that if you are running a 2L engine is a Spitfire, with original Spitfire (type 14) calipers, then  you have probably invalidated your insurance, as the brakes are not good enough for the more powerfull engine.

If you don't know how to tell the difference between Spitfire and GT6 brakes, you need to get someone that knows what they are looking at to see if you have Spitfire brakes or GT6 brakes - front AND rear.

As for the "Green" pads - TOTALLY IRRELEVANT if you have the wrong brakes fitted, and no substitute for having the correct brakes, and not necesary if you have the correct brakes.

Also, if you are so inexperienced in what the different types of brakes look like and how to tell the difference, (it's very easy to google for some pictures) then are you competent to work on them ?
If you have an accident and the brakes are determined to be a contributory factor, then your insurance company (and the Police) will be asking awkward questions and you may find you insurance invalidated there and then.

[jjferreira]

So should i find out from my local mechanic what callipers I got in  and the size of the disk pads, do i got currently in there?  Then take it from there.  

Working a bit in the dark as when i purchased the car all of this modifications had been done to it.

What callipers size should i have for the GT6 engine.

Tks

[James]

Not that I am for one moment suggesting that you shouldn't upgrade to type 16 calipers - cruising along the motorway at legal speeds, both a Spit and GT6 do the same thing. The killer here would be brake fade due to a slightly heavier car - and that is only the difference between carrying a passenger or not.

More powerful engine means you can go quicker between the corners, which means you need to scrub more speed.

Just make sure you dont drive like a maniac everywhere until you upgrade to some better calipers and bigger drums.

[James]

You should have "type 16" calipers ideally.

Standard Spitfires have "type 14" (or even type 12 - but you won't have them)

[jjferreira]

ok so the ideal is to have.

Callipers size 16, and bigger break disk ( what size should they be).

[Deleted User]

GT6 disks are 9.7" in diameter - and a lot thicker than Spitfire disks
Spitfire disks are 9" in diameter

The upgrade from Spitfire to GT6 brakes is NOT JUST A CASE OF FITTING type 16 calipers and bigger disks, you also need GT6 vertical links, caliper brackets, steering arms, hubs, stub axles and bearings - it all looks vaugely similar but none of it is interchangeable as piece parts, it's all or nothing.

[James]

Standard GT6 discs

if you have type 14 then you are going to have to replace all your front suspension anyway - which means new vertical links, stub axles, bearings, hubs, caliper mounts etc et

[jjferreira]

I see... damm, this is what happens when u dont have the knowledge.  So first thing is to check what is the calliper size and break disk size, can i check both of them visually or is it one of those cases the wheels have to be taken out and the mechanic as to check it for me,

Tks

[James]

You only need to check the calipers - they will match the disc size - it's all or nothing.

[jjferreira]

ok cool.

please dont laugh but where are the callipers situated, I'm a guru when it comes to IT, but when it comes to cars i'm in the process of learning put it that way ( love to ride them).

the callipers will they have the size or will i have to measure it.

cheers

[Deleted User]

The quickest and easiest (and usually foolproof) way to tell the difference is to look at the flexi hoses - if they go directly into the calipers you probably have type 14 calipers and Spitfire disks, and if they go to a bracket on the vertical link, and then there is a short solid pipe between the end of the hose and the caliper then you probably have type 16 calipers and GT6 disks.

All assuming that the previous owner hasn't fitted some other (after market) caliper.

Another little trap - there are three tyes of type 16 caliper for Triumphs, and they are all slightly different 16P, 16PB imperial and 16PB metric.  Type 16P and 16PB imperial are interchangeable, but the sevice kits are different.  The type 16PB metric requires a different fitting on the solid pipe, and special mounting bolts, so they are not directly interchangeable with the 16P and 16PB imperial, but when you change the bolts and pipe as well they are interchangeable.

[Deleted User]

1655 wrote:

I'm a guru when it comes to IT, but when it comes to cars i'm in the process of learning put it that way ( love to ride them).

Use some of your IT skills to go to www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi and enter "type 14 caliper" or "type 16 caliper" into the search box.  You will then get lots of photos of what they look like.  simples