Front Uprights/Caliper Mounting

[smo17003]

Hello again.
The front uprights (verticle links) on my recently aquired S4 project are different to all of the uprights that I have seen illustrated in manuals etc. i.e. the brake calipers are attached directly to lugs on each upright and not to a seperate bracket. As there is some wear on the threads I will probably have to replace both with new items.
The more I look at this car, the more it looks like I have bought an accumulation of worn out, mismatched parts bolted together, and sold as a complete car. In other words, I think I've been done.
So it looks as if when I buy new uprights I will also have to find some caliper brackets. Can anyone tell me what I've got fitted to this car?

Mike

[types26/36]

Mike,
Sounds like you have Triumph Spitfire uprights as opposed to Herald ones, as far as I remember the Herald had the upright with four holes to bolt the backplate to the upright (drum brakes) and the Spitfife had disc's with the caliper bolted on to the upright with two bolts.
Lotus used the Herald type on the Elans and Europa's with an adapter for the caliper but some of the Lotus Sevens had the Spitifire type uprights.

[smo17003]

Mike,
Sounds like you have Triumph Spitfire uprights as opposed to Herald ones, as far as I remember the Herald had the upright with four holes to bolt the backplate to the upright (drum brakes) and the Spitfife had disc's with the caliper bolted on to the upright with two bolts.
Lotus used the Herald type on the Elans and Europa's with an adapter for the caliper but some of the Lotus Sevens had the Spitifire type uprights.

Brian,
Thanks for the reply. Does this mean I am OK to find some more Spitfire uprights? In other words are the important dimensions the same as the Herald but with the addition of the caliper mounting lugs?

Mike

[types26/36]

Mike ,
To the best of my knowledge (I stand to be corrected) there is no reason why you cannot use the Spitfire type, the trunnion (brass swivels) are the same (lh & rh thread) as the Herald and as far as I know the geometry is the same.
If you were to change to the Herald type you would also need the Herald steering arms as these also differ to the Spitfire.
Just as a footnote there ARE different Spitfire uprights, they changed as there are mk 1/2/3/4 Spitfires & a GT6, I think the difference is in the diameter of the stub axle and taper.