Alloy rear callipers without hand brake

[Giff]

Is there a known lightweight calliper without handbrake mechanism that is a straight bolt on to the rear hubs without modifications (discs or mountings)?

[661]

I believe Kelvedon did an alloy version of the Lotus rear caliper

[tonyabacus]

Giff
It was a long time ago so please bear with me, but Girling used to make racing calipers for this type of application, I know the fronts were designated AR, now the rears I seem to remember were designated NR and also I think there were two versions either with or without handbrake facilities.I think they were used on Formula 4 or FormulaFord.

I have not seen any for many a year for the rear, but with the uptake in classic motorsport in the last few years I would imagine they are probably being recast. You could try Bob Green or Crossthwaite & Gardiner or one of the Formula Ford restorers like Peter Denty..
Tony

[tonyabacus]

Giff
Old age catching up as I could not remember immediately the name of Bob's company. Bob Green is BG Developments at Redditch, he worked for both Girling and Lockeed as I recall and was one of their main technical engineers. He would be sent out to the various factories and race car builders to plan and draw up the pipework and components for use with their chassis. Again if memory serves me correctly I think he even went to Lotus, but in any event he built up a massive technical knowledge through from the 1960's and after launching out on his own, he developed a number of innovations to different components as well as getting new racing calipers cast.

I don't know whether Bob is still involved with the company as he is getting on a bit now, so may only be working on a limited capacity but is well worth a call to chat about what it is you are aiming to do.
Tony

[661]

Just for the record, and I suspect this may not be relevant in this case, alloy REAR calipers are not approved for FIA accreditation.
In fact a 'working handbrake' is meant to be present too. In essence this means the handbrake gubbins on the caliper, the tree and rods, but they don't seem hell-bent on the cable or umbrella.

[vstibbard]

You can buy NR calipers that fit the Elans rear upright bolt centres/spacing but you need to specify I it. I learnt the hard way! Fortunately the ones I bought also fit early Elites.
Also the NR pistons are larger diameter than std so you may need a bias valve.
Lastly NR calipers are a race caliper with no dust seal.
Cheers
Vaughan

[tonyabacus]

Vaughan
Out of curiosity where did you buy your Elan calipers from, it seems my memory is better than I thought but not sure from the original poster as to what he wishes to fit them to. As to the FIA and cables, if they don't specify it, does that mean you don't have to have one! I always thought FF was crash and bash, perhaps that's the reason why

[Giff]

NR seems interesting and some great names in there too.

I was hoping for a response along the lines of “In 1982 I fitted a pair of callipers from a Toyota Celica”!

I’m fitting a hydraulic handbrake as it’s road legal ore ‘68, not racing

[661]

Vaughan
Out of curiosity where did you buy your Elan calipers from, it seems my memory is better than I thought but not sure from the original poster as to what he wishes to fit them to. As to the FIA and cables, if they don't specify it, does that mean you don't have to have one! I always thought FF was crash and bash, perhaps that's the reason why

In practise, no one has a 'working' handbrake. Most in CSCC don't even have the rods and tree. FIA inspection for an HTP requires the mechanism to be present, but I don't think it's efficiency is ever tested and indeed the cable and umbrella pull are very rarely seen. I suppose they could be asked to be seen. In the more serious championships the handbrake tree and calipers would be expected to be present, but it is questionable how often they would be asked for ( the car is meant to be as it was for it's HTP). Also it depends on whether the Cobras are getting beaten by Elans and how much the scrutineers are forced to look at things.
My car has it's full handbrake mechanism but the pads remain someway from ever seeing the discs.

[vstibbard]

I bought them from Croswaithe and Gardiner and they can supply with or without handbrakes assembly.
For rear calipers I’ve not found any other sources, there are variations of the std caliper but all have larger pistons.
I’ve often though about Mini Cooper S calipers 40 years ago I helped a mate with his, think they’d be better suited to S2 26R rear disk which is small OD and the caliper mount lugs are closer to axle centre line.
Maybe worth looking into.
Vaughan

[Giff]

Larger pistons is manageable due to adjustable pedal box, I’m assembling everything now, will take measurements and head to my local scrap yard.

[vstibbard]

Jag 60-90’s iRS calipers have handbrake mechanisms.

[vstibbard]

Send Dave Hughes a PM Bigvalvehead is his forum name. I seeem to recollect he was making tears in alloy or knew who does.
Cheers
Vaughan

[Andy8421]

Vaughan
Out of curiosity where did you buy your Elan calipers from, it seems my memory is better than I thought but not sure from the original poster as to what he wishes to fit them to. As to the FIA and cables, if they don't specify it, does that mean you don't have to have one! I always thought FF was crash and bash, perhaps that's the reason why

In practise, no one has a 'working' handbrake. Most in CSCC don't even have the rods and tree. FIA inspection for an HTP requires the mechanism to be present, but I don't think it's efficiency is ever tested and indeed the cable and umbrella pull are very rarely seen. I suppose they could be asked to be seen. In the more serious championships the handbrake tree and calipers would be expected to be present, but it is questionable how often they would be asked for ( the car is meant to be as it was for it's HTP). Also it depends on whether the Cobras are getting beaten by Elans and how much the scrutineers are forced to look at things.
My car has it's full handbrake mechanism but the pads remain someway from ever seeing the discs.

HSCC Roadsports was the same. I am not sure of the exact regs now that our cars don't require an MOT, but in my day the car needed to have passed an MOT and be road registered. Competitors would wind the adjuster in on the handbrake pads to pass the MOT, then wind it back out again afterward so the pads were well clear of the discs.

Edit: The tree and the rods don't weigh much and are sprung weight, but there is a relatively large cast lump of metal in the caliper mechanism for the handbrake which is unsprung weight. I always thought it was a very un-Chapman design. If I recall correctly, the original Elan design contemplated inboard discs, but the rotoflexes wouldn't cope.

Edit 2: Out of interest, I had a quick look at the E type calipers. The handbrake / caliper mechanism is pretty much identical to the Elan (but inboard) - so I guess the design was Girling's fault, not Chapman.