Alternative calipers

[David Witham]

Back along time ago I was a student at City of Birmingham Polytechnic. The Poly library used to take Autocar. Some time around about 1980 there was an article in Autocar about Bill Nicholson's MGB. One of the things I remember about the article is that he had fitted brake 3 pot calipers from an early XJ6.

Does anyone have experience of such a modification?

I know one of the issues with the now more common princess caliper modification is the bolt holes. The princess uses a slightly larger diameter bolt. Consequently, the holes have to be sleeved in some way. Perhaps the XJ6 caliper (also used on the Rover P6B) does not have this problem. Later the XJ6 when to a 4 pot design.

This question is largely a matter of interest. I don't have any plans to change my calipers in the short term.

[Not_Anumber]

I guess that may be best solved by locating the specs of the XJ calipers or going onto an XJ forum to ask someone to take a micrometer to the holes. It would be interesting if this was an upgrade path

[Issug987]

I upgraded my brakes, not because they were poor, they are not, they are perfectly OK, but I was finding that other drivers on the road had their brakes on all the way down hills causing me to use mine more then normal, so the 'upgrade ' was just to keep up with 21st century traffic.

I looked for some time and could not find a suitable direct replacement, so I ended up getting the Frontline conversion, fits the wheels , vented discs.

I did the rear conversion to discs too, turned some discs myself from a Rover 800, and had to get correct size caliper, so as not to over brake the rear axle.

It's not a simple job, as the brakes don't improve the stopping distance, just fade mostly.