Jag rear brake Wilwood conversion help

[cobrarkc]

Has anybody done a wilwood conversion on their inboard brakes. I just called CWI about their conversion kit and Mike told me he didn't recomend it for a cobra, that it was to flimsy. So I want to know if anyone as used his or are there any others out there.

[ERA Chas]

Rich,
I have Mike's ventilated rotors and bridge kit for my Girling calipers. Great improvement over solid Jag rotors and trouble free since about '95.

[cobrarkc]

Chas,
That's funny he never mentioned this kit. That's a great picture of your setup. Thanks!

[ERA Chas]

Glad to help.

[RICK LAKE]

ERA Chas I would like to talk to you about your rear brakes. Can you send me a private e-mail and where I can talk to you with out the extras. Rick L.

[ERA Chas]

Rick-PM sent.

[Tom Wells]

cobrarkc,

I have the same rear vented brake setup as ERA Chas. It uses the Jag calipers with spacers and the Jag e-brakes. It is not a completely simple install, but works really really well on the street and on the track. It has over 25,000 miles on it and I'm on my second set of rear pads. Maybe the third, I forget, track use does put extra stress on them

Here's what it looked like when it was new:

I also use the Wilwood manual proportioning valve. The knob sticks through the floor at drivers right to allow on-the-track adjustment. I've found once I adjusted it to prevent rear lockup, I didn't need to do it again.

Dunno if Mike still makes this setup. If so, it's expensive but worth it in my view.

Tom

[John McMahon]

I used the same setup as Tom and Chas...very nice setup. If I remember correctly, the toughest part was modifying the brass forks to deal with the wider caliper.

[cobrarkc]

As anyone put Wilwood Calipers on?

[cobrarkc]

Originally Posted by John McMahon

I used the same setup as Tom and Chas...very nice setup. If I remember correctly, the toughest part was modifying the brass forks to deal with the wider caliper.

John,
How do you modify the brass forks?

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by cobrarkc

As anyone put Wilwood Calipers on?

I don't know if Wilwood makes a kit for it but it would require a steel adapter to mate the W'wood bolt holes to the Girling locations. Then there's always the correct rotor type/width to source. I don't know for sure but it may require shortening the half-shafts.

Originally Posted by cobrarkc

John,
How do you modify the brass forks?

I know it's no help but I think mine came from CWI with the correct forks. It's the brass 'plate' with safety wire seen here. Fit perfectly across the bridge and I just wired them on. They can be fabricated but the fork ends taper and bend into the e-brake arm's holes so it ain't easy.

I'd doubt you'd find any major performance difference between Wilwoods and these-possibly except in track-only use. And John has subjected his to that sort of use. Mine has seen less of that but once I got the F/R bias correct, they were perfect for 120MPH stops on the strip. Also, pad selection is a major contributor that helps performance. I'd try to find these if possible if you want a significant upgrade.

I also remember that someone made a Wilwood kit that put the calipers at the rear of the rotor but when I was researching mine, I rejected that because it put the calipers right against the ERA gas tank and bleeding and pad changes were impossible. Sorry don't know who made those.

[John McMahon]

Originally Posted by cobrarkc

John,
How do you modify the brass forks?

I had an additional piece of brass, braised into place to make up the difference for the wider rotor on the original style Girling calipers.

[cobrarkc]

Does anyone know offhand what the bolt spacing is on the Girling rear calipers. The fronts are 3.5" Wilwood make 3.5" and 5.25" if it is the same as the front you may be able to bolt on the 3.5' and work with the offset of the rotor hat. Someone must have done this. As a matter of fact Roger Davis (Racer 99X) advertised his car with Wilwoods on the rear of his Contemporary when it was for sale. Is he still around?

[John McMahon]

Originally Posted by cobrarkc

Does anyone know offhand what the bolt spacing is on the Girling rear calipers. The fronts are 3.5" Wilwood make 3.5" and 5.25" if it is the same as the front you may be able to bolt on the 3.5' and work with the offset of the rotor hat. Someone must have done this. As a matter of fact Roger Davis (Racer 99X) advertised his car with Wilwoods on the rear of his Contemporary when it was for sale. Is he still around?

Roger has sold the car.

[Tom Wells]

cobrarkc,

I have a set of stock Jag rear calipers. The mounting bolt holes measure 3-3/16" center to center using a tape measure. If you need closer, I can find my calipers

I second the parking brake caveats - if you go to the Wilwoods you may end up with none

Tom

[cobrarkc]

Originally Posted by Tom Wells

cobrarkc,

I have a set of stock Jag rear calipers. The mounting bolt holes measure 3-3/16" center to center using a tape measure. If you need closer, I can find my calipers

I second the parking brake caveats - if you go to the Wilwoods you may end up with none

Tom

Tom
Thanks for the quick measurement. I will have to make a bracket and use the Wilwood E brakes.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by cobrarkc

Tom
Thanks for the quick measurement. I will have to make a bracket and use the Wilwood E brakes.

Not sure I understand your plan. Do you intend to mount Wilwood calipers onto stock E-type solid disc rotors?

If so you will do a lot of work and not get all the performance you seek. The vented rotors are very important to brake performance-especially inboard.

[cobrarkc]

Chas,
I would be using Wilwood rotors and a hat that would match the offset. I know XK Unlimited has a setup for $784 for hat and rotor. I'm sure I could do better than that.
http://www.xks.com/shop/jaguar/ACCDe...spx?catID=5136

[ERA Chas]

Yeah, way expensive for 2 rotors with off-set hats and the bolt kit.
Check rotor thickness and match to the calipers you select. Make sure you can change pads and get to the bleeders in your chassis layout.

Please post the assembly results.

[DanEC]

How wide are the ventilated rotors?

Thanks