I’m looking at Girling rear calipers and I find there are two maybe three types of calipers. The calipers are for a 73.5 to 87 Jaguar xj6. Can you please explain the difference between these 3 calipers?
They all look the same…
My 87 has the boot and spring design.
You could also rebuild the old ones with new seals boots and pistons. Inox would be better.
Thank you for the reply but I’m trying to determine exactly what these three terms pertain to. Is it the parking brake, the rubber around the pistons, etc. I have no idea.
Also what is the difference in functionality and which is superior.
Their are only two styles of caliper used in that period, the later circlip retained dust cover is a “cheaper” design and is easier to service.
Functionally there is no difference,
You call it a spring, it’s actually called a circlip.
I actually convert the early type to the circlip style, because it’s easier to assemble.
The early type requires the dust boot to be assembled to the caliper then the piston has to be pushed thru it, very easy to damage the boott.
I was looking at calipers that fit a 1986 xj6. Otherwise how do I differentiate between old or later style. I know about the Circlip in the later ones thanks to you and the others on this site.
I can see some problems here. The 86’ XJ6 has 4 pot front calipers that will require an adaptor for the calipers, the rears are a direct replacement.
You will have a great improvement in brake performance as the front calipers are 1.89" x 2 and the rear are 1.69".
You could also use “Wilwood” Corvette C4 front calipers with 1.88" x 2 pistons that weigh nearly half of the XJ ones. An adaptor is still required but I believe it will be a much simpler one to make.
That is the way I am going on my XJS and my E race car.
someone is almost finished with the caliper bracket for the front. We were looking at the Wilwoods but they are a lot more expensive then the Jaguar xj6 calipers. We also want it to look as period correct as possible.
We also changed the Servo to the big dual diaphram ATE as used in the early 250 Mercedes.
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I know, Norman - I was just trying to find a facile explanation why the 3-pot rear caliper was retained when the front was changed to a 4-pot set-up…
The gist is that for Bruce’s purpose either version of rear calipers would work.
Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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Kirbert
(Author of the Book, former owner of an '83 XJ-S H.E.)
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