Can I replace rear brake calipers without removing rear assembly on a 1974 Series 3
OTS?
Unfortunatly not…Steve
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Welcome to the Forum. I just finished the rebuild on the IRS of my 74 E Type OTS. Others can tell you if it is feasible, but you can do a topic search here in the Forum for past discussions on just about any topic.
I can tell you that dropping the IRS is not a really difficult task if you have the right equipment and if you replace the calipers you will probably need to re-shim the rotors to centralize the rotors in the calipers. I do not even want to think about the degree of difficulty in doing that with the IRS in the vehicle even if it is technically possible.
I am still learning and have done all of my work with the car disassembled.
Others here are a lot more experienced when it comes to what can and can’t be done with all the mechanicals in place.
How long have you had your car? We always like to see pictures.
Rod
Dropping the IRS is actually very easy.
Loosen the spinners.*
Raise the rear high enough to remove both rear wheels.
Remove wheels.
Disconnect the rear brake hose after clamping it.
Pull the clevis pin out of the end of the handbrake cable.
Put a trolley lift under the pumpkin - about 6 inches further forward than you think you should - it is deceptively front heavy.
Pull the bolts holding the four cage mounts.
Lower the IRS down. Just walk the IRS/trolley out sideways through the wheel well!
*If you have wire wheels, use a heat gun on the spinners before you try to loosen them.
When reassembling, use an R-clip instead of a split pin in the clevis pin. (You’ll thank yourself next time around.) Probably replace the brake hose if it isn’t new. When the cage mounts go back on - two on the cage and two on the car body.
kind regards
Marek
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Thanks for your help. Just got it a month ago.This is my 7th E type. I will not be doing it myself as I’m getting to old [90] for this stuff . I hope to see it finished and I will send pics later. Again, thanks
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Marek,
Yoi appear to have forgottem potentially the most difficult of the steps to removing the IRS, namely disconnecting the Radius Arms. If they haven’t been removed recently they can be a pain to release.
-David
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Yes I have completely forgotten!
I didn’t find that painful though as there is a lot of leverage available from one end of the radius arm to the other if a wedge is placed in near the cup.
Given this is a s3, a contrary argument might be had if you can get spanners easily onto the Girling calipers via the inspection hatches behind the front seat.
If access is generally poor all around, then dropping the IRS may still be easier than a six hour litany of well intentioned five minute hacks.
kind regards
Marek
Early on, I came to that conclusion! I almost always would drop the IRS to do things on it. It’s not that big a deal.
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Yup take the long way home fast and then it’s real easy the next time 
heaven forbid
I did it twice in 10 years because of the handbrake, the major difficulty is related to taking off bolts , radius arms etc that never moved for the last 50 years. .
And then of course, the unplanned issues , with the IRS out better to overhaul everything,you don’t want to do it again
Upon reassembling it is important to recall tilting the cage forward or rearward (can’t remember) when offering it to the bushes, the first time I couldnt possibly figure out how it could fit and i thought I had wrong bushes .
Painful then to attach the emergency cable on the back, there is a suggestion on a previous posting of mine 3-4 years ago and also Marek’s to use a ‘R’ pin
Good luck !
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Louis, in reference your query, yes the rear brake pads can be removed in situ. You will need to remove the rear seat to access the two metal covers. One on each side. Remove the screws, remove the cover. You will see acess to the two rear brake calipers. To remove the pads, remove the spring clips from the metal rods. Once removed, slide out the metal rods probably with pliers. Then with pliers gentle wiggle the pads and pull them out.To put the pads back in, it is a reversal of removal.
DaveM
71 S3 2+2
Louis, having read your query better, to your query, the rear cage needs to be dropped. There is insufficient room to do the change in situ. While the cage is out, check hand brake pads
DaveM
S3 2+2
/side rear '74 xke only, new? complete caliper on amazon
Also dropping the exhaust… 
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Given that the car is an S3, another method that works well is to insert a 6mm plate, the length of which is greater than the hole in the steel part of the large bush, but slightly narrower than the hole, through the hole so that it sits inside so that it straddles the hole. With the rear seat cushion removed, access from inside the car is available to the threaded hole of the location dome. Screw a bolt into the thread so that the end of the bolts presses against the top surface of the 6mm plate. Continue to screw the bolt in, thus increasing the force applied to the plate.
The above method with work on the most stubborn attachment but, is only available with the long wheelbase cars.
Regards,
Bill
In the middle of this now. Pads can be changed via the access ports, calipers no. Even with the IRS out getting the right hand caliper loose is a b****, access to the lower bolt is very tight and I am pretty much going to have to remove the inner wishbone fulcrum for access to loosen it(which I did not want to do). The radius arm connection bolts were rusted solid and broke, needed drilling out and the replacements will need nuts. Has anyone seen fiberglass insulation in the body cavity above the radius arm spigots? Mine was packed full, and had been wet, with predictable results. Right now still degreasing the entire IRS, then will start disassembling the tie plate and hope to get the fulcrum apart as an assembly intact with the mounting bracket.
Not there, but have seen it in the bulkhead at the front and also stuffed into the rear wheel arches, just ahead of where the fuel pump mounts on the right and evaporation canister sits on the left. That says to me yours is probably original.
Sadly for you, a good indicator of body rust is finding the car wet in the cavity above the mounting point for the radius arms. It’s very good news that you’ve caught this and are treating it, as the water has no way of getting out from here.
When in the garage, I leave the little triangular trim panels above this spot loose, just for this reason, so air can circulate and any moisture can evaporate out.
kind regards
Marek.
I am working on the body of my 74 right now, and those cavities above the radius arms were packed tight with yellow fiberglass insulation. I have owned the car for almost 40 years and can guarantee that it was there originally.
Rod
IIRC, the same cavity on the Series II 2+2 had something similar packed in there but I thought it was something like cotton.
Not sure that its fiberglass, but yes, on every unmolested S3 I’ve worked on has that cavity above the radius arm, front attachment point stuffed with a cotton like packing.
Regards,
Bill
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