I took a look at the rotors and if I had them machined down then there would not be enough surface area left for the pad to properly seat evenly. Looks like I am down to either replacing calipers (anybody done this before?) or getting the other rotors.

 

Just by chance, could your fronts be 355 and not 305? I've seen several brands that size. I've also seen kits that when I put in your cars says it fits.

 

Thanks David, definitely not 355, the 326's are larger than what is currently on the front. When I pulled the wheel, 305 is stamped right on the mounting bracket.

I actually spoke to someone at Upton Foreign Motors (MA) and he tried to help me over the phone, even HE couldn't get the rotors from his regular sources. A shout out to him as he took about 20 minutes of his time with me on the phone. We came to the conclusion that my best option is to swap out the calipers to fit the far more available 326mm rotors since we traced all parts from the rotor to the master cylinder and the only things different are the rotor, caliper and mounting bracket, all other parts are identical. If it is this difficult this time, just imagine next time.

So, front calipers are ordered (which were also very limited) and we'll see how it goes. I will be sure to update this thread. Thanks to all who offered ideas and suggestions.

 

kbhonline, I'm faced with the exact same issue as you. I've got a 2008 S-Type with the 305mm front and 300mm rears and it's time to replace the rears, at least. Please keep us informed on your results (and costs) to swap to the 326mm rears. I'll likely be duplicating your change. Thanks.

 

Is there any chance the 305mm and 300mm rotors were used on the Ford Thunderbird or Lincoln LS??? I just checked RockAuto and it looks like they both use the same rotors, but the diameters are not given. I wonder if a visit to a Ford dealer would be worthwhile?

 

Hi All
So an update on my issue.
I went ahead and did the caliper swap out and it seems to be working well. The larger calipers bolted right on along with the larger mounting bracket, allowing the larger rotors to fit just as they are supposed to. Performance is great and now I just have the rears to do. I received them last week and hope to get them on this weekend.

More to come once the project is complete!

 

Hi Don
thanks for the idea, I did cross reference several ways and could not find any common parts for any other vehicles other than mine. I did just look at RockAuto's rotors listings and the Centric product numbers are not the same so they must be different in some spec. However see my update, I went ahead and swapped out calipers and the new commonly available size rotors fit very well. Thanks!

 

Hey Banjohack
See my update, this will likely be your most cost effective path. I have more details to share than my summary below, but will save that for the final wrap up after I get the rears done. Good luck!

 

Have you had the thickness checked to see if you could simply have your rotors turned? I know Jaguar wants you to buy new, but turning works well for most makes. I would try to get mine turned before paying outrageous prices.

 

No need/benefit to turn rotors. That's an outdated practice of the past which had no real value in the first place.

 

HI baldeagle, thanks for the suggestion. I actually gave up on turning rotors 20+ years ago when I learned how inexpensive it was to just replace them. Nothing like new pads and rotors all at once. And in this case, I believe these rotors are original and have exceeded their minimum thickness spec, and as such turning them would just reduce their usefulness even further.

 

Hi All
As promised here is my update on my brake replacement issue.

So, I have completed the conversion and now have the more standardly available 326mm Rotors and matching calipers on both the front and rears braking quite well. All parts fit and match and the braking is superb.

I am dealing with a couple of issues however, any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated:

1. I'm getting what I'm quite sure is pad rattle on the fronts..more so the right than left when I go over bumps. If I depress the pedal while going over bumps it is nice and quiet. I've focused on the right caliper and have done the following: made sure all new hardware was installed properly, made sure the old pads and new pads matched in size/shape (yes, same pads for either size rotor), tightened the spring clips on the inside pad to make sure it was holding tight in the caliper piston, tightened the outside anti-rattle clip, swapped out and tried the old anti-rattle clip (since there was no noise previously), made sure all bolts were tight and staying tight, made sure the wheels nuts were torqued all the way properly...still getting the noise. I also hear what sounds like a little vibration going over bumps that are not hard enough to make the pad rattle sound. All goes away when applying the brakes even slightly going over the bumps. The only other theory I have is that the caliper guide pin boots are too soft and the are allowing the caliper to rattle...but since these are newly rebuilt calipers with all new hardware, I have a bit of a hard time believing that this could be it. Any thoughts on this one?

2. Second issue is one of my rear brake is hanging on the EPB. Both worked find for about a week and then all of a sudden the left one gets stuck upon release of the EPB. I've done the following: Reset the EPB twice, even pulled both calipers and reset the pistons back to give it a fresh start, check the springs on the calipers that help release the EPB when the cable releases, make sure there was no tension on the EPB cable causing it to hang, tried cleaning the outside of the housing, tried lubing the outside housing where the EPB lever is on the caliper, bled it a couple times. I've found that if I release the EPB and the brake sticks, a good little wack with a tool to give the release a little extra effort causes it to free and go to where it is supposed to go. I've also found that if I roll a bit forward and slam on the brakes, enough to force the powerbooster to kick in, this will free it as well. Not my favorite way but just trying to see if I have an installation issue and someone has seen/heard these symptoms before or if I truly have a defective caliper and need to contact the manufacturer. BTW, these are brand new calipers, not rebuilds.

On the upside, I feel very confident that I can safely stop in the car. With the new pads and larger rotors, I can definitely feel more stopping power for the same pedal effort and am glad I have this done. But, sure would like to address the other issues and make this complete.

Thanks in advance as always for your feedback!

Kevin

 

Following this one !!