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I have the cage out of the mistress …. When it goes back in it will have a sway bar with it out of an older XJS.
It does not look like it has been out before so it will be getting a strip down, blast paint and tidy up before it goes back in.
One of the jobs I will be doing is replacing the rotors, there is plenty of choice on line so I thought it would put this one to the forum for advice, very much appreciate any recommendations for rotors.
Also what is the OEM spec for minimum rotor thickness….?
Callipers will get a make over as well so any recommendations here for suppliers…. I see Stainless Pistons are available so these seem a good option.
New rotor thickness = .500"
Minimum allowable = .450"
What brand rotors? On my various Jags (and other cars) over the last 22+ years I've used Brembo, Bendix, Lucas, Centric, Wagner, NAPA, Lockheed...maybe a few others that I've forgotten. Never had problems with any of them
Do yourself a favor in and just skip ahead and upgrade to xj40 x300 or late XJS outboard brakes. The benefits are myriad. The inboards are terrible, ineffective, difficlt to service, they heat up the diff and oil that blows back or out of the diff ends up contaminating the pads. The supposed benefit of lower unsprung mass is difficult to appreciate in real world conditions.
Like Doug, whatever is on special, or I can deal a price with, on the day.
RDA has probably been the most popular in my time.
I have been tempted with various "upgrades", and never gone that path. The brakes are fine, when rebuilt from many years of neglect, to as designed.
Calipers, i have always done my own, and seal kits are easily obtainable, and pistons have never been an issue. Some needed a polish with 1200 Wet and Dry paper, and good to go, as the original Hard Chrome is good stuff. Neglected brake fluid is going to be the killer, as the water content of that fluid will reek havoc.
I have not gone "fancy" on any of mine, and they stop as good as I want from "speed limit ++", and that is all you can ask for.
Pads, also whatever I can deal on, and TRW have been co-operative of late, but RDA, Bendix, Wagner, etc all sit in the various cars in the fleet.
I tried ceramic pads on my X Type and I hated them. Yes, they make less dust, but in normal street driving they are much less effective than regular metallic. My final straw was both feet on the brake pedal pushing as hard as I could and nearly rear ending someone.
Changed back to regular metallics and the first time I stopped applying the force on the pedal I had become used to I nearly went through the windshield.
I agree with grant and Doug, OEM inboards with normal solid discs are fine and stop the car very effectively. In fact the braking of the XJS is one of its best points. If yo anticipate hard use, and only if, then EBC "red stuff" pads are the best, most cost-effective, and easiest upgrade you can make.
f funds allow I would fit a pair of these remote bleeders too. They really do make bleeding the rears a breeze, which it most definitely is NOT with the OEM bleeders inaccessibly placed as they are! Remote Bleed Kit for Jaguar IRS Brakes - Fosseway PerformanceFosseway Performance
You need everything on this page, brass fittings and all.
Additionally, ensuring the handbrake callipers are adjusted properly is really important, and be prepared if you ever use it in anger to rip the handbrake pads off their backing plates, and also that replacing them may be an axle-out job. If you have the time and inclination, attached is the Rolls-Royce solution which gives an absolutely top class 100% robust handbrake.
Last edited by Greg in France; 08-25-2019 at 01:19 AM.
Like Doug, whatever is on special, or I can deal a price with, on the day.
RDA has probably been the most popular in my time.
I have been tempted with various "upgrades", and never gone that path. The brakes are fine, when rebuilt from many years of neglect, to as designed.
Calipers, i have always done my own, and seal kits are easily obtainable, and pistons have never been an issue. Some needed a polish with 1200 Wet and Dry paper, and good to go, as the original Hard Chrome is good stuff. Neglected brake fluid is going to be the killer, as the water content of that fluid will reek havoc.
I have not gone "fancy" on any of mine, and they stop as good as I want from "speed limit ++", and that is all you can ask for.
Pads, also whatever I can deal on, and TRW have been co-operative of late, but RDA, Bendix, Wagner, etc all sit in the various cars in the fleet.
I agree with grant and Doug, OEM inboards with normal solid discs are fine and stop the car very effectively. In fact the braking of the XJS is one of its best points. If yo anticipate hard use, and only if, then EBC "red stuff" pads are the best, most cost-effective, and easiest upgrade you can make.
f funds allow I would fit a pair of these remote bleeders too. They really do make bleeding the rears a breeze, which it most definitely is NOT with the OEM bleeders inaccessibly placed as they are! Remote Bleed Kit for Jaguar IRS Brakes - Fosseway PerformanceFosseway Performance
You need everything on this page, brass fittings and all.
Additionally, ensuring the handbrake callipers are adjusted properly is really important, and be prepared if you ever use it in anger to rip the handbrake pads off their backing plates, and also that replacing them may be an axle-out job. If you have the time and inclination, attached is the Rolls-Royce solution which gives an absolutely top class 100% robust handbrake.
Akebono should make pads and rotors for XJS. The important part is brake fade, I dont care about dust, although the less the better for inboard brakes. They last longer, which is also a plus with the inboards. Not all ceramic brakes are equal.
rear cage apart ... bits every where ... have got the rusty calipers apart and given them a clean and buff ... the zink has seen better days and will need re zinking or painting. If i go down the path of zinc plating i am thinking i will need to plug up the brake line port and the holes into the brake cycliner and also tape up or some how prevent the bores from being zinc plated ....? ..... advice on this one would be appreciated..... ?
Caliper Pistons are shot so i will need new ones .... bores have come up sweet.
if i go down the path of painting i will need to avoid painting on the mating surfaces and nut and bolt landings...... would look at some thing similar to a wattyl kill rust type paint .... epoxy enamel ... down side is this paint is 16 hour drying time and would be a very fiddly messy job ... feed back from those who have tackled the calipers this way ....?
what ever i do with the brake calipers i will do with the handbrake calipers...!
cage and other bits are off to the sandblaster later this week .... will post some before and after pics.
Electroplating is the term for zinc plating.
Blue or Gold are the common colours.
Blue = Silver.
Calipers cleaned up well.
I have had lots of parts Electroplated, not sure about the inside of calipers though, If it was me I would turn up some nylon bungs to fit in the piston hole. Maker them tapered so the can be hammed in to place. Blots and locktite or similar for the threaded holes. Job done.
Gold I am told is the best rust protection.
I like to Electroplate parts and then powder coat them.
I have never bothered with fancying things up, mainly in the rear, coz the only people ever going to see it are the pedestrians that dont run fast enough.
Well cleaned, and basic painted (if push comes to shove) with Hi-Temp caliper paint, if its on special at the time, and basic Black, Silver, etc is all.
Wire brushing the rust is my preferred, as any of those "Rust Converters" are NOT heat proof, and will react when things get HOT back there.
Pistons, Bugga, JagDaim may still have some.
Blasting all the other bits, OF COURSE, and makes thing so easy when assembling.
going through the process of itemising what i need to buy / order for the rebuild of the back end...
some advice on bleed screws for the back calipers please.
in the attached snaps ... the bleed screw pictured is out of the left caliper ... the right caliper is pictured with a different bleed screw. ...! both caliper will need to be bleed and both screws would be the same ....?
Grant .... thanks for the advice on the paint ...... going to paint the calipers in the high temp white knight product pictured ....... METALIC CHARCOAL ...... i gotta be me .... ha ha.
Goodo, whatever rocks YOUR boat, and that Charcoal will dry out real good.
That 2nd snap is a broken off bleed nipple.
The 1st is a butchered example.
They are both 11mm (7/16AF) spanner size.
Digging that broken bit out could be fun, but since they will be stripped, some heat will good. Just DO NOT use "Easy Outs", they will snap, and screw your day.
When you talk with Doug at JagDaim, he will have new nipples for you.