rear brake calipers - specifically solid brake pipe connection

[MikeRowland]

To the more experienced than me (i.e. everyone) ...........

 

Which of the two connections do i connect the solid brake pipe to on the rear caliper? My brake pipe runs from the brass three way connector along the de-dion tube up to the caliper.

 

There are two choices. One has a plastic (clear) plug in it. The other has a brass screw in with a black rubber cover. When looking from the front would it be the lower connector (closest to the disc) or the higher one?

 

cheers!!

 

PS - whilst i'm on, i assume it isn't possible to torque up the 4 nuts connecting the propshaft to the diff until the car is on wheels and in gear?? It just turns propshaft and i can't tighten it?

 

It's here - i now live in my garage!

 

[Shaun_E]

I think the brass screw with the cover is probably the bleed nipple which on my car is further to the back of the car than the point where the brake pipe screws in. Guess it's probably the hole with the clear plastic plug.

 

 

Yellow SL #32

[MikeRowland]

thanks Shaun, i think one of the two is for the hand brake cable

 

i'm confused!

 

It's here - i now live in my garage!

 

[James Tricker]

definitely the lower one

I can mail you a pic to confirm when I get home.

 

James (1.8 SV Mendip Blue)

 

Edited by - James Tricker on 29 Oct 2004 16:41:27

[James Tricker]

The handbrake cable attachment is on the the top - lever and spring assembly

 

James (1.8 SV Mendip Blue)

 

edited to correct spelling !

 

Edited by - James Tricker on 29 Oct 2004 16:51:30

[MikeRowland]

thank you James

 

That was the way i was leaning, i was looking for confirmation!

 

 

It's here - i now live in my garage!

 

[caterhamnut]

Just something to throw a spanner inthe works Mike - there is a school of thought that suggests this is not the place for a solid brake pipe and that it should really be a flexiable hose. This is because the caliper is supposed to slide, and you could argue that the solid pipe restricts that, meaning that one brake pad might be held onto the pad constantly, if very lightly. Certainly on our car we always had one pad on each side wear a lot more than the other. Mark fitted flexiable hoses and it seems to have helped. It also means that when you take the calipers off for whatever reason, yo ucan fold them out of the way without dis-connecting pipes/re-bleeding, and without risk of cinking the copper pipes.

 

I stresss that this is just a 'maybe' - most Caterhams I guess have solid pipes, but if you look at the design, and the way they work, you will see what I mean. It could be an option as you are at a stage where it would be easy to do. Local supplier should be able to make up some pipes if you did want to do it (take the solid ones in to copy) - cost about £20 ISTR.

 

 

HUGE UPDATE ALMOST WITH VIDEO

here

70,000miles in 3 years

[James Tricker]

Angus - I agree with that thought. When I first assembled mine my first thoughts where to change to a flexible braided hose during the winter maintenance.

There is obviously enough flex there for the small amount of movement to occur but I still prefer the flexible option as you say for when the callipers need moving.

 

James (1.8 SV Mendip Blue)

 

edited to say that one day I'l make a post an not have to edit out my bad spelling...

 

Edited by - James Tricker on 29 Oct 2004 16:56:56

[MikeRowland]

cheers Angus

 

I totally take your point, and agree. Unfortunately i'm building an Academy car. And i fear if i modify anything i may not pass scrutineering. All the cars have to be identical etc.

 

thanks for the thought though! 😬

 

It's here - i now live in my garage!

 

[caterhamnut]

Funnily enough I rang Mark just to check my technical ramblings were correct before posting and he mentioned that you were building a race car, so it might be a problem to deviate.... surprised if it was a problem as it seems an obvious safety thing, but then I think it is absurd that Caterham do not fit an FIA bar as standard to all their cars...guess you had better check, or leave it as it is.

 

HUGE UPDATE ALMOST WITH VIDEO

here

70,000miles in 3 years

 

Edited by - angus&tessa on 29 Oct 2004 16:59:38

[Chelspeed]

Err, umm. Well at least one of this years Academy cars was built with flexible brake lines on the de dion. Raced the whole year without getting in any scrutineering type conflicts but I guess that could have been just because it wasn't spotted. Couldn't possibly tell you which one that was of course.

 

When I built my brothers Academy car (did I mention that my brother did Academy last year?) I did get the impression that there are a number of things that aren't in the regs but provided they do not offer performance advantages are waved through by the series scrutineer. One example that I checked would be OK before doing was an override switch for the rad fan.

[Shaun_E]

Have a look here. Its on the bookatrack website so you might need to be a member to view (I'm not sure).

It's a photo of the LHS caliper from the back. The red circle shows the brake pipe connection, the light blue is the bleed nipple and the purple shows where the handbrake cable hooks on.

Hope this helps.

 

Yellow SL #32