I am having difficulty with my front calipers after installing S/S pistons as they are no longer centered about the rotor. I am confused on what to use as a measurement point on the caliper. Should I use the flat areas on the caliper body that the rotor rides between, or should I use the outward face of the pistons? Thanks in advance!

 

Maybe I have missed something over the years, dunno.

The calipers bolt up to the vertical strut, on the 2 ears cast and machined from the factory, thats it.

There is no adjustment for rotor position.

I have never had issues on any of mine, and those items have been off and on so many times.

The shims in that area are for the steering arm, and have nothing to do with the caliper.

 

If my memory serves, the caliper slides laterally on a set of pins to accommodate for wear on the pad located on the opposite of the rotor from the piston.

The caliper is self adjusting for position.

 

Well, my problem started when I installed S/S pistons, which do not have the .017" deep dimple on the bottom of the small pistons to clear the raised bump in the bottom of the small bores, hence, the problem. The repair manual says to center the calipers to within .006", but I will have to either machine some off of the caliper bosses, or make a shim to move the rotor toward the car centerline. I want to know if I should take the measurements off of the top of the pistons, or the flat areas on the caliper body nearest to the rotor.

 

No, it is a fixed caliper, not a floating caliper. That is why it needs to be adjusted to center it.

 

So, the pistons are not retracting adequately either due to a manufacturing error or poor design. Ditch them and use OEM stuff.

Machining stuff or adding shims is a case of two wrongs don't make a right.

Is the caliper centred without the pistons installed? If no, find out why.

 

BUGGA.

Its a Series 3 E TYPE.

Sorry, my answer is probably not related to that brake system.

However, in the ONE only I have seen is pieces, they are a caliper similar to the Series XJ fixed style, which means, as already stated, the pistons are not retracting into the caliper far enough, maybe coz they are for the XJ caliper, and not the E caliper, dunno.

 

OEM "stuff" isn't available. Everyone is selling the same S/S pistons. I have ordered some nitrided pistons, also not OEM, and when they arrive I will inspect for the important dimple on the bottom.