A return to Europa ownership + brake caliper help

[Europaforever]

Hi,

After leaving the forum a couple of years ago when I sold my Europa to buy a kitchen (yeah great)
I am returning to the fold with a ground up rebuild!

I am currently collecting all the parts I can to put onto a new S2 chassis and I'm researching at the moment the front
brakes/suspension and the parts I need.

I know that Europa S2s use many Spitfire parts for the front suspension but I'm confused by this...
The uprights (vert links) on the Europa have separate caliper brackets which are from a mk1-2 Spitfire but those cars
use type 12 calipers. I understand that Europas have type 14s? I read online clearance could be a problem but I guess if thats what Lotus used...?

Another option is for me to use the complete front suspension from a later spitfire which has the later vert link upright (caliper bracket built in to the design).
That has to be a common upgrade on spitfires but would it make the anti roll bar still fit or put it in another position.

Many thanks

[jbcollier]

Ok, Lotus never bought any parts from Triumph.  They bought parts from the same pool of British parts suppliers as everyone else and ended up with parts that were also used by other manufacturers.  That's why a 1974 Europa used a front upright that was also used in a Mk 1 Spitfire/Herald.

To the best of my knowledge, the later Triumph Spitfires maintained the same front end geometry -- I do not know this for sure, do some research.  So you could buy the uprights, etc from a later Spitfire parts car.  You will still need Europa a-arms, shocks, anti-roll bar, links, etc.  They are now remaking the Mk1/Herald/Europa uprights and they are not expensive if you wanted to go the stock route.

Note: The Europa's ant-roll bar attaches to the bottom of the coil-overs.

[jbcollier]

... and, the Europas used the smaller calipers.  The Elan used the larger calipers.  Going to the larger calipers on the Europa can result in a set-up where the front brakes lock very easily.

[EuropaTC]

After leaving the forum a couple of years ago when I sold my Europa to buy a kitchen (yeah great)

A kitchen ?  a kitchen ?  and not even a V8 kitchen ?   

Ok, leg pulling over.....   

The type 12 & type 14 calipers are pretty much interchangeable in the sense that they both have the same bolt pitch and will fit on the same brackets and use the same diameter discs.  The pistons have slightly different dust seal designs which means the overhaul kits are different but AFAIK the piston diameters are the same, hence brake performance the same. 

Both were fitted to the Elan over it's lifetime, but only the 2 seater.  The +2 had type 16 calipers with larger pistons, bigger discs. Fitting these calipers also means you need a new mounting bracket because the bolt pitch is different, plus of course the discs larger so it's further out from the axle.

On my TC I've used both type 12 & 14 calipers and the ones currently fitted are newish type 14's. The simple reason is I have an elan which originally used type 12's and so I've usually had a "spare set" on the shelf overhauled & ready to fit.  I've not had any issues fitting either to the Europa although I have read about clearance problems but that's not the case on my set-up which is still using the OEM vertical links, axles, hubs & brackets. Biggest issue has been routing the brake lines slightly differently, but no big deal.

Brian