Lotus Europa Wilwood Rear Disc Brake Upgrade Kit

[EuropaTC]

Michael, when you mentioned you'd been looking at commercial calipers, did you consider the Brembo caliper that they use on the Elise S1, dodge viper and an early Renault ?  It has a 34mm piston as standard but I've heard of people overboring and using up to 40mm which might compensate slightly for using a smaller disc ?

https://wiki.seloc.org/a/Brembo_Caliper

Brian

[mio]

Hi
I have actually looked at the Elise rear caliper, but this is not an option for my development " cast iron " :-)
We are working on a brand new developed alloy caliper with mechanical handbrake mechanism and this fits nicely inside the original 13" Europa rim.
A big issue with all aftermarket alloy calipers is they are made with the purpose to fit inside 15" rims or larger.
This means the Calipers don't fit well inside 13" rims.
I'll get back soon with more news and maybe a sneak peek at our Caliper.
Thanks
Michael
MIO Engineering

[tedtaylor]

I probably don't know what i'm talking about, but the idea just came to me.   Has anyone tried disc brake setups for smaller vehicles, like go-karts, motorcycles, or other small wheels??   If the object is to fit into a smaller wheel, perhaps these smaller calipers might work sufficiently and have adequate stopping power.    Just a thought...

[Certified Lotus]

Ted, creative idea suggesting go-karts, but they won’t work as the calipers and rotors are very small compared to a car (I had 4 Racing karts and know them well). Motorcycles are a bit more interesting, but I would assume same, too small for use on a car. We won’t even talk about lack of a parking brake on any of these types of vehicles......

[Certified Lotus]

Hi
I have actually looked at the Elise rear caliper, but this is not an option for my development " cast iron " :-)
We are working on a brand new developed alloy caliper with mechanical handbrake mechanism and this fits nicely inside the original 13" Europa rim.
A big issue with all aftermarket alloy calipers is they are made with the purpose to fit inside 15" rims or larger.
This means the Calipers don't fit well inside 13" rims.
I'll get back soon with more news and maybe a sneak peek at our Caliper.
Thanks
Michael
MIO Engineering

MICHAEL, I have this funny feeling you are coming up with an exceptional solution...... that is worth waiting for.

[surfguitar58]

Ha! I love the way Certified incorporates Lotus and JPS into his kart design. Why do I think his kitchen toaster is black with gold pinstripes?

wrt motorcycle Brake calipers, heavy bikes like the Gullwing have bigger engines and more weight per wheel than a Europa, but a cursory search shows the big bikes all have larger disk diameters than we could use, meaning the calipers don’t have the stopping power needed for a small diameter disk. My one ride on a 1990s gullwing didn’t exactly impress me with its ability to stop quickly.
Tom

[Certified Lotus]

Surfguitar, that is a real honest to goodness factory Lotus kart. There were only three in the US (that I know of) and I owned one of them.

[surfguitar58]

Surfguitar, that is a real honest to goodness factory Lotus kart. There were only three in the US (that I know of) and I owned one of them.

Wow! Sincere apologies Certified, I had no idea such a beast existed. Looks awesome btw! (But I still think your toaster has pinstripes!)
t

[Certified Lotus]

Maybe not my toaster........but.....

[jbcollier]

Not fair to use a 90's bike for a brake comparison.  That said, a modern car with its ABS brakes will out brake a motorcycle.  Something tailgating motorcyclists often learn to their peril.

Braking force generated in a motorcycle is mostly down to front wheel traction (unless it's a chopper).  This gives little margin for error so modern motorcycle braking is all about feel and the ability to modulate.  The massive dual discs are not to generate more braking force but to create a force that is easier to modulate.  ABS brakes have revolutionized motorcycle braking as now rank amateurs can almost match seasoned pros right out of the box... unless they are braking into a corner that is.

The other major design difference is the amount of kinetic force that has to be converted into heat.  Even light cars weigh an order of magnitude more than a light bike.  Car brakes are much more massive to handle the heat load.  Fitting bike brakes to even a light car will result in 1/2 to 1 stop wonders.

[Grumblebuns]

I can see the problem using front motorcycle calipers on the fronts. Will the same issue apply to using 1000cc sport bike front calipers for the rears on a Lotus?       

[DamianLynch]

Any news on this upgrade?  I would join in on the buy if MIO is able to design the kit.

[Bainford]

I've been curious as well. I've been thinking about brake upgrades lately and wondered if anything became of this Wilwood brake kit.

At the very least I'd like to upgrade to a ventilated disc whilst using fixed caliper, but have yet to find a solution. The Wilwood set-up would be the cat's pajamas.

[Chuck Nukem]

I can see the problem using front motorcycle calipers on the fronts. Will the same issue apply to using 1000cc sport bike front calipers for the rears on a Lotus?       

I was wondering this exact thing. Especially if a ducting system was made for them.

[kerrywittig]

Where& who do I contact to purchase f&r Wilwood kits for 1970 S2 with 15” minilites