Newbie question

[Lithopsian]

I felt the same thing when I put Gaz Monos on.  They are very soft on the initial movement and it really takes the edge off potholes and those nasty ridges across the road.  Stiffer springs and, probably, stiffer shocks after that initial cm or so, make it feel tight for cornering.  Not great on big things like speed bumps though   Old shocks were probably shot as well!

[Andy wright]

The BOE cage eventually tempted me . Now on the car . But first job was to remove the brake pedal, re drill and bush the  pushrod hole to give me a pedal ratio close to 6:1 ( 5.8) . Next job was to replace the brand new 0.7” bore master cylinders with 0.625” ones and then plumb the whole lot in . First road test this afternoon. . Upsides. The brakes are wonderfully progressive. The harder one presses, the more rapidly the car slows down. . Next, at speeds of 30 mph and under in traffic, the brakes are no longer either on if off . So tick number two. . Much less pedal travel . Also nice. And the downside ? More pedal effort . I calculated that I would  need about 55lb of pedal effort for a 1G stop. And I think that is about how it feels . Initially the brakes feel dead and unresponsive until one adapts to just pressing harder.Do that and the car stops . Quickly. 

[Andy wright]

And the full install 

[Lithopsian]

Not much space for that cage 😲 Did you know for sure it was going to fit?

[Andy wright]

2 hours ago, Lithopsian said:

Not much space for that cage 😲 Did you know for sure it was going to fit?

BOE ( USA) designed it specifically for the S2 Elise so I was pretty confident it would fit onto the existing bell and pedal box. Clearance was always going to be an issue and with hindsight, given that I had  to buy  two new master cylinders, I should have bought the short body AP ones as that would have cleared the radiator more readily . However, fluid feed  and transfer was always going to be tricky as they are all top feed or end feed. The o.e one has side exit which helps with the packaging . 

[Andy wright]

And another pair of Calipers that I have  adapted to side feed. Plan to put these on the rear . Eliseparts radial caliper adaptors fitted ( they fit well ) and with a pedal box and bias bar, it would be rune it to upgrade the rear brakes. The handbrake is an issue as the Brembo Calipers are very heavy. Wilwood make a neat handbrake caliper but getting hold of a pair with the correct 1.1” dies width clearance is a bit more difficult. Plenty of the 0.81” ones available in places like Demon Tweeks . 

[Lithopsian]

HiSpec do spot calipers that can handle the disc thickness.

[Andy wright]

56 minutes ago, Lithopsian said:

HiSpec do spot calipers that can handle the disc thickness.

They do. And they have a number of options, both mechanical and electric . I think they may be a better bet than trying to get the Wilwood ones . I will give Hi spec a call tomorrow and see what they have available . 

[LotusPanelRepair]

Interested in what they say. I’m looking at my options. I’ve got a set of ap 4 pots for the front, I’d like to put the 2 pots on the rear but the Brembo sliding caliper just looks big and it’s definitely over kill as just a handbrake. 

[Andy wright]

I plan to call today so will write up on here what I find out. They have the V1/2/3 option and the electric spot caliper . Latter is much more expensive but dispenses with the hassle of trying to rig up a handbrake cable . 

[Andy wright]

On 07/04/2026 at 16:27, Lithopsian said:

HiSpec do spot calipers that can handle the disc thickness.

They do. And they have a number of options, both mechanical and electric . I think they may be a better bet than trying to get the Wilwood ones . I will give Hi spec a call tomorrow and see what they have available . 

[Andy wright]

I managed to have a useful chat with someone at Hispec this afternoon. First point is that all items are made to order . The parts to make are in stock but because they offer bespoke colours and fittings, they make to order. Lead time is approx 28 days .

 Next. The Calipers. The V3 is light and inexpensive. However, there is , in my view, a slight snag. It’s to do with the cable. The lotus handbrake cable, like most manufacturers who still use a mechanical handbrake, has the outer cable anchored at each end and the handbrake lever on the caliper operated by pulling the inner wire against a fixed outer . On the V3 caliper, the arrangement is more like a bike brake caliper, where both the inner and outer part of the cable pull against each other and each each moves one half of the operating lever arm. I think this will make the rigging of said cable not an easy job. Doable, but not easy. 
The other option is the Spot electric caliper. Like the V3, it will need a bespoke mounting bracket, but the wiring would , in my view, be an easier thing to do than rigging the cable. The downside is the cost. The electric solution is £700 . My plan is to install the two pot rears and then decide how I want to proceed with the handbrake. I definitely don’t want to keep the heavy Brembo. 

[Andy wright]

Rear caliper instal hit a slight bump in the road . Because I have gone to side feed, I needed to use a banjo feed to the caliper . And are the banjo bolts I have long enough? Of course they are not. The little #@£#@ards . 5mm longer ones ordered. I did manage to make up a brake hose and speed sensor support bracket and I have one hose made up , but now need to wait for the bolts. 

[Andy wright]

Well, they are on the car, connected up , bled and ready for a road test. Balance bar adjusted to 55 front, 45 rear to start with and the pedal feels really firm . But the road will be the judge. Then it’s just a matter of getting ready of the boat anchors that masquerade as handbrake Calipers. 

[Andy wright]

well. It’s been a while. Handbrake has progressed. Now have a Hispec electric spot handbrake Calipers. Fitting them required the purchase of a spare set of hubs, more than a few moments at my milling machine and even some rattle can paint. But they work . Extremely well. And it has allowed me to have the two pots on the rear.