Paul,
Concerning the Toyota caliper upgrade
1. Why is this a good upgrade for my TR3A?
Answer) It might be good and it might not be good. It won't be a good thing
for you if you wish to keep your TR3A stock or do concours events. It won't
be a good thing if you are completely satisfied with the brakes in their
stock form. If the rest of your TR3A suspension is bone-stock, there are
other things that you can do before you would consider this mod (bushings,
shocks, springs, anti-roll bars, brake pads, etc). Most of the "published"
data about this mod concerns itself with the TR6, so doing this mod on a
TR3A, you would be entering into uncharted territory. I have only a passing
familiarity with the TR3A, so I can only guess what you will have to do for
this swap. I think that you will have to use TR6 brake caliper mounting
plates (these bolt onto the vertical link - Moss lists them as N/A). You
may have to change to TR6 rotors and I know that the TR3 master cylinder is
different from the TR6 power brake/dual master cylinder, so I will not even
guess about what changes you might have to the master cylinder. Even if you
race your TR3A, this might not be a good mod as it may well run afoul of the
rulebook.
2. Are we talking about the front wheels only or all four?
Answer) Although the Toyota caliper mod is only on the front brakes, almost
all the published articles recommend that you upgrade your rear wheel
cylinder size to 7/8" to balance the system.
3. I am an amatuer mechanic, should I attempt this?
Answer) Only you can answer that question. Read the answer to question one
and decide for yourself - only you know what your capabilities are as a
mechanic and how much "modding" you are willing to tolerate on your cars.
Hope this helps,
Hugh Barber
Hollister, CA
'73 TR6
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