Now, there are various instructions in the manuals for getting the rear calipers out of the suspension cage. None of them seem to work for the later Series II calipers. The problem is that with the handbrake assemblies the units are too big to rotate and remove from the suspension cage. I found it easiest to unbolt and remove the bottom cover from the cage, undo the inner half-shaft u-joints and then detach the main brake calipers from the handbrake calipers and then take the two pieces out one after the other. It was relatively straightforward – but not what it says in the manual.
Rear brake caliper (large unit) and hand brake caliper (small unit) in front of mounting point for rotor (rotor removed). Note the suspension cage is upside down, the bottom has been unbolted and the half-shaft is tied out of the way.
My calipers still had the tightly and precisely fit factory safety wires on the bolts – so I am guessing they had never been rebuilt nor the rotors replaced (remember this is a very low mileage car). Once the caliper is off the the rotor it is easy to remove the rotor. My rotors were haggard – consistent with no changes or resurfacing in the 30,000 some odd mile life of the car. So it was good I was replacing them at this time. By the way – make sure to save the little fork that holds the main caliper and the handbrake caliper together.
BY THE WAY – Save the old rear rotors. They make perfect spring compressors to compress the rear springs and remove the shocks! I will outline this in the next post.
I cleaned up the exterior of the rear calipers and then used compressed air to push the pistons out. Lucky for me the cylinders and pistons were in great shape and there were no signs of leakage. I cleaned up the calipers, cylinders and pistons and then put in new seals and reassembled. It is a shame that once the suspension is back up in the car you cannot see these inboard calipers – they have the coolest Girling Brake symbol with an arm and hand forming a G.
Girling symbol on rear caliper of Jaguar XKE E-type
The Motorphile 
Can someone tell me the torque specs for the bolts holding the rear brake calipers to the differential and also the nuts holding the brake discs and half-shafts to the differential flanges for my ’69 XKE 2+2?
Cheers and Thanks!
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Hi Bill – I do not have torque specifications for those components – you obviously want them tight. I would be interested to know if such specifications exist. I do have torque specifications for about 8 other diff. and rear suspension components – things like the radius arm securing bolt and the Powr-lok bolts run 40 to 46 lbs. You have to crank the wishbone fulcrum shaft nuts to 55. The differential cap bolts are higher – 60 – 65 lbs. So that is the range I have for some of the rear suspension component bolts and nuts.
Good luck.
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Hi there all, here every one is sharing these knowledge,
so it’s nice to read this blog, and I used to pay a quick visit this weblog all the time.
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Thanks for the kind words. I have been so busy I have not had time to update the blog. We are reassembling the car after it was painted. I had to get new seat foams made etc. and have recovered the front seats. I just got them back. I also just got through the fun of trying to get a reasonable match for the original headliner. I am also dealing with a Bentley rebuild and a Series III recently came into my son’s for some work – which I will write about in blog probably. I am going to update progress on the Jag 2+2 as soon as I can. Here is a tip – never underestimate how long it will take refitting the chrome, glass and interior and putting all the rubber in place after a respray(!)
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