How-to identify Tii struts?

[ray_]

5 hours ago, d.hitchcock said:

I'm going to kick this thread again.

Here are my questions: I have tii struts on my car (with the 5 series calipers and vented e21 rotors). The threads for the gland nuts are on the outside of the strut tube.

I have another set of strut housings that measure 3.5 inches on the caliper mounting points, but the gland nut threads are on the inside of the strut tube. AND the tubes themselves are somewhat larger in diameter than the ones on my car.

Could these be e21 struts?

I can post photos if that helps.

 

BTW early 5 series calipers are the same as tii calipers....

 

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[TobyB]

...and slightly later 6er calipers are the same, too, except they're single circuit

which makes racekar plumbing easier.

 

t

 

[d.hitchcock]

I thought tii's used solid rotors?

My set up uses the vented rotors from an e21 and four-pot calipers from a 1980 five series. That's what Jeff Ireland explained to me.

But I'm always looking to learn more better. 🙂

[JohnS]

On 2/8/2023 at 8:49 AM, d.hitchcock said:

I thought tii's used solid rotors?

My set up uses the vented rotors from an e21 and four-pot calipers from a 1980 five series. That's what Jeff Ireland explained to me.

But I'm always looking to learn more better. 🙂

Yes, the stock tii front brakes do use solid rotors.  You are probably using tii struts, early e21 "big bearing" hubs, e21 vented rotors and the 5 series calipers.  The 5 series calipers are like the tii calipers with a bigger spacer to support the vented rotors.  That is, if you're using tii struts.

[TobyB]

yeah- the potential 'gotcha' is that there are different 5er/6er castings-

some use spacers, some do not.  All fit a vented (28mm?) rotor.

 

t

 

[halboyles]

On 2/7/2023 at 4:12 PM, ray_ said:

BTW early 5 series calipers are the same as tii calipers....

I believe that most "early" 6 cylinder calipers were based on the same size caliper with some having spacers and some not.  That same caliper was also used on the ti/tii/turbo cars with the turbo using the spaced version.  Sometime around '77 the 6 cylinder caliper was replaced with a heavier caliper with a wider gap for the pads.  The early calipers can be easily identified by the fact that the four bolts holding them together are mated with nuts on the other end.  The late calipers all use threaded holes in the caliper itself.  The late caliper weighs about a pound more than the early for those who worry about unsprung weight.

[d.hitchcock]

5 hours ago, JohnS said:

Yes, the stock tii front brakes do use solid rotors.  You are probably using tii struts, early e21 "big bearing" hubs, e21 vented rotors and the 5 series calipers.  The 5 series calipers are like the tii calipers with a bigger spacer to support the vented rotors.  That is, if you're using tii struts.

Yes, this is it exactly, tii struts. I did not put this stuff together on my car, it all came on the project-looking-for-a-home when I got it. So trying to understand some of the details requires some detective work! 🙂