Girling Front Disc Brakes on Turners.

image Period Girling advertisement mentioning Turner next to all the “big guys”

In 1959 the Turner 950 BMC-A and Coventry Climax got disc brakes as a factory option. This was the recently introduced (second generation) Girling Type 10 disc brake system. Girling (part of the Lucas group) began experimenting with disc brakes on race cars in 1952. An early generation Girling  Type A solid caliper 11″ disc brakes had been used on the Triumph TR3 from 1956. Turner (as a small company) was one of the earlier adopters (1959) installing disc brakes on their sports cars. It required the use of special mounting brackets to mount the callipers to otherwise standard front hubs.

Turner front disc calipers Turner front hub

Girling Type 10 Callipers (Turner H5 and H5A)  and Mounting Brackets (Turner H6) on my Alexander-Turner 950
Turner Girling front brakes Complete Girling front brake system on Turner 950

Girling Type 10 Disc Brakes 

Applications:

  • Austin Healey Sprite Factory Conversions (Sebring Sprite) from 1959 onwards
  • Berkeley Bandit from 1960 onwards
  • Turner 950 BMC-A (optional) and Coventry Climax from 1959 onwards

Girling part no Description (and Turner reference number)

  • 64032502    Calliper assembly LH   (Turner H5)
  • 64032503    Calliper assembly RH   (Turner H5A)
  • 64325873    Piston
  • 64325183    Calliper mounting bracket  (Turner H6 2x)
  • 64325186    Disc   (Turner H11)
  • 64325027    (GDB 509 – DS 5S) Pad
  • 64325418    (GDB524) Pad (alternative)
  • 64325022    Pad Retaining Pin
  • 64325009    Retaining Pin Clip
  • SP2507       Service kit callipers
image Exploded view of Type 12 calliper; Type 10 is similar

image  image

Pistons 64325873 tend to corrode after many years of use (moist in brake fluid!) and are hard to find. I had new ones made in Cr Ni steel according above left drawing. Also the pins 64325022 have a hard life and making new ones is not so difficult (see 2nd drawing). These items are both used in Type 10 and Type 12 systems.

Girling Type 12 Disc Brakes

Applications:

  • Triumph Herald Oct 1961 onwards
  • Triumph Vitesse “6” 1962 onwards
  • Turner GT and Coventry Climax 1220 from 1962 onwards

Girling part no Description

  • 64032604           Calliper assembly LH
  • 64032605           Calliper assembly RH
  • Non-Girling part  Disc
  • 64325708           Pad
  • SP2529              Service kit callipers

Discs dimensions for Turner Sports 950 BMC-A and Coventry Climax from 1960 onwards

Original Girling code was 64325186 (for Turner H11)

Dimensions

Metric

Inch

Outer diameter

Ø 217

8 9/16”

Overall width

23.5

15/16“

Disc thickness

9.6

3/8”

Minimum allowed thickness

8.6

Centre hole diameter

Ø 63.5

Bolt pitch circle

Ø 87.3

3 7/16

Bolt hole (4x)

Ø 9.6

3/8”

These Girling discs are no longer available. Whether Girling also provided the hubs is still point of investigation. The origin (and supplier) of the Turner hub is unclear.

Other potential Turner suppliers had different dimensions: Austin-Healey Sprite has a bolt pitch circle of Ø 81.0. Triumph (Herald, Spitfire) had indeed a value of Ø 86.6 mm, but the disc is otherwise different (overall width and diameter) and cannot be used.

The Ford Escort Mk1 1300 GT disc comes very close with a bolt pitch circle of Ø 86.4 although this is a non-Girling system.

Front Brake Pads for Turner 950 BMC-A and Coventry Climax from 1960 onwards

Original Girling part number 64325418 or GDB524(no longer available). Dimensions: 62 x 43 x 15 mm. Same part number is also used as rear brake pads on Lotus cars:

  • Elan 1.5 (1962-1965)
  • Elan 1.6 (1966–1974)
  • Elan 2+2 1.6 (1967-1971)
  • Elan 130/4 (1971-1974)
  • Elan 130/6 (1972-1975)
  • Elite 1.5 (1958-1964)
  • Elite Mk II (1961 on)

Corresponding Lotus part numbers:

  • 036J6066 (non-servo version)
  • 036J6064 (servo version)

Other brands that supply this product:

  • NU-TEXA DP46
  • EBC DP145 complete axle set
  • Bendix B300119
  • Ferodo FER DA3 FF 517

clip_image003 clip_image005 Bendix B300119

clip_image009 clip_image011Ferodo DA3 FF 517

Modification of Ford Escort Mk1 1300 GT Front Brake Discs

Ford Escort Mk1 GT discs can be made to fit with slight machining. Original Ford part number: (Ford GB) 3026E1123C/68AB1125AA; (Ford D) 1450669. This disc is used on Ford Escort Mk1 1300 GT (from 8/1969 till 11/1974). For dimensions and tolerances see Brembo drawing (below).

Other manufacturers that supply this disc type:

  • Brembo 08164310
  • Ferodo DDF 009
  • EBC D080
  • SAP motor parts BDC 1018
  • Autonational BDC 0079

clip_image007[1]Comparison of dimensions Turner versus Ford disc:

Dimensions

Turner

Ford

Outer diameter

Ø 217

Ø 218.6

Overall width

23.5

23.3

Disc thickness

9.6

9.65

Minimum allowed thickness

8.6

8.6

Centre hole diameter

Ø 63.5

Ø 63.1

Bolt pitch circle

Ø 87.3

Ø 86.4

Bolt hole (4x)

Ø 9.6

Ø 9.9

The Ford Escort Mk1 GT disc has a different pitch circle (about 1 mm smaller) which does not allow a direct exchange. Three possible solutions:

  1. New holes have to be drilled at the correct pitch circle Ø 87.3 mm.
  2. The holes in the Ford disc have to be enlarged from Ø 9.9 to Ø 10.5 mm.
  3. The holes in both hub and disc to be enlarged to Ø 10.0 +0.05 mm.

clip_image015

Girling Type 10 on Sprite Factory Conversions (Sebring Sprite)

The Donald Healey Motor Company supplied conversion parts (as per Sebring Sprite) including wire wheels and disc brakes with special Ø 8½” (216 mm) front discs and Girling callipers (1958-1961).

clip_image002 WP_20180408_16_21_53_Pro          Original front splined hubs and a pair of new replacements (as reference for Turner H12 and H12A).clip_image004 WP_20180408_16_20_17_Pro                 Dust caps  (foreground) are larger than standard B.M.C. items.  Caps are tapped home inside hub.
clip_image006                                                                                                           Original Girling ‘Type 10’ brake callipers, including pads and stub axle mounting brackets.
clip_image010                                                                                                                                      Stub axle mounting brackets for the Girling Type 10 set-up.
clip_image014 Original Girling ‘Type 10’ calliper

One thought on “Girling Front Disc Brakes on Turners.

  1. Martin Ingall

    Hi there, John Egan mentioned this very useful web page of yours and if I may I should like to add a link to it from my own website: sebringsprite.com The braking system if, of course, common to your Turners and our Sebring Sprites. I actually had to resort to a pair of Vauxhall Carlkton rear callipers on the front of my Sebring Sprite replica though pretty well everything else is correct for its year, 1960. Well done with your excellent web page. Cheers Martin Ingall.

    Reply

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