12 replies to this topic

[Roger Clark]

Everybody knows that the Lotus 18 had inboard rear brakes. Provision was made for brakes to be mounted outboard if there were problems of heat or oil leakage from the gearbox and during the 1960 season Team Lotus experimented from time to time with outboard location. The Walker cars had outboard brakes to allow room for the Collotti gearbox.

There were several 18s at the VSCC Spring Start meeting today and all had outboard rear brakes. Were these cars converted when they were current racing cars or more recently?

[Ray Bell]

I have pics at home of the Clark car at Warwick Farm in 1961...

And Irelands, too, in all probability. I also have pics of Moss' car, of course. These were taken by Bob Britton when he was studying their suspensions for ideas for his own cars, so they are close ups of the front and rear ends.

Edited by Ray Bell, 22 April 2012 - 21:16.

[John Brundage]

Were the inboard brakes only found on F1 versions or were they also on the F2 and FJ? Was it based on what came on a production vehicle that supplied the engine or gearbox?

[Roger Clark]

THe Juniors had outboard brakes, drums of course. I think the F2s were the same spec as the F1s.

[RonPohl]

I recall driving a lotus 18 in formula junior trim at the Jim Russell School at Willow Springs California in 1967.($50 for 20 laps). Ahhh those were the days. It had outboard drum brakes.

[Peter Leversedge]

The Lotus 18 FJ that I raced in 1967/8 had outboard rear brakes

[Frank S]

Can you see the brake configuration in this photo? Apologies to the copyright holder.

I'd not seen it before this morning when a Facebook user "randomly found and posted it". Riverside, November 1960, eastbound on University at Chicago Avenue. University Motors is where Jack Brabham's car was stabled.

[Roger Clark]

It's difficult to be sure but I think there's a brake disk in the left rear wheel. Which car is it?

[David Beard]

It's difficult to be sure but I think there's a brake disk in the left rear wheel.

Are you sure?

[David McKinney]

I didn't think there was - looks to me like the inner surface of the wheel

[raceannouncer2003]

It's difficult to be sure but I think there's a brake disk in the left rear wheel. Which car is it?

Photo by Bernard Cahier. Looks to me like John Surtees. From Wikipedia: "On lap 4, Surtees spun his Lotus in front of teammate Jim Clark, putting himself out, and causing the nosecone from his car to be used to replace the now-shattered one on Clark's."

(BTW, see you soon, Roger...Marion's all ready for more ice cream!)

Vince H.

[Roger Clark]

Motor Sport said that Clark's car had outboard brakes while Ireland's and Surtees' were inboard.

[Roger Clark]

In DSJ's reports of the 1960 season, the first mention of a works 18 with outboard brakes is Ireland's car at the Portuguese Grand Prix, when it had both inboard and outboard brakes fitted but only the latter piped up. This was the car that Clark drove at Riverside. It was retained by Team Lotus in 1961 for the early season F1 races and then for Intercontinental races. Clark drove it in the Danish GP (26/27 August) and Taylor at the Gold Cup. All chassis number information from Theme Lotus and the Black Books.