RE: Wheel and Brake Upgrade Kit
Friday 6th June 2003
Wheel and Brake Upgrade Kit
TVR put together a top value package for Griffith and Chimaera owners
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TVR has released details of a new wheel and brake upgrade package for Griffiths and Chimaeras. It allows the fitment of the sixteen inch 'Spider' type wheels to the cars.
The upgrade allows the fitting of the different wheels and also allows a TVR/AP Racing four pot front brake caliper and 304mm cross-drilled ventilated disc package to be fitted.
The new wheels come with tyres mounted and balanced, new front and rear discs, new brake pads and braided hoses, new wheel bearings front and rear and hub flanges modified on an exchange basis complete with new wheelnuts etc. This upgrade, which will be available from mid-July, is only available directly from TVR in Blackpool.
The best news? They've managed to put together the whole kit for just £1399 inclusive of VAT. Fitting the kits takes about four or five hours dependent on the age of the car.
The wheel and brake package quoted is for post 1994 cars with vented rear discs (front discs dia 260mm, rear disc dia 273mm). Earlier cars (including potentially V8S models) with the smaller brakes would additionally require new rear bearing carriers and new rear calipers.
Discussion
Brake upgrade definently, spider wheels well a big no no there ok on the modern looking Tamora or Tuscan , but for the retro look of the Griff and Chimaera, keep the standard wheels they look great as they are , what next mudflaps ?, and take those silly looking covers off the front lights too chimaera 2001 on !.
I'm usually against change, but I liked them immediately. Just checked my balance on line and it has dropped by £1399 automatically - clever eh?
Can't argue about the price, you'd struggle to do better with a mass-market kit. Some TVR dealers would charge that for four tyres alone.
Andy
Can't argue about the price, you'd struggle to do better with a mass-market kit. Some TVR dealers would charge that for four tyres alone.
Andy
I think TVR mail you the kit, you mail back the exchange bits, you get it fitted wherever you choose.
I for one am really interested, though I think I'd have to get Nitrons as well to really justify it. Shame I don't have a spare £2.5k knocking about...
Anyone definitely doing it? Would love to see some photos of a Griff with this conversion.
Edited to say: just to clarify - the package includes the 4 pot AP/TVR front calipers, doesn't it?
>> Edited by julianhj on Saturday 7th June 07:43
I for one am really interested, though I think I'd have to get Nitrons as well to really justify it. Shame I don't have a spare £2.5k knocking about...
Anyone definitely doing it? Would love to see some photos of a Griff with this conversion.
Edited to say: just to clarify - the package includes the 4 pot AP/TVR front calipers, doesn't it?
>> Edited by julianhj on Saturday 7th June 07:43
julianhj said:
the package includes the 4 pot AP/TVR front calipers, doesn't it?
Yes it does. Not sure about the rear brake spec though. Could be standard 270mm or upgraded to 283mm (?) tamora spec discs retaining your own callipers.
I've thought about this but I really like the original wheels. If I change it will be to 17"/18" wheels. A thought: is it far easier to find compatible 17"/18" wheels with 5 studs as opposed to the original 4 studs? If so, it may be worth having the upgrade and then changing the wheels when the new tyres are worn out (if my calcs are right, the wheels are effectively free anyway).
GarryM said: Yes it does. Not sure about the rear brake spec though. Could be standard 270mm or upgraded to 283mm (?) tamora spec discs retaining your own callipers.
I've thought about this but I really like the original wheels. If I change it will be to 17"/18" wheels. A thought: is it far easier to find compatible 17"/18" wheels with 5 studs as opposed to the original 4 studs? If so, it may be worth having the upgrade and then changing the wheels when the new tyres are worn out (if my calcs are right, the wheels are effectively free anyway).
I was thinking about those Cerbie 4.5 17"-ers - tasty!
Probably quite cheap secondhand, what with all the people swapping over to 18" Spiders.
Edited to say: see Apache's profile for an idea of what this would look like (he has the 4 stud version).
>> Edited by julianhj on Saturday 7th June 14:04
About time!
I already upgraded to 4 pots, so if I went ahead I'd have a spare set!
Looking at the 2 photos, the spiders do look better on the Griff - probably better illustrated by Mel on his profile piccie. I will be looking out for pics of spider fitment to Chimaeras. Mine has a S12 headlamp conversion and might just suit the spiders better.
Anyone car to divulge what the "key" part is and where it's been sourced? Is it just a new hub, a reworked hub, or a complete upright/hub assembly? I guess no-one with a commercial interest is likely to reveal the secret but no harm in asking.
I already upgraded to 4 pots, so if I went ahead I'd have a spare set!
Looking at the 2 photos, the spiders do look better on the Griff - probably better illustrated by Mel on his profile piccie. I will be looking out for pics of spider fitment to Chimaeras. Mine has a S12 headlamp conversion and might just suit the spiders better.
Anyone car to divulge what the "key" part is and where it's been sourced? Is it just a new hub, a reworked hub, or a complete upright/hub assembly? I guess no-one with a commercial interest is likely to reveal the secret but no harm in asking.
I was thinking about those Cerbie 4.5 17"-ers - tasty!
Probably quite cheap secondhand, what with all the people swapping over to 18" Spiders.
Edited to say: see Apache's profile for an idea of what this would look like (he has the 4 stud version).
>> Edited by julianhj on Saturday 7th June 14:04
as you say jools, I have 4 stud jobbers which are unobtainable now, so to do this you'd have to convert to a 5 stud hub, costly, or go for the upgrade kit and purchase another set of wheels (you could keep the spiders for trackdays then)
Is the Griff wheel change so you can fit TOYO tyres? 
Originally the Griff was to have been effectively a rebodied V8S. According to Graham Robson's TVRs "Volume 2: Tsmin to Chimaera", Peter Wheeler decided in January 1991 to re-engineer the entire car. Apparently TVR ditched the idea of using the S chassis and elected to use a lightly modified version of the racing Tuscan assembly instead. It had "totally different front and rear suspension. There were wide-based and properly located unequal-length wishbones at each end of the car." Later Robson says "At a very early stage it was also decided to fit 15in diameter wheels at the front and 16in at the rear".
With the relaunch of the Griffith as the "500", the front brake disc diameter was reduced and the rear disc diameter increased.
Also, power steering was offered as an option (front tyre width was slightly increased with this option).
In conclusion, perhaps these new "upgrades" are "form over function"?
Sorry for being controversial...anyway it is almost lunch time, the sun is shining so time for a quick blast in my unmodified Griff!
Originally the Griff was to have been effectively a rebodied V8S. According to Graham Robson's TVRs "Volume 2: Tsmin to Chimaera", Peter Wheeler decided in January 1991 to re-engineer the entire car. Apparently TVR ditched the idea of using the S chassis and elected to use a lightly modified version of the racing Tuscan assembly instead. It had "totally different front and rear suspension. There were wide-based and properly located unequal-length wishbones at each end of the car." Later Robson says "At a very early stage it was also decided to fit 15in diameter wheels at the front and 16in at the rear".
With the relaunch of the Griffith as the "500", the front brake disc diameter was reduced and the rear disc diameter increased.
Also, power steering was offered as an option (front tyre width was slightly increased with this option). In conclusion, perhaps these new "upgrades" are "form over function"?
Sorry for being controversial...anyway it is almost lunch time, the sun is shining so time for a quick blast in my unmodified Griff!
Read this with great interest because I'm in the market for some brakes which work. Couldn't believe it includes wheels/tyres as well!
Then I read it again and the piece states "The upgrade allows the fitting of the different wheels and also allows a TVR/AP Racing four pot front brake caliper and 304mm cross-drilled ventilated disc package to be fitted"
So I'm now thinking the kit does NOT include wheels or AP race calipers.
Can anybody please confirm?
Then I read it again and the piece states "The upgrade allows the fitting of the different wheels and also allows a TVR/AP Racing four pot front brake caliper and 304mm cross-drilled ventilated disc package to be fitted"
So I'm now thinking the kit does NOT include wheels or AP race calipers.
Can anybody please confirm?
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