Unusual caliper placement

[AB]

Maybe the answer is 'just because' but I have been pondering this since I was asked at the weekend.

My car has the brake calipers at the front of the front wheels and rear of the rear wheels, every other car it was surrounded by had them the opposite side.

Is there a reason for this?

[MDMA .]

It all depends on your suspension set-up and overall packaging of the vehicle they are fitted to.

Some engineers like the front calipers at the rear and the rear calipers at the front. This puts un-sprung weight between the axle centre lines. Not always possible depending on suspension/steering components though.

Edited by MDMA . on Tuesday 4th August 12:02

[MarkJS]

Just packaging as already said.

My Jimny is quite unusual in that it has the caliper at the top of the front discs.

[AB]

Thanks for the replies, just wondered if there was some unusual reason for it.

[Triumph Man]

You tend to see calipers toward the rear of the wheel on rear wheel drive cars (because the track rod ball joint location is at the front of the steering knuckle because the steering rack is forward of the axle line) and toward the front on transverse engine front wheel drive cars because the rack is behind the axle line.

There are of course exceptions - my E34 5 series has recirculating ball steering and the steering mechanism is behinds the front axle line and therefore the brake calipers are front mounted.

[Triumph Man]

Interestingly on the brand new Mercedes CLA, the electric version has the calipers rear mounted, and front mounted on the ICE versions

[AB]

It was interesting because I was parked next to a car with the same engine, same AWD yet the calipers were the opposite way around. I then realised looking around that every single car apart from mine was the same.

[vw_99]

Im sure it was a rover 45/ honda something that had either leading or trailing front calipers.
So a N/s/f on a trailing set up would fit O/s/f on a leading set up.

Caused many issues selling them.