Alternate Caliper to Scorpio Rear Calipers/hubs on XR

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I don't think there's a thread dedicated to this topic, so I thought I'd start one. Mike (Merkur Depot) sells an adapter to use the Scorpio caliper with the XR bearing carrier, but that's not what I'm looking for. I want to use the larger Scorpio bearing carrier with a readily available modern caliper and rotor (ideally the 10" Focus, but could be the 11" Focus SVT). In an ideal world it would be bolt-on, but I'd also be okay with a simple adapter.

As a starting point, the Scorpio caliper has 90mm spacing between the mounting ears and the offset to rotor center is 38mm.

The 2012 Focus rear caliper has 100mm spacing and 38mm offset. Be sad, cause one out of two is bad.

[merkurdriver]

There is a VW / Audi rear caliper that's really really close to the Scorpio caliper that I'm looking into. This would fit Scorpio / Scorpio bearing carriers as well as out adapters that put the Scorpio caliper on the XR. Scorpio (hopefully) would use the same stock rotor and the XR would continue to use the 4 lug rotors I carry.

Trying to figure out a good alternative to the Scorpio / 2wd Sierra Cosworth calipers which are getting hard to come by and more and more expensive from the local parts store.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

There is a VW / Audi rear caliper that's really really close to the Scorpio caliper that I'm looking into.

I think Audi/VW used the same basic rear caliper on a lot of applications, varying the e-brake cable configuration and bracket, depending on the rotor size. I still have the 120K-mile originals on my 2002 A4, so they work.

Some more data points on the Audi/VW applications...
The Passat and A4 use a 245mm (9.65") rotor and the Jetta a 232mm (9.13"), so it's probably just the bracket that is different. Either bracket might be right depending on where the Scorpio bearing carrier locates the caliper. It would seem that it's the late Audi A4 B5 ('98 - '01) and VW Passat B5.5 ('98 - '05) (FWD only for both) that has the caliper with the bleeder in the "right" location for our application. The '98 - '05 Jetta/Golf/Beetle (Mk4) would be the donor for the brackets.

For reference, the base Focus rotor that I'd prefer to use is 252mm (9.92"), but obviously you can't directly compare that to the numbers above since the bearing carrier locates things differently between the VW and Ford applications.

[timxr8]

Right now, what is being persued is the late 90's/early 2000's VW Passat caliper. I have some Jetta brackets, which I believe will work with the Passat caliper as everything else is the same between the 2...mainly the pads. Might give you more options for mounting height/rotor diameter. It's a 90mm bolt center and a 38mm rotor offset, like the Scorpio and the 12+ Focus and 13+ C-Max/Escape.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

It's a 90mm bolt center and a 38mm rotor offset, like the Scorpio and the 12+ Focus and 13+ C-Max/Escape.

The 2012 Focus I just pulled a rear caliper from has 100mm bolt spacing.

FWIW, the pin spacing of both the VW/Audi and Scorpio brackets are both 120mm. In theory, you might be able to make a hybrid caliper using the VW caliper and Scorpio bracket. But then you'd need to use Scorpio pads.

[merkurdriver]

1998-2010 Beetle rear calipers. Slider bracket bolt hole spacing matches up to the Scorpio/2wd Cosworth slider bracket bolt hole spacing.
Caliper is for a solid rotor, so Scorpio 5 lug, Cosworth 2wd, some Focus rotors are options...
Nice bonus the caliper is aluminum so save a little weight, too.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

1998-2010 Beetle rear calipers.

But doesn't the Beetle caliper have the bleeder in the wrong location? It seems to me that the only one that has the bleeder in the right location is the B5/5.5 Passat, no?

[merkurdriver]

I was thinking to switch the LH caliper onto the RH side (and vice-versa) to put the bleeder "up" and then you could use the (longer) Scorpio parking brake cable instead of the Sierra Cosworth parking brake cable - the extra length might give the extra needed to come up under and attach the cable.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I was thinking to switch the LH caliper onto the RH side (and vice-versa) to put the bleeder "up" and then you could use the (longer) Scorpio parking brake cable instead of the Sierra Cosworth parking brake cable - the extra length might give the extra needed to come up under and attach the cable.

Ah, I see. The thought had crossed my mind of routing the cable under the arm, but I didn't know what surprises that might bring. Sounds like you're still in test mode on this one Mike?

[milehighXR]

Trying to figure out a good alternative to the Scorpio / 2wd Sierra Cosworth calipers which are getting hard to come by and more and more expensive from the local parts store.

I can, and have rebuilt the Scorpio rear calipers. I just need cores, and lead time to order the rebuild kits, as I have only one source for the correct kit. Napa, etc... can't get the correct rear caliper rebuild kit with all the required parts.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I can, and have rebuilt the Scorpio rear calipers. I just need cores, and lead time to order the rebuild kits, as I have only one source for the correct kit. Napa, etc... can't get the correct rear caliper rebuild kit with all the required parts.

I realize rebuild kits are available, but I'd much prefer to use a more modern caliper which is readily available most anywhere and has a broad selection of pads to choose from.

[merkurdriver]

I was thinking to switch the LH caliper onto the RH side (and vice-versa) to put the bleeder "up" and then you could use the (longer) Scorpio parking brake cable instead of the Sierra Cosworth parking brake cable - the extra length might give the extra needed to come up under and attach the cable.

Ah, I see. The thought had crossed my mind of routing the cable under the arm, but I didn't know what surprises that might bring. Sounds like you're still in test mode on this one Mike?

Yes... "test mode" as in a pile of parts in a box
I think the Scorpio cable on the XR will give the extra added length needed to run the cable under the arm

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I think the Scorpio cable on the XR will give the extra added length needed to run the cable under the arm

Sounds interesting. Let me know how it works out. I hope to have something mocked up soon with the Jetta bracket and Passat caliper using the Sierra cable.

Have you looked into a brake line solution with the VW/Audi caliper? That's the part I haven't worried about at all for now. I figure something can be figured out.

[merkurdriver]

I can have braided lines made by the shop that makes our rear disc kit lines if there is a demand

[timxr8]

It's a 90mm bolt center and a 38mm rotor offset, like the Scorpio and the 12+ Focus and 13+ C-Max/Escape.

The 2012 Focus I just pulled a rear caliper from has 100mm bolt spacing...

I should have split that sentence. The 38mm offset is what I meant for commonality between the brackets. The Focus and C-Max/Escape brackets are 100mm mount center as you said.