Can you upgrade Jaguar Mk2 brakes without modifying the car?

Yes — alloy four-pot caliper and vented-disc kits are bolt-on and reversible, sized to suit the standard master cylinder and servo.

Should I upgrade the rear brakes too?

If you significantly uprate the fronts, yes — matching rear kits (or XJ6 calipers) keep the braking balanced; a remote-bleed kit tames the awkward inboard rears.

Is a dual-circuit conversion worth it?

On early single-line cars, converting to a dual (split) circuit adds a crucial safety margin if one circuit fails, and is a common part of a brake upgrade.

Who makes Jaguar Mk2 brake kits?

UK specialists include Coopercraft, Fosseway Performance and British Classic Car Brakes; Zeus and Wilwood kits are also widely used.

Upgrade guide

Brake Upgrades

By Jon Cosson — classic-car owner, North Yorkshire, near Thornton-le-Dale

Vented front brake disc and polished alloy four-pot caliper behind the chrome wire wheel of a classic saloon — Placeholder image — owner to replace with a photograph of the car's own front brakes.

The Mk2 was among the first saloons with disc brakes all round — advanced in 1959, but marginal against a modern car's weight and speed. The good news: transforming them is one of the easiest, most worthwhile and most reversible upgrades you can make.

The original system

Dunlop discs front and rear, the rears mounted inboard at the differential — effective in period, but the calipers are old, the inboard rear discs are awkward to service, and early cars use a single-line hydraulic circuit with no fail-safe.

The upgrades

Front: lightweight alloy four-pot calipers (Coopercraft, Fosseway Performance, British Classic Car Brakes, Zeus, Wilwood) with uprated or vented discs and modern pads — bolt-on, reversible, and sized to work with the standard master cylinder and servo. Big-brake six-pot kits exist for the serious.
Rear: match the fronts — alloy rear caliper/cylinder kits, or XJ6 Series 1–3 rear calipers; a remote-bleed kit makes the inboard rears far easier to bleed.
Servo & circuit: an uprated servo (e.g. a higher-boost Lockheed unit) sharpens the pedal; converting the single-line system to a dual (split) circuit with a modern master cylinder is a wise safety upgrade.
Plumbing: braided/stainless hoses and copper-nickel pipes throughout.

Getting the balance right

Most braking is at the front, but if you significantly uprate the fronts, uprate the rears too so the car stays balanced.

On our car

873 EUT uses vented four-pot front discs with a V12 E-type master cylinder and servo on a split circuit — the classic fast-road recipe. See The Build: 873 EUT.

Common questions

Can you upgrade Jaguar Mk2 brakes without modifying the car?: Yes — alloy four-pot caliper and vented-disc kits are bolt-on and reversible, sized to suit the standard master cylinder and servo.
Should I upgrade the rear brakes too?: If you significantly uprate the fronts, yes — matching rear kits (or XJ6 calipers) keep the braking balanced; a remote-bleed kit tames the awkward inboard rears.
Is a dual-circuit conversion worth it?: On early single-line cars, converting to a dual (split) circuit adds a crucial safety margin if one circuit fails, and is a common part of a brake upgrade.
Who makes Jaguar Mk2 brake kits?: UK specialists include Coopercraft, Fosseway Performance and British Classic Car Brakes; Zeus and Wilwood kits are also widely used.