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Yet another rear drum to disk conversion option!


Nigel

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Hey Guys!

 

I haven't given up on this. I've just run into a delay with the two piece brake rotor option, and I really wanted to offer both it and the OEM 1 piece rotor option at the same time. I've had the prototype hats and Wilwood 12.2" rotors sitting on a shelf for a couple of months now. But in that time, my Z has been plagued with a seemly never ending series of issues, which I've had to fix first. The water pump went, then the rear transmission seal, followed by the alternator. While I was repairing those things, a terrible misfire under load showed up out of the blue that I've yet to be able to solve. So my Z is more or less undriveable at the moment. In the mean time, my garage is now out of commission while I have a new floor installed, so I've had to put any work on the Z on hold. 

 

However! Before my Z decided it was going to be so uncooperative, I was able to put >1500 miles on my rear brake setup with the OEM rotors, including a trip to the New Hampshire Speedway for the track day during the convention. I'm happy to report that they performed flawlessly! The cables and brake hoses don't rub, pinch or bind anywhere. The parking brake actuation is tight and doesn't require excessive travel of the handle. I now have the TTT rear control arms, and I was able to find a perfect mounting point for the parking brake cable clamp. So, this setup will work for sure with the TTT and OEM control arms. I suspect they'll work just as well with other control arm options though.

 

For some actual quantitative performance numbers, I downloaded the Trackmaster app for my phone and did some G force measurements under braking. This is where things really get interesting. I have the AZC Wilwood front brake kit, with Wilwood street pads, and I did some brake tests with EE friction rated pads in the rear on the 11.8" one piece rotors. Even with full rear line pressure, I couldn't get the rear brakes to lock up, and I was only seeing about 0.75G's under deceleration. I then switched to EBC Yellowstuff rear pads which have a GG friction rating. I immediately had to dial down pressure to the rear brakes a few turns to keep the rears from locking up first. Once I got that set up, I did some more brake force measurements, and saw brake force climb to over 1G! This verifies what I've been saying all along about having a properly balanced brake setup.

 

Since it's likely still going to be weeks before I can try out the two piece rotor option, I may just go ahead with production of the one piece OEM rotor version. I did sell a prototype kit to EF Ian back at the beginning of July, and I was also really hoping for some feedback from him before doing a production run. But he's run into his own delays with his project, and has yet to fit my brake kit. So that hasn't quite worked out yet.

 

That's where things are at the moment.

 

Nigel

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Where are you in Toronto? I would love to come by and check this out. Is the bolt pattern a 114.3x5?

I'm in Brampton, just north of the airport. You're more than welcome to come by and check things out in person. PM me if you're interested.

 

If you have 114.3x5, then you can use the OEM rotor without modifications. 114.3x4 requires drilling new holes in the OEM rotor, or going with the 2 piece rotor option.

 

Nigel

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My replacement shock arrived this week so I should be able to finish off my rear suspension, brake and cv shaft setup late this week or early next week. I'll get some photos to you once I can of the setup fitted. I'll only be home for about two days now for the rest of the year and I don't drive my car in winter but I'm hoping to have it out again in February so I'll get a review to you then, sorry its a lot later than I had originally planned.

 

 

Interesting what you say about pads, I've only got cheap pads in at the moment, look like I may have to change them to better ones, possibly Hawk HP+ to match the pads in the front.

 

Do both Lincoln LS and Mustang GT pads fit equally as well?

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My replacement shock arrived this week so I should be able to finish off my rear suspension, brake and cv shaft setup late this week or early next week. I'll get some photos to you once I can of the setup fitted. I'll only be home for about two days now for the rest of the year and I don't drive my car in winter but I'm hoping to have it out again in February so I'll get a review to you then, sorry its a lot later than I had originally planned.

 

 

Interesting what you say about pads, I've only got cheap pads in at the moment, look like I may have to change them to better ones, possibly Hawk HP+ to match the pads in the front.

 

Do both Lincoln LS and Mustang GT pads fit equally as well?

 

I really want some independent feedback on the installation so I can be sure I haven't missed anything before doing a production run. Hopefully you can get to it sooner rather than later.

 

The Jag/Lincoln pads are slightly different than the Mustang GT pads. I designed the caliper positioning using Mustang GT pads, since there is a better selection of those. That's not to say Jag/Lincoln pads won't work, but I haven't specifically tested them to see if they still end up in the right location on the rotor.

 

Nigel

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello Nigel

 

Do you sell the center ring alone?

I did already the conversion but the kit I bought is out of center (the lug pattern).

My idea was exactly as yours, with such a ring. and make the lug holes a bit bigger.

The center of my Rotors is 71mm and the hub is 68 as you know. the ring i need would be 1.5mm thick.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I don't think this kit will fit my Rota Shakotans, not that I've taken any measurements, but the inside of the wheels are salad bowl shape making space even tighter. If this kit would fit the 15"s I'd be all over it. Since the brackets are 2 piece, could that facilitate designing a smaller diameter kit if there was a good rotor available?

 

Either way it's a great looking kit and a great price, bonus points for being Canadian too :) 

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I might be able to do an 11.5†(292mm) rotor, but I have my doubts that I can make it work without a significant rethink of my bracket design. I likely wouldn't be able to keep the bracket as two separate pieces, which would drive up the cost.

 

Regardless, I’m still having a heck of a time trying to find time to do a test fit of the two piece rotor option. Maybe this weekend, but I’ve already made the rest of you who only want the one piece rotor wait too long.

 

So, how about getting a group buy going on the OEM one piece rotor option as a start?  As soon as I get 10 committed people for the OEM rotor option kit, I’ll do a production run. As per hybridz rules, no money required up front.

 

Price: $325+shipping for the first 10 people. $350+shipping after that.

Includes: Caliper mounting brackets, parking brake cable, DOT SS brake hoses, and all fasteners.

Not included: Calipers, rotors, brake pads, caliper hardware

Optional: Rotor centering ring: $10 for the first 10 people. $15 after that.

 

If you want the two piece rotor option, let me know as well. I’m going to try to do a test fit of the prototype this weekend if I don’t have to work, but I’ve only had one day off in the last 3 weeks and may not want to spend time in the garage. I'll have to go back through my notes, but IIRC, the brake hats were going to add ~$150 to the cost.

 

Nigel

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Good kit, fits well, even with CV shaft conversion and billet stub axles. Yet to try it as I work away from home but I can't see why it wouldn't perform perfectly. Fits behind my 16x8 ET10 rotas perfectly. I'm looking forward to getting the car out and trying it when I'm home in January. (Hopefully there are enough dry days for me to get the car out)

 

 

 

Car is with the Auto electrician at the moment, I will get better photos once its back, but for now here are the only two shots I have.

 

rearbrakes.jpeg

 

 

 

 

Discs look a bet messy with the paint but this will clean up once they are used and should leave a nice straight edge.

 

rearbrakes2.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

baydone5.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

P1000822.jpg

Edited by EF Ian
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Glad to hear it went together well for you Ian! I gather cable and hose lengths are adequate? Is the parking brake handle travel to your liking? I know you were concerned about that. 

 

I finally found some time to do a test fit of the 2 piece rotor setup. It looks like I got all of my measurements right. Everything went together perfectly. 

 

(I need to paint those brackets!)

tn_full_P1030103JPG_Thumbnail1.jpg

 

tn_full_P1030104JPG_Thumbnail1.jpg

 

The caliper just clears the ID of my 17" Rota wheels. Lots of room to the spokes though...

tn_full_P1030110JPG_Thumbnail1.jpg

 

Nigel

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Glad to hear it went together well for you Ian! I gather cable and hose lengths are adequate? Is the parking brake handle travel to your liking? I know you were concerned about that. 

 

I ran out of time to fit the setup myself, therefore I had to get someone to fit it for me and as such I haven't seen the setup fitted personally or tried out the handbrake. I'm back again in January so I will be checking everything out properly then.

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Also, would you mind clarifying the parts us buyers would need to supply? I see the calipers are 2004 Lincoln LS (rears I assume), but rear Lincoln LS rotors appear to be 288mm. What 300mm rotors has this been designed to work with?

Thanks again

Edited by KyleG
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