60Patrol

These disks will have to just sit around for at least several more months and likely through winter at my pace. I don't want them getting all rusty, so I painted them with high-temp paint! They look pretty good! Once they are back on the rear axle, I'll leave the pads out of the calipers and put a thin layer of grease on the braking surfaces to keep them rust free. When ready to actually drive, I'll clean off the grease and install the pads!


On another note, do you see anything different? IT'S NOT ON THE WORK BENCH! The rear axle is ready to roll!


Next stop, finish the front disk system! All the parts are spec'd, so, step 1, 3d print a prototype bracket; step 2, machine real brackets! So close, so close!

j

Quick picture fest morning! Here's the prototype front disk brake caliper bracket! The design is super simple too - nothing fancy, just the holes, then a small recess at the center to set the horizontal position. This one has the brake at 45-degrees. I am going to make another prototype rotating the caliper about 10-degrees-ish further around the axle (lower) later one today to move that upper caliper bolt out from behind the upper bearing plate.

Once finalized, I'll likely have it laser cut then just cutting the inner recess to precisely set the caliper's horizontal position.







The bracket is built from the specs on the Wilwood caliper manual, so the spacing is spot on. I could tease it down a millimeter or two if needed. I have not test-fit a stock wheel yet to see if it all fits inside. But, this is the smallest package I could put together! 11.44" disk, these low profile calipers... fingers crossed!

See that the bolt is tucked behind the upper steering bearing plate -- the bolt can get in/out from behind it, I just think it will fit a little better down a little further.








A little progress!
J

Love my 3d printer! Here's an updated caliper bracket but the caliper rotated 60 degrees (instead of 45)


Lookie! The wheel is on! (sorta). It needed a spacer though


It looks like it's supposed to be there!


Now we are down to the tiny details... Using the measurements from Wilwood and the closest rotor (11.44" / 290.6mm), the caliper bolt circle is 228.6mm, leaving the pads site about 1.4mm proud of the disk face. When I calculate the caliper bolt position based on the rotors I have (11.4" / 289.56mm), the bolt circle becomes 227.9mm. This gives me an additional 1/2mm. Plus, there is room to lower those bolts another 1mm as well.


So, why am I splitting hairs to get another 1.5mm? To make it fit better of course! It may not look like it here, but there is actually room between the caliper and the step-down part of the wheel (even without the spacer)


BUT, there is not enough room for the weld to pass! I happen to have a set up 1.5" spacers I found at Pick and Pull awhile ago. The wheel fits on fine with that 1.5" spacer, but it doesn't need the full 1.5". Rdarnell got away with 1/2" spacers on Toyota Landcruiser rims (if my memory is right), but it looks like mine will need closer to 3/4" worth of spacer.


Just super thankful that the rims fit at all! I've been stressing that I'd need to replace the tires/wheels to get the disk brakes to work... WHEW!

Next stop, another 3d printed bracket prototype with the caliper bolts moved down slightly, then laser cut time!... I so wish I had a vertical mill

J

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On another note, does anyone want 12" disks for prototyping? I have a bunch. Also one slightly rusty rear rotor (totally usable) from a mid-90s Nissan pathfinder (the rear rotor PN I am using). They're all basically unused but have some machining done (e.g. the axle hole is opened up, etc.) - Anyway, good stuff for prototyping. Ping me if you are interested. Free! You just pay for shipping (or to my local Patrollers... just pick them up). I'd bet two would fit in a large USPS flat rate box

These are the GM type rotors... Two part numbers (I think 3 of one pn, then 1 of the other pn) -- the rear rotor is not in the pic.

I shaved my 1/2 spacers down to 3/8 to maximize the thread engagement on the lug nuts. But I am running stock land cruiser rims that have different offset.

Hello and good day.
My name is Raymond and I was looking at your posts. I saw the work you've been doing on your 1967 project. I live in Southern California and I'm working on a 1965 G60. I noticed on one of your posts, you have brake drums that you replaced.
I've been looking like crazy to find some. Wondering if you still had them? I've been looking for months. If you do, I could buy them from you if your not using them?
Thank you for your posts. One day I hope I could get my G60 on the road. The work you've done looks great!!!

1980luv wrote:Hello and good day.
My name is Raymond and I was looking at your posts. I saw the work you've been doing on your 1967 project. I live in Southern California and I'm working on a 1965 G60. I noticed on one of your posts, you have brake drums that you replaced.
I've been looking like crazy to find some. Wondering if you still had them? I've been looking for months. If you do, I could buy them from you if your not using them?
Thank you for your posts. One day I hope I could get my G60 on the road. The work you've done looks great!!!

Hi Raymond --

Let me look at what I have this weekend. I'll message you

John

Thank you so much John. I surely appreciate you taking the time to look.
Thank you so much.

Raymond

The disk brake story just won't stop! see what I did there

Brake Caliper Bracket Set!
So a machinist friend made the brackets for me on his mill. All I had to do was turn the center bore to register on the spindle and then counter sink it to center the caliper over the brake rotor. A complete success on the driver side bracket! I am very excited!


The bore (3.941") and countersink 5.706" x0.110" deep (measurements from memory and for me too look back at later!)


Here's the first bracket installed on the driver side! It looks like it was always supposed to be there!


The spacing between the brake and bracket is tight, but more than enough.


This is a 2" spacer (because that was what I found at the junk yard. It will probably only require between 1/2" and 1" -- That's something I will figure out later!


So I bored and countersunk the second bracket and it too fits perfectly on the driver side! <-- Did you catch that?

I am embarrassed to admit this, but I ended up making two left side caliper brackers! Doh! I swear, I checked and double checked... and then proceeded to put it in the lathe backward.

Dang! -- So, I have TWO driver side brackets!
Here's some life advice -- Two wrongs don't make a right... but three lefts do!

I considered adding a counter sink to the other side - which would make them "universal" but I was concerned that the center would end up structurally too thin by my over-engineered-standards as the design starts with 0.500" thick steel and then has a 0.110" countersink cut into it. Leaving a 0.390" mounting flange. If I were to countersink both sides, that mounting flange would be thinner at only 0.280" thick. Mostly likely strong enough by far. What do you think?



Brake Caliper Bracket Set Take Two!
So, I decided to take a different tack on my re-do - Rather than begging my machinist friend for forgiveness and a re-do, I designed and ordered a set of brackets from SendCutSend. I undersized the bore and bolt holes a bit as, despite being laser cut, the laser'd holes are not machine quality. So the plan is to bore and counter sink the center, then drill and tap the remaining holes as needed.

At the last minute, I decided to use a stronger, much more expensive, steel (AR500) -- because, you know, it's stronger and stronger is always better!


I was able to bore/counter sink the centers perfectly.


Here's a slo-mo video of the countersink being turned in the AR500 steel - side note, is there a way to embed the video?
https://vimeo.com/740110329/9f1c55482f



Look at that finish!


BUT, it's a very hard steel and it simply laughs at my drill bits. Carbide tipped drill bits would work fine, but then I would still be unable to tap the two threaded holes as it turns out, the AR500 bracket metal is nearly as hard as what thread taps are!


I did some reasearch and found that some folks would spot anneal the holes before tapping. Others would drill them out and press in threaded inserts. But what got me is that, as it turns out, AR500 steel really shouldn't be used for structural purposes as it's apparently hard enough to be brittle.

That solves that.



Brake Caliper Bracket Set Take THREE!
As I told my lovely wife as I reordered another set of brackets from SendCutSend -- this time in mild steel -- I am learning a lot!

So, the new -- take 3 -- brackets just arrived!


I'm sure you can guess what tonight's Patrol adventure is!

Wow!

Amazing job you're doing. It is looking great and very professional. Thanks for mentioning even your mistakes.

Once all this is done, the brake part should be separated into an individual thread, and into a stickie!!