Disk brake brackets DIY

[kencombs]

Thinking of fabbing my own brackets but I'm conflicted as to material dimensions and actual material.

 

I can weld and grind steel but really accurate cuts or shaping is difficult without a mill.

 

It would be nice to use aluminum as I lack steel machining equipment in my shop but could cut and shape aluminum accurately with my woodworking equipment.

I've cut 1" plate on my table saw a few times and 1/4" a lot.   Router and shaper also work well at lower speeds and really rigid hold downs.

The only issue would be welding if spacers need to be tacked on.

 

 

I think steel brackets are normally 1/4, 5/16 or 3/8" thick.  Is that what those of you that have purchased them have seen?

 

Thinking of 3/8 aluminum, 6061 as it is strong/rigid, readily available and not too expensive.

 

Comments?

 

I have a pair of Explorer disks that I think will work.  These are just for fitting as I saved them from a brake job I did.   If their size works out I'll get new ones.   Also have a pair of calipers, near new from a Mitsubishi truck.  They are nice and compact and have nice mounting arrangements.   Should be good for the application as Mits used two of each on each front wheel to stop a truck that was 14K loaded.  I'll be using one per side.

[Ron175]

Watching with interest as this is something I’m looking to do soon. Look forward to seeing your progress. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

nothing wrong with striking out with another approach...before you start working this in metal why not mock it up in wood to check if this combination of components will work for the task at hand and if so, you basically have your template and wood is so much quicker and easier for mock up

[Los_Control]

I have a kit up in the garage attic I purchased but not used yet. I can dig them out and give some dimensions on what others have done.

 

Naturally that means I need to put on some shoes and go out to the shop .... I suppose 3:00 Saturday afternoon is good time as any to get dressed 

 

OK here is a complete Rusty Hope kit, just brackets, a few spacers and fasteners ..... then instructions and part numbers to complete it.

Rumor has it they went out of business like many others 

 

The brackets are 3/8" steel. A common issue with the kit was when you assemble it, when you installed the the nut to adjust the bearings and hold it all together ... the final assembly was so thick you could not get the cotter key in to hold the nut in place and was a few work around.

Something to think about when doing mock up.

 

 

 

 

 

Some pretty basic angles for milling, I imagine a plasma cutter or oxy/act could do the curves with some hand grinding to finish it of?

Edited March 9 by Los_Control

[kencombs]

1 hour ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

nothing wrong with striking out with another approach...before you start working this in metal why not mock it up in wood to check if this combination of components will work for the task at hand and if so, you basically have your template and wood is so much quicker and easier for mock up

Yes, I plan on it.

[lostviking]

In my mind, the hardest part for DIY is the hub. Once you have that all you need to do is put a rotor on it and a caliper. If you pressurize the caliper, it will locate for you. Point the bleed up in a location that doesn't hit anything, then make a mounting plate to hold it there. I would def do it in steel, but I've never seen one that wasn't a flat plate.

[kencombs]

21 hours ago, lostviking said:

In my mind, the hardest part for DIY is the hub. Once you have that all you need to do is put a rotor on it and a caliper. If you pressurize the caliper, it will locate for you. Point the bleed up in a location that doesn't hit anything, then make a mounting plate to hold it there. I would def do it in steel, but I've never seen one that wasn't a flat plate.

I think my original hubs will work with the Explorer rotor with a tiny bit of lathe work on the pilot hole and/or the hub register.   I do have a nephew with a machine shop that can do that for me, or if  I can talk the local auto parts place into it, that could be done on a regular brake lathe. 

 

Several of the kit mounting plates I've seen in pics have short tubing spacers welded on to locate it laterally.  I won't know for sure what's needed until I mock it up with a plywood plate.

[Sniper]

Just remember in the stock configuration the centering ring on the stock Hub is what centers the wheel. I would modify the rotor to fit properly if it were up to me. 

[kencombs]

2 hours ago, Sniper said:

Just remember in the stock configuration the centering ring on the stock Hub is what centers the wheel. I would modify the rotor to fit properly if it were up to me. 

Yeah, I'll probably do that, even though Toyota has used lug centric wheels with a fair amount of success.     But that requires right and tight specs during wheel manufacture.

[Sniper]

Well if you go the scare bird route and use the one piece brake rotor and hub assembly from the a body FM and J bodies that has the proper Hub diameter for our Wheels