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RE: drilled brake rotors

To: Rick & Lori <trinitygadget@alltel.net>
Subject: RE: drilled brake rotors
From: "Robert M. Lang" <lang@isis.mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:15:35 -0400 (EDT)
On Sun, 27 Jun 2004, Rick & Lori wrote:

> "largely a poseur racing upgrade."
> 
> Well put Kai. Is it possible to manufacture vented rotors (the sandwich kind
> that is common on most every automobile) that still fit the stock TR6
> calipers?

It is possible to get vented rotors on a TR6. However, making them fit is
the challenge. Vented rotors are usually quite a bit thicker than your
run-of-the-mill TR6 rotor. The racing catalogs have rotors falling into
two categories, .500 and .800. The TR6 stock rotor falls into the former
category, the run-of-mill vented rotor falls into the latter. To get the
vented units to fit, you either have to split the calipers and machine a
spacer or you have to switch to different calipers.

Splitting the case and installing a spacer is no big deal, the only
challenges are getting the proper sealing o-rings and getting very strong
through-bolts to hold the calipers together. Well, and of course
everything has to line up with a high degree of precision (like
plus-or-minus .002 or so).

Replacing the calipers with new units is fairly easy, you need calipers
with 3.5" spacing for the mounting ears. There are lots of these out
there. You then need to make a spacer to get the slot to line up with the
rotor - this is fairly easy too.

The TR6 stock rotor has a spacer more or less cast in (the hat shape). If
you wanted to go with a more modern "floating disc" setup like many GM
cars use, you'd have to add "make a new hub" to your list of stuff to do
the conversion to get the proper offest of the rotor to the mounting
flange on the vertical link.

Truth be told, the Toyota conversion is dead-nuts simple and quite
effective and doable in a weekend or less. The other options are not for
the weak of heart. And if you're paying a machinist to do the work, it
won't be cheap by any stretch.

If you want to research this topic, I suggest any of the different racing
catalogs out there (like Coleman Racing, Capital Motorsports, Kraze's,
etc, NOT Jegs or Summit) or better still contact Brembo and some of the
others that make aftermarket calipers. They have data sheets that can help
you zero in on a solution - but as I said, this is not for the weak at
heart.

Last word - SAFETY. Do not attempt any project like this unless the end
result is 100% safe. We all need to know that others that share the road
are capable of stopping when called to do so. A car with marginal brakes
for any reason should not be on the road. Period. Sermon over.

> Rick O.

Regards,
rml
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