bowmanized

I just received some 2-piece Wilwood GT rotors and I'm wondering if Safety wires are absolutely necessary or is it just a precaution. I tried searching and I guess stop tech doesn't require sw. Why not? Anyone run these without the sw?

69427

I recently put some Wilwood rotors on my '69 project car. The bolts are drilled for safety wire, so I was planning on eventually wiring them before it hits the road. I've pretty much figured out how I was going to run the wires, but I'd like to see some pictures of rotors that are already wired just for comparison.

LeMansBlue04

You bet my sweet life I do. Some say to just use red Loctite but I am aware that when you want to remove a bolt locked in place with the stuff you apply HEAT to break the bond. Guess what? Under intense use rotors will glow red hot.

My sweet life deserves safety wire, how about yours?

John Shiels

stoptech uses different fasteners.

Lancer033

Something tells me that if the rotor was designed to be used with safety wire, it's probably a good idea to use it. If they could get away with not using it, they probably wouldn't give you hardware for it. I'm not an engineer, so I trust what they tell me

Wicked Weasel

we safety wire all the Wilwood GT rotors. It really is not hard to do, but it takes practice to get it right.

BTW - the back rotors are harder to do then the front because of the e-brake.

FasterIsBetter

If you plan on going to the track, you better wire them. In fact, if you value your safety, you better wire them. Mine are. The instructions from Wilwood say they must be wired. Brakes are just too important. I would just not take the chance.

96CollectorSport

I talked with someone from Wilwood and asked if it was absolutely necessary, he paused and told me he can't tell me not to saftey wire, but....

I saftey wired most of last year, and then switched to blue locktite, I have replaced 4 sets of rotors since and after hitting temps in the 1000 to 890 range (according to my rotor paint) I have never had a loose bolt. I do use new fasteners each time I change out rotors because the old fasteners come out hard. I also plan on replacing the hats at the end of the year due to running a thread chaser through the hats when I change rotors.
I will say do what your comfotable with, I was getting tired of saftey wireing the rotors so I thought I would try the locktite, it proved itself to me, but to each there own. I also mark the backside of the bolts with marker on the outward facing hat to keep on eye on the bolts to, give me some idea if they are moving, so far so good.

ghoffman

FYI, as a data point, on jets, you will see safety wire, and almost never see "Locktite". Personally, I do not own any Locktite, but I do have 3 sizes SS safety wire, 2 twister tools, and a bolt head drill guide. Just a thought, just a thought...

96CollectorSport

I totally agree that saftey wiring is safer, however GM seems to believe in thread locker. Like in the case of the caliper bolts etc.
If you want to be sure that the bolt doesn't move saftey wiring is always going to be the best way, it's up to you weather you want to do it, I'm just saying there is another option if you want to.
I have had good results (or luck however you want to look at it) with locktite.

John Shiels

with the pproper pliers it doesn't take long and wire is cheap

LeMansBlue04

GM uses red Loctite on the brake bracket bolts.
I am not sure if they use Loctite on the two caliper bolts/pins.
The GM rotor is a 1 piece unit.
The Wilwood unit is a lighter two piece.

The rotors absorb and dissapate the majority of the heat. This means that under track conditions rotor and pad temps can reach well over 1000 degrees. This is easily enough heat to break the bond that loctite creates. (bracket and caliper bolts will never see these temps) In addition the Wilwood hub is aluminium while the 1/4 bolts that hold it to the rotor are steel and these two metals have very different expansion rates.

When I took all of this into consideration I quickly reached the conclusion that it would be smart to wire mine. I know that many people do not bother to wire these and that on a purely street driven car they may never have a problem. But really, for the cost of some safety wire and a pair or wire twisters isn't it worth the time????

7LitreC5

I used safety wire and Locktite on mine.

63Corvette

As John Siels mentioned, Stoptech uses different fasteners. Mine are NOT safety wired, and I have had absolutely zero reason to wire them. SO....it will be interesting to see what Stoptech tech Jeff Ritter has to say when he weighs in on this.

Kinkajou

I saftywire everything I can.
Riding motorcycles has tought me how vibration and heat tends to loosen everything.
Besides using the right tool for this job ( available at motorcycle shops ) is kind of fun.

ghoffman

We don't safety the fasteners on our rotors either because of the design that constrains the bolt head and we use Nord-locks on the nut side with no threads in shear, see below. However, this thread was specifically addressing the Wilwood rotors that have tapped threads in the hat with the fastener going in from the back side. Loctite is worthless especially on a very high heat part.

96CollectorSport

Wilwoods are the only rotors that I know that require saftey wiring, when looking at a BBK I think that this is a disadvantage to the Wilwoods.
If you don't do your own rotor swaps the Wilwood rotors will require a $50 bolt set plus about 1/2 hour to saftey wire 2 rotors, maybe a little longer on the rears since the parking brake bell makes things a PITA.
I know that StopTech sells you a rotor [B]AND[B] the hardware, smart.

Also rotors such as StopTechs have individual nuts and bolts unlike the Wilwoods that use the hat as the nut, which is a disadvantage because after enough rotor swaps you will have to replace the hats.

I know I'm the only one crazy enough to put locktite on rotors but I can definatly see the pluses and minuses of the various rotors out there.

Gary what kind of hardware do you incorperate in your rotors, BTW nice looking setup.

Maineiac

Stoptech rotors here...no need for safety wire...

ghoffman

Thanks! We use only AN (aircraft) hardware on rotors. No threads in shear, very tight tolerances. These days you do not need clearance holes that are significantly larger than the fastener, modern CNC machine tools allow perfect fits with little to no clearance and it still fits perfectly.

73-84 IMSA Widebody

2 piece Wilwood rotors and hats wired.
Front:

Rear:

It doesn't hurt to keep an Air Force mechanic on the payroll.....