Started my "winter projects" + RANT
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,220
Likes: 208
Started my "winter projects" + RANT
I finally got around installing the big brake conversions for the C3-R. I have 13" drilled and grooved rotors all around. 6-piston superlites in front, 4-piston dynalites at the back.
I finished installing the front ones tonight. Pretty pleased with the front kit, only thing that was wrong were the bolts attaching the hat to the rotor. With the washers in place (like said in the instructions, which BTW are a big joke), the bolt heads are 2mm too tall and they interfere with the wheels. I can't install the wheels in place before I find right set of bolts.
Second thing is the rear rotors. The rear hats are designed to work with stock drum parking brake set and the hats are great. BUT the rotors are all wrong. They came with the wrong bolt pattern for the hat. I contacted PBC right after I noticed they were wrong and so far their tech support has been NONE...
I also had pair of bumpsteer blocks fabricated, which I will install tomorrow and I need to adjust the steering a little bit.
Once I have the rear rotor issue sorted I will have the car aligned again, hopefully it will be before the summer is over again...
Here's a pic of the front brake kit installed.
I finished installing the front ones tonight. Pretty pleased with the front kit, only thing that was wrong were the bolts attaching the hat to the rotor. With the washers in place (like said in the instructions, which BTW are a big joke), the bolt heads are 2mm too tall and they interfere with the wheels. I can't install the wheels in place before I find right set of bolts.
Second thing is the rear rotors. The rear hats are designed to work with stock drum parking brake set and the hats are great. BUT the rotors are all wrong. They came with the wrong bolt pattern for the hat. I contacted PBC right after I noticed they were wrong and so far their tech support has been NONE...
I also had pair of bumpsteer blocks fabricated, which I will install tomorrow and I need to adjust the steering a little bit.
Once I have the rear rotor issue sorted I will have the car aligned again, hopefully it will be before the summer is over again...
Here's a pic of the front brake kit installed.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,220
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Originally Posted by Demonic Possession
Looks great.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
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so you ordered the rotors/hats from precision brakes co??? I want to upgrade to a seperate rotor/hat combo in the future and if that stuff is bolt on then that'll be the way I'll go. I like the dark anodizing, I assume the hats and rotors are wilwoods also?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,220
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Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
so you ordered the rotors/hats from precision brakes co??? I want to upgrade to a seperate rotor/hat combo in the future and if that stuff is bolt on then that'll be the way I'll go. I like the dark anodizing, I assume the hats and rotors are wilwoods also?
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 420
Likes: 1
From: Lapeer MI
Twin Turbo...
I won't mention the numerous problems I've had with this company. I will say however, that after about 1.5 years they finally straightened the last problem out.
The quality of parts is top notch. It will be a considerable effort but if you work at it long enough you'll have great brakes from this company.
One thing you'll have to do, Twin Turbo, is send in your hubs to be machined down a few thousandths around the outside and the edge will need to be smoothed off. Precision Brakes did this for me for free. I know others to have had this same problem. The hubs just won't fit in their hats.
The quality of parts is top notch. It will be a considerable effort but if you work at it long enough you'll have great brakes from this company.
One thing you'll have to do, Twin Turbo, is send in your hubs to be machined down a few thousandths around the outside and the edge will need to be smoothed off. Precision Brakes did this for me for free. I know others to have had this same problem. The hubs just won't fit in their hats.
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
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Originally Posted by Red_Shift
I won't mention the numerous problems I've had with this company. I will say however, that after about 1.5 years they finally straightened the last problem out.
The quality of parts is top notch. It will be a considerable effort but if you work at it long enough you'll have great brakes from this company.
One thing you'll have to do, Twin Turbo, is send in your hubs to be machined down a few thousandths around the outside and the edge will need to be smoothed off. Precision Brakes did this for me for free. I know others to have had this same problem. The hubs just won't fit in their hats.
The quality of parts is top notch. It will be a considerable effort but if you work at it long enough you'll have great brakes from this company.
One thing you'll have to do, Twin Turbo, is send in your hubs to be machined down a few thousandths around the outside and the edge will need to be smoothed off. Precision Brakes did this for me for free. I know others to have had this same problem. The hubs just won't fit in their hats.
That's too bad to hear other having the same problems. So far their tech support has been very poor, no one seems to know a thing and so far they haven't been too helpful.
Got any more pics of your car?
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 449
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From: Boulder CO
[QUOTE=groovyjay]That's too bad to hear other having the same problems. So far their tech support has been very poor, no one seems to know a thing and so far they haven't been too helpful.
QUOTE]
I never got as far as tech support with Precision Brakes because their sales support was worse than poor. I ordered what seems to be similar to your package back in January and was told I'd have delivery in 2-3 weeks. After 4 weeks they gave me some bogus story but said I'd have everything 2 weeks later. After 6 weeks I really started screaming and a shipment arrived at my door at the middle of week 7. Ooops. Wrong rotors, no master cylinder, other missing parts. I shipped it all back to them and requested a refund. That took another 2 weeks after I disputed the charge with my credit card company. These guys don't seem overtly malicious, just really disorganized and I'd never do business with them again.
QUOTE]
I never got as far as tech support with Precision Brakes because their sales support was worse than poor. I ordered what seems to be similar to your package back in January and was told I'd have delivery in 2-3 weeks. After 4 weeks they gave me some bogus story but said I'd have everything 2 weeks later. After 6 weeks I really started screaming and a shipment arrived at my door at the middle of week 7. Ooops. Wrong rotors, no master cylinder, other missing parts. I shipped it all back to them and requested a refund. That took another 2 weeks after I disputed the charge with my credit card company. These guys don't seem overtly malicious, just really disorganized and I'd never do business with them again.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,220
Likes: 208
Originally Posted by alanbl
I never got as far as tech support with Precision Brakes because their sales support was worse than poor. I ordered what seems to be similar to your package back in January and was told I'd have delivery in 2-3 weeks. After 4 weeks they gave me some bogus story but said I'd have everything 2 weeks later. After 6 weeks I really started screaming and a shipment arrived at my door at the middle of week 7. Ooops. Wrong rotors, no master cylinder, other missing parts. I shipped it all back to them and requested a refund. That took another 2 weeks after I disputed the charge with my credit card company. These guys don't seem overtly malicious, just really disorganized and I'd never do business with them again.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Those bolts look like cap screws. My son gave me what I believe is called button head, they are still capscrews but extremely low profile but still use an allen wrench. They might do the trick for you.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
I finished installing the front ones tonight. Pretty pleased with the front kit, only thing that was wrong were the bolts attaching the hat to the rotor. With the washers in place (like said in the instructions, which BTW are a big joke), the bolt heads are 2mm too tall and they interfere with the wheels. I can't install the wheels in place before I find right set of bolts.
I went looking for a picture of a button head cap screw and while looking suddenly wondered how even a normal cap screw could interfer with mounting a wheel??
This is my hat but most of the screws are missing. I increased the number of screws to about 20 since they looked so small and I believe they only use 8 normally or something like that.
My heads could be inches long and still clear the rims?? this is what is confusing me.
I went looking for a picture of a button head cap screw and while looking suddenly wondered how even a normal cap screw could interfer with mounting a wheel??
This is my hat but most of the screws are missing. I increased the number of screws to about 20 since they looked so small and I believe they only use 8 normally or something like that.
My heads could be inches long and still clear the rims?? this is what is confusing me.
Last edited by norvalwilhelm; May 12, 2006 at 07:21 PM.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 623
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From: Chicago IL
Originally Posted by groovyjay
Thanks, I'm hoping to get some track time after I finish up the installation to see if these new brakes really can cope with some serious beating or will they just fade after few laps like the stock brakes did...
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 13,238
Likes: 1,092
From: YANKEES UNIVERSE 70 454-LS5 500 ft-lbs Torque
Originally Posted by norvalwilhelm
I finished installing the front ones tonight. Pretty pleased with the front kit, only thing that was wrong were the bolts attaching the hat to the rotor. With the washers in place (like said in the instructions, which BTW are a big joke), the bolt heads are 2mm too tall and they interfere with the wheels. I can't install the wheels in place before I find right set of bolts.
I went looking for a picture of a button head cap screw and while looking suddenly wondered how even a normal cap screw could interfer with mounting a wheel??
This is my hat but most of the screws are missing. I increased the number of screws to about 20 since they looked so small and I believe they only use 8 normally or something like that.
My heads could be inches long and still clear the rims?? this is what is confusing me.
I went looking for a picture of a button head cap screw and while looking suddenly wondered how even a normal cap screw could interfer with mounting a wheel??
This is my hat but most of the screws are missing. I increased the number of screws to about 20 since they looked so small and I believe they only use 8 normally or something like that.
My heads could be inches long and still clear the rims?? this is what is confusing me.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
those button head screws are tiny, good thing you have 20 of them.
My son just thought they would look good.
As for using 20 instead of just 8 I thought with my oversize hats 8 would look funny, 20 just worked out.
I ran oversize hats so I could get rid of more metal. Normal hats are what 8 inches maximum. I am running about 10 1/2. They still clear the calipers easily and it leaves that much less heavy metal.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
This is a comparison between these new large rotors and a stock one. The large rotor with it's aluminum hat weights exactly the same as a stock rotor, not this stock rotor, it is 3 pounds underweight.
That stocker is at least 10 years old without a single crack from hole to hole.
That stocker is at least 10 years old without a single crack from hole to hole.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,220
Likes: 208
Originally Posted by norvalwilhelm
I went looking for a picture of a button head cap screw and while looking suddenly wondered how even a normal cap screw could interfer with mounting a wheel??
This is my hat but most of the screws are missing. I increased the number of screws to about 20 since they looked so small and I believe they only use 8 normally or something like that.
My heads could be inches long and still clear the rims?? this is what is confusing me.
This is my hat but most of the screws are missing. I increased the number of screws to about 20 since they looked so small and I believe they only use 8 normally or something like that.
My heads could be inches long and still clear the rims?? this is what is confusing me.
See how the bolts go all the way through the whole hat... Just 8 bolts are holding them in place front and rear.