Thread: Need a hearst airheart brake specialist if there is one? Ordering rotors

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So I know i have the 175H caliper and I have the pads I need, now Im not sure about the rotors. It's not a hub, just bolted directly to the wheel with 4 bolt it appears.
http://www.airheartbrake.com/disc-chart.html
So the chart is on there and I was leaning at the 3300-1000 rotor but it's only 6" and it looks like the 175H needs a rotor with 7" or greater. So maybe the 3301-1003? However the rotor thats on it now only has 4 bolt holes, however it may have been put on in the 80s and may have been revised.

I hope you understand that this stuff is sized for go-kart type vehicles.

Yea it's whats been on there since it was built I guess, seems to stop good enough but it has the ford drums in the rear. I dont drive it to often. Although it only weighs 2000 lbs and seems to have enough surface area to stop.

That's the setup that Total Performance used to supply. I used them for a year before I installed single puck Wilwoods - and the car finally was able to stop without a few prayers, the e-brake and an anchor. Yes, I know others have used that setup (kinda) successfully, but it is barely marginal at best. I also added a dual chamber master cylinder as well as the required 2 and 10 pound residual valves - regardless of what Total's Mickey Lauria said - and we did argue that several times. Total ended up going to the exact arrangement that I used tho their new calipers didn't have a Wilwood name on them

The 175 Airheart's are set up with a .250 rotor, the Wilwoods, a .375. The brake pad area is about 2x the Airheart's. My recommendation - do yourself a favor and spend some time with a better brake system - with a 'bucket, you need all the edge on safety you can find.

Well unfortunatly the pads are about doomed and I need something to get me by for just this season, i'll add the wilwoods to the winter list. The rotors arent horrible I was just going to get them b/c they help with the look. If im going to go wilwood I wont bother ordering the rotors. However my other car may be selling next week and I will possibly just order the setup then.

So now on this note what all is involved besides the changing of the caliper and rotor now? The caliper currently floats and the rotor is bolted to the wheel, will I be able to use the same brackets and master cylinder etc...

First of all, it sounds like you have the spindle mount wire wheels. I just went through the Wilwood catalog - it appears that they no longer offer the kit that I had. Even Speedway had that kit for a while, but no longer have it since they bought Total Performance. I guess at this point, and what I would do would be to choose the Wilwood single piston caliper(page 56 of their parts catalog http://www.wilwood.com/Pdf/Catalogs/TechCatalog.pdf ) along with the 10" diameter .380 thick Airheart rotor then make up a bracket as Wilwood gives you enough information to do that chore, using what you have as a guide.

Is this the front end of yours(sorry about the quality - it's from a scanned print picture)?

Yea it's pretty similar, you can kinda see how its mounted here

Theres provisions on the spindle which looks like it may have been off a GM for a caliper, though Im thinking a regular caliper isnt going to cut it on there.

Are you actually driving that car with the hairpins and clevises bent like that? They are supposed to be a straight line back to the frame bracket. The hairpin is a problem, but that clevis - it will eventually fracture at the nut - and you know how much protection you have in a 'bucket - zip.

Also - the tie rod should be in front and lower then the axle and the caliper at the top side of the spindle. The drag link is at the scrub line. If you had a blowout there would be absolutely no control. I hate to be a naysayer, but that entire front end is a disaster waiting to happen - to you!!!. Take another look at mine - that's the "correct" and safest way without going into lots of specialty work.

Yea she doesnt go to far and everything gets checked after every run. All the hardware is pretty much getting replaced like the heim joints etc.

PLEASE
Fix it first then drive it - you might take yourself out, but think of others you might hurt in the process. We can help from here, but you have to be responsible for the consequences if you don't put it in a safe driving condition. If you are actually in Mechanicsburg, PA there are two good upcoming swap meets 4-6 June. Carlisle All Ford Nationals and the NSRA Street Rod show. I'll be selling at the NSRA meet to get rid of extra treasures I can't move to my new home, but don't have much if anything left for a 'bucket.

Yea there are I intend on going to one, probably the street rod nats. Can I ask what the advantage is to having the tie rod lower as you described? It appears to be all a solid cast part of the spindle.

With the spindles you have, probably can't do a front and low tie rod, but the way the drag link is hanging........

If you go to the York show, take a look at the front end of most of the 'buckets. Many are the older Total Performance front ends - use them as a guide. It appears that when Speedway pruchased TP they started building the chassis with a cross steer which is really better then the old Corvair with a 4 foot long drag link. I have seen several complete front ends at York in the past. I'm going to PM you with some info.