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Thread: '59 Pop Front Brake Upgrade

  1. #1
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    '59 Pop Front Brake Upgrade

    Decided to bite the bullet and start work on upgrading the front brakes on my Pop - the current MGB setup works quite nicely, just very heavy and I fancied a wheel change as well - much more choice of wheels in Ford or Chevy 5 stud PCD.

    The setup I'm going for will also reduce track width by 1" on each side so I can tuck the tyres up a little bit more....
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    Current setup has been on the car for over 5 years so a little dirty - I hate cleaning cars!

    Here's the RHS ready to trial fit the new rotors and double check clearances.....I'm not 100% sure if the track rod end will clear, although I did draw everything up in CAD first
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    This is the "kit" I am starting from.....designed for 55 Chevy, 11" vented discs and Dynalite calipers....so much lighter than the original setup....but has correct bearing size and spacing to fit the MG spindles!
    Yes, I know there are bolt-on big brake kits out there for MGB.......
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    I can use everything except the caliper mounting brackets - I'll need to get new ones machined from billet; might also need to machine the outer hub bearing seat to get the bearing to sit fully on the MGB spindle and allow the spindle nut to fit correctly - it's close already so we'll see, might not be necessary.........
    The only other question is whether I can/need to use the original MG inner bearing spacer and shims - if I do then this or the hub will need to be machined as it doesn't quite fit.
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    Hubs and rotors mounted
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    Caliper brackets will need to look something like this.......
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    If you are interested, these were drawn using Autodesk Fusion 360 (http://www.autodesk.com/products/fus...w).........you can even do stress analysis (I am still learning this bit.....)
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    Last edited by saltyseadog; 23-03-17 at 04:32 PM.

  2. #2
    NSRA member v8pop's Avatar
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    Looks pretty impressive Ian, don't know 'out about MGB's so I'm no help on your question I'm afraid. Good luck with the swap though.

    Cheers. Tim W.
    They say "life's a Crap Shoot" - Sure would be nice to have some Shoot for a change !!

    My Pop My Intro

  3. #3
    NSRA member crumble's Avatar
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    I'm very interested in this as I want to upgrade change stud pattern of my mgb front suspension.
    Real steel

  4. #4
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    OK, so putting the high-tech approach to one side and going back to old-skool plywood templates, this is what the caliper bracket design will probably end up being......or something similar
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    .....and with caliper mounted.....
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    Mocked up on the car, looks like this......
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  5. #5
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    Having mocked up the bracket design idea in plywood I wanted to check that my dimensions were correct before getting parts CNC machined - particularly important are hole positions and surface offsets so that (a) the caliper would sit in the correct position relative to the disc diameter and (b) the pads would be evenly spaced either side of the disc surface......

    Never tried this before so decided to get a bracket 3D printed - this is what I ended up with next day after sending my 3D model data to CREAT3D in Reading.......
    Material is white ABS plastic, accuracy is fantastic and I was even able to tap the material for the caliper bolts and correctly size the bracket mounting holes ( I deliberately had them made undersize).
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    This is what the finished assembly should look like with bracket mounted and the caliper attached to the bracket - having this prototype made has identified a few small changes needed that I couldn't have fixed if I'd had the parts machined straight from my original design.......
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    Next step will be to tweak the design and have the parts machined and anodised..........although I do have a different idea of how to mount the calipers which I might try out first......

    Below is the modified MGB suspension setup under the Pop that all of this will be attached to.......shame its not this clean any more
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  6. #6
    NSRA member MisteR Tee's Avatar
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    I went through a similar process with mine, then had them cnc water jet machined by a guy I know near Dorking, you might know him, Nick something.....oh yeah Butler!!! Because of where I wanted my calipers to be, I had to use 3 mounting points, hence the 3 bosses.

    Nice jobs with yours, they will look factory made.

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    MisteR Tee
    Ah, Nostalgia, it ain't what it used to be!

    No longer wanted: Steel 26/27 Ford Model T coupe rear fenders.

    My Intro My website my cars

  7. #7
    Moderator jsf55's Avatar
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    Nice photos and work, hope they work as good as they look

  8. #8
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jsf55 View Post
    Nice photos and work, hope they work as good as they look
    John - I hope they work too, otherwise I'll end up in a ditch somewhere. Hopefully building the design on other ideas I've seen, the standard style of brackets that Wilwood supply and the modelling work suggest that they should be more than up to the job.

  9. #9
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MisteR Tee View Post
    I went through a similar process with mine, then had them cnc water jet machined by a guy I know near Dorking, you might know him, Nick something.....oh yeah Butler!!! Because of where I wanted my calipers to be, I had to use 3 mounting points, hence the 3 bosses.

    Nice jobs with yours, they will look factory made.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Maurice - very nice, great colour.

    Your front suspension is based on a Jag setup isn't it?..........what material did Mr Butler make your brackets from, I assume these are 10mm steel with the bosses TIG welded on?

  10. #10
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    Whilst I am waiting for my caliper brackets to be machined I thought I would come up with a design for some clips to hold my new hardline in place for fuel supply to the original twin SU's I'm running on the Rover.....

    ...a few hours playing on the computer and this is the design that emerged:
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    ...and one day later this is what they look like for real, 3D printed in carbon filled nylon (again by CREATE 3D in Reading):
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    ..and one classic "5 minute job" later, here they are on the car - pretty pleased with the result and happy that I didn't break into the water-way of the inlet manifold - I hope they stand up to the heat....
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    Not that cheap for 2 clips but you can't buy these in the shops.........if you fancy something similar or want to know more about how I got these made, PM me.

  11. #11
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    OK, so after a bit of a wait the caliper brackets and modified Wilwood hubs arrived today - thanks to Adam and Darren at Pulse Racing in Slough.....top job guys

    Black anodised 6061 aluminium with original Wilwood threaded inserts pressed into place.
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    Wilwood hubs with outer bearing recess machined so that bearing race sits 3mm deeper into hub.....
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    Now all I need to do is fit all these bits to the car (will keep me busy and the wife happy as she'll get her tidy floor back), add new hoses, wheels and tyres and away we go....and hopefully stop better too......and they look neater than the originals.....and they are a lot lighter.

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  12. #12
    Moderator jsf55's Avatar
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    Quality looking parts

  13. #13
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    Wow terrific work, mate! congrats! fancy making up a whole new car?

  14. #14
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    Jess - I'm afraid you'd have to join the queue - the 3 boys have got dibs of the next ones........and even they might have their own kids before I finish anything new!

  15. #15
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    OK, have made progress this weekend with fitting the new brakes......has ended up as a mini refurb with the whole front end being stripped off, powder coat touched-in and poly-bushes lubed (they used to squeak something awful).

    Just the brake hoses to measure and order and one small problem that I wasn't expecting to fix - the tie-rod end rubber boots rubbing - some 1/8" steering arm spacers should sort that...

    I hope the following pictures speak for themselves:
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    ....and then to make it all worthwhile - the new jewellery

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  16. #16
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    New stainless brake hoses arrived today - great service from the guys down at Merlin Motorsport as I only ordered them yesterday
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  17. #17
    NSRA member rem's Avatar
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    Nice work - that's a great improvement on the MGB parts.
    Sent from my Kitchen Table using a little box full of smoke and dangerous radio waves


    Shine is Fine

  18. #18
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    Pretty much all done now - just need to bed the pads in properly and try to forget the fairly big c*@k-up that I made, which some of you may have spotted.....

    Hopefully will be at the Nats on Sunday.
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  19. #19
    NSRA member mygasser's Avatar
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    c0ck up? oh, you mean not fitting a straight tube axle to make it a gasser

  20. #20
    NSRA member saltyseadog's Avatar
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    No, no, no....even I'd notice that...

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