33 replies to this topic

[howie1300]

Hi all, I have taken the Drums off the rear and also the front Calipers and disc of my SLR LH, took to the mechanic and his words were nobody bothers with machining discs and drums for these cars, any more you just buy them new. Thoughts anyone. 

 

 

Howie

[howie1300]

Thoughts on these as oppossed to refurbish of originals 273692166031

 

Howie

[horsepowerhowie]

Look the good i reckon

 

Man lots of cool gear out now without having to customize your car.

[Heath]

Take the drums and rotors to a brake place. Nothing wrong with grinding drums and discs if they're thick enough, and they need it. It's very cheap, and it does what it needs to do.

Not sure what advantage a dimpled and slotted solid rotor is supposed to actually provide other than lightening your wallet and impressing some 15 year old kids if you paint the calipers red, haha.

 

If you want good brakes, you need vented rotors, which you won't fit in standard Torana calipers - they require a more significant upgrade of components and often a wheel change.

[howie1300]

Take the drums and rotors to a brake place. Nothing wrong with grinding drums and discs if they're thick enough, and they need it. It's very cheap, and it does what it needs to do.

Not sure what advantage a dimpled and slotted solid rotor is supposed to actually provide other than lightening your wallet and impressing some 15 year old kids if you paint the calipers red, haha.

 

If you want good brakes, you need vented rotors, which you won't fit in standard Torana calipers - they require a more significant upgrade of components and often a wheel change.

Thanks Heath, its easy to get carried away, I found these at only $100 per side your thoughts would be much appreciated. Or would you still just get old ones resurfaced and machined

 

Howie

holden-torana-lh-with-pbr-calipers-1974-76-front-d

[howie1300]

Look the good i reckon

 

Man lots of cool gear out now without having to customize your car.

Yes but expensive? I found these much cheaper. 

holden-torana-lh-with-pbr-calipers-1974-76-front-d

[Heath]

Thanks Heath, its easy to get carried away, I found these at only $100 per side your thoughts would be much appreciated. Or would you still just get old ones resurfaced and machined

Hey Howie, it certainly is easy to get carried away.

If the rotors will end up over legal minimum thickness (14.3mm?), I would not think twice about getting yours resurfaced (should be ~$50 for the pair from somewhere like Better Brakes).
If they will end up undersized, the ~$110ea ones you linked to are likely a good choice. They won't be any BETTER than the originals.

[howie1300]

As Heath said it depends on the condition of your existing parts whether it's worth buying new ones or not. I'd stick with the old original Aussie steel if you can

Thanks Lazarus, I was thinking the same, things aren't made like they used too, I will take to shop if there is enough meat on the bone I will have the rotors and drums machined.

Howie

[S pack]

If the drums are suitable to be skimmed then you will need oversize brake shoes to match.

Insist your original shoes be re-lined, don't assume they will get your original shoes re-lined and then have them push Protex rubbish onto you. The Protex shoes are made from thinner metal.

I prefer the replacement rotors from Disc Brakes Australia (DBA) but wouldn't be surprised if most brands all come from the same factory in you know where.

Edited by S pack, 24 May 2021 - 03:29 PM.

[dattoman]

You can't buy new drums anyway... so yes take your existing drums and shoes to someone who can bond them and radius grind them to suit the drums

[claysummers]

Decent old school brake shop will fix up your original gear howdy. As long as the drums and discs have sufficient meat.

If you can’t get hold of any decent drums I’m told EJ - HR can be bought new. You would have to change backing plates as well, but otherwise bolts up with all the other hardware I’m pretty sure.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[yel327]

HQ to WB backing plates with HK-HG drums work on LH-LX Torana. Just use Torana hand brake cables. Not sure if the 13” wheels fit over them though. Not sure how the bigger drum brakes work with the LH-UC rotors and what wheel cylinders you’d use.

[howie1300]

Dropped off rotors and drums and callipers with Brake and Clutch workshop at Slacks Creek QLD, he quickly checked rotors and said there was not much to play with, which surprised me as the car has only done 67000km, but he would try and skin and stay legal. This leads me to question if he call and says they are a non starter, and he will get new rotors, what in the opinion of you guys are good quality  rotors to fit, DBA has been mentioned?

 

Howie

[yel327]

There are some DBA rotors still made in Australia. From the following catalogue it looks like they do a T2 and a T3 rotor for LH-UC, you'd have to check if those are still Aussie made. The T2's I put on the back of my RX350 were Aussie made, and all the T3's I've used on the front of the Hilux and the RX350 have been Aussie made. As others have said above, the slotted/dimpled rotors aren't going to really be noticeable on a street SL/R but having a quality Aussie made rotor is important (to me at least), rather than cheap imported junk. I simply cannot fathom that a new pair of rotors at $150 (or less) for the pair for the front of a 2 tonne Hilux can be as good as a quality pair. 

 

If you swapped to A9X/L34 style brakes there is a much bigger selection but that also means running Pontiac/HQ stud pattern and at least 14" wheels. Plus at least changing your rear drums to HQ-WB including getting new replica L34 axles made. The plus side of this is you can run something like 14x6 or 14x7 Pontiac Rally rims (GMH used these in 6" on HQ-HZ as Rally Rims) with a tyre like a 205/60/14 and have roughly the same tyre diameter. There is a few other considerations with this swap too, like changing to HK-WB stubs, buying A9X replica steering arms and the fact it lowers the front around 3/4". You'll have to find the right calipers to use as well off a Holden. 

 

https://dba.com.au/w...ALOGUE-2020.pdf

[S pack]

Dropped off rotors and drums and callipers with Brake and Clutch workshop at Slacks Creek QLD, he quickly checked rotors and said there was not much to play with, which surprised me as the car has only done 67000km, but he would try and skin and stay legal. This leads me to question if he call and says they are a non starter, and he will get new rotors, what in the opinion of you guys are good quality  rotors to fit, DBA has been mentioned?

 

Howie

If he says you need new rotors get prices off him for your choice of DBA rotors and then shop around and get prices for the same from other suppliers.
 

[howie1300]

Thanks guys.

 

Howie

[73SUNBURSTEXYOUWON]

Dropped off rotors and drums and callipers with Brake and Clutch workshop at Slacks Creek QLD, he quickly checked rotors and said there was not much to play with, which surprised me as the car has only done 67000km, but he would try and skin and stay legal. This leads me to question if he call and says they are a non starter, and he will get new rotors, what in the opinion of you guys are good quality  rotors to fit, DBA has been mentioned?
 
Howie

FYI, im not %100 sure of the brand of brake drums now, but i purchased from a brake place at slacks creek, last year.

For my EH. Replacing all drums and shoes. Front and rear.

But i had to return the drums, because when i braked, they shuddered to the shithouse.

I asked the brake place to check the new drums, which were said to be out of round and required skimming.

I was not impressed, to say the least.

Sorry i have no images of the drums, wish i could be more specific.

Aha, i have an invoice, RDA6780 is the part number....avoid those drums.

Jaso

[claysummers]

Had they been machined when originally supplied? I suspect not, unless they were both dropped.

early Holden nut

[73SUNBURSTEXYOUWON]

All four new drums required skimming....

[dattoman]

As the only supplier of EH drums was RDA.. you have the choice of them or nothing

[73SUNBURSTEXYOUWON]

As the only supplier of EH drums was RDA.. you have the choice of them or nothing

Cheers Datto, well i still have em (obviously no choice), didn't know they RDA were the only supplier, still wasn't happy, from new, they had to skimmed.
Anyway live n learn.

[howie1300]

Checked in with Brake and Clutch at Slacks Creek was able to skim front rotors but drums were gone (there words) but the technician reckons he can get away with fitting oversized shoes, can anyone comment on whether this is the norm.

 

Howie

[Dr Terry]

Overshoes shoes were quite common in the day.

 

The drum needs to be at least 0.625" (1/16") oversize for No.1 oversize shoes to fit. The shoes also need to be radiused to suit the drum properly.

 

Being rear drums I'd have no issue with them being up to 0.080" oversize.

 

Dr Terry

[howie1300]

Thanks Terry