rebuilding brake system

[Dave_EH]

G'day all,

I'm in the process of rebuilding my HR disc brake system - for the first time.

I have purchased:

-New shoes
-New cylinders
-New master cylinder (disc type)
-New rotors
-New pads
-New bearing kits
-New VH40L booster

I am in the process of having the calipers rekitted with new pistons.

I have the following few questions that i'd love some help with!

We fitted the bearing and rotors to the front the other day - but could not remove (at least without trying too hard) the outer and inner bearing cups.  As such we greased up the new bearing cones and rollers and grease retainer and used the existing bearing cups - I'm having second thoughts about this now - they seems to be identical but will this be a problem? Don't want to lose a wheel due to bearing failure!

How tight should the castellated nut be? just finger tight?

We plan to fit the new shoes and cylinders and calipers ourselves, bolt the remote booster into place...then call a mobile brake mechanic to do the lines to a from the booster and the tube to the manifold.

If the drums are too worn to be machined can i get new ones from repco?

Does this plan sound alright and does anyone have any other tips e.g. adjusting the handbrake and shoes etc etc

All help would be appreciated - fingers crossed we bluff our way through it! I've spent a small fortune already - does an HR disc stop alright when all new?

Cheers
Dave

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

When doing the bearings on my Torana rotors, I bashed the old bearing cups out with a hammer and screwdriver. A few solid whacks around the circumference should get em moving. Getting the new cups in is a little trickier, a bit of care and some round bar or tube a little smaller than the caps helps when tapping back in.

[sgo]

Once you've got the old inner cups out you can use them to tap the new ones in.
Place them on top of the new ones, facing the same direction so that when both cups are seated in the hub,the back of the old cup can be accessed from the other end of the hub and be tapped out.
Use a flat piece of wood or plate on top of the cups to tap them in straight.

[gp]

The castellated nuts need to be a little more than finger tight. I usually do them up firm, then back off the nut a little, then use the weight of the spanner to tighten them to the nearest split pin hole. Too tight will ruin the bearings, too loose will also ruin them, and probably give you some brake shudder. If you're still in doubt, get someone qualified to do it for you.

I'm going to go out on a limb here  :-/ . I don't have a high opinion of HR disc brakes, I believe that with some smart assembly and adjustment, you can get better results with the drums. I doubt that anyone here would agree with me, but that's my opinion. I've also seen how successful my mate has drums working on his Appendix J race cars. I think the 2 biggest problems with HR discs are;- they fade VERY quickly (small rotors) and the countersunk screws that attach the rotor to the hub are the achilles heel, as they come loose and/or break off.

Just my opinion.

Cheers,

Graham.

[FCwagon]

Hi Dave,
Some good advice from the guys on fitting the cups but the inference on not using old cups wasn't strong enough. Never match new bearings with old cups. You'll destroy them in no time at all.
You need to set preload on the bearings by tightening the castelated nut until you can just feel some drag on the rotor as you spin it. You then tighten the nut about 1 notch. I've found it helps to overtighten it first to settle the bearings then follow the process as mentioned.
It's extremely important the brakes are done right so if you're not feeling confident about anything it's best to let the proffessionals do it.
cheers,
Leigh

[Dave_EH]

Thats exactly what i needed to know.  I did try tapping them out a little but didnt want to push it.

I shall remove the old ones and put in the the cups as soon as i get a chance.

I dont think i'll have any trouble putting the calipers back on once they are reconditioned (will buy the spreading tool), and the master cylinder and rear cylinders sound dead easy... its just getting the shoes right and the handbrake right.

Would i be better off letting a mobile mechanic fit and adjust the shoes and check the tightness of the castellated nut when he does the remote booster set up?

its just that i figure i have to learn somehow...

any thoughts appreciated
Dave

[mcl1959]

Dave read the manual as you are doing the work, it really is pretty easy to follow.
Also take careful note how things come apart before pulling them apart and whilst you are pulling them apart.

I found most people get into trouble because they cant remember how things went back together.

Ken

[customFC]

I agree with Ken.......get out the manual.
If you don't already have the Gregory's manual for FX-HR, go and get 1. It is ideal for modifying as it has instructions covering the HR parts as well as the FE/FC or EH. I also use the FC manual when working on standard bits as I like the pics.
Give it a go. If you have a buddy interested in EH? or atleast cars, work through it together. Better still would be a buddy who has done it before......but, give it a go.
Regards
Alex

[Dave_EH]

Thanks for your help everyone.

I now have a copy of two seperate workshop manuals - the FX-HR and an EH-HD-HR manual.

I've been studying them up, so ready to have another crack at it.

Flat out with exams and assignments at the moment, but hopefully will get it done over the next few weeks.

will let you know when its a success (fingers crossed)

Regards
Dave

p.s. thanks for the help with a non-fe/fc car as well. appreciate it.