Stude disc brake option, my opinion...
Posted: 2012 Sep 21 Fri 6:27 pmThought I'd post this here too, just in case it was missed over on the Stude Drivers site..
Note - everyone wants pictures....open their website...the Stude kit is pictured.
As noted a few weeks ago, I ordered a Hot Rods and Brakes full kit.
http://hotrodsandbrakes.com/
For whatever reason, some of you bad mouthed them without even seeing them...!
Well, I've got a set and don't see anything to bad mouth about.
With a relationship to the old Dave Levesque kits...it is very much the same. A little nicer, but the same. But really...in keeping things "simple", how can you be much different..?
A coupla things different.
1. the Hot Rods and Brakes bracket is much nicer cut out. Still 1/4" steel, and while it's not a machined part and it is flame cut, it looks more like a Plasma cut rather than a worn out torch tip as Daves did. I have a set of Daves, that's how I know..!
The bearing spacer is a nice fit at the inner bearing and the inner grease seal. Fits snugly on the spindle.
The store bought parts are a mix of NAPA and CarQuest parts.
Compared to the Turner kit.
Night and day. The Turner bracket is much cleaner and better done. It's also HEAVY. It's a two piece bracket which from a design standpoint..."isn't" good. On the other hand, everything is heavy enough that I doubt he's had any problems with that bracket.
But also from a design point, it's WAY too heavy, MAC Truck stopping heavy.
The Levesque kit under my 59 Lark wagon has almost 100,000 miles that I've put on it (don't know how many the last owner put on it with those brakes on it..!) with zero problems.
The only concern I have the the Hot Rods and Brakes kit is the way the bracket is bolted to the spindle.
Unlike the Levesque kit, that used a thru bolt with a nut, the Hot Rods and Brakes kit...the bracket itself is threaded, with no nut. On its own accord, that's ok when used with LocTite (as is recommended in the instructions) along with a split lock washer.
The split lock washer is kind-of-a joke as far as locking a fastener, but the LocTite will do the job. The split lock washer is already in the trash, I don't use them.
I bought longer bolts and lock nuts to be a little more secure. I will tighten the bolts as designed, then add the lock nuts to secure things better from there.
The basic fastening design is a good idea, I just like a little more security.
All in all, I would not hesitate to recommend using these brakes at all to anyone needing a perfectly good disc kit. Not "over" engineered, done just right.
This is all...just my opinion of course..!
Mike
P.s the brakes are on my car and all is well. Waiting for the rear to finish things up...
Note - everyone wants pictures....open their website...the Stude kit is pictured.
As noted a few weeks ago, I ordered a Hot Rods and Brakes full kit.
http://hotrodsandbrakes.com/
For whatever reason, some of you bad mouthed them without even seeing them...!
Well, I've got a set and don't see anything to bad mouth about.
With a relationship to the old Dave Levesque kits...it is very much the same. A little nicer, but the same. But really...in keeping things "simple", how can you be much different..?
A coupla things different.
1. the Hot Rods and Brakes bracket is much nicer cut out. Still 1/4" steel, and while it's not a machined part and it is flame cut, it looks more like a Plasma cut rather than a worn out torch tip as Daves did. I have a set of Daves, that's how I know..!
The bearing spacer is a nice fit at the inner bearing and the inner grease seal. Fits snugly on the spindle.
The store bought parts are a mix of NAPA and CarQuest parts.
Compared to the Turner kit.
Night and day. The Turner bracket is much cleaner and better done. It's also HEAVY. It's a two piece bracket which from a design standpoint..."isn't" good. On the other hand, everything is heavy enough that I doubt he's had any problems with that bracket.
But also from a design point, it's WAY too heavy, MAC Truck stopping heavy.
The Levesque kit under my 59 Lark wagon has almost 100,000 miles that I've put on it (don't know how many the last owner put on it with those brakes on it..!) with zero problems.
The only concern I have the the Hot Rods and Brakes kit is the way the bracket is bolted to the spindle.
Unlike the Levesque kit, that used a thru bolt with a nut, the Hot Rods and Brakes kit...the bracket itself is threaded, with no nut. On its own accord, that's ok when used with LocTite (as is recommended in the instructions) along with a split lock washer.
The split lock washer is kind-of-a joke as far as locking a fastener, but the LocTite will do the job. The split lock washer is already in the trash, I don't use them.
I bought longer bolts and lock nuts to be a little more secure. I will tighten the bolts as designed, then add the lock nuts to secure things better from there.
The basic fastening design is a good idea, I just like a little more security.
All in all, I would not hesitate to recommend using these brakes at all to anyone needing a perfectly good disc kit. Not "over" engineered, done just right.
This is all...just my opinion of course..!
Mike
P.s the brakes are on my car and all is well. Waiting for the rear to finish things up...