Rockwell build up

[Nuke_spicergear]

FINALLY...after MOST of my parts have arrived (3 months and still incomplete) I had enought to go ahead and get the front axle back together. I welded on the high clear pan that didn't have a hole in it. I'd already installed the pair of Detroits in the chunks so with a little bit of black RTV, I lowered the housing down over the chunk. I adapted a carriage from a forklift...the thing the forks hang on...to fit on a three point hitch 'T' bar we have for the John Deere. It's a lot easier to lower the housing onto the chunk, then manhandle what has to be near 200Lbs of top loaded cast iron. One that was bolted up I flipped it right side up, then put the axles in, filled the knuckle cavern with grease, slapped on the spindles and the disc brake caliper mount that bolts to the spindle. I had previously had a buddy, with a bigger lathe than I have, do the machine work on my hubs to accept the rotor with the kit. I asked Daniel specific questions about the maching and he didn't give me the right information. When I say I asked the right questions, I spent 4 years in a cnc shop making parts and have been hobby machining since I can remember. I really friggin hate that d:ck. So after remachining tonight or tomorrow...I'll have a disc braked, Detroit locked, high clear panned steer axle. I'm not even remachining the rear hubs...F-that. I'm putting them on a different way and will be making my own brake stands. Sick of waiting for this crap.

[bump_r]

It sounds as though your disgust with Denial is finally giving way to excitement of haveing you Rocks coming together. It seems by your writing style that you are pleased with your progress (since parts arrived).

In the words of Stimpson J. Cat: "Happy-happy-Joy-Joy, Happy-happy-Joy-Joy, Happy-happy-Joy-Joy-Joy!"

[Nuke_spicergear]

Yeah, it's a lot of fun to finally be putting these big babies back together! Then, there's the part of finding where all of the parts migrated to in the 3 month hiatus.

[Nuke_spicergear]

Emailed Daniel about the hole in the High clear cover I got from him nearly three months late and got no reply. Imagine that. I've still not seen the rear brake stands. Me thinks I'll call him tomorrow and ruffle him a bit to the tune of a refund for the price of the rear brake stands. And that bunghole never shipped my weld in, threaded bung hole. What a bunghole!!

[dave]

are they about ready for me to pick-up? LOL! its about time aint it. What gears are in em? we want to see pics.

[heepofajeep]

If you ever get bored, I can give you a link from pirate4x4.com about their opinion of Daniel (like 7 pages of it!), you may have read it already, I don't know.

Anyway, I think it is really cool to hear of someone making their own hub mounted disc brakes rather than going with the norm of the pinion brakes. If you don't mind, I would really like to see pictures of anything related to the brakes that you could manage to scrounge up! you could e-mail me them if it is easier. I understand if it is a pain though. In about 3-6 months I will be doing the same thing to mine, so it would be really cool to see what someone else has done. I have yet to even move one bolt on the next project, however, so it will be a long while before I get there. I figure I better just ask while it is still fresh in your mind.

Anyway, sounds good!

[heepofajeep]

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[Nuke_spicergear]

If you have machining capabilities, I can give you detailed descriptions, directions, and a couple of templates to start with. You need access to a milling machine to machine the rotors properly. A drill press won't do. The holes for mounting the rotor blow out into the center hole for about 1/4-1/3 of their circumference. THAT is why a milling maching must be used. I've got full templets for 'their' design front caliper mount...but it's an annoying piece after looking at it and my modified one would be plenty sufficient. I have Wilwood calipers...shipped IN their part numbered box and can give you a good 'rough' dimention on the length of the spacers needed based on hub machining. Rear hubs and rotors (when set up how I did it for surprising simlicity) need only machined about 5/16" (.3125") down while leaving a center 'step' un machined in it's overall length for the rotor to have as a center. Front hubs need to be machined double that depth while retaining the same step. I still don't understand the need of a weld on rear caliper mount when by flipping the rotor, you can use a template of the front and bolt it right on. Just struck me as really odd. I hate to say it...BELIEVE ME I HATE TO SAY IT, but to save machining time, get the rotors that are already drilled. Then, just simply take the hubs to a machine shop with a big lathe, and while they're being cut you can be marking steel off of the templates...my modified ones. I pay $2000 and wait over three months AND see a better way...proprietorship is out the window!