Author Topic: Stainless Steel  (Read 1060 times)

Big Rab

  • Guest
Stainless Steel
« on: March 30, 2008, 06:11:44 PM »
Does anybody know what grade of Stainless is used for Honda discs
I am having trouble finding a rear one for my FT500.
My brother has acces to all the equipement to manufacture one, but I need to know  the correct "grade" to use.

Thanks

Big Rab

bullet350

  • Guest
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2008, 10:13:04 PM »
might be total crap but i was always lead to believe thar iron discs were better.

a friend of mine works in a college and made an iron rear disc from a piece of iron 6"deep and 14" square. apparently he had quite a job hiding that much swarf.

bullet350

guest146

  • Guest
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2008, 07:35:22 AM »
It would be a last resort for me to make a brake disc. It has to dissipate heat and not distort or shatter in the process. But you got me thinking and I found this page.

Its not a lot but may give you a start.

http://www.emotouk.com/mvagusta/brakediscs.htm

Ken


andy230

  • Posts: 1322
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2008, 11:26:42 AM »
I have heard of (and seen) brake rotors made from cast manhole covers.

Tho I'm no metallurgist!!

a

Big Rab

  • Guest
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2008, 12:26:18 PM »
Thanks Guys,Will check my local area for s/steel supplies

Rab

Andy M

  • Posts: 1709
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2008, 04:54:07 PM »
With my professional hat on (I'm a sales engineer for WABCO we make discs for trucks), i'd really really encourage you not to do this.

The cast structure and surface of the machineing is critical to the performance. Stainless steel is in any case second only to chromed steel for it's rubbish performance. Stainless is used for vanity with oversized pads to make up for the poor structure and lack of surface retention (it wears smooth, while the holes in cast iron means it wears rough). Get it wrong and you will either fail to stop (hot or cold performance could be off) or get hit with shrapnel at some critical point (heat spreads cracks), or both.

Please buy either the OEM fit item off e-bay or a cast iron replacement.

If you really must do what I consider something dangerous, at least use cast iron (it'll fail on the lathe if it's going to go bang properly on day 1) and get your machineist to copy the surface finish on an un-rubbed section of the old disk, or make it rougher than a piston bore would be (it'll perform with your new pads unless it explodes). Go for the minimum amount of cutting and avoid all holes not strictly required for mounting. There should be no fashion accessory type "cooling" holes. The grades of cast iron vary with the design of disk, most are speced by each manufacturer to match the casting requirements, they are not commercial grades. Manhole cover type stuff is the right ball park in most cases, rough grey cast iron.

If it looks too home made and the bike was made after about 1998 it might fail it's MOT for the lack of E-mark on the disk, but not many MOT places would spot this.

I really hope I put you off doing this, but also really hope you get sorted.

Andy

trophydave

  • Posts: 374
  • Dave the rave
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2008, 07:10:37 PM »
Some years ago I needed a rear disc for my GT750 kawasaki.A local bloke took the disc as a pattern and made one up for me out of who knows what.It was absolutely useless,the brake hardly worked even with a coat of rust for grip that would appear overnight on the disc.A tight sod I may be but I would not recommend making your own discs after my experience.

Big Rab

  • Guest
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2008, 10:15:40 PM »
Thanks Andy @ Dave will accept your expert advice, will try and get one from ebc, costly though, but safety come first.

Cheers

Rab

themoudie

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4755
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2008, 11:02:59 PM »
Aye Big Rab,

Check out the Wemoto site.

http://shop.wemoto.com/index.dyn

Pattern disc you are looking for £96. However, regardless of where you obtain the disc from, you may require new bolts!

I have had to remove disc bolts with an impact driver, PlusGas A, 3' length of scaffolding pipe and finally the time honoured 2lb engineers ball pien hammer and a cold chisel!  ;D

Both Honda and Yamaha alongwith our predelection for salt on the roads and no lubrication of the threads at assembly, often gives a wonderful electrolytic 'welding' job >:(

There is nothing worse than starting the job and not be able to complete and road test the result, all for a handful of butchered bolts!

Take care and keep boppin', Bill.

guest288

  • Guest
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2008, 06:32:53 AM »
There is nothing worse than starting the job and not be able to complete and road test the result, all for a handful of butchered bolts!

I agree- take a look at everything you might need, eg brake fluid, maybe new pads, seals for the pistons etc as sure as eggs is eggs, you'll start it on a saturday morning, find you're missing something, then find out your local bike place closed at twelve!

Andy M

  • Posts: 1709
Re: Stainless Steel
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2008, 12:43:51 PM »
Ah, but turn up in the garage with bolts, pads, seals, fluid, impact driver, thing for pushing pistons back, plasters, burn cream, pre-matched paint, new tyre tube, 10 foot bar, 35 stone assistant etc. and it'll drop to bits, rebuild itself and leave you standing there with a pile of unused and expensive bits (but no cash) just as the pubs are opening  :'(

At least you can go for a ride though  ;D

Andy