I have not started tack welding the retainer on these axles. So far I am not seeing the retainers slip like they did on the stock axles I have used before.
This isn't the first time I have had a "bad" bearing feel good after I removed it from these axles.

 

Hey Scott,

So this really old post in your thread has recently caught my attention as this is exactly what we've been doing for seven or eight years now. Since we did the FC front brake conversion. We never had any issue with it but now that we've increased our rotor size to 12.88 and gone to much larger Wilwood calipers I'm wondering what kind of luck we'll have. We're also just now switching to big bearing spindles with the parts we got from Carl and the replacement big bearing rotors definitely are more porous than the oem small bearing rotor/hubs we've been using. In fact, I cracked a couple pushing in the wheel studs. Anyway, I sent an email to KC Raceware using the address on their website and have gotten no response after a week or so. I'm assuming they're still in business? Would you be able to help me get in contact with them to find out what a set of their hubs would cost?

Thank you,

 

I'll check with Charlie and see what he can do. It has been really cold around here lately and he may not be going to the shop much.

Regarding the OE hubs, which ones are you working with? They made the small 110mm rotors for the 84-85 cars that have the bigger outer bearing. I would assume that they are just as good as the same ones from the small bearing spindles. The KC Raceware hub reminds me of the 110mm hub

I have been investigating doing a Willwood hat/rotor and caliber with my FC hubs. It would save some weight and give me calipers that can be serviced along with more pad selection. Not sure I will do it though.

 

So I used the 110mm bolt pattern rotors. I never had one of the small bearing hubs Crack while installing the studs the way these did. Again though, all my small bearing rotors were 40 years old and the big bearing ones were new. China syndrome...

As far as moving to Wilwood, I would highly recommend it. Just having serviceable parts makes it worthwhile. For the front I'd just buy T3's kit. Of it had been available three months earlier it would have saved us around $500. Having our own hats machined was terribly expensive. I could send you specs on the rear if you wanted. If your rule set allows changing the rear...

 

On front, my plan is to use blank Willwood hats that have the right depth and get the bore and pattern cut by Santa Fe Garage. I also found some 5x114.3 pattern hats from Willwood that would work too as long as the bore is close because I can convert that to a 4x114.3 pattern. For rotors I want to use the .810 x 11.75" rotors with the 7x8 bolt pattern. I would then need to update the RE Speed caliper bracket to Willwood calipers. All that said, the FC stuff works fine and I have spares. So the issue is weight and a lack of pad choices.

I discussed these plans with Charlie early this winter and he suggested that I spend money on tires! He is right of course.

I am cool on the rear of my car but thanks for the offer. Charlie cobbled up a custom hat and rotor from Coleman Racing. I am still using the Turbo 2 sliders on back.

Once upon a time you could get Brembo branded GS/GSL rotors for RX7s. They really didn't last any better than the cheap auto parts store rotors so I only used them once. However, I never had a rotor fail from any source. Times were simpler when I was racing a car with 100RWHP and stock parts worked just fine.

The T3 stuff looks good. A too "pretty" for a race car part but they appear to work for Bradshaw. The other option would be to get some RE Speed style bearing spacers made and use FC hubs with a Hat/Rotor combo.

 

Sounds like good plans. Our issues with FC/GSL-SE brakes was lack of parts. Lots of leaking F/C calipers along with seized pistons and bleeder screws in the used ones we purchased when new dried up and on the rear we had worn slider pins causing excessive wedge wear. We went from a rear set of pads lasting almost the whole season to barely getting a weekend out of them. All of that was great until parts dried up. Cling to those spares tightly...lol. We did have a front rotor explode when we were using the stock GS front brakes...during the summer at P.I.R. ....set the track on fire when pieces of hot rotor bounced out to the dry grass outside turn 12.

If you get the FC spacers made...let me know...maybe they can two for cheaper? Although....FC hubs seem to be impossible to get now also...

Looking forward to seeing more updates soon. I'm hoping again this year to finally put a thread out here on our car so maybe I can quit hijacking yours

 

I am happy with the kit(s) I have from Charlie. I original purchased his upgrade hub kit set up to use with GSL-SE calipers as per the Prod rules at the time. I ordered with the 110 bolt pattern in case I so I would have crossover on parts for my ITA car. After the Prod rules allowed big brake upgrades with a weight penalty, I ordered his caliper/rotor kit. I still have the stock master so we talked about calipers that would work without having to change that as well(future project). The package worked well and Charlie's assistance was great. He even called me up to ask how everything was working. I have pic's if anyone wants to see.

 

Dan,

Pretty sure you have a set of the FC hub adapters in the stuff that came with my car. They should be in a plastic bag with some caliper mounting bracket adapters for FC calipers (front and rear)

Carl

 

Well damn....that would be cool...we'll have to look a little closer. Would there be FC hubs in there some where as well?

 

No FC hubs. Sorry. My buddy might have some. I will check. 4 or 5 lug?

Carl

 

4 lug...we'd have to redrill them any way but a four should have more room for that.

 

4 lug FC hubs are really rare now, you almost have to wait for someone to do a 5 lug swap.

for the 5 lugs you might as well get these, https://www.rhdjapan.com/gt-1-motors...-kit-fc3s.html

 

Those are nice looking hubs...just need longer studs. We have lots of 4x110 wheels though....

 

Or you might try these guys. Not sure what strut they are made for, but I am sure they can tell you.

https://msfracingcomponents.com.au/p...-stud-pattern/

Carl

 

I have seen those before...I forgot about them recently though. That's about what it ended up costing to get the factory rotors turned into hubs. Fabricated a plate to weld on the back siback give the studs something to grip.

 

Dan.
Stopped by the shop today at noon and nobody was there. So didn't see Charlie. Frankly the shop was cold as ***** so not surprising that no one was there.

Regarding the FC hubs, it would not be easy to change the lug pattern, I guess you could plug the existing stud holes and then drill the 4x110 pattern there. There is no meat between the existing lug holes.

 

Well, thanks for checking. After looking at some FC hub pictures I was thinking the same thing. I didn't realize they were scalloped out between the studs...party poopers.

I think our best bet for getting away from the OE casting is going to be the KC hubs or the Aussie hubs... I really wish T3 would sell me a set of the hubs they use for their brake kit...they're so pretty...

 

Dan,

Checked and there are no spare 4 or 5 lug FC hubs.

Looks like you guys are busy! ;-)

Carl

 

Thank you for lookinglooking. I don't think FC hubs would work for us anyway at this point seeing how changing the bolt pattern would be pretty difficult.

Yea...we're definitely hard at it for the upcoming season. Our first race is the middle of April which will be here in no time.

 

Dan,
PM Sent

 

Crazy but true - the 4 lug stuff is harder to find than the 5 lug. How times have changed...

Throwing another option for aftermarket FC hubs in the mix: https://www.rhdjapan.com/super-now-d...-set-fc3s.html

 

Thanks Transam!

These too from the same place
https://www.rhdjapan.com/gt-1-motors...-kit-fc3s.html

Assuming that the photos are accurate, it looks like different patterns could be drilled. For sure a 4x114.3 would be very doable. Bonus if they would sell undrilled hubs

 

If you do end up asking them about undrilled hubs, please let us know. I’m at least a year out from doing anything with an fc subframe. Thanks!

 

Probably getting slightly off topic, but if you guys want to see more pics of the SuperNow hubs, there is a good build thread in the FC section with actual pics - they look very good
https://www.rx7club.com/build-thread.../#post11981449

 

Any new updates or results to share? Hopefully you found a vintage series to run in?