Replacement rotors for Bendix front brake system

[Dragon Slayer]

I disagree on your assessment of the KH rotor. I do think you have the hub, but the KH rotor at 1" thick and turned down to .88 or less would be below the .94 min and also obvious. Additionally, despite not showing easily, the KH rotor hat is NOT as tall as the Bendix. Your rotor has a tall hat. Maybe not an original Bendix, but it IS NOT a 70-72 KH which would be shorter.

While bearing set is the same A6 and A2, the Bendix caliper mount direct to spindle, and the KH have an adapter that mounts to the spindle and the caliper mounts to the adapter. That is why I am not sure how the rotor with a KH hub would sit in relationship with the Bendix caliper. The KH hub would push the Bendix rotor about 4mm inward but again it depends on where the machined surfaces are inside the hub. If they were 4 mm outward, the rotor would center but the wheel would track out the 4mm. Which would not matter with 70s skinny tires. The measurements are really very close. It would take me a while to get to it, but I have another Bendix rotor/hub I have not disassembled yet. I also have a pair of Dura Brake Rotors. So I could assemble one with the KH hub and the other with the Bendix and then measure dimensions and compare to the Original Bendix. What I do not have is a loose B body spindle to measure against.

 

[bearman]

Dura brake I worry about have changed a lot of the rotors and pads. Life of both products not good and rotors have a issue with heat and very hard spots. Commercial only. Never would put on a car even if they make them.

 

[Wietse]

I will be home next week, once I get to it I will remove both wheels and take some measurements to determine what could be what.
As for the measuring, I think the only measurement that will tell the story is from the inner face of the rotor to the shoulder where the inner bearing is pressed against.
Then having the right rotor thickness will tell if it will fit or not.
Bearing to bearing will be same as the spindle is not different between these models.

I am quite sure one wheel sits more inward or outward then the other, this is also something I want to check.
So measuring from the LCA pivot shaft centre to the inner face of the rim, this difference will be caused by the difference in my current rotors.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

Dura brake I worry about have changed a lot of the rotors and pads. Life of both products not good and rotors have a issue with heat and very hard spots. Commercial only. Never would put on a car even if they make them.

Only game in town, and if your trying to remain OEM for either a show car or just occasional cruise car, does it really matter? If a daily driver or you race it, I imagine staying OEM does not matter. At which point go with one of the aftermarket, or change over to a 73 spindle and solid rotor set up.

What I find interesting is how to mix an match parts ala Cuba to keep it on the road. Especially if your overseas.

 

[Wietse]

What I find interesting is how to mix an match parts ala Cuba to keep it on the road. Especially if your overseas.

That's how it was years ago
Now i just check out Classic Industries, Summit, NPD in the states and order a complete car in parts if i wanted to.

 

[Wietse]

Then again....below for that price.
Hard to beat the effort of screwing around with bits and pieces i think.

https://www.moparshop.de/en/Online-...t-Front-B/E-Body-Bottom-Kit-w/12-Rotors?c=575

 

[miller]

Naw...not enough shipping!

 

[Wietse]

Shipping this will be $20, compared to $200-250 to get something from US.
Add an additional 21% tax on top and you are done.
A $600 item, with $200 for shipping will result in a almost $1000 bill for me
If it comes from Germany, no import charges and low shipping

 

[Dragon Slayer]

Sooooo. The difference in depth is about 1/8", which just happens to be the extra thickness of the KH hub flange that the rotor bolts onto. I measured the inner bearing seating area distance to the inner face of the hub flange. The area the rotor would mount too. The KH is 1/8" shorter then the Bendix type. Meaning the Bendix rotor on a KH Hub would center 1/8" deeper into the wheel well. Because the flange of the KH is thicker by 1/8" the wheel mounting surface depth is the same between the 2 hubs and the track width would be identical. The KH could be used easily in my opinion, and a good machinist would either mill the hub inner flange to increase the depth and make the flange thickness the same as the Bendix or you could mill the face of the rotor hat (.425" thick) to move the rotor out the 1/8". OR a combination of both, since the mating area is a machined fit anyway.

By the way the second Bendix rotor I disassembled has a beefier hub. Similar increase in thickness like the KH hubs. Same flange thickness and other measurements though. Just a thicker casting. Again the only casting info is inside the hub where I saw a reverse set off numbers 288R and 69. Pictures attached and you can see the subtle differences.

 

[Wietse]

Thx for measuring that up!
So the beefier hub could be a newer model then? Did they up the strength maybe?
It's very clear on the picture.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

Lots of questions I would like answered too, maybe Jim has more insight on it. Love to know if anyone besides Bendix made 2 piece rotors back in the later 60s and early 70s for the 67-69 B body, or was production so low, it wasn't worth it. Did Bendix make one piece replacements in the 70s when that became the standard? When did production of replacement rotors stop?