Art & Inspiration Forged caliper brackets

I am looking for a place that can forge caliper brackets for my Early Ford disc brake kit. I figured since there are so many people scattered around that someone would be able to help me find a place to do it. The kit will allow you to run stock wheels and have the proper scrub radius as it places the tire in the proper location.

The first kit will be for wide five hubs as this is the worst case for fitting. The rotor is moved in board compared to what is available now. I will use the same rotor offset and caliper brackets for all the different bolt patterns 5x4-1/2", 5x4-3/4", 5x5-1/2" and of course 5x10-1/4" wide five.

Thanks for your input.

 

Here are a couple pics of the prototype

 

I will be using Afco GM metric calipers with the 2-3/4" bore. Stock GM metric calipers are 2-1/2" and are a bit small causing the front and rear brakes to be miss matched in most cases.

 

I think you are confusing "forged" with formed or stamped.

No reason to forge that.

 

No, there are sellers of these brackets, that are indeed forged, not formed or stamped.

These are forged:

Just somewhere unknown/offshore.

These are the alternative:


One type is about as aesthetically pleasing as such a thing can get. The other is the opposite of that.

 

The forged brackets that are pictured are what I am doing similarly but my offset is more.

 

Forging is going to cost you a mint. Can they be cast instead? Even cast steel has got to cost a lot less than forged. If you can beef them up to be comparable to a new car's caliper mounts, they could be cast like the modern OEMs do. But you should probably have real life engineers design any brake components you plan on selling, of course.

 

I know that forged is expensive. I am willing to have them cast in iron as well. No forge or cast place around here wants to deal with it.

 

I have parts cast in aluminum all the time. Usually just a few at a time. The foundry doesn't mind it and doesn't charge me extra for the small order.

I'm guessing iron foundries are similar, you just need to find the right one. Check your nearest big city. There's gotta be some to support the industry.

 

I have no problem having aluminum cast, as there is a local foundry that does my stuff. I have gone to many places in Seattle area to try to have them cast in iron and no one wants to do it. Very frustrating.

 

I think maybe in NeverNeverLand. How do you know? Because the add says so?


The only thing that may be "forged" here as I see it are the threaded fasteners and the nuts which are usually cold headed , a type of forging, from bar stock.

There is a huge $ reason not to make them as a forging as well as being over kill. Every reason to make them in a blank and forming punch and die set of flat stock, if the desired quantity supports the tooling costs. This is a good part for a short run metal stamping house with "temporary tooling".

We could carry this on with vendors use of the word "billet". Another of my pet peeves.

 

I have a set of those brackets, they are in fact cast iron.

 

I can tell by the parting line.


I have installed both forged, and cast ones. They are different in weight, too.

And then there is the pesky spark-check.

Or maybe that's fake news.

 

I still would prefer forged.

 

Proper design, avoid stress risers, have no probs with stamped steel.

 

The material is 3/8" thick and I only have about 1/2" around the radius between the spindle back and inside the hat of the rotor.

 

Have you tried Atlas Foundry in Tacoma? According to their site, they offer offshore production as well as having a 'quick response' foundry in Chehalis for small and medium size parts.

 

I did try Atlas foundry to no avail. They didn't want to get involved. Too small of a part.

 

Here are a couple pics of the welded together brackets. I still have to trim and grind a bit.

 

There's a few ways to skin that cat, (the disc conversion offset bracket cat) on the market already. They vary in price from $35.00 to $99.00 and some are per pair some are single. The manufacturing processes they chose could be helpful to you. However they mostly use a $65.00 caliper, except the bottom one, that's for Chevy trucks and uses the $12.00 calipers. Ironically that one is the most expensive at $99.00 each. Also seems the easiest methods to use, plasma cut and press brake bend.

$35.00 each

$60.00 pair

This one is said to be forged at $90.00 each

$50.00 pair

$99.00 each

 

I am also looking into having them cast in silicon bronze. Mainly because no place around here wants to do them in cast iron. Bergstrom foundry, the place that does my aluminum casting does bronze as well. I have a good working relationship with with them and they are a family owned small business.