Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

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bob cook
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Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

Post by bob cook »

I want to fabricate a set of carbon fiber brake pads and rotors for a drag application. I already have the Strange rear kit but, their front kits are pricey and will require a too muck work for my application. Does anyone know what the correct material is for the application and where I can purchase it? I've made some phone calls and have been searching the internet but, no luck so far.
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Post by ROGUE GTS »

LOL If price is an issue then you should seriously avoid CF brakes. They aren't something you can just whip up in the garage with a vac pump and some resin.

Ever think there is a reason aftermarket CF rotors run $2-8k EACH.
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Post by bob cook »

I'm looking to buy the correct 3/8" to 1/2" sheet material for the application and machine them myself. I'd be suprised if the companies that sell the kits are are making the rotor and pad material from scratch.
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Post by ROGUE GTS »

They are all very specialized applications, from the thin bike rotors to Enzo and F430 stuff. I'm not sure if ferrari makes their rotors, but it's very possible. If they don't it probably comes from Alcon, AP, Brembo, etc. And they definitely do have things made directly to their specs.

Do you really think you can just purchase a sheet of 1.25" thick carbon, built to withstand 1800F, that has a central radial vent molded into it?

Take a look at a carbon rotor sometime, you better believe they are very specifically engineered for the specific application.

So no, your not going to be able to just buy a sheet of it to mill out. You can probably get a custom rotor set made, for $20k give or take.


And then you have pads to work with. Do you really think your just going to epoxy a solid chunk of carbon onto a backing plate and be done with it?
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Post by bob cook »

I already have the Strange Engineering rear carbon/carbon brake kit on the rear. The pads and rotors appear to be made from the same carbon material. They are not vented and look like they were just made from a chunk of 1/2" flat stock. The pads and backing plate are one piece so, nothing special there either. I've looked at the Strange carbon front kit and they use 3/8" thick rotors. I'm sure things are different in road course applications but, for drag racing they are pretty basic.
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Post by Ape »

hi there:

perhaps try looking for the company that sells the raw stock for carbon fibre pistons of a nasa patent, since they also sell material suitable for brake discs. It has being used ocassionally on MC brake discs. Also you might want to look into brake discs of a newer porsche since they use ceramics nowadays.
Try looking for prefab, or preimprignated fibres since thats what the big name use for their stuff, you would need the perfect heater cycles though otherwise it wont work.

regards
There is always advancement to be made.
Give Me A Brake

Post by Give Me A Brake »

You will find that your search to purchase carbon/carbon friction material to be a very difficult one. Most if not all the manufactures of carbon for friction material do not deal with the general public.

Some of the manufactuers of carbon for brakes that I am aware of are

Aircraft Braking Systems
Goodrich Aerospace
Honeywell Aerospace
Hitco

Outside the US
Dunlop Great Britton
Messier France
Mitsubishi - Japan
Rubin - Russia
China and Korea also produce carbon for brakes.

Your best bet is Strange or Brembo. Brembo is very much into carbon brakes for racing (mostly F1 and GT). Neither Brembo or Strange manufacture their own carbon and purchase from one of the above US companies.

It is extremely unlikely that you will be able go out and purchase some 1/2" stock like you would steel to machine your brake parts. Maching carbon itself is not the same and machining metal. You will not be able to make you own material in your garage by purchasing some fibers unless you have a way to mold, densify and heat treat using ovens capable of reaching temperatures over 2000 C (3600 F). Carbon technology is still developing perhaps someday there will be a low cost solution.
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Post by Greg P »

I have tried to locate some rotors since I do work for Honeywell Aerospace. I have the ability to talk to the right people, but after quite a few phone calls, it was decided that I needed to know what compound I was looking for and certain dimensions as well.
Basically, if I didn't buy so many rotors it was not worth their time. But I did learn that you have to know everything about different compounds, processes, heat ranges and quite a few different things before they would even consider talking to you.

You will be better off just buying some aftermarket rotors. It just safer in the long run.
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Re: Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

Post by vwchuck »

Dude. Those rotors are made from carbon carbon. It is a special mold for that specific part and it is at high temperature and ultra high pressure for like 6 months straight just to make one brake rotor. Think of how a diamond is made. It is basically making a man made diamond. To do this yourself it will cost you a million bucks. Carbon brakes have nothing to do with carbon fiber material that anyone can buy.
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Re: Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

Post by whitehendrix »

i was part of a carbon fiber team for an LMP900-class Audi R8 back in 02.. those rotors are not your "typical" carbon fiber. they're definitely CF, but not a weave such as 2x2 twill. . they are extremely dense, thick packed CF granules and fibers. sadly, i never got to "play" with one, or examine structural qualities. the rotors run roughly $6000USD. there is a mind-blowing amount of engineering and R&D behind them. thus their overly salty price.. you're paying for alot of exotic equipment and alot of geeks punching keys for finite element analysis and whatnot.

if you were to machine out a rotor from a carbon weave, it will delaminate and eat itself within 10 revolutions. the resins will catch on fire and you're going to be looking for a new car, quite possibly, after you crash it at speed.
as much fun it is and as much pride is generated in building your own componentry, this is honestly one thing i would leave to those who have dumped millions of dollars into refining.
Brembo, AP racing and various other manufacturers will stand behind their product as well. should something fail, you don't have that liability anymore.


http://www.apracing.com/info/index.asp? ... +Discs_979

heres some rotor pr0n for ya
:wink:
"Whitey" AKA Jim
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Re: Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

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vwchuck
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Re: Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

Post by vwchuck »

As stated they are not carbon fiber. They are carbon carbon. HUGE difference.
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Re: Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

Post by RobsonCNC »

Hi

Russian material rotors can be done at $1050 + shipping costs.
German DMC rotors are $1450 + shipping costs.

Pads about $200 a piece from both.

These are for road racing sizes, for the small sizes like what strange is offering the price from the Russian supplier can be less because they are an aircraft supplier and charge according to thickness and size, if we can fit a few discs inside the aircraft piece the price goes down. I might still have some rotors lying around if you are desperate, but you have to try pads from Strange and see if they work.
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Re: Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

Post by BirdMan »

What 'IF' after you make your brakes and you have to use them and they come apart, then nothing slowing you down? Not Me!!
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Re: Carbon Fiber Brake Rotor Material

Post by clshore »

Used have a site where you could buy all kinds of solid carbon plates, rods, tubes,
can't find it now.

A few I did find:

http://www.naccarbon.com/graphite-carbo ... locks.html
http://www.stoodyind.com/Catalogs/FISC/05catpg197.pdf
http://www.acecarbon.com/pprb.php

PS Make sure it's carbon, and not graphite (you'd *never* stop)

Carter
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