Brake cooling ducts

mavisky · Feb 20, 2008

Trying to see if we can drum up some interest in some brake cooling ducts for those of us running the stock dual piston calipers and rotor setup to see if we can convince Quantum Motorsports to build some duct mounts for us. They're very well designed and very affordable as well.

Quantum Motorsports - Brake Cooling

Ludachris · Feb 20, 2008

For the life of me, I can't figure out a good way to route ducting to the back side of the rotor. The caliper takes up too much of the center hole of the rotor where you'd want to point the ducting. And there's almost no way to get the ducting routed to the rear of the spindle where there's room to run air to the center of the rotor.

With the axle, the tie rod, and the limited space with the inner fender well (especially on the passenger side where the tranny makes it impossible) it just doesn't seem like it's feasible. And I've tried to get really creative too.

mavisky · Feb 20, 2008

I'm thinking the best bet is to follow the "frame rails" so to speak and then run the hose between the contrl arm and axle. then a sharp turn towards the rotor. Probably won't be able to use full 3" tubing to do that though and with tubular control arms you'd have alot more space to try something like that.

Of course you could always attach the hose to the bottom of the control arm. There's more than enough clearance between it and the road and seeing as how it will move with the tire it won't ever get close to the road than it already is.

tsiboosted · Feb 20, 2008

Ludachris said:
For the life of me, I can't figure out a good way to route ducting to the back side of the rotor. The caliper takes up too much of the center hole of the rotor where you'd want to point the ducting. And there's almost no way to get the ducting routed to the rear of the spindle where there's room to run air to the center of the rotor.

With the axle, the tie rod, and the limited space with the inner fender well (especially on the passenger side where the tranny makes it impossible) it just doesn't seem like it's feasible. And I've tried to get really creative too.

What all creative ways have you tried Chris? I was thinking of using the duct openings (scoop of you will) but trim them down as much as I had to on the end of the duct hosing and attach it some how to the spindle assembly. Not exactly sure if it would even work; and I have not even fabed anthing up yet, just kicking some ideas around the garage the other night on this same issue.

With the duct openings (scoops) you could possibly trim them down and it also gives you something solid to work with and try and mount instead of just ducting hose you know?

Check out this link as well Chris. It was pretty kewl thing I found last night. Not sure if ti will work on DSM's, but it still gives some ideas you know?

BRAKE DUCTING

Ludachris · Feb 20, 2008

The biggest problem is the space for routing. I've tried a bunch of different ways of routing it and am not happy with any of them. I have 2.5" ducting laying around and just can't seem to find a good way to route it so that it doesn't get in the way of moving parts. Of course, I've been trying to route it to the center of the rotor on the back side of the spindle where the caliper is not located. It's virtually impossible to get it back there on the tranny side. And I don't really like the idea of the ducting hanging down below anything. Seems like it would get caught really easily and torn off.

I might just see if I can run air right next to the caliper, even if there is a really small opening for it. Seems like it would be better than no ducting at all.

tsiboosted · Feb 20, 2008

Ludachris said:
The biggest problem is the space for routing. I've tried a bunch of different ways of routing it and am not happy with any of them. I have 2.5" ducting laying around and just can't seem to find a good way to route it so that it doesn't get in the way of moving parts. Of course, I've been trying to route it to the center of the rotor on the back side of the spindle where the caliper is not located. It's virtually impossible to get it back there on the tranny side. And I don't really like the idea of the ducting hanging down below anything. Seems like it would get caught really easily and torn off.

I might just see if I can run air right next to the caliper, even if there is a really small opening for it. Seems like it would be better than no ducting at all.

Yeah I understand what you are saying with the tight area we are working with around that area. Like Kyle said earlier, maybe come up from the bottom instead you know? Ground clearance would not really be an issue.

But as you also pointed out Chris, try running next to the caliper because some air is better than no air to the brakes.

mavisky · Feb 20, 2008

I just really wish we had our front rotors mounted on the opposite side of the spindle. Would make all of this shit so much easier to route. I think I'm over my illness so I'll see if I can't run out to home depot and find some cheap ass 2.5" ducting just to try some stuff out.

tsiboosted · Feb 20, 2008

mavisky said:
I just really wish we had our front rotors mounted on the opposite side of the spindle. Would make all of this shit so much easier to route. I think I'm over my illness so I'll see if I can't run out to home depot and find some cheap ass 2.5" ducting just to try some stuff out.

Yeah, that would be nice wouldnt it? Let us know what you come up with and how it turns out Kyle. Glad to see you are feeling better man. :thumb:

Ludachris · Feb 20, 2008

I know you meant to say "calipers", not rotors Kyle. And yes, I very much agree with you. That's been the conclusion I've come to every time I run through that exercise.

mavisky · Feb 20, 2008

hhaha, good catch Chris.

I've found some cheap 2" carbueretor heater hose online at autozone for cheap so I may just pick that up to see what's going to fit. Then I've got some 2 1/2" radiator hose that I use for intercooler couplers that I can try as well.

Ludachris · Feb 20, 2008

I picked up some 2.5" scrap pieces of aluminum pipe, short 3" pieces, that I was going to use to rivet some flanges to to mount to the spindle where the ABS sensor used to go. But the hose routing stumped me.

Ludachris · Feb 20, 2008

And is everyone ill these days? I know I've been sick for over a week now.

tsiboosted · Feb 20, 2008

Ludachris said:
And is everyone ill these days? I know I've been sick for over a week now.

Yeah, I think they are Chris. 2 weekends ago I took my girlfriend to the ER and 12 hours later we got home. Great way to spend your Friday night isn't it?

Now go get to work on those brake ducts !!!

cioc · Feb 20, 2008

FINALLY people are working on this. I have 2.5" ducting, NACA inlets and I'm 85% there. I just dropped off my cardboard templates at a sheet metal house to have 14gauge brackets cut but they wanted $45 per side to cut them on a laser. I called them back and told them to forget it so it'll set me back a couple of weeks. I'm going to put a NACA duct in the front bumper low like the old RRE car. The ducting will route inside the engine bay and then back out by the transmission. In order to squeeze passed the transmission the hose will be squashed a little. I actually spoke with the guys at Quantum and they said that since the volume inside the tube will be the same, it shouldn't have any ill effects. I then plan on zip tieing the hose to my coilovers where they will enter these brackets I'm fabbing up. The bracket basically bolts to the strut mount, and comes straight towards the rotor. It's contoured in such a way that a 2.5" pipe will be welded at an angle to force air right into the center part of the rotor just above the caliper. Going behind the rotor just wont work without the duct work extending below the car which I didn't want. The dust shield for the trans will have to be cut but my initial fitment allowed the wheels to go lock to lock with no rubbing! I'll post pictures when I'm all done.

mavisky · Feb 20, 2008

That was the exact idea I had regarding feeding the ducts Rory, which exact units are you using? I've seen some on CDOC.com - Your One Stop for all your Racing, Performance Gear, Equipment Needs & more! , HRPWorld.com Race Car Parts and Supplies , and Philippe Kahn and Pegasus Racing, Racing Sailboats Worldwide : Transpac / Pacific Cup / Melges Worlds / Olympic Finn / Offshore / Single Handed , but haven't picked out an exact piece yet. I'll make sure and take some pics with the phone tonight while I'm out there.

cioc · Feb 20, 2008

Whoops, I should have stated that I have Stoptech rotors so I have a little more room to work with.

cioc · Feb 20, 2008

I have these ducts in clear: Plastic Single Naca Duct for Race Car Surfaces

And these ducts in 2.5":
Black Neoprene Duct Hose

In hindsight I probably should have got the high temp stuff but at $45 bucks I'm stuck with what I got since I mangled it a little. BTW, I spent the better portion of about 3 hours taping, zipping, cursing to figure something out. These front ends are just TOO tight with swaybars and axles and tierods oh my. Every link I searched out had cars with WAY more room up front than ours. The bracket I will be making is really quite simple, it's the welding that I'm worried about. Hopefully I'll have some pics up by next week. I first have to install my ahem, stage 3 shep trans with Quaife front LSD!!! I'm broke!

Ludachris · Feb 20, 2008

cioc said:
FINALLY people are working on this. I have 2.5" ducting, NACA inlets and I'm 85% there. I just dropped off my cardboard templates at a sheet metal house to have 14gauge brackets cut but they wanted $45 per side to cut them on a laser. I called them back and told them to forget it so it'll set me back a couple of weeks. I'm going to put a NACA duct in the front bumper low like the old RRE car. The ducting will route inside the engine bay and then back out by the transmission. In order to squeeze passed the transmission the hose will be squashed a little. I actually spoke with the guys at Quantum and they said that since the volume inside the tube will be the same, it shouldn't have any ill effects. I then plan on zip tieing the hose to my coilovers where they will enter these brackets I'm fabbing up. The bracket basically bolts to the strut mount, and comes straight towards the rotor. It's contoured in such a way that a 2.5" pipe will be welded at an angle to force air right into the center part of the rotor just above the caliper. Going behind the rotor just wont work without the duct work extending below the car which I didn't want. The dust shield for the trans will have to be cut but my initial fitment allowed the wheels to go lock to lock with no rubbing! I'll post pictures when I'm all done.

I think there have been people working on it for a while, just no good solution yet. I've found that with my TCE calipers it would be very difficult to force air into the middle of the rotor where it needs to go. But I'll try again. I have all the hose and the ducts just sitting there from the last time I gave up on it.

RusherRacing · Feb 20, 2008

I used a two inch flexible plastic hose ran along the frame rail parallel to the axle to the back side of the rotor. A 2" aluminum tube was cut to about 3" and ziptied to the back of the spindle. The only issue I had was tire rub on the duct when turned to lock.

Buy my wilwoods and I will toss in the brake duct.

Shameless little plug

90laserRSfwd · Feb 20, 2008

I can't wait to see those pictures. 1g dsm's are the worst set up I've seen when trying to route brake cooling ducts. Everything is so close together. You guys must be freakin' genious'......

These are the duct's I have, there made by BSR if anyone is interested:

IO Port Racing Supplies: Single Hose Bumper Duct

mavisky · Feb 20, 2008

Lucky you Rory with your big tall brakes and whatnot.

Here's some pics of Greg's setup on his old 2 piston calipers.