thanks Mike for the technical analysis.

i have only one comment and one question:

1. beryllium: where i work there is a very official alert out for the dangers of this material. the metal is very toxic and will lead to cancer and deaths if not handled by professionals. usually beryllium is mixed with other metals, such as something called Albemet, which is a beryllium and aluminum mixture. any little dose will cause harm, so be careful.

2. Mike, how is ceramic coated aluminum rotors done? same as ceramic coating headers?

thanks.

 

Mike;thanks for your post .
Of course Ergal is used for the hat only and not the rotors.
(weight;approx 30% less than stock).
The rotors are cast iron and zinc coated ,for better rust
resistance;not rust proof (but far better than the stock ones for what concerne rust).

I can guarantee you that these rotors will not self distruct.

Roceye;rear rotors are not vented.

 

Richard,

Beryllium itself is indeed very toxic and dangerous, but really only when there's a way for a human to "absorb" it into their body somehow, usually in particle/dust or vapor form.

This is the primary reason for the strict warnings about handling the material because the process for using it is either a powder metallurgy (sintering) process, or else casting (less common, only a couple of patented manufacturers that I'm aware of).

I would gather that this is also the basis for Mike's comment about banning in F1 if they were indeed using Beryllium for rotors and/or pads, since there would be dust created from this.

However, the final product itself in a non-wear situation is not a danger. An example of a common item that has been made from a Beryllium casting (in this case Beryllim/copper/aluminum alloy) is golf club heads.

I haven't heard of rotors being made from Beryllium before (my own lack of knowledge means nothing though) however, I have seen Beryllium used to make the capliers themselves. Beryllium alloys have great stiffness and heat transfer properties that make it a great material for this.

Clark

 

Nice post, Mike, thanks. Sorry if I implied that the rotor itself was made of ergal. Never meant to do that. The hats, as Giampiero said, are made of that and that is where a lot of the weight savings comes from. My understanding of the material is that it was developed in space research and used in some cutting edge military technology. Sorry for the ambiguous term "space age" ... that term really is kind of meaningless, actually.

And as I corrected myself in the thread, there was a slight rust accumulation on the rotors after I washed the car the other day...obviously because it's a cast iron rotor.

I apologize for the terms that I used, I should have been more clear. I would love to do some brake tests in a safe location to see how much they improve the stopping power. They do feel as though they need to warm up a little, but that's not surprising, but there is a definite improvement in braking. I am looking forward to the next track day to demonstrate what I feel in the seat of my pants...

 

Yes...I believe the term "space age" was coined in the late seventies, early eighties to describe the time period of people and the world being awed by the amount of space travel that was done and publicized.

Now we are in the "internet age". See how we've brought our feet back to the ground (pun slightly intended)?

So to get back to my off-topic sort of point, shouldn't we be looking for parts made of fiberglass, silicons, and ceramics? All these materials are of the "internet age" and not the passe "space age"

Ok, enough rambling....can you guys tell that I can't sleep? I'm just that excited about the trip to Asheville starts one day from today for me!!!

Greg, the install is looking good....when are you gonna let me drive your red beast? I alway knew that I was going to do mods to the S2K, but they'd be more aesthetic...you are getting to question my plans for the car now...

See you in a day or two.

 

The technology for ceramic coating aluminum is very new and I don't know a whole lot about it yet. From what I've seen, it is different from the ceramic coating used on headers. The sample I'd seen actually looked similar to a fired but unglazed clay and it was bonded to an aluminum rotor. The part was a sprint car piece. While the ceramic acts as a wear resistant coating as well as a thermal barrier, I think the aluminum would still grow sufficiently from heat to still cause problems.

Clark, Now that you mentioned it, beryllium may have been used in the caliper and not the rotor. I just remember them being outlawed.

See you all in Asheville!

 

Giamperio,

you never mentioned if they are cast with the slot and hole pattern from scratch, or if they are first cast then drilled and slotted. Please let us know.

 

Aren't new rotors on the 911 Turbo and Carrera GT ceramic?

 

F1 Trainer;they are first cast and after drilled and grooved.
By the way,manufacturer guarantee these rotors 1 year against cracking;with some restrictions of course(full time race cars)

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by F1 Trainer
[B] 2)