Instructions: Fitment of the Custom Rear Hubs

[Jeemy]

(A) Straight replace OEM brakes

This is a simplistic guide, please consult the service manual. You may want to prepare to rebuild your callipers, have a cleanup, regrease things, while you do this.

Tools required:

a good length breaker bar
19mm (wheel bolts), 18mm (calliper bolts) and 24mm (hub bolt) sockets - ideally 6-point
an 18mm ratchet spanner makes removal of the calliper bolts easier once grip broken
flat headed screwdriver, needle nose pliers
jack stands, and a good, ideally extra height, jack
a bungee cord or some strong rope


1) Break the grip of the wheel nuts (19mm) with the wheel on the ground.

2) Lift the car safely, using axle stands to support it at the correct jacking points. You want as much height as possible to allow you to remove the brake calipers.

3) Once the car is safely supported, remove the wheel and place it under the car as an additional safety measure.

4) Prise out the hub dust cap using a flat-headed screwdriver.

P1030017.jpg

5) Bend back the hub split pin and push out gently.

P1030025.jpg

6) At this point, as I was working with the handbrake off, I removed the handbrake cable by simply popping it out.

P1030027.jpg

7) There are 2 x 18mm bolts holding the brake calipers on. They are hard to get sufficient force to, and I recommend you only use a 6-point socket.

The top one if you can get a 2' or so breaker bar or ideally, ratchet arm, into the following position, can be broken easily enough pushing down. Leave it connected for now, once you break the grip.

P1030028.jpg

The bottom one is obstructed by the brake flexi pipe, and the wishbone obstructs decent access with a ratchet head. This is why you need the height, if you have the car high enough this will allow the best movement from the position shown, to break the grip.

P1030033.jpg

At this point, prepare a bungee to support the brake caliper from the suspension springs.

Remove both bolts and washers, the calliper should stay in place but watch it does not fall off!

P1030034.jpg

9) Ease the calliper off, to facilitate the bungee its best to pull out the inner brake pad, taking careful note of where the retaining clip sits:

P1030035.jpg

10) Hang the calliper from your bungee to save straining the brake line.

P1030036.jpg

11) Use a 24mm socket to remove the hub bolt which will be very greasy. The bearing is 'loose' right behind this, if you are careful you can then pull the whole hub and bearing off without dropping grease on your floor.

P1030037.jpg

[Jeemy]

12) Pull off the hub assembly and bearing.

P1030038.jpg

13) As per the drop shot below, the bearings are tapered - the wider end is to the outside.

P1030039.jpg

14) REFITMENT

You will need a brake disc. I used Mintex MDC266. At this stage you may want to clean & regrease at minimum. You may want to change rear brake pads, rebuild your brake callipers, or go further into your shocks etc. What you should do, is consult the service manual for correct torque settings on reinstallation, which is the reverse of the steps shown.

Basically you push the hub on, grease and fit the new bearing, torque the hub nut down according to service instructions, split pin and dust cap back on, then fit the disc to the hub using the locating screw provided.

The calliper just slides back over the disc as shown. You may need to wind it back if fitting new pads.

P1030040.jpg

[JohnB]

12) Pull off the hub assembly and bearing.

P1030038.jpg

13) On mine, the wide end of the bearing was to the outside as shown. I am not 100% sure this is correct and would appreciate somebody to confirm.

P1030039.jpg

14) REFITMENT

You will need a brake disc. I used Mintex MDC266. At this stage you may want to clean & regrease at minimum. You may want to change rear brake pads, rebuild your brake callipers, or go further into your shocks etc. What you should do, is consult the service manual for correct torque settings on reinstallation, which is the reverse of the steps shown.

Basically you push the hub on, grease and fit the new bearing, torque the hub nut down according to service instructions, split pin and dust cap back on, then fit the disc to the hub using the locating screw provided.

The calliper just slides back over the disc as shown. You may need to wind it back if fitting new pads.

P1030040.jpg

The two bearings are taper bearings and are both fitted with the smaller diameter end of the bearings to the inside of the hub, therefore they are facing each other. See diagram.
Importantly, the hub nut should not be over tightened, it should only be turned enough to adjust out excessive end float on the hub. I achieve this by turning it with pliers or mole grips lightly until it stops, then backing it off a flat and testing the hub end float.
If the hub nut is over tightened it will cause the bearings to overheat and fail. It is supposed to be hand tight then pinned to secure it.
The Lotus Service notes say.
1. Remove the split pin and tighten the hub nut to 25Nm (18lbf.ft) whilst rotating the the wheel to settle the bearings.
2. Slacken the nut, and re-tighten using fingers only.
3. If necessary, tighten further, the smallest amount necessary to insert the split pin, bending the short end over the nut and the long end over the end of the axle.
Hope this helps.

[RayD]

x 2

Just to add to the above ... the nut needs to be running smoothly over the threads before you start, otherwise finger tightness won't mean anything.

At the point when the bearings are being adjusted it is much better to have the wheel fitted, even if it needs removing afterwards to complete the brakes etc.

As previously explained the nut needs tightening while the wheel is being turned to settle the bearings ... it won't hurt to tighten it to the point where it is quite hard to turn the wheel, or to slacken it off and try again, several times.

From this position the nut requires slackening off making sure the wheel and hub stays where it is - you don't want the weight of the wheel following the nut - then tighten it finger tight - then move it along the smallest amount to insert the split pin.

The wheel should spin freely at this point.

The amount you need to move the nut over finger tight will be a measure of how soon you'll need to re-check them after going for a run in the car. If for instance finger tight instantly aligned the split pin you'll need to re-check it sooner.

You are aiming for no end float ... no in and out wheel movement each side, or top and bottom.

Ray

[Jeemy]

Brilliant stuff guys, thanks.

[djcar]

Where do I get the rear rotors from? are they only from the UK?

Can i get them here in Canada or America?

[Jeemy]

I can't see any reason why you can't get them in CA/US.

MDC266 are a Mintex disc, for Opel/Vauxhall Ascona 1981-1988, Astra 84-89, Corsa 93-00, Vectra 88-95, as far as I can gather, there are probably more.

Spec is as follows:

Diameter, mm: 236
Br. Disc Thickness, mm: 12,5
Min. thickness, mm: 9,7
Height, mm: 41
Hole Pitch / Number, : 04/07
Pitch Circle Diameter, mm: 100
Centering Diameter, mm: 60

Somebody who ships worldwide sells them here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRONT-MINTEX-Br ... 0705136125

I'm just not sure about where to buy direct in the US - Rock Auto? If you are on a US ISP its probably easier, I am just getting UK results.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Borrowed from an OLD Bob B. posting:

For those of you that are purchasing these, the discs required to run with the standard rear caliper are as follows:
236 diameter 12.5mm thick, height 41mm 4 stud 100mm PCD

North America
PONTIAC LEMANS (1988 - 1989)
PONTIAC LEMANS AEROCOUPE 1988
PONTIAC LEMANS AEROCOUPE YL (1988 - 1989)
PONTIAC LEMANS SE 1988
PONTIAC OPTIMA (1988 - 1989)
236 diameter 12.5mm thick, height 41
also I believe they were fitted to an Isuzu Optima in Canada 1988 1989
RockAuto Raybestos part number 5966R $19.76 each so you will need 2

New Details:
1990 PONTIAC LEMANS 1.6L 98cid L4 Non-Vented (Solid) Front Rotors (Discs).
Now $23.79 but there are a LOT of less expensive options under this listing at Rock Auto
End of New Details

Bearings are also available
BCA/NATIONAL Part # A15
BCA/NATIONAL Part # A1
National 4175 BCA 4175 Automotive Oil Seal

[djcar]

great thanks.

[djcar]

Trying to get these local to avoid shipping charges... The place I called has no clue and say those Pontiacs are drum brakes.

Lordco Napa auto and canadian Tire are local shops for parts.

[dapinky]

Trying to get these local to avoid shipping charges... The place I called has no clue and say those Pontiacs are drum brakes.

Lordco Napa auto and canadian Tire are local shops for parts.

Listed on ebay USA - albeit that they're posted from UK!

When you say that the Pontiacs are drum brakes, don't forget that you need the discs which were on the FRONT of those cars - not the back.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Dave is right. You are looking for the FRONT discs (rotors) for the low-end which had solid, non-vented discs.

1990 PONTIAC LEMANS 1.6L 98cid L4 Non-Vented (Solid) Front Rotors (Discs).
Here is a listing for NAPA Canada:

NDR 4885966 Brake Rotor Only - Front - Premium --- $23.49 in the US
ALT 0943503 Brake Rotor Only - Front --- $29.99 in the US

[djcar]

Thank you. I ordered here locally. $40 something canadian dollars each.

[djcar]

Are the hub and disc suppose to fit together? can someone put up a diagram?

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Yes. It just slides over the hub like a normal disc slides on an standard rear wheel drive front hub. Did you verify the dimensions?

Outer Diameter [mm]: 236; Brake Disc Thickness [mm]: 12,6; Inner Diameter [mm]: 60; Minimum Thickness [mm]: 9,7; Number of Holes: 6; Number of mounting bores: 1; Height [mm]: 41
Those are for the Mintex MDC266.

The dimensions for the Pontiac:

Outside Diameter: 9.285
Overall Height: 1.62
Number of Bolts/Holes: 4
Bolt Circle: 100mm
Discard Thickness: 0.421
Vented or Solid: Solid

These are in inches but convert correctly to metric.

What are you having trouble with? Can you post a picture? Once I see what you need, I will open my set of hubs and a new disk and assemble them, but I need to know where you are having trouble to make sure I can solve it for you.

What brand and part number disc did you get?

Here is a guide to replacing a rotor - it includes all the steps from the beginning, so don't be offended: http://www.topbrakes.com/c/brake-install

[djcar]

I got the ones recommended there the 1st one NDR just sizeing them up seems a bit too small 4885966.

like this.. Is it suppose to fit?

[Brit-Car-Nut]

small - where: OD? ID? Thickness? Total heigth?

Going by Bob's requirements, that number is supposed to fit:

NDR 4885966:

# of Bolt Holes : 4
Bolt Circle Diameter : 100 mm
Brake Rotor Diameter : 9.28"
Brake Rotor Discard Thickness : .42"
Brake Rotor Thickness New : .5"
Brake Rotor Type : Disc Brake Rotor Only
Center Hole Diameter : 2.36"
Height : 1.62"
Maximum Lateral Runout : .004"
Vented / Solid : Solid

[djcar]

[Brit-Car-Nut]

What is the OD diameter of your original disc?

What does the disc you got measure?

[djcar]

haven't taken it off. was going to take all these parts to my mechanic.