Brake Ducting
What good are decent brakes if they don't stay cool? While I was at the local welding place to see if the custom subframe for my AE92 was ready, I went across the road to Autobarn, again. And I spent money, again...
I really gotta stop visiting that place...
While I was there, I picked up some mesh cheap. I got it almost half price, might even get another piece. I'll be using it to cover the holes in the sides of the bodykit to prevent stones, birds and small Korean manufactured cars etc. from getting into the cold air induction and brake ducting.
I asked them about suitable flexible ducting, and they came out with this aircon hose which is nicely pliable, but it's 3" in diameter, which may be too big, and from my experience doesn't handle heat too well. I'll have to do a little research before I lay down $40 per meter! (eek!) The duct from the front bar to the flexible duct that attaches to the wheel will be made from PVC pipe massaged into shape with a heatgun or the like.
Well, after a bit of searching, I finally found some suitable flexible ducting. I went to the local Queensland Diesel Supplies branch and explained what I needed. The chick there showed me some stuff that was exactly what I was after, but 3" in diameter. I asked if there was smaller sizes to which she dissapeared and came back a few minutes later with some 2.5" duct. The stuff is known as intake hose and is much more robust than the stuff at Autobarn, and not much more expensive. I managed to get about 4 feet for AU$48 after a bit of a discount.
This is the stuff. It's nice and flexible, so it shouldn't cause too much interference with steering and suspension. The 4 feet are almost enough to do away with rigid pipe from the front bar, I'll have to measure it properly to ensure clearance and see how far I can stretch it.
I'll be going back next week to get some of the 3" stuff too. It'll make some really nice induction pipe for the cold air induction setup. This stuff is good in the way it is able to support it's own weight much better than the stuff from Autobarn. Just means I don't have to worry about fixing it to something every few inches.
UPDATE 2/9/07
Got around to doing a bit on the ductwork. I completed the drivers side so far, but had to use some of the duct for the passenger side for the throttlebody mod. I'll have to go back to the diesel supplier for a few feet more...
The duct runs from the openings either side of the front bar, behind the tyre, to the brakes. I didn't attach the duct to the brakes themselves, as it is really tight for space. I just angled the duct to squirt air in the direction of the vent on the backplate.
Here is the intake. It will be covered by the mesh once the car is painted to stop the stones and pedestrians from getting in. Its just cable tied in place and is pretty secure like that.
Here is where it runs behind the tyre. I had to flatten the duct a bit to maintain clearance. Like this there is about an inch clearance with the pulleys, and half an inch with the tyre at full lock. I noticed that where I cabletied the end of the duct to the suspension arms, that they move slightly when the steering is turned. This fortunately acts to help move the duct out of the way of the wheel as it moves in, preventing contact.