We've been tuning our brakes on our endurance race car and after swapping between multiple rotor sizes/types we've decided to release a kit of our own. We made a batch of 10 kits to "test the waters" and we have 5 left. We also have a Dynapro Single installed on the rear of our car that we've had some interest in, but we haven't turned that into a "kit" per se.

The front kit us using the Wilwood Powerlite caliper and a bracket system we developed the kit can support the following rotors:

• 235mm – ’90-93 Miata – 8.1lbs
• 255mm – ’94-05 Miata – 10.4lbs
• 270mm – ’01+ Sport Miata – 12.8lbs
• 280mm – ND Miata – 12.8lbs
• 281mm – Wilwood 11″ 2pc – 9.4lbs
• *294mm – ’12-’13 Mini Cooper S – 14.1lbs
• *298mm – Wilwood 11.75″ 2pcs – 10.2lbs

The kit also offers about 0.2" of additional clearance on the outer radius vs. the Wilwood Dynalite BBK.

You can find more information on the kit here: https://ruggedbadger.com/product/miata-big-brake-kit/

The brackets are also available seperately if you already have a Wilwood Powerlite kit or calipers:
https://ruggedbadger.com/product/the...t-bracket-kit/

 

Very Cool!

 

You adjust for rotor size using spacers? Neat solution, but on the basis that the bigger rotor will be working the system hardest, how rigid is a stack of washers on a long bolt? I know cutting parts inventory is good business, but I'd pay extra for a mount tailored to my setup (whatever that was) - I just don't think I could trust that solution sufficiently. Maybe I am reading it wrong, maybe you can convince me otherwise, lets see ...

When I click on those images above, I get extra images with the Trackspeed logo ... I have no idea where these are coming from, but do you/your offering have any association with Sav or Trackspeed?

 

I understand your concerns. To be honest the complexity of the number of spacers used in the OE Wilwood kit is why we started making our own brackets on our racecar.

​​​With the design of this bracket we exceed the strength of the OE Wilwood mount brackets. Each rotor size, except 90-93, uses one spacer set. We don't stack them, even if we did it won't change the overall strength of the assembled mount.

We use a 7075-T6 bracket material which is roughly 50% stronger than 6061-T6, then we use stainless steel threaded inserts with a 170ksi caliper bolts(>grade 8). When torqued to spec the assembled caliper-spacer-bracket creates a rigid box that is attached to a spindle. I will run the numbers again tomorrow, but our sheer strength exceeds that of other mounts.

I am not sure why Trackspeed images come up, we are not affiliated.

 

Track speed images do not come up for me

 

Thanks LK. Not convinced - you may have the numbers on your side (I am sure you do, having got this far), but you have a bracket, and then a suite of tailored adapters/shims? Seems simpler just to have the brackets made to the correct size in the first place, job done. But you are making these not me, so you do it your way (no snark there, you are entitled to do it the way you want/think best.)

I'm still getting TS images of brake hardware - 13 images including yours. (Shrugs - no big deal, just a curiousity)

Will follow closely, I could do with upgraded stoppers ...

 

I think its because its a recommended post below. They end up threading two threads into one and the image function wasn't really designed for that. Just my theory.

 

I’m very interested in your kit. However just not ready to buy. I’m running 13” rims for track use only. I use the 99-00 brakes they just fit in the 13”. Looking to drop weight in this area in the future. Good luck with sales
subscribed.

 

Spot on, good pickup - those first batch are what I am seeing, others probably from later in that thread.

 

How much for a bracket set? Or are you selling only complete sets with calipers and hoses as shown in the pictures?

 

If you currently have an FM kit or Kit with the Powerlite Caliper you would just need brackets and the rotor size of your choice.

The brackets with all the hardware and spacers are $249.00 If you just wanted spacers for one sizes rotor with associated hardware it would be $149.00. Brackets are 7075-T6 with Stainless Steel threaded inserts, Anodized Type II Blue.

Hardware is alloy steel 170 KSI (>Grade 8) with an aluminum zinc coating. The lock washers are a high-end NORDLOCK washer which we use on our endurance car. We are also including Loctite red and a 5/16 hex bit in the bracket only or complete kit as well.

If you are interested let me know and I can get a "product" up on the website.

 

I've updated the site to include the "Bracket Only" kit if you are interested.

You can purchase this as a complete kit ($249), or only for a specific rotor size($139-$149) which you can later upgrade ($119).

 

You should probably become a supporting vendor if you're going to sell things on our forum that compete with people who are already paying money to be supporting vendors. Hint, hint.

 

Thank you, I've just sent in the inquiry.

 

Ahoy! @sixshooter All paid up and legal.

 

Congratulations!

 

No judgement here, but do you have any concerns about the 7075 alloy being more brittle? We've toiled over this on our bracket. Strong is good, brittle is bad.

 

That was not a major concern for material choice especially with properly radius'ed pockets and no zero point loads to reduce the chance of fractures. Rugged Badger is a spin-off of Rugged Video (Helicopter video) and PartsBadger (AS9100 machine shop) so we have a good deal of experience with these types of design considerations and working with the 7000 series aluminum's.

 

This is an interesting question, especially given the thermal environment. On the surface they have relatively identical stiffness, fracture toughness, and elongation @ UTS, with the crown going to 7075 for it's higher tensile strength and significantly improved fatigue performance (hey there's a reason aerospace likes the stuff). [10.1364/AO.33.008094]




But the real rub I might give second thought to is that 6061 is precipitation hardened (artificially aged) at a higher temperature than 7075 by a fair bit and for a shorter time -- 8hrs@350F vs 24hrs@250F. [10.1361/asmhba0001205]. Could be that the microstructure change from over-ageing will have a greater effect over a lesser number of caliper heat cycles for the 7075, which might lower it's tensile strength and thus fatigue life below 6061's at a certain # of heat cycles.

Just my 2¢.

 

The only way to settle this is to have everyone buy the kits and test them: https://ruggedbadger.com/product/miata-big-brake-kit/

The study will have to last several years and should include lots of pictures and links to out website in posts on multiple social media platforms.