Here’s what machining at my day job looks like.

[D.sebens]

This is an on car brake lathe. So easy a caveman could do it (with 15 minutes of training). One rpm, one feed, auto corrects runout. Even has an auto off switch.

Figured I’d post this in case people were curious what a brake lathe looks like.

 

[D.sebens]

And if you wondered how you do the other side, you literally flip the machine upside down!

 

[ChazzC]

In the bad old days they looked more like this, and didn’t have no keypads or light-up numbers (and you wrapped a belt around the drum so it wouldn’t ring:

 

[D.sebens]

In the bad old days they looked more like this, and didn’t have no keypads or light-up numbers (and you wrapped a belt around the drum so it wouldn’t ring:

View attachment 487137

Like this?

I don’t really use them much anymore except for drum brakes. The on car turns them true to the hub.

 

[projectnut]

What cars are you working on that still have rotors thick enough to turn? I gave up on turning drums and rotors nearly 20 years ago. Both were so thin from the factory there wasn’t enough to turn if they had more than a deep scratch

The machines now sit in a friends auto museum.

 

[MikeWi]

not to mention that if they already warped once, they'll do it even quicker once they've been turned thinner. I just replace them.

 

[D.sebens]

not to mention that if they already warped once, they'll do it even quicker once they've been turned thinner. I just replace them.

A lot of the warping has to do with the old machines. They are easy to chuck it up not straight and even if you got it perfect it doesnt account for an out of true wheel hub. It’s not the warping you feel but disk thickness variation which comes from warping. The warped rotor scrubs the high spot every revolution until it’s no longer high but the back side will be low from the warp. This causes it to be thinner at the warp. You feel the hydraulic action of this since fluid doesn’t compress. Turning on car means that it’s turned at a run out of .001 or less. So it’s starting off straight to the wheel bearing hub. They last much longer.

What cars are you working on that still have rotors thick enough to turn? I gave up on turning drums and rotors nearly 20 years ago. Both were so thin from the factory there wasn’t enough to turn if they had more than a deep scratch

The machines now sit in a friends auto museum.

Fords. The quality of the cast is terrible but they ate thick enough to turn a few times.

 

[oogenshire]

i didnt get these turned but im guessing the previous owner did.... 08 f150

 

[D.sebens]

i didnt get these turned but im guessing the previous owner did.... 08 f150

It’s just working on becoming cross drilled the natural way. They look pretty cancerous

 

[markba633csi]

Holy brake fluid Batman!