What common junkyard vehicles should I be looking at in a U-pull-it for a mega huge brake rotor that is also easy to remove, and single piece. I'm looking for largest in diameter and weight as possible. Prefer no integrated wheel bearing nonsense, and a center bore of < 4".
I'm sure there are a billion answers to this (and miata isn't one of them!)... so lets hear 'em.
How huge are we talking? 08ish mazda6/ford fusion had 11.8" rotors.
Trucks. Big trucks.
V8's, euro cars, 4x4's. Toyota have some pretty decent sized 4 spots on some 4runners and land cruisers. Volvos have some decent sized stuff. Basically just wander around a u pull with a tape measure and measure anything that looks like what you want.
1 ton 4wd truck is nearly 13" for newer Chevy's. Caddilac Deville with limo prep was about that size too. "standard" Caddys and 1988-2002 Camaro are about 12".
If you can find someone parting out an Audi Q7 or Porsche Cayenne V8, those fronts are nearly 14"!
4th gen Camaros have rotors a bit over 12" iirc, at least the V8 models. Should be easy enough to come by as well.
What's the application? Largest diameter/weight possible (i.e. you want maximum inertia) leads me to think some kind of flywheel maybe?
Edit: Crap, someone beat me to it.
4" center bore, look at 3/4-ton Ford 4wd.
They need the bog bore to clear the hub.
Saw some from a school bus at the machine shop that looked like they were the size of trash can lids.
Furious_E wrote: What's the application? Largest diameter/weight possible (i.e. you want maximum inertia) leads me to think some kind of flywheel maybe?
Base for a lamp. Usually I use a flywheel, or a miata-sized rotor for smaller stuff, but for a 4-6ft lamp I need something with some serious mass to keep it from tipping.
ZCP E46 M3 was 13.6" or 12.8 for the regular M3
Why single piece only?
mr2peak wrote: ZCP E46 M3 was 13.6" or 12.8 for the regular M3 Why single piece only?
I suppose 2 piece is OK, as long as both are steel/iron. Can't weld steel or iron to an aluminum hat.
Furious_E wrote: 4th gen Camaros have rotors a bit over 12" iirc, at least the V8 models. Should be easy enough to come by as well. What's the application? Largest diameter/weight possible (i.e. you want maximum inertia) leads me to think some kind of flywheel maybe? Edit: Crap, someone beat me to it.
every F body from 98-02 had the 12" rotors... the same rotors were used on every Impala and Monte Carlo starting in '01 or so,then got put on the other W bodies around '04 or so- should be plenty of them in the boneyard to pick from, but also keep in mind that you can buy them brand new for about $25 if you get the cheap ones since junkyard rotors are sometimes priced as if the junkyard thinks their junk rotors are made of gold..
Local place is $9/rotor I believe. $25 for a new 12" rotor is close to worth it. Cleaning the rust and crap off a used rotor can be a pain in the butt.
I still may go to see if I can find something larger though. I'm betting most stuff bigger than this isn't very common in junkyards. I don't see many full size trucks there.
My daughters Ford Edge had some big ass rotors.
I've got some V8 4Runner Sport pack fronts - 13.3" - you can have. I was about to take the annual rotor pile to the scrappers. You still in Northern VA?
another idea: instead of walking around a junkyard, look behind the local shops and see if they'll let you take one of their old rotors off their hands for scrap price.. they already did all the hard work, you just need to dig thru the pile..
My F250 4wd has 14+" rotors that weigh around 20lbs a pop at least.
motomoron wrote: I've got some V8 4Runner Sport pack fronts - 13.3" - you can have. I was about to take the annual rotor pile to the scrappers. You still in Northern VA?
Appreciate the offer... but not up there anymore. Based out of NC now and only make the trip periodically to visit family.
Asking shops for scrap is probably not a terrible idea.
6th gen Maxima (2004+) has 12.6" front rotors, so that's pretty large. And they're pretty heavy as well.
3/4 or 1-ton trucks.
ProDarwin wrote: Base for a lamp. Usually I use a flywheel, or a miata-sized rotor for smaller stuff, but for a 4-6ft lamp I need something with some serious mass to keep it from tipping.
I was gonna guess diy wind turbine. Read somewhere once where a guy built one based on a rotor/hub/strut tube/upright from a junked Volvo.
Cool idea, though, I may have to steal it 
. I am actually in need of a few light fixtures around the ol' bachelor pad and this might be a good lunch break at work project.
I used an LS flex plate as the base for a display setup. Didn't weigh that much, but the size of the plate made it very stable. An LS flywheel is pretty heavy, but I didn't need it. I was originally going to use an 11" rotor but this was a lot more effective.
As a bonus, the flex plate was stamped steel instead of cast iron. Very easy to weld.
Euro cars.
My passat has 13.5" front rotors. Audi A8s are likely just as big.
Keith Tanner wrote: I used an LS flex plate as the base for a display setup. Didn't weigh that much, but the size of the plate made it very stable. An LS flywheel is pretty heavy, but I didn't need it. I was originally going to use an 11" rotor but this was a lot more effective. As a bonus, the flex plate was stamped steel instead of cast iron. Very easy to weld.
Yeah, I have done 3 or so with flywheel bases, 1 with a flexplate, and 1 with a rotor. Flexplate isn't as good for the large stuff - it does not weigh enough and isn't as rigid. Welding to the cast iron isn't difficult at all for this application.
Probably the biggest factor is that a rotor is a hell of a lot easier to get to than a flexplate or flywheel if you don't happen to have one laying around.
Mazdaspeed 6 rotors are 12.6" and dirt cheap on Ebay. I got a pair for $43 shipped a few months back.
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