Now Shipping: Custom Tesla Roadster 2-Piece Slotted Rotors

[swaltner]

Sorry about not providing any other info than, "that's wrong" on the original post. supersnoop is correct. The worst offenses are where the safety wire is attempting to loosen the bolt, not keep it tight. Here's an example of one that is attempting to loosen the bolt on the right. Based off the extra half-turn of wire right by the head, I think they had the loose wire originally wrapped on the right side of the bolt, saw that was wrong and flipped it to the other side of the bolt, but that's not really keeping this bolt tight. This piece of wire should have started on the right bolt, exiting that at the 4 o-clock position, come around the bottom of the bolt (on the orientation of this image) before heading to the bolt on the left.

I don't know if it's really a problem, but item that doesn't look right to me is how the wire isn't wrapped tight around all bolt heads. For the bolt on the right, I'd have the single wire wrapped around the right (far side) of the bolt and then the twisting start right next to the bolt at the lower-left. While unlikely, with the existing installation, the wire could slide in the bolt head, allowing the bolt to loosen.

I may not be explaining it very well, but AC 43.13-1B (Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices - Aircraft Inspection and Repair) from the FAA documents proper technique with several images starting on page 7-19. Of course, the example drawings in this book have bolts rotated at optimal orientation for installing safety wire. When properly torqued, the hole through the bolt head is usually in the least convenient location. I cursed at the airplane for 1-2 hours while trying to install 3 pieces of safety wire to hold the 6 bolts that attach the propeller to the engine.

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/Chapter_07.pdf

 

[dsm363]

Thanks for explaining it. Maybe Dave Levy will see this and can comment on it.

 

[adiggs]

Hey all -I just got back from Dave's with the rotors and pads on the car. Dave has some photos he'll send along later.


I've completed the bedding in process - no opinions yea or nay until tomorrow after the rotors and pads have had a chance to cool and settle completely. However, one immediate impression that I wasn't expecting and like - the steering on the car feels like we put 5 lbs of pressure in the front tires; noticeably lighter. I noticed it immediately in the driveway leaving Dave's place, and continued to feel it out on the road going through the corners.



Somebody with more performance driving experience than I will be able to say something more precise about it - I just know that I like it.





Tomorrow, given motivation and a big enough break in my homework, I plan to wash the car. That's the best experiment I can run immediately to see what the brakes feel like before and after water. As far as I know, we're not expecting any heavy rain here in Portland any time soon - that'll be the best test. I know that when the rotors get wet, I'm accustomed to the brakes being mushy for a mile or 2 while I diligently work the brakes to clean the rotors off. More then.


I also just noticed the posts above about the safety wire. I'll send along the comments / info to Dave.

Asoka

 

[adiggs]

I promised an update and I've been laggardly. We've been driving the Roadster the last few days (it's our primary car), so the rotors are getting used and work fine. However I don't yet have much to say about whether they are dramatically better, better, or what. The weather has been nice here, and neither my wife or I drive the car hard enough (or have the driving experience) to really notice the difference between ok and really nice brakes. So with the driving that we do, the car stops well, as it always has when the streets are dry and the sun is shining.

I plan to wash the car anyway one of these days, and that has consistently made for the next few uses of the brakes "spongy" as the rotors get rusty and need to be cleaned. So maybe that'll happen tomorrow, and that'll give me something specific to report on. The spongy brakes after wash is bad enough, that taking the car out for a few miles for some middling strength stops to dry and clean the rotors is part of the routine. And scary when I forget

So for now, I can report that they fit, and that the car still starts and stops very nicely - just like it always has.

 

[TOBASH]

I think it is now time to begin asking about delivery dates. When?

Best,

T

 

[TOBASH]

I think it is now time to begin asking about delivery dates. When?

Best,

T

Second request... When can we expect delivery?

 

[adiggs]

Second request... When can we expect delivery?

Most recent news we have is this:
"The rotor treatment got held up, they were down for a week so they say final QC should be on Monday." This was on the 8th, so the Monday referred to was the beginning of this week. I don't have any information on shipping time from the treatment folks to Dave for final assembly, or shipping time from that point.

 

[dsm363]

Great. Let us know what Dave says about the safety wire. I'm sure it's nothing but curious.

 

[adiggs]

Most recent news we have is this:
"The rotor treatment got held up, they were down for a week so they say final QC should be on Monday." This was on the 8th, so the Monday referred to was the beginning of this week. I don't have any information on shipping time from the treatment folks to Dave for final assembly, or shipping time from that point.

Regarding updated delivery info:
The rotors landed on the shipper's dock today, we will have them on Monday [me - the 18th]. Then it's an assembly party...we should be ready to start shipping by the end of the week. Tell folks to confirm any changes to shipping addresses so we can send out PayPal request for shipping cost. I think I still have one set available to purchase.


Regarding the safety wire:
The construction of these rotors has the bolts installed with 15 ft/lb. of torque which is appropriate for the cast iron friction disc being attached to a nickel plated 6061 aluminum hat. The safety wire is a installed so it is effectively rigid and puts no net force on the bolts and it's main purpose is to act as a 'belt and suspenders' to limit movement if a bolt should come loose and create a visual indicator. While this may not pass aircraft standards it is industry standard for the automotive industry and has worked effectively for years and hundreds of thousands of miles.

 

[dsm363]

Thanks for the update. I'm sure we are all looking forward to trying these out.

 

[adiggs]

Thanks for the update. I'm sure we are all looking forward to trying these out.

Another minor update - I finally washed the car today. After more than 10 miles of gravel road driving earlier in the week, plus more than a month since it was last washed - was getting pretty dusty. Anywho - I am accustomed to having spongy brakes right after washing the car, as the rotors would rust up and need to be cleaned. I went for my usual post car wash drive around the block. The first time braking was maybe just a little bit less than the improved braking I've grown accustomed to, but still fine for an emergency braking situation. The second time exercising the brakes it was all the way back to the new normal.

The combination of the new rotors and the AX6 brake pads are a real winner.

This test, of course, is not nearly as good as driving in a heavy rainfall. I probably won't see that sort of rain until Fall - I figure we'll have plenty of others talking about their experience with the new rotors by then.

 

[ggr]

I just got an email from "Cedar Ridge Fabrication via PayPal <[email protected]>", with a reply-to of "[email protected]". I've received an invoice! My first thought was that it was a phishing attack, but the names started to sound familiar. However, I WILL NOT USE PAYPAL, and wrote cheques for what I thought was the full amount for the rotors and brake pads. I certainly won't click anything in the email. Now, I've searched for and found their website and at this point I'm pretty convinced it's legitimate, but I'm still upset at getting email out of the blue like this. Does anyone know what the $65 is for? Is it shipping?

 

[adiggs]

I'm pretty sure that's for shipping. I can definitely confirm that email address is for Dave, our fabricator.

I don't know what all went on, but I believe that the final assembly party got started about a week ago, so I expect that as sets get assembled, people will be getting contacted (maybe that is the method?) for getting rotors (and pads if appropriate) mailed out.



EDIT: I just looked back at the original post in the thread. It mentioned there that shipping wasn't known (couldn't be known) up front, as the weight of the finished rotors wasn't known. So a bill for shipping means that your rotors are almost in your hands I missed out on that bit by living a few miles from Titanium Dave (sheer dumb luck), and getting my rotors installed in his garage. Hope that helps @ggr, and this is a heads up for everybody else to be watching for similar requests.

 

[hcsharp]

I just got an email from "Cedar Ridge Fabrication via PayPal <[email protected]>", with a reply-to of "[email protected]". I've received an invoice! My first thought was that it was a phishing attack, but the names started to sound familiar. However, I WILL NOT USE PAYPAL, and wrote cheques for what I thought was the full amount for the rotors and brake pads. I certainly won't click anything in the email. Now, I've searched for and found their website and at this point I'm pretty convinced it's legitimate, but I'm still upset at getting email out of the blue like this. Does anyone know what the $65 is for? Is it shipping?

It's for shipping. Here on the right coast my invoice was for $108. I'm sure if you call or email him he'll be happy to take your check to avoid PayPal fees. Not to repeat everything adiggs said but Dave mentioned at the start that he would alert each person to the shipping cost when each order was ready.

His number is 503-621-9670 if you want to arrange other forms of payment.

 

[ggr]

It's for shipping. Here on the right coast my invoice was for $108. I'm sure if you call or email him he'll be happy to take your check to avoid PayPal fees. Not to repeat everything adiggs said but Dave mentioned at the start that he would alert each person to the shipping cost when each order was ready.

His number is 503-621-9670 if you want to arrange other forms of payment.

Thanks, both! I just sent him another cheque.

 

[tomsax]

I just got a PayPal invoice from Cedar Ridge Fabrication for $48. Is that the shipping charge for my rotors and pads?

Update: When you click on "View and Pay Invoice," you'll get the invoice with the explanation that it's for the Tesla Roadster brake pads. I did that and sent in the payment.

 

[scottfe]

I just got a PayPal invoice from Cedar Ridge Fabrication for $48. Is that the shipping charge for my rotors and pads?

Me too. I did not recognize the name "Cedar Ridge Fabrication" or the TitaniumDave email. So I canceled it. It wasn't until PayPal showed me the cancel record that it said anything at all about the Tesla Roadster shipping charge. I'm OK with PayPal, so I sent Dave a quick followup email to explain and for him to try again. But there would certainly be vastly less confusion if some mention of the nature of the charge was expressly made in the original invoice!

 

[rgjones]

FYI I ordered a set from Dave via paypal too. All the details were on the invoice so no issues there.
Plan to give these a good test at Leguna Seca Refuel next month with some fresh A048s

 

[ggr]

FYI I ordered a set from Dave via paypal too. All the details were on the invoice so no issues there.
Plan to give these a good test at Leguna Seca Refuel next month with some fresh A048s

Neat. Who is going to mount the disks for you? Or are you going to do it yourself?

 

[adiggs]

FYI I ordered a set from Dave via paypal too. All the details were on the invoice so no issues there.
Plan to give these a good test at Leguna Seca Refuel next month with some fresh A048s

Anybody reading this thread that hasn't already ordered a set of the rotors but is interested, the last email I got from Dave indicated there were still 2 sets without names on them. You will need to contact Dave directly (first post at the top of the thread) to figure everything out.

(The way the manufacturing worked out, the batch size on the rotors provided a few more sets than were explicitly ordered)