[57taskforce]

Now I’ll start putting it all together to weld the flanges on.. I started by installing the new backing plate flange with the backing plate centering boss facing the spindle as seen above. Next the backing plate without the upper caliper mount, can be bolted up to the flange. The rotor and hub will go next. Install the axles. Then the upper caliper bracket with pads installed and then last the caliper.

You’ll first be setting the caliper angle/height. Really, you can position the caliper wherever you like, as long as the bleeder is on top. I set mine in the factory location, facing forward and centered. Once you get the caliper angles where you want them, you’ll start setting the depth of the caliper and parking brake shoes in relation to the rotor. It’s critical that you don’t mount the caliper/backing plate too deep as the backing plate will rub the rotor if you do. I shot for about a 3/8” gap between the dust shield and the rotor all the way around.

In order to do this, move the whole caliper assembly in and out a little bit at a time until the caliper and park brake shoes move freely on/in the rotor. It will take a little bit of feel and listening to the pads/shoes drag on the rotor but you’ll know when you have it right. I put both sides together, then I adjusted each side until I could turn the pinion yoke by hand and have the least drag possible on both rotors. When correct they will both spin freely by hand or with the yoke and you will barely hear/feel any drag on the rotors. You’ll know when it’s right. Because the backing plate flanges are the same diameter as the tubes, they are self aligning side to side, so all I had to adjust was the depth of the flange if that makes sense. Once I had everything placed where I wanted it I tacked each side up in 4 places, 12,3,6 and 9 o,clock. I disassembled everything for final welding so as not the have excess weight/leverage on the flange that could move it around while being welded in.

Below is a picture sequence on the assembly process. You’ll notice in the last picture, I had a weld bevel machined into the back side of the flanges, a small detail that I felt is worth noting.