Dave -
Having both an early BN1 and a BJ8 has taught me a few
things about Healey manufacturing quality.
Although the BJ8 by far is a more complete car w/ disk
brakes, roll up windows and a good sealing hood....
the BN1 is built to a much higher quality standard, no
question. Every bolt, nut and fixture on the BN1
seems to have been made with more care, attention to
detail & quality. Probably why your BN2 drums are
better made than most BJ8 drums.
Probably if you interpolate from this a straight line
of progressive build quality, you'll probably
understand why they stopped making real MGs and
Triumphs around 1980.
It's probably a good thing that Donald Healey stopped
making the Big Healey in '67... it never lost its
luster quite like Triumph did. I guess that's because
the car carried Donald's name... and he cared about
his legacy!
Cheers,
Alan
'53 BN1 '64 BJ8
--- Dave & Marlene <rusd@velocitus.net> wrote:
> I just checked out the front brake drums on my BN2.
> Set a drum up in my
> lathe & measured with a dial indicator. After
> chucking on the center
> hole, & zeroing there, measured the total indicated
> runout (tir) at the
> flange inner surface & the inside shoe surface at
> .008". The outside
> drum surface measured the same runout. Drum wall
> thickness varied from
> .300" to .296". I think .004" off center in the
> casting is pretty good
> for 48 year old drums. Don't know why the runout was
> between the center
> hole & the rest of the drum. But then I don't know
> the machining
> sequence that was used. The other front drum was
> nearly as good with
> .009" tir. No taper (bellmouth) & no egg shape as
> measured with an
> inside micrometer. Didn't bother to check the rear
> drums. Drum id's were
> 11.005". Don't know if this is standard. Have never
> had any vibration
> problems, & have never checked balance. Was just
> curious. I think this
> proves that the factory could get it pretty close,
> at least in 1956.
> Maybe they got sloppy later on. Or maybe just lucky
> sometimes.
>
> I would be interested in what others find if they
> try the same measurements.
>
> Dave Russell
> BN2
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