MAHLE RTI BRC35 User Manual

OPERATION

MANUAL

RTI

BRC35

ON-THE CAR

BRAKE ROTOR LATHE

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TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

4075 East Market Street

York, PA 17402

Manual P/N 035-80253-00

BRAKE LATHE

BRC 35

CONGRATULATIONS... You have purchased one of the fin est lathes for on-the-car

machining of brake rotors available at any price.

GREAT RESULTS WITH THE BRC 35 ARE AHEAD...

l Fast to set up and simple to operate.

l Professional, high quality on-t he-car brake rotor turning with "total alignment"

every time.

l Uses two reference points - hub axis and caliper mount geom etry. Brake pads

will now be perfectly aligned with the rotor.

l Components have maxim um flexibility of assembly to allow custom ization for

individual preferences during setup.

l Integral, high strength storage container keeps accessory items in one

convenient location; no more hunting for tools.

l Mobile stand features a broad range of adjustment; turn rotors while the car sits

on floor jacks or on a hydraulic lift.

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Page 1

CONTENTS

Warranty ...................................... Page 3

Lathe & Accessories ............................. Page 4

Drive Stand & Motor............................. Page 6

Main Features .................................. Page 8

Mounting the Lathe .............................. Page 10

Attaching the Drive Motor ........................ Page 12

Control Devices................................. Page 13

Turning a Rotor ................................. Page 14

Slideway Adjustment ............................ Page 17

Summary ...................................... Page 18

WARNING

The Wheel Connection Shaft is connected to the Motor Shaft
with a Universal Coupling.

The Collar provided on t he Connecting Shaft mu st be slid
over the Universal Coupling when not in use.

Serious injury may result if power is applied to the Motor
while the Wheel Connection Shaft is hanging loose.

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WARRANTY

Fill out and return the Warranty Card within 90 days to activate warranty and free lifetime
technical support.

WARRANTY... The BRC 35 is warranted to be free of defects in workmanship and

materials for a period of one year from date of purchase by original
purchaser.

If the product fails within this period, it will be repaired or replaced at
the manufacturer's option, provided (1) factory authorization has been
issued and (2) the product is submitted with proof of purchase.

Liability under this warranty is expressly limited to repairing or
replacing the product or parts thereof.

This warranty does not apply to product or parts broken due to accident,
overload, abuse, tampering, or alteration.

If this warranty does not apply, the retail purchaser shall pay all costs for
labor, material, and transportation.

FOR SERVICE OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

800-468-2321 (Extension 259)

FAX [phone]

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Page 3

LATHE & ACCESSORIES

BRC 35

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Part No.
080-80000-71 Bracket Twin Cylinder (80mm) 2
080-80000-04 Band Silencer 1
080-80000-05 Wrench Hex Key (6mm) 1
080-80000-06 Wrench Hex Key (8mm) 1
080-80000-07 Spacer Mounting 6
080-80000-08 Bar Threaded 2
080-80000-09 Hook “S” Shaped 2

Adapter Hollow (48mm lg.) 2

080-80000-10 Bolt 8mm x 1.25 (70mm lg.) 2

Bolt 10mm x 1.50 (70mm lg.) 2
080-80001-22 Bolt 10mm x 1.50 (90mm lg.) 2
080-80001-23 Bolt 10mm x 1.50 (80mm lg.) 2
080-80000-45 Threaded Adapter 03 (M10 x 1.25) 2

Description Qty

080-80000-46 Threaded Adapter 05 (M10 x 1.50) 2
080-80000-47 Threaded Adapter 09 (M12 x 1.50) 2
080-80000-48 Threaded Adapter 44 (M11 x 1.50) 2
080-80000-49 Threaded Adapter 48 (M9 x 1.25) 2
080-80000-79 Threaded Adapter 60 (M14 x 2.00) 2
080-80000-14 Cord 12 Volt Coiled 1
080-80000-02 Handle Lathe Carrying 1

Refer to next page for illustration of above components.

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LATHE & ACCESSORIES

BRC 35

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Page 5

DRIVE STAND & MOTOR

BRC 35

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Part No.

080-80000-83 Motor Gear Drive (Complete Assembly) Voltage: 110 or 220 VAC

110 volt unit has been tested and approved for 100 volt operation in

Japan
080-80002-00 Motor Mount 1
080-80002-01 Inner Column 1
080-80002-02 Outer Column 1
080-80003-03 Base 1
080-80003-01 Short Leg 2
080-80003-02 Long Leg 1
080-80000-21 Swivel Caster 3
080-80002-08 Locking Handle 1
080-80000-23 Accessory Box Support 1
080-80000-24 Bolt M6 x 1mm x 35mm Lg. 4
080-80000-25 Bolt M8 x 1.25mm x 60mm Lg. 3

Description Qty

1

080-80002-05 Bolt 2
080-80003-05 Bolt 1
080-80003-04 Bolt Allen Socket Head M10 x 1.50mm x 25mm Lg. 3
080-80003-06 Plastic Cap 3
080-80000-29 Washer M6 8
080-80000-30 Washer M8 6
080-80000-31 Washer M10 3
080-80000-32 Nut M6 x 1.00mm 4
080-80000-33 Nut M8 x 1.25mm 3
080-80002-07 Nut Square 6

Refer to next page for illustration of above components.

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DRIVE STAND & MOTOR

BRC 35

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Page 7

MAIN FEATURES

BRC 35

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CAUTION

Check for any end-play in the wheel
bearing before mounting the BRC 35
Brake Lathe.

A loose wheel bearing may cause a poor
surface finish.

If bearing play is adjustable, tighten nuts
slightly before machining, and then re­adjust to factory specifications afterward.

If there is play in a non-adjustable bearing,
it should be replaced before machining the
rotor.

Most non-adjustable bearings are double­row ball bearings that require pre-load.
Tapered roller bearings found on the front
of most rear wheel drive vehicles are
designed to operate with end-play.

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Page 9

MOUNTING THE LATHE

1. Place automobile in NEUTRAL with
parking brake OFF and raise on lift.
Start on passenger side and remove
wheel nuts and wheel.

2. Place Spacers on wheel studs as
shown in Figure 1. Replace and
tighten nuts to manufacturer’s
specification using torque wrench.

3. Remove the brake caliper and hang
it out of the way using an S-Hook.

4. Remove all rust and dirt from the
brake caliper bolt area. Failure to
clean these surfaces will result in
unsatisfactory machining.

5. Select Threaded Adapters with
threads matching brake caliper
mounting bolts.

Insert and tighten Thr eaded Adapters
in the brake caliper bolt mounting
holes.

Some caliper mounting holes are not
threaded. In these cases, use Hollow
Adapters, Threaded Bars, and Bolts.
Refer to Figure 2.

Some caliper mountings m ay require
special adapters included in the
Deluxe Adapter Kit.

Figure 1 Mounting of Spacers & Wheel Nuts

Figure 2 Mounting of Threaded or Hollow Adapters

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MOUNTING THE LATHE

6. Place Twin Cylinder Mounting
Brackets on each of the Adapters
mounted in the preceding step.

Do not tighten the Allen Socket
Bolts in the Mounting Brackets.

7. Hang the Lathe on the lower
Twin Cylinder Mounting B racket
as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 Hang the Lathe

8. Swing the Lathe upwards and
insert the top Twin Cylinder
Mounting Bracket onto the Lathe
mounting bracket. See Figure 4.

9. Position the Lathe so that the
Lathe centerlin e is slig htly below
the center of the wheel hub and
the brake rotor is centered
between the side plates of the
Lathe. Refer to Figure 5.

10. Tighten Allen Socket Bolts in
both Twin Cylinder Mounting
Brackets.

Figure 4 Mounting the Lathe

Figure 5 Positioning the Lathe

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ATTACHING THE DRIVE MOTOR

1. Attach the Wheel Drive Brackets,
with Spacers, to the two vacant
wheel studs as shown in Figure 6.
Leave the wheel nuts slightly
loose.

2. Slide the sleeve on the connecting
shaft of the Drive Motor away
from the universal coupling so
the shaft is free to articulate.

3. Position the Drive Motor Stand
and connect the Wheel Drive
Brackets to the end of the Drive
Motor Shaft.

4. Tighten the wheel nuts so the
Wheel Drive Bracket s are on th e
centerline of the wheel hub.

Figure 6 Mounting the Wheel Drive Brackets

5. Carefully adjust the Drive Motor
Stand so the shaft aligns with the
axis of rotation of the wheel.

Refer to Figure 7 for proper setup
and alignment.

6. Set the locks on the Drive Motor
Stand casters. Check that
adjusting handles on the stand are
tight.

7. Slide the vinyl cover over the
Wheel Drive Brackets.

This cover must remain in
place during operation of the
Wheel Drive Motor.

8. Connect the coiled Power Cable
between the Wheel Drive Motor
and the Lathe.

Figure 7 Aligning the Wheel Drive Motor

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CONTROL DEVICES

FEED DIRECTION SWITCH

Direction of travel of the cutting tools is
controlled by a 3-position switch on the
Lathe Control Panel. Pressing the top
activates INFEED (towards the center of
the rotor) and pressing the bottom
activates OUTFEED (away from the
center of the rotor). Between these
positions is the OFF position.

INFEED STOP

This switch stops travel of the cutting
tools when moving towards the center of
the rotor during automatic operation.

POWER ON LIGHT

This light will be on when the lathe is
feeding in or out (Feed Direction Swit ch
pressed for INFEED or OUTFEED). Th e
brightness will vary depending on the
setting of the Feed Rate Switch (1 is
dim, 9 is brightest).

Figure 8 Lathe Controls

The light will be OFF if the Infeed Stop
is pushed in all the way.

EMERGENCY STOP

The Emergency Stop Button stops the
Drive Motor and Lathe. Turn and pull
(See arrows on knob) to reset. Some
switches do not require turning.

FEED RATE SWITCH

Rate of travel (feed) of the cutting tools
is controlled by the variable Feed Rate
Switch on the Drive Motor Control
Panel (1 is slow, 9 is fast).

DRIVE MOTOR SWITCH

The Drive Motor turns the rotor
clockwise or counter-clockwise in one of
two speeds (1 is slow, 2 is fast). This 5­position switch is located on the Drive
Motor Control Panel. The middle
position is OFF.

Figure 9 Drive Motor Controls

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TURNING A ROTOR

1) Mount the Lathe and attach the
Drive Motor per the instructions
in the preceding section.

The Silencer Band can be
mounted around the outer edge of
the rotor to reduce noise during
machining if desired. This must
be done before mounting the
Lathe.

2) Set the Feed Direction Switch on
the Lathe Control to OFF (middle
position).

3) Set the Drive Motor Switch on
the Drive Motor Control to OFF
(Marked “0").

4) Check that the coiled Power
Cable is connected between the
Drive Motor and the Lathe.

5) Check that the Emergency Stop
Button is reset to ON (if n ot , turn
and release to reset).

6) Plug the power cord on the Drive
Motor into a 120 vac supply.

7) Turn the Drive Motor Switch
clockwise to number 1. The rotor
should be turning in the direction
shown in Figure 11.

If not, turn the Drive Motor
Switch counter-clockwise to
number 1.

8) Press the Safety Lock and move
the AUTO/MAN Shift to
MANUAL.

9) Using the Hand Wheel, move the
cutting tool tips to about ½ in.
inward from the outer edge of the
Rotor.

Figure 10 Lathe Controls

Figure 11 Direction of Rotor Rotation

TURNING A ROTOR

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10) Use the Cut Depth Micrometer to
move both cutting tool tips towards
the rotor until they just touch the
rotor surface.

11) Turn the hand wheel to manually feed
the cutting tools outward toward the
edge of the rotor to remove any rust
build-up on the outer edge.

12) Manually feed the cutting tools
inward towards the center o f the rotor
to a point slightly bey ond t he contact
surface of the brake pads. Use care as
the depth of cut may vary due to
runout in the surface of the rotor.

13) Push the Auto Infeed Stop button all
the way in. Twisting the knob while
pushing inward makes this step
easier. This sets the point where the
cutting tools will stop during
automatic feed towards the center of
the rotor in the following steps.

Figure 12 Lathe Controls

14) Press the Safety Lock and move the
AUTO/MAN Shift to AUTO.

15) Turn both Cut Depth Micro-meters
clockwise one large division to move
the cutting tool tips into the faces of
the rotor by 0.004 in. Figure 13
illustrates that 0.004 in. is the
distance between two numbers on the
micrometer.

16) Turn the Feed Rate Switch on the
Drive Motor Control to 9 (fast feed).

17) Press the top (OUTFEED) of the
Feed Direction Switch on the lathe.
The lathe cutting tools will
automatically feed outward, making
a rough cut on the rotor.

Figure 13 Cut Depth Micrometer

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TURNING A ROTOR

18) When the cutting tools have moved
outward beyond the edge of the rotor,
press the bottom (OUTFEED) of the
Feed Direction Switch on the lathe to
place the switch in the OFF position.

19) Momen tarily turn off the Drive Motor
and check the surface of the rotor. It
should have a rough cut surface across
the entire face on both sides. If not,
make another rough cut, otherwise
proceed to the next step for a finish
cut.

20) Turn both Cut Depth Micro-meters
clockwise one small division to move
the cutting tool tips towards the face
of the rotor by 0.002 in. Figure 14
illustrates that 0.002 in. is the distance
between two of the closest marks.

21) Turn the Feed Rate Switch on the
Drive Motor Control to 2 (slow feed).

22) Press the top (INFEED) of the Feed
Direction Switch on the lathe. The
lathe cutting tools will automatically
feed inward making a finish cut on the
rotor. The cutting tools will
automatically stop at the setting
determined in Step 13 by setting the
Auto Infeed Stop button.

Figure 14 Cut Depth Micrometer

When a satisfactory surface finish has been obtained, press the
Safety Lock and move the AUTO/MAN Shift to MANUAL.

Back the cutting tool tips away from the rotor by turning the Cut
Depth Micrometers counter-clockwise.

Use the handwheel to back the cutting tools to a position bey ond the
outer edge of the rotor.

Remove the Lathe and repeat the operation on the other side of the
vehicle.

One rough cut and one finish cut are
normally sufficie nt for most applications. If
not, repeat rough and/or finish cuts as
required.

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SLIDEWAY ADJUSTMENT

Figure 15 Slideway Adjustment

Periodically check the “snugness” of the Tool Holders in the Slideways. When fully extended from the Lathe, there
should be no movement of the Tool Holders when pulled up or pushed down. Unsatisfactory surface fin ish on rotors
is often an indication that the Slideways need adjustment.

Carefully study Figure 15 to understand the dynamics of adjusting the tension of the Slideways on the Tool Holders.

1) Loosen the eight smaller “B” screws by approximately 1/16 turn.

2) Loosen the four larger “A” screws by approximately 1/16 turn.

3) Tighten the eight “B” s crews evenly to obtain the “snug” feel of the Tool Holders. Check the operation and

feel by manually moving the Tool Holders in and out with the handwheel.

4) Tighten the four “A” screws to lock the setting of the slideways.

NOTE: Only the screws in the Top Plate are adjusted. Do not loosen screws in the Bottom Plate

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SUMMARY

The BRC 35 will provide many years of dependable brake rotor machining
with proper care and use.

This manual describes basic operating procedures for quick and easy use of the
BRC 35.

As with any fine piece of machinery, experienced operators will quickly
discover new and more versatile me thods of operation.

The BRC 35 can be set up in various configurations for optimum access to
control devices and tool adjustments. No one wa y is necessarily the be st for all
vehicles.

Cutting tool heads can easily be removed and re-mounted for reverse cutting
applications.

The BRC 35 operates up-side-down just as well as right-side-up. Just
remember to set the cutting tools slightly below the centerline of the hub so the
rotor turns downward to the cutting tips.

Adaption to special vehicles may require special accessories.

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