Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Includes shock absorbers, springs and steering linkages.

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Clinker42
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Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by Clinker42 »

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Hi, first, thanks for letting me join.
Picked up an EK sedan on the weekend and just starting work on it. Body is in fantastic condition except for the floor foot wells. Ordered a tunnel from CRS and 4 foot wells from Rare Spares.
Does anyone on here know what and how the brakes are fitted on the Castlemaine Rod Shops custom front ends. When I spoke to them this morning they didn't have a clue on the product they are supplying. They said they where &*#@ discs.
I'm just chasing what model they are to see if I can get a hub for it like they use on the VB - VK Commodores. Hoppers make a &*#@ hub but I have to know what hub CRS are using. If I know I can get a hub for the CRS front end I can fit VT rotors all around and use the hat style on the front and use the hat to set my offset.
Anyone have one or know about them.
Thanks Trevor
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Harv
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by Harv »

G'day Trevor,

CRS did a variety of spindle/brake combinations - HQ/WB, P76, VT/VZ etc.

As an example, my CRS front end has the standard HR spindles, which CRS modify to take Commodore bearings. They supplied a kit to adapt VN/VP calipers and rotors.

Cheers,
Harv
327 Chev EK wagon, original EK ute for Number 1 Daughter, an FB sedan meth monster project and a BB/MD grey motored FED.
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oz_ek
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by oz_ek »

I take it your referring to the new fabricated CRS front end, not the modified HR version?
Clinker42
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by Clinker42 »

Yes sorry guys, the new fabricated one.
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oz_ek
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by oz_ek »

Do you have a source for the hubs?....There was a bloke on the FE/FC forum making adaptor hubs to fit Commodore brakes/wheels to early Holden stub axles.
Can see why the CRS front end couldn't be fitted with a HQ type stub axle.
Clinker42
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by Clinker42 »

I thought I did but I just rang them and they won't sell them seperate from a kit.
Geez this front end is either too hard or too expensive.
Ok you early Holden experts, what's the best way to get power steering and 300 mm discs and twin piston callipers on an EK. I'd prefer using VT discs and callipers all around as it makes it much easier for engineering.
Can you make a HR front end handle and ride really nice?
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NoMAD
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by NoMAD »

theres a few different companies out there doing fab front ends... try

V6 Conversions
http://www.v6conversions.com.au/

Rod Tech
http://rodtech.com.au/index.php?route=p ... uct_id=648

given em a call and have a chat i'm sure one would accommodate you... budgets probably the only question

Cheers
Nathan
FB/EK Holden Car Club of W.A. Inc
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Clinker42
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by Clinker42 »

Great timing Nathan, just got of the phone with a lovely lady at Rodtech. How good is it to talk to someone who actually knows the product they make and sell.
Definately going with the Rodtech unit. She could even tell me that they can do the bigger BA discs and AU twin spot callipers and they make their own hub to fit it. She even knew what offset wheels I need, what Spring rates I could choose and what power rack was on it. She made grasshoppers and CRS look stupid.
What a pleasant surprise it was, thank you Rodtech.
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oz_ek
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by oz_ek »

Clinker42 wrote:I thought I did but I just rang them and they won't sell them seperate from a kit.
Geez this front end is either too hard or too expensive.
Ok you early Holden experts, what's the best way to get power steering and 300 mm discs and twin piston callipers on an EK. I'd prefer using VT discs and callipers all around as it makes it much easier for engineering.
Can you make a HR front end handle and ride really nice?

I'm no expert... but,for the price of the CRS front end ($4500) I think you could get all your looking for and spend much less!....There's a thread on this forum where someone is using a VR/VS power steer rack on a HR front end supposedly?

What will be your final rim/tyre combo ?......And have you talked to Hoppers Stoppers re the brake upgrade?

Hoppers Stoppers. ph 03) 97486950.
Clinker42
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Re: Castlemaine Rod Shop Front End

Post by Clinker42 »

OZEK, yes it's a lot of money I know, but it comes engineered. As soon as you weld on brackets and fit that power steering yourself it needs an engineers certificate. So I presume that will mean a lot of testing, checking bump steer etc etc. at least with this kit the engineer sees the paperwork and just checks I bolted it in correctly. Yes I spoke to hoppers today and they where actually rude. Telling me I can't do this and they won't sell me hubs and I have to do it their way, the guy actually wasn't even listening to what I wanted to do. Told me I can't put &*#@ hubs on an EK front end after I told him the front end I wanted to use has XF discs and spindles. Well I don't deal with people like that. That's why I'm going the RODTECH front end.
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