Ranger RL-8500 Brake Lathe Review -EricTheCarGuy
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- The Ranger RL-8500 brake lathe has become my new best friend.
Ranger RL-8500: www.bendpak.com...
Ranger RL-8500 $5545.00: www.bestbuyauto...
Ranger RL-8500XLT (heavy duty version): www.bendpak.com...
Honestly, I had all but given up on machining rotors and drums in favor of replacement. That's all changed since I got my Ranger RL-8500. In the instances where machining is possible, this brake lathe makes all the difference. I would wager I could have a set of rotors machined and back on the car in less time than it would take you to go to the auto parts store and pick up new ones. As you know, time is money in the repair industry. Also, if you're working with a vehicle that has hard to find parts, reconditioning may be your only option.
Here's an interesting fact that many of you may not be aware of. Most rotor and drum manufacturers recommend putting a new surface on NEW rotors and drums before installation. Granted, it's rarely an issue, but it is something that's recommended.
All that said, I've been using the heck out of this lathe since I got it and haven't been disappointed. There was a bit of a learning curve, but I think I've got it down now. Some of the controls were a little confusing to me because I wasn't used to them. Now that I've learned to use them, they make a bit more sense.
I'd recommend this brake lathe to anyone considering purchasing one.
Camera: Brian Kast
Thanks for watching!
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I'm pretty sure a review on a $5k machine with such a limited scope of use will be lost on most of us. I'm glad that you like your new "toy"
I know your review is old but this Ranger machine is a copy of a REL lathe I picked one up for less than $200 just keep your eyes open for deals
after you turn the bits 3 times if you switch sides you will get 3 more times out of them... I learned that one in my GM training class on brakes
Twenty years ago these made sense. Not so much today. Drums and rotors are so cheap now it's normally cheaper to buy new ones than to pay somebody to machine them. Also OEM drums and rotors today have very little extra beef on them to allow for machining. You might be able to do it once and after that you're below the minimum specification. This is a tool that by and large has become obsolete.
I agree. Rotors are dirt cheap now. I can buy them for my car at $5 each or $20 each for premium ones.
+SATAMAN Schmidt And we need to remember that people now are cheap, they won't buy quality replacement, so now you have the choice, have it machined or for the same price you get some shenzhen branded one brand new! Those new ones often are already outside the tolerance...
Even quality one may not have much meat when brand new, so when you need to machine them, there is so little meat left that you can't really machine them.
There is also the fact that they may charge you more in labor if you get it machined due to the extra time the car is on the lift vs just swap them... So there is an hidden cost for having them machined at some places
+SATAMAN Schmidt Where is everyone getting these cars with cheap rotors? I have yet to own a car where the rotors or drums were less than $30 each.
+SATAMAN Schmidt Not on trucks. Not on high end cars.
+whoodiestyle Tell me where I can get $5 rotors because everywhere I see they cost $40+ per rotor.
your cameraman does a great job!
+swampassoutfitters I shot some of this video too. ;)
I work in a high volume private workshop in Australia we got an old ammco second hand 8 years ago it's the old manual box with two speed belt drive we can cut just as smooth on that as you do in this vid. We still machine about 50% of rotors the other half is replace it all depends if the rotor is soft and how much meat the gingerbeers give you to play with.
Better lathe than never.
Get out.
I'm kidding xD
About the bits, there are 3 sides to it, you can use it up to 3X when each tip is worn. Technically, you can use it up to 6X. Once the 3rd tip is done, swap it. The right one goes to the left and the left goes to the right, back to first tip. Just a quick tip, that helped me conserve bits 👍
Not many people know that I repair brake lathes for a living and I tell people that all the time. And with a negative rake bit you have 12 cutting tips because you can flip those bits over
You know what Id like to see. Spin up a brand new chinese rotor to see if its true.
You don't need a lathe to do that, just put it on your car and hit the brakes.
thanks eric for showing me how to use this specific brand lathe so i can put it in my apartment garage parking spot for DIY purposes....
What I've found with warped rotors is within 20,000 miles, the pulsation always returns. When I can make a set of front pads last 100,000 miles because I drive mostly highway, I find that turning rotors is just not worth the money. Just easier to dump them and take the loss and be rid of the issue.
I just picked up a used lathe just like this I know machining is a lost art but I think its still a valuable tool!
Neat demo. I've always wondered how it worked machining rotors and drums. It's amazing that this costs nearly twice as much as the lift, but then again, those are some nice looking machined rotors!
Thanks for the video as always!
I had a set of aftermarket Brembo brakes that were drilled, it made much more sense for me to have them machined than to purchase a new pair. So yes in many cases its easier to replace, but for "custom" parts its less expensive to turn them.
At $5500 for the lathe, you are going to need to grind about 500 rotors just to break even.
Eric, mounting the rotor the way you did seems a little counter-intuitive to me. I have always mounted the rotor with the hat away from the machine. I guess it is just the old mechanic in me. Nice finish, though. Have you tried finishing a rotor on the 1 or 2 speed...kind of curious how finer it would be at the slower speeds. Keep up the videos brother. Look forward to them
HEY ERICK WE JUST PURCHASED ONE OF THIS MACHINE, AND LET ME TELL YOU I WAS LOST TRYING TO FIGIUER OUT HOW TO USE THIS MACHINE EVEN THOUGH I WAS LOOKING ON MANUAL UNTILL I WATCHED YOUR VIDEO I FINALLY GOT IT. THANK YOU FOR THE TUTORIAL
Why are you screaming LOL I just bought one of the new RL 8500's from BendPak. Comes in a few days.
you could always throw one of those large square transmission funnels on top of the catch funnel for a bit more width and it would be a bit closer to cutter
Nice! Light years ahead of the old Ammco lathe I used back in the 70's. Interesting that it has the capability of machining flywheels. Perhaps this is due to advances in the technology, but back in the day we always had them ground.
Couldn't you just use a regular metal lathe and just do one side at a time and save yourself loads of money and also have a machine that you build shit with and the like?
+lolz larkin Yes, but you need to make sure both sides are perfectly parallel and that you take an equal amount off each side. I've actually done that before. You also need a lathe with enough swing to spin a rotor, which would likely be more expensive than this machine....
I have looked for lathes that are large enough to turning rotors. They are huge. Lathes grow at exponential rates and you will quickly wind up with a $10,000 lathe used that you have to sell your car to have space in the shed for it lol (a little exaggeration)
I guess one could make the argument that investing in an actual lathe is also an option. That can be used for more things, if desired - but can certainly machine rotors and drums too. But I guess a lathe large enough to handle brake rotors and such could be expensive.
That's a nice tool! I used something like that in high school, but that was it. The one we had probably dates back to the turn of the last century!
Now do a video on how to check minimum thickness on rotors and maximum diameter on drums before turning them to make sure they are within specs and can be turned and reused.
Frank Gonzalez - the spectate easily available online and every man should own a set of calipers and mics!
You can get 3 cutting edges then flip the bits and get 3 more, then change sides with them and start over for a total of 12 cutting edges!
deano_au I spent 45 years in automotive service departments and have used several types of brake lathes. The triangular bits cut on the edge of the tip that faces the drum or rotor. They don't cut with the point, If you look at a bit that has been used you can clearly see where the contact is, just to the side of the point, those bits are the same top and bottom. and can be reversed.
+deano_au After looking at the video again I see that you are correct about the relief angle on the bits that Eric has. Most universal bits do not have this. The face of the bit is at a right angle and the mount points slightly down so that the bit only contacts on the top edge. Even us old guys can be caught in the old assumption trap.
to stop some of the mess , what about creating the tubing connected to a vacuum to suck up the chips before they hit the ground.
These are nice lathes--that is when they work. There are three motors that operate this machine, along with a electronic control board. Good luck dealing with the numb-skulls at Ranger when you need to order parts. There are differences in the models between the years--and some parts do not fit all machines. The numb-skulls at the parts depot are usually young snot-noses who know nothing about the product they are supporting. The machine is manufactured in China (Shanghai) and OEM'd to Ranger here in the USA. These are just reworks of the old Rel's brake lathe. As I said--good luck sourcing a controller board or one of the feed motors once they burn out.
If you are going to purchase a brake lathe, purchase a used Ammco machine off of Craig's list--and then have it serviced if required. Ammco's only use one motor and everything is driven mechanically--and thus are cheaper to service and easier to source parts.
I love having access to a brake lathe at work.
You're right as well, looks like like the old Ammco that everyone had.
I think you can even use the inserts 6 times...
when you change them from the left to the right holder and the other way around...
Some bits you can flip over for another 6 uses
to be fair I did my own rear breaks the other weekend. I was quoted 570 at the break shop and they said it would be cheaper if my drums were machine able. I did it all my self for under 300. lol but it was still cheaper for them to turn the drums then to get new ones.
when i buy my first car the brake disks wents were full of rust. The owner was using the car for fising so too much water and not much breaking. The disks were thick almost like new but the wents omg. I machined the drums, new disks and break pads, new fresh DOT3 (flush the system), new 4 months old tires. Now the car break like new, only squeak when i steping down of the breaks. I know is something in the back brakes but it dont squeak all the time and its not loud so i let it be
This would be cool for like $300 but that lathe cost $5500-$6000 off the net so probably $8k locally, you would have to machine rotors by the thousands to pay for it...
Am I the only one thinking that that on/off switch position is pretty much the most dangerous place they could find?
Plus, if that vibration damper catches, things will get interesting...and so will special old drums that used asbestos brake shoes...
nothing like a man with his new toys!!!!!!!
you can actually switch the bits side to side to get a total of 6 usable cutting edges
+UBBERTANKER Yes you can. I forgot to mention that.
+deano_au True, but you can switch sides for a new cutting surface, so yes, you can get 6 different cutting surfaces out of the 2 bits. Also, this is the first lathe I've had to myself. I've never been one to cut too deep or run the lathe too fast. So far I've cut several drums and rotors and haven't even seen the bits get blue yet. This will likely be the last set of bits I need for some time as a result. Thanks for your input.
+deano_au Thanks again for your input. Experience has taught me that you can switch sides with the bits and get more cutting out of them. For that reason, you can use the bits up to 6 times. Each point has 2 sides and each bit has 3 points for a total of 6 cutting surfaces. It is indeed a nice brake lathe and I believe it will likely outlast me. Thanks again for your input.
I don’t understand these, brakes convert forward motion and energy to heat. Heat is absorbed by the rotor, when you cut the rotor you decrease the thickness and the ability to absorb heat. So you decrease the performance of your brakes as well as increasing the chance you over heat them and they warp.
Very nice lathe! I only thing i would miss from what lathe i use, is having independent speeds for. Rotor/drum RPM and rotor/drum draw speed. Its seems that your lathe has just 1 speed controller. BUT it sure cuts rotors nice!
Confused by the comments of people saying no one machines rotors anymore, on a typical day at work I machine multiple sets of rotors, but of course with an old ass 20 year old Ammco machine lol you bet your ass if our shop had one of these id be vacuuming it up every night as well lol
Eric can you machine motorcycle rotors with this machine? Is there a specific adapter for that?
The quick change adapter is cool but it is gonna premature wear the heck outa it. and will make chatter problems because of the slop in the slides of the feed caused by excess torque stress. Im just sayin good luck!
with regards to the triangular cutting bits, you don't have 3 different cutting face you actually have 6, you can flip them over and you have another 3 :) well at least that's what I was always told I could very well be wrong :)
They look tapered. I don't think flipping them over would work.
Lost art is correct. I got in trouble at my new job for not mastering it but none of my previous jobs even had one
I wish they weren' that much expensive so I could buy one and not to go to a brake shop and have this done. I like to work on my own car unless I don't know how to do that work... and this I know how to do.
awesome machine and awesome video, but does this really make sense I'm today's world? if a shop charges $80-$120 per hour of labor and it takes upwards of an hour to an hour and a half to machine both rotors, is that really better than buying brand new ones for $30-$40 each?
Nice machine i don't care what the naysayers think. And if these lathes are still being manufactured today there must still be a market for them.
I can't believe Scotty Kilmer comments on your videos. You must be a badass.
P.S Those "cutting bits" are called "inserts" or "carbide inserts"
Eric has all the sweetest tools now.
Nice video Eric. Looks like a cool machine I could make use of to fix the shuddering under braking of my sister's car.
I see you have the variable speed at 5-6, would it be better at 2-3 for a smoother cut?
Everyone forgets to cut a tiny skim cut off the lug nut faces x 2. This is so the disk sets TRUE in the machine. ANY rust or warpage in these areas is no good. Just tossing a rotor in the machine is no good.
2:36 "Just take this off and set it some place safe" (Like right in front of this door...) Hahaha I couldn't help laugh.
Congratulations eric its nice to see you are going good and thanks for update
Brake lathes are amazing: Saves money and material!!!
You owe it to yourself and your lungs to get some kind of air exchange system happening in the area of the brake lathe, my friend.
sweet stuff....
i like my ammco...lol
can yiu cut drilled or slotted rotors on it. it cost $189.00 for a new rotor.
does it also do slotted and drilled rotors? maybe I missed that.......
Inflation is crazy this was 5500 at the time of the video posting, today it's over 8000.
Thats how it helps? You dont have to buy rotors?. Is this cost effective? Or are new rotors cheap? Thankk you.. Tony.
It is a cool tool, but... How much can you charge to do a thing like machining someones brakerotors since for example brakerotors for 01 Dodge Ram costs about 27 bucks each? Brand new. I do understand that sometimes you just cant get the parts you need and you have to rescue and repair stuff.
Hey Eric, small suggestion for your otherwise amazing videos. My ears are still bleeding from the volume of the intro :P
Much respect for what you do,
-Mike
To be honest I just really don't see the point of these, for less money you could get a good 30 to 40 year old medium size American or British made lathe with a gap section bed (for flywheels ect..).
It would be more accurate and you'd have a machine that will be better quality and a lot more versatile. That would be my choice anyway.
You should make a montage video of you machining rusty rotors back to perfect surfaces. It's awesome to watch the brown dust blow away. :D
just to let you know it's decimals of a millimeter not fractions
I don't know of a set of replacement rotors that can be machined for any of my cars.
A thing of beauty!
Cool tool. Looks like a blast to use.
Is there cones or adaptors to be able to do motorcycle discs?
+DEMMERY11 Actually, I think so. Click the link in the description to see for sure.
Reminds me of high school when I took machine shop.
You almost got it. your rotor is backwards. The less you over hang the cutter arbor the less torque stress on the machine!! Ive turned no joke over 3k rotors and drums in my 18 years turning wrenches! I would streer anyone wrong
Is there any danger to driving a car with warped rotors? Mine seem to only be noticeable at highway speeds. City driving it's not noticeable.
+mrsemifixit
Any added vibrations to your vehicle is a bad thing. You will eat pads and wear out calipers very fast. If you can not have them lathed smooth you should replace them. Rotors tend to be fairly cheap. If you replace your rotors you need to replace your pads as well because they have been contoured to the uneven old rotors.
+mrsemifixit Depends on how bad the warp is and whether it's warped or it's localized hardening. In general, if the vibration only occurs in light braking at highway speeds and goes away in hard braking, then it's not terminal. If vibrations are always present when you brake, you should have it fixed ASAP. And if vibrations are present all the time, then it's probably not the brakes.
Nice will be using this specific machine ALOT thanks
can you cut brake shoes to drums ??? that's how 22 inch. wheels are dune . that's a brake job...mech..I grind my small stuff..
I have machined a flywheel on an old school annco
Hello Eric. Can I ask two things? This machine needs no cooling system? When the brakes get stuck and overheat the disks they may continue to be used or are a danger? Good videos! Sorry for my english, best regards, Daniel
Brilliant Eric I'm on it !
nice video Eric! quick question, I noticed that you had the "front" side of the rotor facing the brake lathe machine and the "back" side or hub side of the rotor facing outwards. is this the recommended way to mount rotors on a lathe? I have always mounted them the opposite way???
looking forward too mustang engine into Fairmont video
wow, brings back memories of the old Ammco lathe days. Eric, have you been approached about some sort of alignment machine? I would imagine that is a major investment. I'm from the 68-73 GM & Ford days when we would do upper bushings and lower ball joints on those sled cars. Now known as pooches, LOL! Tom94OLDS.
question: been working in a shop with a lathe now for a few years and it seems as it modern rotors don't have enough material to machine, and it seems as if its better just to go buy new ones instead of machining. Less time and effort. seems too that most rotors that we try to machine are warped to hell anyway and you have to take off like 10-20 thousanths witch is way to much... what's your thoughts??
That screw may be annoying, but much less annoying than destroying a customers brake drum.
Hi, good day, can I ask the specifications of the machine.? Thank so much from the Philippines.
Sweet Lathe!
great machine .... please some video about your hydrolic press please please
8260 dollars,, you need cut a few thousands of rotors to break even, how do you make money with it?
FMC is the best designed lathe. Ranger is a Bendpak product
Hey Eric, have a question off topic that maybe you can help with. Sort of an emergency, I was trying to replace the wheel bearing in my 2000 KIA spectra and while trying to remove a stubborn ABS sensor clip from the hub/knuckle I accidentally broke it! What does that mean? Does it make my car unsafe to drive or can I still drive it? I've read that ABS can actually be more dangerous to have installed, if its okay to have without, is there a way you know of to completely remove the ABS or disable it? I'm no mechanic and needed to fix my car myself due to money, really hope I didn't mess it up! please respond and thank you!
Awesome machine,there's no doubt about that! Here's the thing : it costs 6 grand! So,you have to ask yourself : " I'm addressing my videos to mostly DIYers,who most likely will never buy this! " Then you have a few shop owners,I'm sure,but is this machine worth the investment to them when new rotors are relatively inexpensive? I say No. So,my question to you Eric : would you have invested in this machine had you did not get it for free?
+Nick Nicu ya but dosent mean you have to go top of the line for a new one their are cheeper options and you could also go used for someone like me who repairs cars and owns 3 of my own its a tool worth having due to the fact if i were to have a shop turn any part they have a 2-3 hour wait where its less than 20 min for me to do it
+Nick Nicu they can be had for as cheep as 500 for a down and dirty one or mid range for around 1000 used
+Aaron Fletcher Let's stick to the subject at hand,not presenting alternatives. The manufacturer of the machine Eric presented made a 6K dollars investment in advertisement,by giving out this product to ETCG. Will the company get a return on their investment from this channel? I highly doubt it! More props to them for doing it though!
+Nick Nicu Good point; my thoughts as well.. I'd need to machine over 200 rotors to pay for this machine.. That's more than I'll do in my lifetime, I'm sure.
+Nick Nicu While I will probably never ever buy that machine, its still cool to watch it work.
Why have you got the rotor on backwards.
Eric, do you call these companies up to barter for equipment for a review on your channel? Nice piece of equipment!!
I'm living in Jamaica an would love to have this machine how can I get it to buy
in a couple year its gonna be completly paid so yea why not
It looks like an improved AMMCO brake lathe.
how to tell if a rotor can be machined
Miss turning or not they do not leave enough material for a long turn job on late model rotors. I can get into a long debate on this but simple math does in any rotor from like 1995 up. You use x amount of rotor thickness per mile driven. the thickness the manufacturers put into a new rotor has enough thickness to go about 80k miles with the factory pads if treated well. Driving habits etc change pad and rotor life. Now said rotors are usually only a couple thousandths larger than minimum thickness at the end of break life. So said rotors can't have 10-30 thou cut from them and use the same set amount of wear to make another 60-80k on the next set of brake pads. Reason it can't possibly do it is the rotor thickness directly effects cooling, the hotter a rotor is the more the pads wear PERIOD. This is exactly why some shady shops do brake jobs that last less than 5k miles lol. And Eric do not take this the wrong way I am not calling you shady. When car dealers do this and you need a brake job after 5k miles it is not their problem.....but when you or your Mech look at the brakes you can tell someone worked on it and it has failed. That in turn makes said Dealer look bad so rethink this practice if you like long term repeat customers.
How big of a drum can this machine do?
How many rotors will you have to turn in order for the unit to pay for itself? Just curious?
I love, the Fairmont!
Ótima ferramenta... abraço!
Damn, I'm jealous of your shop, Time for a new shop tour.
+Spud Munson You should check out South Main Auto's videos. That Eric has every automotive tool ever made.
How about slotted/drilled rotors? How does it handle them?
+ToyotaGT1Racer It's not recommended you machine those. Check with the manufacturer of the parts in question for specifics.
you need the round bits.....
you need some shirts that say greetings viewers ;)