Total Performance King T - Hot Rod Girl: Part II

I did the same with the tie rod, making sure the rod ends were equal at either end.

Once the chassis and suspension parts were painted and assembled (for the final time, thank goodness), Jim said the next step involved the front brakes. Total Performance uses and suggests disc brake assemblies from Wilwood, which are the best bet for a car like this, according to Jim, and I liked the idea of having good brakes. Especially since Jim says I have a lead foot, and the better the brakes the more fun the ride will be. I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive when Jim had me lay out the Wilwood parts. It looked complicated, but the instructions were easy to follow and everything worked out just fine. Though, I did make Jim pack the wheel bearings-hey, I told him from the start that getting greasy was not a part of my plan! Thank goodness for clean, brand-new parts.

The brake install started with the Total Performance caliper brackets, which are made specifically to fit the company's own TP spindles and Wilwood calipers. A couple of bolts and spacers and they were in place.

The Wilwood system is easy to assemble, and best of all, the installation instructions are amazingly clear and easy to follow. I started with the hub assemblies and choosing the correct bolt pattern for my wheels (the hubs are drilled for multiple patterns). I used one of Jim's wheel thingies to determine the correct pattern, and marked both hubs so I'd install the studs in the correct holes.

I threaded the studs in and then tightened them to the specifications stated in the instructions (77 ft-lb).

While I was doing that, I had Jim pack the wheel bearings with high-temp grease. Next, I dropped in the inner bearings and installed the seals.

The next step was the assembly of the rotors to the rotor adapters. The bolts for these were then torqued to 180 in-lb and then safety-wired, which Jim did for me. I then attached the rotor assemblies to the hubs and tightened the bolts up to 22 ft-lb.

The completed hub and rotors were then installed onto the spindles, the outer bearings slid into place, and the washer and spindle nuts threaded on and snugged.

Next came the calipers, which fit the TP brackets perfectly and went on in a snap.

With both front brake assemblies in place, I then installed the dust caps.

The installation of the Total Performance brake line kit was still kinda like a Chinese puzzle, even though TP did all the forming work. Jim suggested we lay out the tubing on the floor next to the chassis and figure out their configuration that way-it worked well, and even Scooter, Jim's garage cat, approved.

Total Performance did a fine job shaping the lines, and the company was amazingly accurate when it did. Laying them all out first really helped in placing them correctly and saved me a bunch of time.

Jim had a selection of line clamps from Made For You that worked great and look really nice, too. Drilling and threading (Jim says "tapping") the holes was less than fun, but thank goodness Total Performance did all the other drilling for me.

TP's brake line kit came with everything I needed, even the cool blue fittings (AN aircraft-style) and braided flexible brake lines.

Amazingly, and again thanks to TP and Wilwood, the brake install went without a hitch-and as you can see, Scooter isn't camera shy.

There you have it-the second installment of what's turning out to be an easy and extremely satisfying experience. With the chassis complete (believe it or not, it's only taken two weekends and one couple-hour stint during the week to get this far in the build), the next time we get together it'll be to get my engine and trans assembled and installed. And, just for the record, the drivetrain parts are the result of another flip-through in one of Jim's catalogs (Summit Racing Equipment), with nearly all the parts coming from one source with one Web site order-how easy is that? So, stay tuned and we'll see ya next month. By the way, have you ordered your King T yet? I'm expecting to see you and yours at an event this summer!