One of the things I've learned (often "the hard way"); is that when you're dealing with a bunch of committed enthusiasts (read:fanatics) such as those of us around here, there are very tightly held - not to mention very diverse -opinions of "What is exactly right!". Look at other discussions as people are working on their Mustangs.... "Getting rid of Ford's cheap xxxxxxxxxx!" "Why did they do that???" etc, etc, etc. Your original-design drop spindles met one of those first needs.
When the idea of making them "drum-type" spindles came up; "cries of joy!" as they would accomodate so many different brake designs that were already adapted to the drum spindle. This was important; because there are so many diverse designs, and so many diverse "backers" of each design. "FRE's disk-conversion is better than Acme's!" "Yeah, but the Thunder-chicken big brakes are great, even better if you use Chevro-mob-lac calipers!" You were serving a here it comes again) diverse market. You actually had even me initially, because I couldn't find any entity that had a solution for my factory disc spindles to go to larger brakes. The only thing that at first caused me to balk was the "drop" - I wasn't so sure that I wanted to lower my Coug. Plans change, I'm a convert.
If you think this is bad; you should live in my world; with two other competitors in the "Internet Broadband" market. We're less expensive (by half)than both; but
1.)The speed numbers on our price-leader product are "lower' than the cable company (that's deceptive because of the different delivery configurations, but subject of another discussion)
2.) You have to plug our modems into a phone jack. No the TV cable won't work (wrong company); and they don't pull the internet out of thin air (the third company).
Still I end up taking "It won't work! (because I don't have a phone jack near my computer)" calls; as well as "It's too slow! (Because, at 3AM on a Tuesday with everybody else in bed, the cable modem gives me real 3Mb/second on "Bob's Broadband Speed Test Page"; whereas your cheap-a$$ product only gives me 1.5!)"
"Yes, but ours does 1.5 all day, regardless of what time it is or who else is on!" The fact that we sell 7Mb service as well, doesn't come into play; because "It costs almost as much as a cable-modem!"
Diversity - ain't it a wonderful thing? Everybody has their own opinions about what is right; and you know what they say about opinions - even yours and mine.
I think there is something to be learned from this though - people are willing to pay more for what they want, regardless of how right it is.
I personally would pay EXTRA to use any brakes i want. But, like has been said before, as long as I can cut it off and use whatever I want, I don't care what you add on to this thing! Grinding wheels and sand paper rolls can fix anything - except a lack of metal