disc brake conversion kits????????????? expert opinions?

Well just eye balling it its about 9 in long and 5 inch from cap down. Its a 1985 F-250. I am not sure but iit seems to have a lot of adjustment in the rod to the pedal?? This could be why it is popular? It is very sleek and aluminum, light,.. I looked at a jeep with the electronic master-booster Sweeet! but they are 1500.00 Not today!

Hey Digz ! what did you use for a Master cylinder? Your photos look like 2 different ones??

I started out with a 2nd gen dual MC and then switched to the 79 firebird one. I doubt I gained anything other than fluid capacity. if it doesnt work out will be going your way next . Got a chance to talk to a cousin of mine recently who works around such stuff and he said alot of guys are going with the truck MCs with a 1-1/8 bore. I think ya got a 95 MC there btw ?

Hey Digz The 79 firebird master cylinder is either a 1" bore used for 4 wheel manual disc brakes or a 1 ans 1/8" bore used on power brakes.

I did have the 1+1/8" bore on the four wheel disc on my van without a booster and ya; you have to push on the peddal somewhat harder, Nothing a 170 lb person can't handle but a smaller person might have a problem. The feds say it has to take 90lbs push at the pedal to achive full braking. That way even a small person can stop it.

I think the genneral problem with our vans having lower brake pedals is the geometry of the pedal itself. I will study that.

I did just today find a rear disc brake problem that is taking away about 1/2" of my pedal. my parking brake is only happening on one side!!! and the pedal does feel alot higher when the park bvrake is on. I did ratchet out the caliper pistons during installation and prior to installing the park brake lever just like my GM maintenance manual says to do it but still. One caliper you can pull the brake lever untill it touches the other casting stop and it still has not applied the pads enough to act as a park brake. Even though these are rebuilt calipers it is clear to me now that one piston is not self adjusting the way it should and this is leading to a lower peddal. The problem it the rachet inside the piston so I will firat try to locate the level one flat tighter. If that dosnt work I will have to rebuild the caliper.

M1D

Everything went pretty smooth on my '67 until I installed the sway bar... Caliper hits the bracket... so I made some new ones.

Excellent solution. I tried using a 2nd gen swaybar on my 1st gen trying to take advantage of that built in drop for the M/C, but it wasa no-go because of some clearance issues I cant remember now. That may have been one of them.

Going thru a lot of older threads this morning while it was raining. I was wondering how Bill's disc conversion was going?? I'm still getting the low pedal on the 1st try but its there, no problem with a slight pump , stops fine otherwise. don't know if I'm chasing air or if fluid volume on the M/C is still the issue. Nothing to keep me from driving it for now anyway. Something else to put on the "before next season" list.

That darn sway bar thing eh!
Its always been a thorn in but, that we couldn't work around it.

M1D

Digz, If it was me you were asking about on the disk brakes they are not done yet ,all the parts are in and the shop doing it is trying to finish up a couple of custom projects in the back shop before I bring the van to them. by the way your van looks great and it looks like you might be getting a little drive time in. Bill

Well, I guess if you really have your heart set on disc brakes and you have some money that's burning a hole in your pocket........go for it.
However, I would suggest you take a good look at high performance drum brake shoes before you take the plunge.

Example #1: 1964 Olds F-85, factory power drum brakes (new shoes) with a built 330 engine......................stopping was exciting! Horrific brake fade on one high speed stop! Replaced front brake shoes with semi metallic ones from Ott's Friction Supply; the same material used on Semi Truck brakes.
The Olds, now with a 455, runs the 1/4 in 13 seconds and change at over 100 mph, stops with confidence. BTW, disc brakes weigh a lot more than drum (more unsprung weight too).
Cost: $80/axle.

Example #2: 1967 Pontiac Firebird OHC 6 with factory non power drum brakes. Replaced front shoes with same shoes as mentioned above. Now the car stops like it has power brakes. Cost: $80/axle.

Yes, I will be installing these same shoes on the Van.

63

m1dadio wrote:That darn sway bar thing eh!
Its always been a thorn in but, that we couldn't work around it.

M1D

It's just part of the conversion.

If I could just bolt everything on, and not have to fabricate anything, I wouldn't have as much fun rebuilding the van.

One of these days I need to write it all down so down the road I'm not trying to figure out what I used, and how I did it.

yep 63 them shoes is a great update i use raybestos have for years on all my drum vehicals. i had them on my 56 and they woahed her down good.

Hey 63,

I like what your saying. I had disc brake plans because I'm putting in the V8, but along with the 20 other things I want to do, I can't see the end to this project, so I'm falling for the easy alternative and this is just what I wanted to hear.

Cheers,

Heavy

Scott wrote:
Hey Mo,

How much did you move in when you cut the new bracket? I'm a little ways off, but I'm going to have to work around the same problem. I have some 1/4" angle iron, just a matter of cutting them out.[/color]

I moved the hole that the sway bar link bolt into over 1". The driver side fit great also... doesn't interfere with the steering arm...If I would of made the brackets 1/2" longer it would of been close to hitting the steering arm.

63chevyvan ,I couldn't agree with you more the upgraded drum brakes would do the job on my van just fine and this sounds crazy but yes I do have the money for the disk brakes burning a hole in my pocket! I have been working like a crazy man for the last 4 months and the disk brakes are a luxuriuos treat ,I need to do the dual master cyl and front brakes anyway so what the heck! Bill

I see the idea of keeping the origninal drums with higher perf shoes is a good idea. However, it seems predicated on the idea of putting in power boost. That looks like some real modification to the MC bracket gizmo on at least the 1st Gen. I am thinking Disks so I can get better braking without vacuum boost. And, since I'm a heavy guy putting down a lot of peddle pressure is a given in a fast stop. Anybody here say the disks stop faster than the drums. I just assumed it would yet wonder if anybody has actually tested them.

Also, I do not like the handbrake set-up and am lookiing to convert to a lever type hand brake that I can mount at the edge of my doghouse. I like the ones seen on old panel vans with the twist cap that allows one to tighten up the brakes without getting under the truck. Has anybody seen a supplier of those as I haven't found them on the Internets.

Thanks and happy motoring, Mark

Those hand b rakes I have found looking up industrial equipment. Thats what is used on fork lifts and such machinery

M1D

Some trucks also use those kind of E brake set-ups , stuff in the 24-28,000 range Chevrolet or GMC Top Kick with disc brakes, mid 80's I know for sure did. They are mounted on the firewall but should go vertical no problem. Might find something in a good salvage yard .

In example #2 , the 67 Firebird is a non power drum brake , manual steering, OHC 6 car. Just the front shoes were replaced and the pedal effort is comparable to a vac boost. Just think of how fast it will stop when the rear shoes are replaced.

Ask me how it can be made to steer easier without power steering.

High performance drum brakes are not a new idea. A 64 Stingray I owned years ago, had factory sintered iron power drum brakes; the hotter they got, the better the stopped.

Was concerned about an earlier comment that the disk brakes are heavier than drum as I really like to reduce rotational weight when possible. Just got my Transam rear disks to go on the front of my '65 and found they are just under 15.5 lbs. while the rusted and old drums were just over 16.5 lbs. I got the lighter, ventilated disks and because they are undersized (typically) rear disks they are probably just over a pound lighter than the drums. No big deal yet I've heard that a rotational pound is like 4 to 7 on the body. I'm sure the physics really vary with mass and circumfernence yet I was glad I saved even a tad of weight.

The difference in total unsprung weight would also include the calipers and the mounting brackets.

63