I have installed a Complete Disk Brake Conversion Kit in my 57 Century, which consisted of brackets, calipers, hoses, 11" rotors, bearings completely assembled and greased to my original spindles, 7" dual diaphram Booster, with Disc/Drum MC, combination valve, fabricated mounting plate to bolt to original location, All New Components, and was as simplified to install as would be any factory replacement components . Braking has been signifigantly improved. To those that may be interested, I will provide the Company who provided the kit, costs, and a complete and detailed installation description for this application 57/58, as well as pictures. This company can provide kits for All year models, year specific, e.g. under floor models, a remote fill system, etc. :TU:
Sounds like it was an easy conversion. Was this the one that Street Rod Garage was selling? Or is this someone elses kit. Would be great to see your photos and description of the install, costs etc. Thanks, John
Disc Brake Conversions for classic Buicks I have attached details I described in my previous post for all interested
Disc Brakes Conversions Having difficulty loading pictures will keep trying , here they are, there are others but I think you'll see what is necessary.....Rick
Disc Brake Kit Yep you are right 58sled, kit appears pricey, but as I explained in my information about kit and instructions, there are a lot of pros & cons to locating parts, proper fitting, and application etc. It has always been my belief that, new components specifically engineered to your vehicle when upgrading Older cars to modern equipment is the better way to go, especially when dealing with components that could literally cause severe damage or even loss of life, such as the Braking system........Just my 2 cents, P.S how about some details on your progress in upgrading your 58, always interested in how others improve or modernize their Buick................Rick
part #'s Nice job I would be interested in part #'s for a part search in my salvage yard. Did you get the adapter plate(for the power booster) from the same guy you got the conversion kit from cause it looks identical to a plate I had to design for my own 58 a couple years ago. Just curious. Any chance on part #'s for those easy replacment parts? Hard to tell how open someone might be to share that info.
Disc Brake Conversion Kit Parts 58 Buick Special: To answer your request for parts, and bracket. I tried to address this in my install instructions, 1st, the bracket was part of the kit, and was lazer cut to specifically Fit/install the Booster in the 57/58 Buick model. However, providing part numbers that you can use becomes difficult, as you know the 57 Buick was a 1 year model that does not interchange parts with other years. The exception is the booster mount is identical. As I explained requirements are to send your spindles, nut, and steering arms in, as the spindles are machined for the proper fit of the Rotors, brackets, calipers, Seals and bearings, also to allow proper alignment and clearance of steering arm clearance. Although you could purchase a Dual Diagphram Booster, there are the various differences of types, sizes, output PSI, etc., the length and fit of the actuating rod,(as with the extended length in the 57/58 application) the type of MC, Disc/Drum, shallow bore or deep bore, 1" bore vs 1 1/8 bore, pressures vs volume, Combo valves vs porportioning valves, etc. Additionally in my case, I requested a 4 3/4 Bolt pattern which I explained why. Costs of the kit will increase or decrease based on needs, desires. The variables with each kit is addressed by Year specific differences. So although some will think the costs may be some what high, it is my opinion that, the amount of machine work, the expertise of the engineering , the quality of the end result components, (the ease of installation is a result of that), and most importantly, Safety and functional improvement is well worth it. (My opinion only)....I am NOT Advertising for this company, only relating my expierence, satisfaction, and hopefully to inform someone else that may be interested.............Rick
Update Hey Rick I do agree about doing a job correctlly with proper parts and will probably use the kit I just have to plan a little bit to swing that kinda money. I'm not trying to hyjack the thread but to answer your question about the progress on my 58. I've been at a dead end for about 6 months now. I have all my major componets bought and in great conditon: 1964 425 nailhead, 8.8 ford rear end, 700r4 (not built yet). I have been on a waiting list of a guy who is going to fab the 4 link/mount the rear, make a new trans mount, and do all the air bag mounts. He has been running behind due to some illnesses so I am impatiently waiting. Thanks for asking.
I have been receiving numerous requests for supplier info, Please read my previous posts as I have listed the supplier's Web site, as well as details of kit. I am very glad that many have found this info usefull, as this is what this site is all about, helping others, and I continue to enjoy the results of my Kit :TU:
I've been doing some research on this and have found a few people who are attempting to make kits to install later model rotors. Actually this guy Mike has done alot of research and found the same info I found (just much more detailed) Lots of info and links here http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/1958BuickDiscBrakeSwap.htm
Disc Brake kits I Read all the info about research, and don't want to insult anyones efforts, but after reviewing everything on the site and costs, fabrication, and pictures of install, I believe that using the Kit that I did, was the best money I spent for all the previous reasons I outlined. But thats what makes our Hobby what it is, Everyone has their own choice........Rick....... :TU:
Hey - that's my page! Nice to see some of my research going to good use! :laugh: When I did my research, I never ran across the Brake Tech Solutions stuff, so I'd guess that it's new. It's great to see more folks stepping up with good products for these classic rides, but I think my page needs another update... :Comp: Silverfox031, I would very much like to get some additional details from you so my site is accurate in comparing the different options available. Would you be OK with me posting a copy of your pictures on my site? I'd gladly give you credit for the pics and details. I'll also give Anwar a call and chat with him at some point. It looks like the BTS kit is much more reasonably priced than the RRS kit, though it does still requiring machining your original spindles, which I'm not so keen on doing. It also looks like they have created the sort of power brake booster adaptor I had sketched out on my site, and they're already making/selling them, which is even cooler. I'll have to go see if they sell them seperately from the kits. I still need to get that part of my disc brake swap sorted out - too many projects, not enough time. As for comparisons between a complete kit vs. a "piece it together yourself" job, I would 100% agree that the difference is night and day. Sure, my conversion will likely end up costing me about $500-$700 in out of pocket expenses so it will take the low-ball price point if you only look at the money. What you don't see is that I spent a ton of time doing research - and I happened to have a number of parts on hard I could use. I greatly enjoy the "thrill of the hunt" to figure out that these various parts will fit together in new and exciting ways that work well for me. I have huge amounts of fun pouring over catalogs and parts books researching arcane details, then pulling the pieces together to see if they work right or not. For me, it's worth it - this hobby is about having fun, and I'm having fun. Other folks might view this all as something more akin to a visit to the dentist, though. :eek2: The time investment to create a conversion from scratch is tremendous, not to mention the depth of experience that is required to safely pull something like this off. Your life - quite literally - depends on your brakes working when you need them to. Other folks may not have the time, patience, experience, and - most importantly - wisdom to piece together a successful and safe conversion on their own. I think I do, and it's fine and dandy that some folks don't want to or do not feel comfortable doing this. For those folks a pre-made kit is a great thing. The individuals and companies that are providing those kits are to be commended and supported for their efforts. Folks who step out and make and provide these parts and kits are a huge part of the success of our hobby - not eveyone is handy with a welder and grinder. Even I'm in the "more ideas than ability to make them happen" category, and I'm pretty handy with making stuff work in interesting ways. :grin: Seriously, please don't take anything on my site as a disparagement of the fine work places like RRS and BTS are doing. I hope they each sell a lot of kits, and continue to support our hobby. My page was originally a collection of research and details I found relevant as I made my decisions, and it's expanded since then to be more of a reference page on what's out there. If I can help a few more folks figure out how to upgrade their brakes on these great cars - regardless of how they do it - then I'm happy. If they trust their brakes more, they'll drive and enjoy the cars more, and then more folks will get to see these cars out and about. And I think that's a good thing. One final thing, in that attached Word doc, it was stated that you needed a seperate light to use for the brake warning light. I opted to go with a factory style setup where the same light is used for the parking brake and brake failure warning. I don't recall if the '57 Buicks had a parking brake warning light, but my '58 does. In my case, the wiring is a simple as running a wire from the combination valve to the "ground" side of the existing warning light. That way if the parking brake is on, or the brakes have a failure, the light comes on. The idea being that if you hit the brakes while driving, and the big red "brake" light comes on suddenly, you know you have a problem. :shock: It's good enough for the factory systems from '66 all the way into the '90s and beyond, so it should be plenty good enough for any of our conversions. Plus, it's subtle - no extra stuff hanging off the dash, and unless you pop the hood to show off the changes, no one is the wiser. I think that's cool; your opinions and mileage may differ.
Disc Brakes for Classic Buicks Hey, Mike, I posted my info about the Kit I used For anyone that maybe interested, Anyone can use this info anyway they please. I have been building StreetRods and Kustom Cars for over 40 Years, Currently Have a 37 Ford Roadster w/LS1 Eng, with mostly Hand Fabricated features, as well as My 57 Buick Century, and a 69 Buick Sport wagon Kustom w/455/400HP 700R trans,and many Hand fabricated features. I have in the past and currently, do much research to use applicable components for various Builds, however, it has been my experience that, using New vs old or rebuilding older components, usually is the better way to go for dependability and longevity. However, this is My Opinion Only, and It is not intended to reflect poorly to all those that accomplish their Goals through restoration of parts, and the countless hours of research to accomplish their tasks. Thats what the Hobby of Cars is all about and what makes sharing all and any info that others may use a part of the Hobby.............I enjoy very much any input anyone has to assist others and proliferate the enjoyment of Car enthusiasts. I have attached pictures of my other StreetRods for what its worth..............Build them Drive and Enjoy them is My moto.............Rick
Premade Kits vs. Rolling Your Own Rick, thanks for the permission to use the pictures. And that is one mighty fine looking car you posted pictures of. I would guess that it's a bit outside the price range of many folks like myself, though! The difference I was trying to point out between the kits vs. my approach was not so much the "new vs. rebuilt vs. used" part of things, but rather the "pre-made kit vs. piecing it together yourself with some minor fabrication". In the end, I'll likely have all new (or in some cases professionally rebuilt) parts on my conversion - caliper brackets, calipers, pads, rotors, bearings, master cylinder, power brake booster, proportioning valve, and brake lines. While doing mockup work and trying out different ideas (as is common when doing custom work) buying new parts for ever idea can quickly get ridiculously expensive for your average backyard mechanic. Even with used parts, if you guess wrong more than a few times and have to go track down replacement stuff, the cost of "rolling your own" kit can quickly exceed the cost of buying a pre-made kit. You just spend it in bits and pieces instead of all at once. It still adds up, though. If you enjoy piecing things together yourself or want to focus more on custom fabrication and what not, then rolling your own kit can be an attractive option. That said, the new vs. rebuild vs. used discussion is worth pointing out. New is generally best, but it's also the most expensive. In some cases used parts can be substituted if available, but pretty much everything in a disc brake conversion except for the brake lines and the proportioning valve is considered a "wear" item that needs replacement over the typical service life of a regularly driven car. Things like calipers, master cylinders, and even power brake boosters may not wear out as fast as brake pads, rotors, and wheel bearings, but they are all readily available parts that most home mechanics are familiar with working on and replacing. Because these items are so common to replace, if you are able to use parts from production vehicles that have decent replacement parts availability it can be a bg cost-savings. Using readily available professionally rebuilt parts is a safe and economical way to reduce the cost for many people, and the preponderance of rebuilt parts on many daily driven vehicles will attest to the safety of properly rebuilt parts. Master cylinders and calipers are very easy to rebuild - even rebuilding them yourself in some cases - and can be an excellent way to get customized parts. For example, if you want to sandblast and paint/detail your calipers, you're going to have to take them apart. New stuff is available in many cases, which is great, but price is a very sensitive point for many folks. Sure, if funding was not a primary consideration, I'd always opt for a pre-made kit, bolt it on (or maybe even pay someone else to bolt it on , and go cruising. But, funds are always tight, and even a $50-$100 difference at the wrong time can be enough to change a project from possible to impossible. So I work hard to use what I do have (spare time and lots of parts catalogs) to make up for what I don't have a lot of (spare money). Rick, thanks again for sharing what you have learned with others. After 40 years working on custom cars of various sorts, I'm sure you've learned all sorts of nifty things, and we appreciate you sharing some of them with the rest of us. I totally agree with the idea of sharing what I've learned - that's the entire basis for my website, and why I wanted to reply on this thread once I heard about it. I get more than a few mails asking me about this stuff, and for the folks who can afford a kit or are not prepared to invest the time in piecing this sort of conversion together themselves, I want to be able to point them in the right direction.
Sorry to dig up such an old post, but I'm thinking of adding a power booster to my '58... And leaving the drums on. Has anyone done this and would they have any part numbers/fab dimensions to do this?
