Riviera Disc Brakes??

Discussion in 'A boatload of fun' started by dre, Jun 27, 2009.

  1. dre

    dre Active Member

    What year did Rivera get disc brakes? Can that year be swapped out with the 1966 Riviera?

    reason i am asking is i finally got the Rivera out on the road after putting in new brake booster, master cylinder and bleeding the system. When i hit the brakes i feel the brake pulsing which i assume means the drums are warped. I check around on line and only found 1 place that makes them for $100 each. Well if i do the front end that is $200 minimum for just drums and not including pads, spring kit and probably shipping for all parts or tax. It got me thinking i could by the scarebird kit for $500-600 but i don't have that kind of money laying around so maybe i could go to the junk yard and find a donor car and take those parts for alot cheaper. any ideas?

    I posted this in the whoa sawy section but not a single response, any help is appreciated. Thank You.
     
  2. The short answer is, optional beginning in 1967, standard (front) in 1971. A rare option in the 67-69 cars. While boosters, calipers, pads and masters are still available, rotors would seem to be made of solid unobtanium. Before you go down that rat-hole, consider a number of alternatives:

    DFBrakes has full 4-wheel kits. $1189 turn key, or you can save a few bucks by only buying the front and rear brackets, and then go out and buy the components yourself through NAPA, Rock Auto, etc.

    Scarebird sells the front and now rear brackets, and like DF you go shopping for the components - booster, master, proportioning valve, calipers etc., using the grocery list they provide. They do NOT sell the full turn-key kits as DF does.

    Braketech Solutions requires you to send them your spindles, they send you back the converted spindle-rotor assemblies, along with booster/master, prop valve and calipers, you install everything.

    Of these, I've done Braketech and Scarebird, before I found DF Brakes. Removing spindles, then shipping them, unless you're planning to rebuild the front end anyway (I did) is a LOT of trouble. Scarebird is a bolt-on option and they now offer rear brackets as well as front, just as DF does (but cheaper). All these options use late-model, readily available and reasonably priced components - much cheaper and easier than trying to piece together an OEM setup from the late 60's. Unless you're a concours level factory-only fetishist, these other three options are much more reasonable.:rolleyes:

    The last option is keeping your drums. Steel drums are now made, I don't have a source, but I've heard they cost upwards of $250 a pop. :dollar: :shock: Fine, as long as you plan your stops a week ahead of time, or you never drive in rain but by now I'm sure you know first hand the shortcomings of 60's vintage non-linear braking technology, even with the most gigantic aluminum front drums ever made, and how much fun they are to work on.:Dou:
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2009
  3. RAMKAT2

    RAMKAT2 Randy

    I am still in the planning stages of a 4 wheel disc brake conversion on my 67 Riviera. Just for grins I pulled the drum and hub assembly off of my parts car, and slid on a front hub/rotor from a 96 chevy half ton pickup. It fits right on, and even uses the same bearing size and spacing as the 67 Riviera hubs. It has a slightly smaller radius on the inside race of the bearing which could be a problem with the 67 spindle, but 67 Riviera inner wheel bearings and races are the same width, O.D. & I.D. as the truck bearings. You would still have to fabricate brackets (Unless the Scarebird brackets will work with that rotor/hub combination). Maybe someone here can tell us which factory rotors are used with the Scarebird conversion.
    I decided to go with larger rotors (and 17" wheels) on my 67, and I am going to design my 4wheel disc system using late model Grand Cherokee front rotors (2006 12.92" x 1.18" rotors on the front, 2004 12.00" x 1.03" rotors on the rear) with fabricated caliper brackets. That way I get to keep the Buick 5x5 bolt pattern. You also have to reduce the O.D. of the rear axle flange a little to get the 2004 rotor on.
    The drum brakes on a 67 Riviera are OK for parade duty, but won't cut it for high performance use. Later, Randy
     
  4. The Scarebird setup calls for '74 Riviera rotors, and 92 Chevy Astrovan calipers.
     
  5. The drum brakes sure don't cut it for normal use either. Panic stop? Always results in a skid, and heavy rain and deep puddles are a complete disaster with drum brakes...
     
  6. RAMKAT2

    RAMKAT2 Randy

    I think the 71-76 Riviera rotors are the same as the other full size GM rotors that used the 5x5 bolt pattern. They also fit the 5 lug half ton chevy and GMC trucks from 73 to 87. I believe they are 12" diameter and 1.25" thick. A search on napaonline.com could verify that. They give dimensions on nearly all of their brake rotors, which really helps when you are looking for a specific size as opposed to a specific model. Later, Randy
     
  7. dre

    dre Active Member

    Erik Thank you for the info. I started looking into the scarebird brackets and writing down the parts they listed, so far i have listed the following:

    71-76 Riviera rotors (2)
    90-02 Astro Van AWD Calipers (2)
    inner/outer wheel bearings (4)
    Seals (2)
    59 Chrysler Imperial hose (2)
    Scarebirg brackets (1 set)
    ---------------------------------
    So i have priced out about $450 just for these parts no tax or shipping.

    am i missing anything else?

    I just installed new brake booster and master cylinder, can i use that with the wheel conversion? or do i have to buy a different booster and cylinder?
     
  8. dre

    dre Active Member

    Came across this advertisment on another buick website:

    http://www.wrightconnection.net
    New Complete Disc brake conversion kit 64-72 Buick $600.00
    [​IMG]

    Anyone familiar with them?
     
  9. FJM568

    FJM568 Well-Known Member

    Not familiar with them, but that setup is most likely for the A-body(Skylark, Chevelle, Cutlass, etc.)
     
  10. dre

    dre Active Member

    sent them an email to verify they make 1 for 1966 Riviera GS, waiting for a response.
     
  11. Yardley

    Yardley Club Jackass

    I installed the Scarebird setup on my Riv.

    In order for the brakes to be decent here's what I found:

    1) You need to install a disc brake master cylinder because it has a larger diameter piston in it.

    2) You need to install a factory Hold Off valve on the front brakes (it is incorrectly referred to as a proportioning valve - the real term is Hold Off Valve... it "holds off" applying the front brakes until there is a set amount of pressure in the rear brakes).

    3) You need to plumb a 10 pound residual valve in the rear brakes.

    This takes some custom brake line making and bending, which requires you to make double flares on the ends of the lines you make. Not a job for everyone. My system is super now and feels as good as most other cars I drive.
     
    Lucy Fair likes this.
  12. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Drum brakes stop just as well as discs. Its repeated high speed stops where the drums start to experience problems. I would look into your drum system to see whats wrong if you guys are having problems. My drum brake Riv stops on a dime with 9 cents change.

    personally I find no difference between discs and drums in a Riv
     
  13. Dale

    Dale Sweepspear

    I'm with Jason. :Smarty:

    I've said it here before that a well maintained set of these drum brakes are more than adequate on these heavy cars.
    I'm speaking from my own experiences from when I was younger and took a lot more chances and well, drove like I was invincible.

    Sure drums suck if they get wet, but how often these days are you driving your old Buick through deep water?
    And discs fade out when hot too, maybe not as quickly, but they do.

    I don't care if someone wants to do the disc conversion, that's cool.
    But these Buick brakes were renowned for their stopping abilities. Now, 40+ years later they are unsafe?


    Ok for parade duty.
    :rolleyes:
     
  14. RAMKAT2

    RAMKAT2 Randy

    Sorry guys, I ain't buying it. When I first bought my 67 I was 22 years old, and made my living turning wrenches in a local auto shop. I installed new semi-metallic brake shoes, new wheel cylinders, springs, and a new master cylinder in my Riviera on all 4 wheels. The drums were turned and in spec, and I could overdrive those brakes on dry pavement any day I tried. The 3rd hard pull slowing down for a sharp corner (I loved those blacktop country backroads) would make the front brakes fade so bad you thought you were gonna die for sure. The aluminum front drums expand more than the iron rear drums when you get them really hot, and they just fade away. 70% of your braking power comes from the front wheels and tires. When that is gone, the 30% that is left ain't gonna be enough to save you.
    Been there, done that, and lived to tell the story. You can have them if you want, but I won't go back with anything but 4 wheel discs on mine.
    Later, Randy
     
    Lucy Fair likes this.
  15. V8TV

    V8TV Well-Known Member

  16. RAMKAT2

    RAMKAT2 Randy

    Factory A-body and X-body cars use the smaller 11" discs like the Jamco kit has. As heavy as the Riviera's are, it would be better with at least a 12" setup as long as it would fit inside the 15" factory road wheels.
     
  17. r0ckstarr

    r0ckstarr Well-Known Member

    My drum brake Riv stops better than my Ranger, and the Ranger has ABS disc brakes.
     
  18. RAMKAT2

    RAMKAT2 Randy

    I would say the weight distribution and center of gravity on a small pickup has more to do with the difference in brake performance between your truck and your Riviera than the type of brakes it has. My 98 Riviera and my 02 Silverado both have 4 wheel discs with ABS, and will nearly throw you through the windshield during a panic stop, something my 67 would never do. A 3000lb Ranger against a 4400lb Riviera isn't really an "apples to apples" comparison.
     
    Lucy Fair likes this.
  19. r0ckstarr

    r0ckstarr Well-Known Member

    I was just saying that my 43yr old car stops better than my 13yr old truck.

    On wet roads, that's a different story....
     
  20. CTX-SLPR

    CTX-SLPR Modern Technology User

    I'm building, admitably very slowly, a front disc brake kit for my '64 Riviera using Nissan R32 Skyline 4 piston calipers, C5 Z06 rotors, 65-70 Drum brake hubs, and custom caliper brackets. The 66-70 spindles will work better so I'm trying to see if they will swap onto my '64. Right now the missing parts are the rotors so I could mockup the brackets out of plexi.

    Thanks,
     
    Lucy Fair likes this.

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