Need to update to disc brakes... I've been putting this off for too long. Any comments on the disc brake upgrade kits from Summit? I have rebuilt the front end about 8 years ago with a kit from PST, all polygraphite with new ball joints. The car is not a daily driver or a road racer, just a weekend warrior with some straight line track time. I currently have power aluminum drums up front & they don't hold very well at the line... red lighted a few times with the brake lock, rather embarrassing! Already started searching threads for info but haven't found much on the kits just parts from the wrecking yards & specialty suspension shops. Thanks for the help... again! Ken
I'll b watching this thread too...My pwr. drum brakes r marginal at best, especially trying 2 stop at the track! I always take the last turn around!
Check our vendor spot Monday and I'll post a description and price on the complete kit (economy but good) that we have. edit: I checked our site and the kit is listed under the first section in the catalog. Everything for the conversion as a kit is 595.00. We have installed several and they work great. Mark Then and Now Auto
I know that feeling. I've had a few races where we were both trying to stop & hit the last turn out. It's fun making power & going fast (with class) but at some point I guess you got to stop...
I just did a full disc brake swap on my 72 skylark.I got the kit from summit the brand was called Stainless Steel Brakes.It was really really easy to install and the discs are cross drilled and slotted,they work great.I dont know if how many pistons the calipers have matter to you or not but the summit kits calipers are only one piston,I say that because guys at my school were all bragging about having wheelwood kits with 4 piston calipers lol.The only thing is that the spindles drop the front end 1".
Wildwood kits are nice, I've looked into them. For the amount of driving time & the type of driving I'm doing, I'm not too concerned with a high dollar brake setup, a single piston design should be fine. If I was driving hard or road racing then I would definitely get the best setup. I didn't know the Summit setup would drop the front end 1". I see they have the drop spindle kit also, is this the one you got? I don't have too much more room to be dropping the front end!
Uh no I just got http://store.summitracing.com/partd...&N=700+4294925079+4294908256+115&autoview=sku It doesnt say on the website that it drops it 1" but when you open it up the instructions say they do.
Hey man i got the summit brand kit off of there website a few months back and i love it!!! They stop alot better then the old drums. i was impressed by the easy of install. Only thing is the kit i bought was the lowest kit you can get, and does not come with the required proportioning valve or master cyclinder. I would recommend this kit to anyone trying to do things on a budget! p.s. get a really good brake bleeder system! you will need it. bleeding brakes from scratch is a real pain.
You need to check these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GM-4...62QQcategoryZ33564QQihZ012QQitemZ220412506866 Give them a call. I've used their kits on several cars. :TU:
I have never understood why the spindles had to drop 1" for disc brakes. Perhaps someone could enlighten me. BTW I will never ever ever buy or recommend SSB. I bought my kit from them and had all kinds of problems, and all I got from their tech line is "well I've never heard of that before". -Bob C.
That's a good price from 60 to 0 conversions considering you get all 4 wheels done. It would be nice to have 4 wheel disc brake setup. Do they use standard GM components, and are there rotors 11"? The Summit kit has the deluxe kit that has the cross drilled rotors, for normal street driving is this a benefit?
I'm sure that I'm going to pi$$ someone off, but this is just my humble opinion. o No: I have used a kit and I have used junk-yard parts, and I like the junk-yard parts better. The kit started out cleaner but I have noticed no discernible difference. Except, of course, the price. ou: Last year I bought a whole car for $600 and it came with the spindles, bearings, calipers, rotors, lines, master cylinder, booster and the proportioning valve, all in good working condition. additionally, I got all the connectors, nuts & bolts. :TU: As a bonus, I got 2 good fenders and a grill to use on my 71 wagon and many other parts to sell on this board. :beers2: I am pretty tight with :dollar: , but my labor's almost free. Also, this advice is probably worth what you paid for it. :laugh: Good luck which ever way you go. :grin:
I've looked at the yards over the years & it's really difficult to find the parts. I usually end up going home empty handed. I've followed other pots here about using parts from newer cars like the Granadas etc. but don't know if I want or need to get that involved in the steering geometry $ changing A arms.... I usually hit the local yards about once every few months but most of the stuff is newer.
I'm doing this conversion right now. To put it simple enough, you can save a LOT of money buying what you need from a place like AutoZone, especially of you're just cruising the car around. Calipers are $30 each (+14 per core) and rotors are $52 each. That leaves you to find the brake lines ($75 for Earl's from Summit) a master Cylinder ($26 from AutoZone), spindles and the proportioning valve. You'll also need the lines from the PV to the Master Cylinder. Unless you use an aftermarket PV you'll need to aquire one from a junkyard donor. The disc brake spindles are pretty much available anywhere. The complete kits are nice but I think in the end you may save some money buying most of the things seperate. Just shop around!!
One time I used a proportioning valve fron an S-10. It came with a neat little bracket and lines that kept it close to the Master Cylinder. You may also be able to use the lines from the proportioning valve to the frame. Here's a pic: Some people call me a "Hack", but most of the time my unorthodox style works for me. :laugh: Several months ago someone on this board said that you could use S-10 spindles & rotors. o No:
At first glance the physical similarities between the S-10 Valve and the Bendix valve make me think that the S-10 version would work. Anyone else tried it?
I did this 4-wheel-drum to 4-wheel-power-disc conversion on my 68 GS clone project. I can't remember the ebay outfit I got the kit from, but it looks a lot like the one I see here. I cannot say to not go the ebay route, but just be careful. Check the parts you get thoroughly. Don't set the box in the garage for 2 months like I did. I got 2 right-wheel calipers, the wrong length booster pushrod, 1 of the 4 front caliper pins was too short. They ultimately sent me the right stuff, so it turned out OK. Might have been a different story if hadn't waited to post my ebay feedback until I'd started the installation! Also, I got all-SS brake lines too. Very nice. IMAO, it's the only way to go. I don't care if the OEM-purists say "but it's not stock!" There's no fault in upgrading to the best braking system components. I feel much better about my 18-yr-old son driving this car now.
we used them in high school when we built a cobra kit car. didnt have a problem. i would recomend them to anybody. but thats my opinion. is this the thread you are talking about jeff? http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=174258
I have also read that if you get Monte Carlo brake hoses, that they are a little longer and therefore more forgiving on the install
