[ineedalager]

I have a 67 Firebird 326 V8 auto convertible I have just purchased in the UK. It has non power drums brakes all round. I have just bought a brake booster for it and will fit that as soon as it arrives. As I live in the UK there arn't many breakers yards to go and raid parts for a brake conversion but a while ago my brother got some brake discs caliphers and spindles off a 78 cutlass. I have looked on the frequently asked question on another MB and seen that a 78 cutlass spindles won't fit but the discs are in good condition. My question is if I buy a spindle kit would the 78 cutlass discs fit and then I could buy new calphers. I have looked at buying a kit but the shipping cost is horrendous to the UK. I was thinking of something like this off Ebay as a spindle kit and use the cutlass discs and get new pads and caliphers. http://cgi.ebay.com/...RK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

 

[RobC]

Hi Andy

I have a 69 firebird and have fitted Alcon 4 pot calipers from a Subaru Imprezza.I used the original spindles and had an engineering shop make up caliper brackets to fit.I machined off the original discs from the hub.Then fitted The discs over the original wheel studs.The wheel studs were replaced by 10mm longer ones to make up for the thickness of the bell that the disc mounts to.No clearance problems with the rims or suspension.

Rob

 

[TransAmer99]

Andy, Let's get your posts up over the 10-post threshold. Then you will have access to PM. I may have the name of a contact in the U.K (Northants?) that is very handy with machine work. He builds and modifies various parts to fit his 2nd Gen and might be able to assist you as well.

 

[ineedalager]

Andy, Let's get your posts up over the 10-post threshold. Then you will have access to PM. I may have the name of a contact in the U.K (Northants?) that is very handy with machine work. He builds and modifies various parts to fit his 2nd Gen and might be able to assist you as well.

Hi, thanks for the offer but I know a guy who's dad runs a small machine shop here in Swindon and he works in there so machining is not a problem. I am Toolmaker and if I was still in the trade I could do any machining myself.

My plan is get my brake booster fitted first and see how that performs.

Then I need to try those 78 Cutlass discs and caliphers in my wheels to see if the will fit. If they do I am goona go for the spindle kit and build from there.

Thanks Andy

 

[ineedalager]

Well I just got through fitting a 9" brake booster I got from Ebay in the UK. It took me about 2 hours, the hardest part is the lying upside down in the footwell bit trying to remove the old pedal and then refit afterwards. The booster fitting is not that hard you just have to moved the brake master cyclinder up an away from the firewall about 6" to make room to get the booster in and bolted up. I never removed any brake pipes so no brake bleeding was required.

Then the test drive, I must admit I was not expecting much improvement but man was I surprised you hardly have to touch the brake pedal now and bang the brakes are there. Took in up to about 30mph and man it stops now. Before I was pressing really hard with my foot and it was stopping but never inspired any convidence. Now I'm happy and I will shelve my plan for disc brakes!

 

[kellico]

Hi Andy,
I have a 1967 with non power front discs. The guy I bought the car from gave me an old power booster with some other bits, will my non power master cylinders work with the power booster ?
I had a corvette once that I put power brakes on and had to fit a different M/C as they are different size pistons for power or non power.
I would like to stick the booster on and see what difference it would make,
Cheers Mark.

 

[ineedalager]

Hi Andy,
I have a 1967 with non power front discs. The guy I bought the car from gave me an old power booster with some other bits, will my non power master cylinders work with the power booster ?
I had a corvette once that I put power brakes on and had to fit a different M/C as they are different size pistons for power or non power.
I would like to stick the booster on and see what difference it would make,
Cheers Mark.

Hi, it depends on the booster you have this is the one I bought it a 9" chevy booster and comes with two different lenght pins to fit between the booster and the master cyclinder. I needed the longer one which is about 3" long. The other end of the booster has a nut with loads of thread for adjusting to get the brake pedal in the correct postion to fit into the pedal box and just touch the brake light switch enough to turn the brake lights off when your foot's not on the pedal. There is also a u shaped bracket that screws onto that end of the booster and a pin to go through your brake pedal and a split pin. You have to use the lower hole in your brake pedal instead of the top one it's in now as the master cylinder fits horizontal without the booster and goes in at a downward angle with the booster installed. The booster will work with a non power master cylinder because it's the preportioning value that keeps a bit of pressure on both front and rear drum brakes to keep the pistons in the cups. This is what you have to change when you install disc brakes.

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

[kellico]

Hi, it depends on the booster you have this is the one I bought it a 9" chevy booster and comes with two different lenght pins to fit between the booster and the master cyclinder. I needed the longer one which is about 3" long. The other end of the booster has a nut with loads of thread for adjusting to get the brake pedal in the correct postion to fit into the pedal box and just touch the brake light switch enough to turn the brake lights off when your foot's not on the pedal. There is also a u shaped bracket that screws onto that end of the booster and a pin to go through your brake pedal and a split pin. You have to use the lower hole in your brake pedal instead of the top one it's in now as the master cylinder fits horizontal without the booster and goes in at a downward angle with the booster installed. The booster will work with a non power master cylinder because it's the preportioning value that keeps a bit of pressure on both front and rear drum brakes to keep the pistons in the cups. This is what you have to change when you install disc brakes.

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Thanks,
The booster looks like an original firebird one, hard to tell what condition it is in internaly. I will try to stick it on and see how well it works I can always take it off again or replace it with the one in your link.

 

[ineedalager]

Thanks,
The booster looks like an original firebird one, hard to tell what condition it is in internaly. I will try to stick it on and see how well it works I can always take it off again or replace it with the one in your link.

Hi, if the one you've got doesn't fit and I presume you are in the USA it may work out cheaper to buy one from there as that link I used the guy is in the UK

I was goona buy this one until I came across the UK seller. Only thing I will add is I used a 9" booster and it says an 11" will fit but I'm glad I went with the 9" because it leaves room for taller rocker covers and it looks a pretty tight fit anyway.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...sQ5fAccessories

 

[80formula]

When I had my 69, I put dics on from a 72 Grand Prix. Disc will fit from all the earlt big Gms that have the bolt on steering knuckle. All you have to do is put your knuckle on from your drum brakes to make it a work. I had a list of cars somewhere I will see if I can find it

 

[kellico]

Hi, if the one you've got doesn't fit and I presume you are in the USA it may work out cheaper to buy one from there as that link I used the guy is in the UK

I was goona buy this one until I came across the UK seller. Only thing I will add is I used a 9" booster and it says an 11" will fit but I'm glad I went with the 9" because it leaves room for taller rocker covers and it looks a pretty tight fit anyway.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...sQ5fAccessories

I am also in the UK (cheshire) so that link will be very handy thanks

 

[ineedalager]

Well just took the Firebird around to my brothers place and he went for a test drive. He's a car mechanic and he agrees the brakes are that good now I don't need to upgrade to discs. He said your brakes are better than mine. He has a 56 Chevy Belair 350 Auto that has been upgraded to power discs on the front. So I'm happy

 

[ineedalager]

Well just took the Firebird around to my brothers place and he went for a test drive. He's a car mechanic and he agrees the brakes are that good now I don't need to upgrade to discs. He said your brakes are better than mine. He has a 56 Chevy Belair 350 Auto that has been upgraded to power discs on the front. So I'm happy

Well I went ahead with the Disc brake conversion because some one had fitted new brake shoes to the front drums after the old ones had worn down to the rivets. This made 1/16" deep groves in the drums. So I either needed them skimmed or new drums. I also needed new cylinders. I could never get the front brake adjusted well enough to make the car pull up straight. So I found an ad on Ebay for some brackets to use my spindles with 1990 Chevy Celebrity calipers and 1978 Chevy Monte Carlo discs. My brother had some 1978 Oldmobile Cutlass discs which are the same part number. So I had them skimmed and fitted everything and the car pulls up nice and straight now with a more progressive feel to the pedal. I just need to fit my new disc drum preportioning valve to finish things off. The cost of doing this was only slightly more than new drums new cylinder and new shoes and half the cost of one of those complete disc conversion kits as the cost of shipping them to the UK is $320 because of the weight!

I was also able to reuse my 14" dia Crager front wheels which gave enough clearence. I think the Oldmobole discs I used where 10 1/2" dia
I didn't want the extra cost of shelling out for 15" wheels for the fronts as the previous owner had fitted 15s of the back and 14s on the front!

 

[ineedalager]

Picture of my new disc brake set up