Technical I need good disc brakes on my Willys but I hate the look of new parts!

I have a few sets of Airheart calipers and brackets but no rotors, I would much rather run those but parts are scarce!

This may be my only choice:

 

I have these anglia brakes but I worry about safety with machining my 42 Ford spindle

 

Look into Volvo 122.

 

Those calipers are for a really light car, or for rear brakes. Volvo discs were used on a lot of 1970s street rods, but are designed for a car that weighs well under 3000 lbs.

You probably have to spend some time thinking about the trade offs of your available choices. You can get better drum brakes, you can get those small ugly modern street rod disc brakes, you can get more expensive aftermarket brakes like Wilwoods, you could do some research and see if there is a larger, older, foreign brake that will fit, or a different early US brake.

You'd probably be better off with stock brakes than with way undersized disc brakes.

I've been in a similar situation, I either used stock drums, or Wilwoods.

 

What does it matter what they look like if they are hidden by the wheels? I'd rather have an ugly brake that stops well than a pretty one that is weak or marginal for what I was using the car for.

 

Kidney bean style wheels hide disc brakes pretty well along with flat black paint. Spoke’s don’t. What are you using?

 

The brakes are about the only thing on my Chevy II that look way out of place....I don't like that. One of these days I'll figure out something to do about it.

 

I've heard drum brakes are lighter than disc brakes. And they are traditional.

 

It depends which disc brakes you get. Those in his first picture are pretty heavy, those in the second are pretty light.

 

But can they stop a blown Hemi!

 

I actually use Volvo's on my Willys axle and they are great! The Ford spindle is larger but I bet I could machine the spindle to accept the Willys hubs.

 

That would depend on speed and how fast you need to stop.

 

Fred Flintstone had no problem...just need bigger feet....

 

I adapted 70s Ford torino disks to my stock '36 Willys axle.

 

I run either rally wheels or 5 spoke mags. I use dust covers (cheap) between wheel and hub. really cant say i have ever had an issue seeing disc brakes from the backside .I think street rodder had article on how to use, wait for it, a SS pan bolted on backside to hide rotor.
Of course my buddy has to have his red caliper showing behind wheel....

 

You guys need to get out more...

Now that everything has at least disc front brakes, there's a lot of choices if you're willing to get off the 1-800 train and do some fab work and maybe some light machine work. I'll throw these out as a possibility... late '90s T-bird discs. Considerably more compact caliper compared the 'generic' '70s GM calipers most use, simple mount, and the rotor is separate from the hub allowing you keep the OEM hub. Downside is the bolt pattern is metric, but there's a Mustang rotor that interchanges that has the standard Ford 4.5-on-5 pattern. Or redrill to suit. Will fit in a 15" wheel, maybe even a 14. These 'Birds weigh almost 4000 lbs, so these should be more than enough brake as long as no road-racing is involved. Under $200 will get you the calipers, rotors and pads...

 

This is a great discussion. I’m looking for disc brake options for a 37-41 Willys axle that I’m thinking of using on my 63 Chevy II gasser project. Please post any appropriate solutions.

 

I machined a lot of spacers for the kits a friend of mines' chassis shop sold to convert Volvo 122S disc brakes many years ago, one reason I suggested Volvo was because of the non vented rotors which have a more period racecar look to them.
The limited availability nowadays is a downside though.

 

Hey drumyn29;
I suppose, iffen you're interested in a period(for the HAMB)-piece disc setup that works decent, & probably not too hard to adapt, you'd cast a wandering gaze towards the caliper n solid-rotor used on '63->66 Studes(C/K, Lark, Avanti). Also used on the 64->66 Shelby mustangs & K-coded mustangs, early Jag XKE(IIRC), & ~72 Toyota Corolla MarkII. I believe they were made by Girling. Parts are available again, at least thru a lot of Stude Vendors,at not too stupid of a price. (well, before the last round of political idiocracy, anyways.). Think I've got a couple of sets around here, both on & off, of cars.
Marcus...

 

Rattle can hi temp flat black. Lightly fog on Red oxide primer to satisfaction. False parina'd and roll.

 

I suppose you don't have a 40's ford hub to compare to the avanti do you.

 

No, all I have is a 32 heavy w/the 5-spoked drums laying around. Which is buried under snow n ice right now. The Toy brake set is all together, but off car. Stude stuff is under the cars. I can see if I can get some measurements for you. Might be abit though. I could also send some pics via text, if you want. Guessing you'd need caliper brackets homemade, should be similar to the Volvo. These calipers use a small pad, &, iirc, a single piston. Should be useful on an oem willys axle, as they're not super-stoppers. Worked well on a stude, ~2800-3200lb, =/- . There's always better, but sometimes not needed. I'll pm you my ph#.
Marcus...

 

I have a pair of New Old Stock solid non-vented 4-hole rotors from a Renault. I bought these for an Anglia project before acquiring an Opel GT IFS so they were never installed. If they are of interest please PM me.

 

Actually not that bad

3 piston.
(pic from Ebay "new right front caliper Volvo 122 p1800 3 piston 61 to 68" $170)

I thought so. They did a 122 Amazon on Wheeler Dealers once
Mike

 

Hey, Mike;
Volvo setup is decent. Tex Smith talked about those & reco'd them(or at least a Volvo setup. Have to find the article(s) to check. I was referring to the Stude setup, n doing it from memory. Since I haven't seen mine since ~ late nov under the snow. & it's been a few years since I've had one apart. & am too lazy to look it up in a stude parts dealer site... .
Marcus...

 

Marcus I'm easily confused I do remember thinking the Volvo 3 piston thing was cool when I saw it on the TV. Mike

 

What discs are you using on your Willys hubs.

 

Do brakes CARE about the engine?

Ben

 

Volvo 122

 

Are they Volvo 122 rotors or Willys hubs with Volvo discs. Timken 15112 is the number for the inner cone on a Volvo 122 if this helps for size.