Contemplating Disks on my OT near stock [except 305 and 200/4r] 57 moredoor. I've tried all new Drums, Shoes,Cylinders,etc and it just will not stop anywere close to all the newer cars on the road today,so I'm thinking power disks,but I want to keep my wheel covers so I need to stay with 14" wheels. I'm told that there is a Chevy wheel that has a Pentagon shaped center hole in 14" that was for disks and If I weld nubs for the wheel covers they should work. All that leads up to the Question do any of you know what year and model those came on so I can sound at least a little informed at the junk yards or swaps. I would rather not spend the big bucks at the after market. Thanks Ralphie
http://www.danchuk.com/ItemForm.aspx?item=12148 <TABLE id=ItemForm-Main class=Layout><TBODY><TR><TD class="Element MedResImage" vAlign=top align=left> </TD><TD vAlign=top align=left>Item Number: 12148 Designed for the builder who desires a stock look with modern disc brakes, these replacement 14 x 6 wheels accept the full 1957 wheel covers and clear disc brakes. Features Chevy and Ford bolt patterns. Hub caps MUST be fitted prior to painting. Danchuk #12148 will work on any model 1957 classic Chevy using full wheel covers. Will not work with small 210, 150 covers. Oversized shipping required. Danchuk has the largest selection of quality 55, 56, 57 parts for your classic Chevy project. Retail Price: $109.95 EA </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Item Number: 12148 Designed for the builder who desires a stock look with modern disc brakes, these replacement 14 x 6 wheels accept the full 1957 wheel covers and clear disc brakes. Features Chevy and Ford bolt patterns. Hub caps MUST be fitted prior to painting. Danchuk #12148 will work on any model 1957 classic Chevy using full wheel covers. Will not work with small 210, 150 covers. Oversized shipping required. Danchuk has the largest selection of quality 55, 56, 57 parts for your classic Chevy project.
Thanks for the replys but I'm told the Pentagon hole and the fact the cars that wheel was on had disk brakes is what makes them fit. I'm not sure disks were an option in 63 Ralphie
I'd add a power booster before going through the expense of changing out the front drums for discs. May also consider if your shoes have the right type of friction material on them. If set-up correctly, drums can be made to perform well for stops in regular driving (ie; not racing or going down a mountain). A disc that fits behind a 14" wheel won't be very large, which is what really plays a roll in disc braking performance.
Early Camaros (67-69) could be had with 14" wheels and disk brakes. Same for Novas 68-79 and plenty of other mid and large Chevies of that era. Vegas only came with 13s and a 4 bolt pattern.
Interesting. I've a '61 Ford Falcon with the tiny drums (9"), did all that you did, and it stops at least as well as a new car, with better feel to boot. I know the '57 Chevys had narrow drums (1½" wide shoes, IIRC), but 10", so should do as well (mine didn't pose problems like you state). So. Try a master with a slightly smaller bore. This will give a slight power feel, at the expense of a bit more travel. Pay the money for the good shoe material, don't get cheap. Turn the drums to remove any casting irregularities and mould release agents. If possible, arc the shoes (probably you won't find anyone to do this). Make double damn sure the primary and secondary shoes are in place properly. Shorter shoes always, Always, ALWAYS go in front. Longer shoes are always paired with a shorter shoe, never short with short, or long with long. If you get a set like that, send it back to China and BUY AMERICAN!! Or have your old shoes relined. Any contamination, and the shoes are garbage. Throw them out and replace both sides. Remember, when stock, this car's engine idled at about 450 rpm. Modern engines, with modern controls (koff), cannot idle this slow, the computers aren't up to the task. That said, a high idle affects braking to a point. Turn the idle down. Cosmo
The biggest problem with the stock brakes is that they don't self adjust. So after a while the stopping distance will increase. Good components and proper adjustment should give you good stopping power with stock brakes. The more new parts you use the better, right down to the brake fluid. Even so I went with disc brakes on my car. The 14 inch wheels I use are from a '66-67 Nova and are actually rally rims. I have S-10 rotors and calipers on Heidt's drop spindles. Yes, they are smaller than my daily, but I feel the disc brake performs better than the drum. With the addition of self adjusters on the rear, I have had no problem with my brakes.
Thanks again all. I did add self adjusters a while back didn't seem to help any, All these parts came as a kit from classic chevy so maybe it was junk, I'm trying to improve the brakes without spending a lot, so I think I'll see what NAPA has for more agressive shoes. Ralphie
I'm using this on my Falcon but I have not got to try it yet still building has anyone else used one before and if so how is it working out.http://Www.autoworksparts.com/Dual_Brake_Master_Cylinder.htm
Wheels from the GM Cutlass/Regal/Monte Carlo in the late 70's early 80's were 14's, or at least some were. Look for a set of them. They were all disc brake fronts.
I have not found this a problem at all. I simply adjust the brakes at every oik change, just as Ford scheduled. The pedal does always come up a bit, but braking as such does not degrade or improve as such. The problem with using Classic Chevy, or any such supplier is the quality. It's not there. They operate on low profit margins so buy the cheapest possible and sell as high as possible. Then, too, most of the old car aftermarket does not aim towards the daily driver, so the lack of function makes less difference. And they bet on that. Just a 'fer instance': I bought motor munts for my Falcon from Dearborn - the left side lasted two weeks. Found a dealer with OEM Ford mounts, and they're still going strong. Dearborn just doesn't cater to those cars still being driven. Cosmo
X2^ If you want even braking from drums the best is to adjust manually and often. The 60's Mopar drum brake cop cars purposely came without self adjusters for that reason.
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