Is there a disc brake that adapts well to the stock '39 willys front axle? I seem to remember a Hot Rod article about Bill Burch's pick up having '67 or so Mustang discs with a spacer or ring but can't find the article. Making a caliper bracket seems simple. any tips? Thanks
Find some rotors about the right size and measure the length between the bearings until you find something that is close. Then match inner and outer bearing sizes to the spindle and hub. Your local bearing distributor should have a listing. A spacer or sleeve or combination of both may be required to match things up. As you noted, a caliper bracket should be simple. My brother put Granada discs on Econoline spindles on his 27 T build and did it this way. All his club buddies said that it could not be done but I guess that they are used to getting stuff from "1-800 too dumb to figure it out". This is what true hot rodding is all about. Roo
Thanks for the response. Finding those bearing sizes seems to be shrouded in mystery at parts stores. Have to get an old parts book.
There was a few people making disc kits but with all the problems with sue happy people they do not want to sell them anymore. I can put you in touch with someone who will supply what you need and all you have to do is sign a waver that you will not sue them if you get drunk and wreck your car.
I have scratch built a disc brake set up for a race cars and renegineered another after the fancy aircraft hi $ brakes failed twice (he says he lost the pucks both times. I wasnt there and my pal bought it later so who knows?) It wasnt really hard to do. A lot easier than I thought it would be when we first set up to do it. First thing i did was choose a calipher. Dodge minivan was my choice. Next i got aftermarket hats and the thicker rotors from Summit. Then I built a mounting bracket and a bolt on plate that holds the calipher in the centre of the rotor. The aftermarket hats come with multi bolt patterns and are not expensive. They will assemble two ways which give you two main distances to work from to get it where you want it. I used in both cases the closer one. All in all it took a couple of partial days to do. Cost was around $200 and the one car I am still in contact with. It has worked flawlessly since we did it. In fact i suspsect the old owner who gave up on it because of the brake issue is kicking his butt now. I think it has been about 7 or 8 years with no trouble. When i built the Hemi Jeep I posted the disc fab deal in that HAMB thread and it might still be around. These were both rear discs but front are exactly the same only with a flex line. Someone asked me about the conversions just the other day. I though it was a lot easier than say making a set up for bendix style shoes would be,. Really it is quite simple. Make the brackets strong and make it true or centred in the rotor and it will work well. I used the mnivan deals because of the ease of buying repair parts. Can be gotten anywhere which to me is important. I did the math first they are more than up to the job even on an 8 second RED which one car was. On the streeet they already have a proven record. Some guys use GM truck calipher too. Whatever turns your crank as long as they are from a car of similar weight (or more for the safety factor.) Hardest part of the job was getting started as it seemed too big a job. It wasnt! . I made all bracketry first in 1/4 plywood and fiddled with it till i was positive it was right then copied it all in 3/16ths steel and bolted it together. Don
I use Motion Bearing here in Indy as a source. The counter guy just pulls out one of his big cross reference books (or lights up the computer) and usually finds me what I need. All you need is the inner and outer diameters and the width. Don's suggestion re the aftermarket hats and discs will also work if the original hub is suitable (bolt circle, offset etc)--just fit the hat to the hub and make the caliper brackets to suit. Roo
Yes...a BEARING supply is where you need to go...not a car parts outlet. I've been looking around here for a B Body Dodge to pull disc spindles from to put onto my 63. Nothing around!!! Not even a Volare....can't believe it! I've started to put some stuff/info together to fab my own setup using the original spindles. I did a couple of swaps on friends cars before and its pretty simple. I have 2 sets of AMC calipers and bolt on brackets so I'll explore that route first. The bolt on caliper bracket makes it easy to fab a connection plate AND makes alignment/caliper mounting simple and factory reliable. I'll use "slip on" hat style rotors. Use some new pads in the caliper as you set up your distances and make sure the caliper is positioned correctly in the OEM bracket to allow for caliper movement as the pads wear. Make sure the vertical spacing of the caliper is correct as well. SOMEONE here once suggested making a fitting to put air pressure to the caliper to hold it in place as you work. That would be really helpful if it isn't too hard to fab. I'm gonna give that a shot too when i start my brake conversion. "Dolmetsch" mentioned using plywood as a mock up bracket and that is an excellent idea! Just don't overtighten and throw things off as you work with it. (But don't take it for a "test spin" just to try things out! LOL )
I make everything in wood first. Cost almost nothing and it is the place to make you mistakes. Keeps one from being tempted to fudge something because you have so much invested time and $ wise. When it is just $1 worth of wood you can chuck it in a heartbeat and try again. If it is $10 worth of steel and a days cutting drilling tapping etc it is a different thing. Make wooden mistakes first and steel good stuff after. Don
'64-'67 volvo 122s disc brakes are almost a direct bolt on. Outer bearings are the same, use the WILLYS inner bearing and seal. Make an 1/8 in. spacer and redrill the 2 rear holes on the mounting plate. the front holes for the mounting plate bolt up to the willys spindle. Brakes are proportional to the axle and of course.. Are peroid correct. Volvo 122s brakes are a 3 piston spot caliper. little to no drag with plenty of stopping power. Bolt pattern is 5 on 4 1/2. I run these brakes on the 38 willys axle under my Henry J
Hey, edited the info above, I believe I got mixed up. It's the willys inner bearing and seal. Been a while since I did this
Ryan I was wondering when you would chime in on this. This is a smart kid knows his shit. He's not joking about the Volvo parts working.
I make a disc brake kit for Willys spindles that uses a Wilwood disc brake kit. If you are interested pm me. I used the Volvo disc brakes on Willys spindles it is a nice set-up. It might be hard to find them, if you are on a budget they would be worth looking for.
Nice set up. I will be building a 1940 Willys coupe for a customer. We want to use the original 40 axle. could you please give me your e-mail address for more information on the wilwood disc set up. Thank you. Hotrod--willys
Hi guys, I'm looking for NOS suspension parts for a 1940 Willys stock front axle. Tie rod ends, king pins, and a conversion kit to install disk brakes on this axle. I have looked all over for brake kits with no luck. Could some one please send me your drawing or information on how you built your brake system. Thank you hot--rod willys.
Can you put me in touch with the person who makes the disc kit for a 1940 willys spindles contact [email protected]
Kit is for sale on Ebay right now, from Williams Street Rods. Just do Ebay search for Willys disc brake kit.
Here is a website I have used to find bearings. All you need is ID, OD, and the width. I've used their bearing numbers at NAPA. Major Brand 14130/14274 Imperial Taper Roller Bearing Cup and Cone Set 1.3125x2. Simply Bearings Ltd
Doing a trial fit with a 80's ford ranger hub on my 98B Willys. So far its fitting well. Required some turning between centers on lathe and a bushing for the inner bearing. I'll need to cut the key way and threads a bit farther, trim the excess stub off and drill a hole for a cotter pin, and work out the details for the grease seal. Brad
I was re-reading this thread the other day. Trying to figure out what hubs to use on my '33 - '36 Willys axel. Today I was at the Puyallup Wa. swap meet and stumbled on a set of Volvo disc break rotors and calipers. They were in some Speedway boxes, so they were on a rod before. Tried the bearings on the spindles and they fit. Only $20 how about that.
This is a little of track but I lucked out on mine I was on the computer one day a run across a gentlemen in California who had a set of hubs and disc brake for a Stock Willys front axle. So I was on the phone like that quick and he still had them, they were custom built in the 60's, they are a aluminum hub with free flow disc pads and the rotors, calipers are all VW station wagon parts. The cool thing about the whole thing was he was taking them off his Willys pick-up that he raced in the 60/70"s and since I was building a gasser Sedan he sold them to me for a Hundred Dollar Bill plus shipping. Man was I stoked, mailed of the money the same day. Often thought about reproducing them but as someone said in the thread earlier with all the sue happy people I gave up on the idea. Here's some pic's of them.
NORSON and 38 2 DR SEDAN, Good Find! Some guys have all the luck! I scoured all over for a "correct hub/rotor". Iv wanted to retain the stock axle so I wouldn't have to buy a speedway or Model A axle. Hope to locate an old set of discs that are period correct. My primary goal is to be safe.
If anyone recognize or know anything about these hubs that my brake setup is made of, I would like to hear from you, you can PM me in a conversation, I would like to learn a little more about them. Thank You!
Here’s some info that should help. The brakes are ‘60s Volvo 122 and also the P1800. The above is from the Jan. 1972 Street Rod Magazine. Other things required are the inner bearing spacer for ‘28-36 spindles to adapt later hubs that move the bearing out 1/4” (I believe it is 1/4”), the early Ford inner bearing with the Volvo race and grease seal. The outer bearing is the original Volvo, number BK 09074 and hold everything in place with the Ford washer and castle nut.
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