Probably going to do a front disc conversion. What kits did you all use, who likes theirs, who doesn't, who would have done something different? I have power drums, do I really need the disc master cylinder and booster, or can I use what I have? I saw an ad for a kit (don't remember where) that fit on the drum spindles so I wouldn't have to replace them. Anyone know about this?

As usual, thanks in advance.

I can start answering your questions with a question. What are your goals? Do you want to switch to stock type disk brakes? Do you want to retain your 15 inch wheels? Do you plan on doing the B-body spindle swap?

Andrew

this is what i did.
http://hometown.aol.com/smartasreality/page12.html

Answers to questions.

Don't care about stock, care about stop!

Want to keep my 15" wheels. They're only a month old!

Don't want to change any more than I have to.

Thanks...

master power brakes for all your needs,their pretty good...www.mpbrakes.com

If you want to kick it up a notch, you can get a kit from Baer that includes a 2 piston caliper with an 11 inch rotor. That will work with 15 inch wheels.

Andrew

Ordered the kit from Master Power Brakes, looks pretty much the same as the other kits out there but at $595 it seems like a deal! It has to be better than my front drums...

I'll post again after I get them installed...

Why are rear disk kits so expensive?

Originally posted by Cecil:
Why are rear disk kits so expensive? They're not as popular :confused: I talked with a Baer rep and he said that with good front discs, rears are really needed unless you just like the looks. The major portion of braking power comes from the fronts anyway.

Dale, don't you mean rears really aren't needed?

If you go with rear disks don't overdo it. Chevy High Performance has their 0-100-0 shootout every year and a few times the guys with big Baer kits front and rear have spun out or had rear lock-up problems because of too much rear brake. The adjustable proportioning valves couldn't even adjust the rear lock-up all out.

Peter

Not going to do rears, just wondering why they were so much. The above answer seems reasonable.

Turns out my car apparently had disc brakes once upon a time. My brake pedal says DISC BRAKES, I had a disc booster and master cylinder (replaced last summer) and I appear to have the disc proportioning valve already in place, if I'm seeing it correctly. Looking at my assembly manual it looks like the disc unit is rectangular (like a box) where the drum unit is round (like a tube). I'm going to replace everything with new from the kit, but it's interesting to see this, 'cause I can't find any reference to disc brakes on what's left of the build sheet I found...

Maybe it was the pedal that had been replaced and not the brakes smile.gif

--rO

Originally posted by Peter F.:
If you go with rear disks don't overdo it. Chevy High Performance has their 0-100-0 shootout every year and a few times the guys with big Baer kits front and rear have spun out or had rear lock-up problems because of too much rear brake. The adjustable proportioning valves couldn't even adjust the rear lock-up all out.
Peter
The guys running the Ford Explorer rear discs were the ones having the lock-up problems,,not the Baer units.

Originally posted by Clint44:
The guys running the Ford Explorer rear discs were the ones having the lock-up problems,,not the Baer units. Yeah, you're right. Last year the car with the big problems was a 13" Baer front and Explorer rear equipped car. But, the other car with rear lock-up problems had 13" Baer front and 12" Baer rears but at least that one didn't spin out. I guess the moral is be careful of the stopping power you put on the back of the car. They said the Explorer equipped car had calipers that were too big on the back but they didn't elaborate.

In this years shootout all of the older cars were within 3' of each other and some had stock brakes and others had aftermarket disks up front. So, the stock 11" brakes faired quite well.

There was a 67 Chevelle with 13" Baer fronts and 12" Baer rears that stopped 100-0 in 375'. It was the only pre 75 car with aftermarket brakes to actually outperform the other cars with stock brakes and it was also the only one to brake in under 400'. Both 2002 & 2003 tests. So, it would appear that upgrading the stock brakes is a little harder to do successfully that it would first appear. Or maybe the other drivers didn't know how to drive :confused:

Peter

I've got brakes! Did the install of the MPBrakes kit over the weekend. Pretty simple, including the hard line mods I had to do. What a difference!!!

graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/thumbsup.gif

:cool:

Good to hear!

Joe

i have purchased from Master Power 3x - 2 front chevy kits and one front and rear - and keep going back. a little more expensive, but quality and piece of mind are unmatched.