wmf62

Mick
the main line is 1/4" because it ultimately feeds all 4 wheels, it gets smaller after the second block because it is only going on to the rear wheels

as you know, when i installed a dual mc i ran the lines down the driver's side, so my fittings are reversed. BUT, the only clip i have in the center is for the brake line.
Bill

mickatbp

Thanks Bill,

As I thought 3/16" is sufficient for a dual master cylinder system.
I still think that posi rear ends use that centre clip to hold the end of the axle vent line.
Lastly ... looking at your photo ... do you have a balance pipe (crossflow pipe) in your exhaust just in front of the mufflers ... advantage?

Hey...... love how you keep your storage cupboard closed ..... very middle ages!! .... or is that a door into the house so to stop interuptions in to the man shed once your in there.

wmf62

the pic was taking at John's (Plasticman) house, there is barely enough in my garage for the car... the barred door is for getting the lawnmower in and out.

yes, that is where my crossover pipe is instead where people usually put it, in front of the engine or between the bellhousing and transmission. does it do any good, dunno; but it does smooth out the harmonics in the exhaust sound.
Bill

mickatbp

Well, today I took some photos of my disc conversion and a few of my chassis in general which I will post in a new thread. I stand corrected the rear mid line does go into the clip in the rear of the diff housing - Noland adams says so.

To recap from the original kit:
Use disc provided - YES
Use axle bracket to caliper bracket provided -YES
Use hydraulic hoses provided - YES
Use caliper bracket provided - NO (could have - moved bracket around one hole)
Use handbrake cables - NO (could have but not neat - new cables made to look same as old cables but with correct disc fitting)
Use Handbrake cable retainer (on the caliper) provided - NO (needed to elongate the bolt hole to slightly reposition the cable to give good clearance over strut rods).

As for the front kit: All good except hydraulic hoses were way to short and had to hone out one spindle bush as ID was way too small even for a force fit.

Standard steel rims fit over all calipers without touching.

If your armed with the knowledge (and now you are) modifications are very quick.

Note: front brake block for dual system and dual brake line metal clipsare early Mopar - look period and almost original. Brake block bracket needed to be modified, but located in original single system attachment points.

mickatbp

Always find these jems once I don't need it anymore but if it helps anyone else then that is still okay. Found this article at http://www.corvettefever.com/techart...tallation.html. Seems like this kit by SSBC (Stainless Steel Brakes Corp) was actually designed for solid axle corvettes. Very simple to fit, comes with a dust guard (most other kits don't) and the original park brake assembly including ALL cables can be used (no other kits allow for this - to the best of my knowledge). Also means (by the looks of it) no problems with any new parts interferring with / rubbing against old parts so no brackets mods required ........... a very big bonus. I will say that they did also install single leaf composite springs ......... don't know if that made a difference or not with parts clearance/interference.

The site for SSBC where I found this kit is http://www.ssbrakes.com/commerce/det....cfm?nPID=8349 and at $641 is a good price considering no outlay to get cables or brackets modified and it looks good as well, plus the solid rotors look period (or you can go slotted and cross drilled if that floats your boat).

If you go back to their home page you'll also see the do master cylinders and proportioning valves etc.



I will say that the above information is only my interpretation of the article in Corvette Fever and I have not fitted this kit or seen it fitted to any vehicle in person so don't take what I have written as gospil ............ in other words if you buy the kit and it's not as easy as I said it might be ............ don't get the sh_ts with me.

wmf62

Mick
interesting... but i think we did OK for what is probably less $$ and a lot more fun...
Bill

mickatbp

Bill, good to hear from you! See the numbers are still rising for this tech tip. Fun ........... I'm still having too much fun with the rest of my resto and every now and then I'd appreciate some straightforward fun rather than inventive fun. you know when you work on your resto and something doesn't quite go as planned or you hit your finger with a mallet or hammer ........... try screaming out FFFUUUNNN ........ doesn't quite feel the same as screaming out the word that shares the same two first letters. But your are right once it stops being FUN and more _ _CK you may as well give it away.

And you guessed it, stuck at work on night shift in front of the Refinery Console and looking at corvette stuff at the same time. what could be better

P.S. Rest of restoration is coming along slowly at the moment ... work ... family ... domestic duties blah blah blah. Next step to photo document engine bay (mark holes that are post 1960) and then start stripping everything out in prep for body resto / soda blasting ........FFFUUUNNN

wmf62

latest brake FUN for me is putting oversized piston calipers on the front (from 2-1/2" diam to 2-3/4" diam) to give a bit more braking power without going to power brakes.
Bill

mickatbp

4,060 Readers of this thread and no other comments/ observations or suggestions.......... come on now others must have dealt with this issue in similar or completely different ways or just had a successful install from the start. PLEASe share your brake install experiences and solutions.
Hey Bill, how did you go with your big callipers?

wmf62

Mick
either the kits people are using now don't have the problems we faced, or we have done such a fine job in our explanations that no one has any problems; AND there are 4060 more happy 4-wheelers out there...


i believe the larger front calipers were worth the effort, i can tell the difference. i started out buying Wilwood's oversized calipers but when i received them, contrary to what their tech support told me, there were no dust boots around the pistons (their explanation for the no boots (and i agree) is that their calipers are for racing purposes only). got to have the seals to keep out dirt/water if a vehicles is street driven. so, i ended up getting some made by US Brake that have the boots. (incidentally, the US Brake calipers come with a tag in the box saying they are for racing and are not warranteed...)

the installation was a easy swap with my original calipers but we had a heck of a time bleeding them as we inadvertently let the master cylinder run dry; but it all worked out.

there is a bit more pedal travel due to the larger pistons but it is not a problem.

all-in-all, i'm satisfied

Bill

mickatbp

Here are some links to other threads/debates/heated discussions about disc brake conversions - mainly to do with front disc conversion, but worth adding to this stickly. Some heated discussion about the need for a Proportioning Valve.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...sc-brakes.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...akes-61-a.html

wmf62

Mick
the point is well-made; and certainly one never even considered by most folks when they buy their conversation kits. i know i didn't... and my first conversion was 37 years ago to 4-pistons C2 calipers on the front with drums on the rear. BUT i drove it over 30 years with no problems, maybe just dumb luck.

i do know that when i went to 4-wheel discs that my rears would lock up when applied on my asphalt driveway, but i never did anything about it as it never caused me any problems day-to-day... probably a bit shortsighted on my side...

i've since gone to larger front calipers but i haven't repeated the test, my gut is that it has put more bias to the front, but i haven't checked...

my advice, as in the other thread, PLEASE do a panic stop test and see how your (and i don't mean specifically you Mick) system reacts; it could save your life in a panic situation, and not only just on a slick surface.

thanks for posting this.


Bill

renn46

do u know were to get axel bearing seal for 1958 corvette pls help

renn46

thay r oring type take 2 per side

wmf62

do you have what's left of an old one? if so, take it and the bearing/axle to NAPA or a similar large parts store and get one the right diameter and size.

if you don't have it, get one that fits in the groove like in the pic, the 58 bearing is on the right. the outside should stick out just a bit past the outside of the bearing.
Bill

mickatbp

Yet another disc conversion thread with some relevant information and good photos, http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ocking-up.html

mickatbp

Another brake discussion thread http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...sc-brakes.html

mickatbp

Another brake thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...e-upgrade.html

stafftech

I realize this post is from last year but I am hoping someone can answer a couple of questions about the cables. PO installed 4 wheel disc on my 60 without connecting the parking brake. The only thing I have in the car is the parking brake handle with a cable connected that has been cut about 3/4 of the way down, I am in the process of putting a parts list together to tackle this.

The calipers are GM most likely from a Cadillac (which I have been told) and I am wondering why shouldn't I be able to use stock parts to connect the parking brake including the clevis and Idler lever?

The connectors on the end of the stock cables look like they will fit into the calipers (from a picture I received from Keen parts) and the length seems close. If the length is a few inches off, I am thinking to simply re route the cable slightly to allow for the difference.

Am I way off base here? Comment please.

Thanks,

wmf62

mine came with new cables so we fabbed a new equalizer bar to attach the foward ends to; but, if the caliper ends of the of the stock cables will anchor and attach like the below pic, and you have enough travel in the parking brake handle, then it should work.

the reality is, the rear parking brakes aren't worth crap as it is next to impossible to get as much 'clamping' with a pull handle as you can with a foot pedal like the Seville had (i wouldn't trust them to hold on a hill) and you could live without them.... but, if you push the brake pedal down before pulling the handle it will hold a bit better..
Bill