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Hi all Stovebolters

I am waist deep into a 1952/53 Chevy truck rebuild and I bought last winter a disc brake conversion from the CPP company and I wanted to share a tip with all you disc brake guys....

I have been trying to bleed my new braking system for over 2 weeks and everytime it was something else was leaking...the most major leaker were the front calipers...they both leaked...talked to the tech guys at CPP and they wanted me to ship them back to them so they could investigate and see what was going on with them...I would of course I would pay shipping and if they thought their product was at fault I would be sent another in 5 to 7 business days....well the heck with that...
I talked them into telling me what the calipers originally came off of and it is a 1978 Chevy C10 front disc brake caliper....make sure you get a 7/16" banjo bolt as the CPP one is metric thread...no leaks from the Advance auto brake caliper that was $20.00 plus core charge...ran me about $35.00 to $38.00 without a core...still not sure if I wanna waste more money shipping their stuff back to them...I will probably keep them as core if I ever do this Stovebolt truck thing again...(thinking not)

Just wanted to throw that tip out there...this stuff is so frustrating to me...you spend good money on a "bolt-on" kit and nothing works right...so if you buy the CPP kit be prepared to swap out the calipers...their stuff is not machined correctly.

MikeC

I had the exact same problem. The metric bolt was barely hanging on with about two threads. That's why it leaked. I found a company that made that banjo bolt 1/4 inch longer. Problem solved. CPP told me then, there were two types out there, metric and 7/16. I got stuck with metric. Those little problems are maddening! But not their fault.. GM really did have the profound gall to use a metric bolt!

It is the vendor's responsibility to send you parts that work. Simple as that. They should know what is in their kit. You shouldn't have to make do, or fabricate parts, or buy new parts to make it work. I live close to CPP but do not use their stuff. Many other suppliers out there.
Fred

Yep. I totally agree they should have known better than to give us hoses that were too thick for the length of the stock banjo bolt. Calling them and complaining is about as useful as..(put your joke here).

The problem Fred is that as amateurs we just don't know better yet as far as who to go to for that sort of complete upgrade. Brothers uses them and other than that one SNAFU, the system works. I remember being very irritated at the time and of course CPP is to blame. But the metric thing was GM's issue. In that same year they discovered their mistake and went to 7/16. I was very lucky finding only ONE supplier that made longer bolts in metric. 7/16 you can get all day in any length you want.

The REAL problem with the kit was twofold:

1) They use metric or standard and you never know which one you are gonna get, SO, if you do order from them, insist on 7/16. One part number shares both sizes.

2) The Banjo Bolt is not the problem. The aftermarket hoses have those banjo ends and they are too thick for the stock bolt.

And also, the jury is still out on that upgrade not beating your paint to death with there being no spring stop to keep the assembly from hammering your cab's toeboard. (AD years)

Once I get closer to the final assembly, I plan on looking that issue over and maybe making a bump stop bracket that ALSO should have come with the kit!

Hi Everyone

I found out the hard way too is that the banjo bolt is too short and the calipers that I got from CPP where the crush washers mounted is counterbored....not the right way at all. the OEM ones I got from Advance Auto had a nice boss that set up from the mounting surface so there was more space to mount the flex line and the 7/16" banjo bolt had plenty of metal to screw into...

I wish I was handier than I am...my dad told me years ago I was parts changer but not a mechanic...I tend to agree now that I am older...I can bolt stuff together and I can take stuff apart....as far as trouble shooting car stuff...I draw a big blank...

I should at 54 years old be able to fabricate my own brackets and figure all the other stuff to make disc brake bolt onto a 1952/53 Chevy truck spindle...but I cant...

my 2 cents again...

As always....cant wait to get it done...

MikeC

Mike & Deve,
I have done a number of disc brake conversions over the last 25 years and have encountered similar problems with conversion kits and the people that sell them. In many cases the people working in those places know how to push parts across the counter but have little real world experience when a customer encounters a problem. I am fortunate here as there are a number of suppliers in this area and I can take stuff back to them and usually get it corrected. It's still frustrating though as it delays completing a job. It has to be worse for you guys as everything has to be shipped. If I'm correct, the kit you are using is provided with rotors that bolt onto the original hubs, they also require aftermarket wheels as the calipers will not clear the stock wheels. They also recommend replacing the original bearings. That kit has been around for many years but many aftermarket vendors no longer sell or service it. I did a conversion on a 55-2 3100 last year that used a one piece 6 lug rotor, bearings, brackets, low profile calipers, hardware, etc. It cleared the stock wheels quite nicely and the owner was happy we didn't have to change a bunch of stuff. Oh, and everything fit.
Fred

Of course I should have asked you in particular before going down that road, but didn't know you had the experience with this TOO!

I DID ask here, and a few other guys did this exact thing and it all seemed to work for them. In the end I am not complaining at all because I got the kit with new hubs, new bearings, drilled and slotted rotors, and after the banjo bolt fiasco, all went together very well. I am happy to have Wheelsmiths vintage looking new wheels because they are modern radial width along with correct spacing and its something I didn't feel bad going to the added expense. However, its VERY nice to know who to call when the next time comes around. Thanks Fred! Again.

I to am having a problem with a brand new rack and pinion steering i bought from them.Putting this in less than 6 months ago it is leaking and i have to send the part back to them at my expense and wait for them to decide to either send me replacement or fix it. I will have to tie garage up 2 -3 weeks that could be rectified if they just sent me replacement and all could be fixed in about 2 hrs. I told them that their return policy was unacceptable but they would not budge. I will never buy from CPP again.I may just buy a unit from flaming river and just sell theirs when they decide what they are doing. Thanks for letting me vent.
Mike