The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Easy AD Front Disc Brake change ?

Hey all,

I've got a 51 GMC panel (just swapped in a better 270-straight 6, sounds great). Anyhow, discovered that the whole front end is worn out from kingpins to draglinks etc.... slowly picking up parts (suggestions welcome)

While it's apart, is there a 'bolt-on' front disc brake conversion, something like a GM pick-up from the 70's that would fit ?
Any ideas and/or need-to-knows...

Thanks

Chevy Duty and CPP both make kits to do just that. The parts are from a 73 to 78 (I think) G-Body, like a Lemans or Malibu. I ran into a problem wthe the outer bearings - the spindle needs to be turned down so the bearings will fit and I haven't done it yet. I'll let you know how it goes..

Jason

Jason, the spindle doesn't need to be turned. It can be sanded down enough for the bearings to fit.

Royzell, go here and click on "Front Suspension".

I used a kit from ChevyDuty that was just bolt together.

It used 70's mid-size GM stuff, and on mine I used '73 Chevelle wagon parts and not just for the front disk, I also used the master cylinder and rear along with brakes, so I have a brake system engineered to work together.

No machine work required, but I did have to run some brake lines.

Cletis,

I tried using an emory cloth, but it didn't work. The old outer race has worn a small groove in the spindle on the driver's side, and the bearing won't slide past that. I don't even have the passenger side apart yet. The directions from Chevy Duty did say some spindles MAY need to be turned for the bearings to fit. The inner bearings and rotor fit fine, the outer- no way at all to get past the taper without some machining. I'm still trying to find a shop which will turn the spindles.

see stovebolt tech tip:
on adjustable straight axle ball joynt / tie rod /draglink upgrade

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/draglink_adjustable.html

Hey, thanks for all the tips. I want to get on the road this summer, so the upgrades may wait till fall/winter. I'll be hanging on to this info and looking for donor parts. 'just saw a rusted out '80's Cutlass, and a parked forever 80's Bonneville (like a Caprice).

I love the bolt page.

Old Sub-

I found the Chevy Duty Kit today, and a nearly dead malibu sedan to be picked up cheap. How did you adapt the rear malibu brakes ? Did you use the whole rear end asembly or ???

Thanks

I used the entire rear.

Mine came from a coil spring car, so it required cutting brackets off and welding pads on. I used it because it seemed to be exactly the right width.

Hi Old Sub, (and everyone else).

When you used the front brake malibu parts, how much did you use ? I am in the malibu disassembly and yard removal phase and want to 'get er done', but make sure I don't throw away anything I need.

Thanks

I did this about five years ago so I don't know that I remember exactly what I used.

And while I used the Chevelle rear in its entirety, at the front I bought new rotors and calipers, and used the bearings that came with the rotor, and with the disk conversion kit.

You don't need the spindle, but if you are going to use the donor parts, I'd take everything off the spindle and keep it till I was done.

Thanks