The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 1950 1/2 Ton Front Disc Brake: Clearance

Hi All,

I would like to convert my front drum to disc. I have read many threads and have not come up with a difinitive answer. I plan on keeping my front end 6-lug. I have stock 16" wheels. I have read that disc will not work with the 15" wheels. With 16" stock wheels, will there be clearance issues the the disc kits? I see in some cases some grinding is necessary on the calipers or wheel but I think that is only for the 15" wheels? Does it make a difference whether 11" or 12" rotors are used in the kits? Do the 12" rotors work witht the stock 16" wheels or do the 11" fit better? Thanks Skipper

You first need to find the 6 lug disk conversion kit. Most street rod dealers will only sell the 5 lug common rotor kits. Once you find the kit, most if not all your questions will be answered.

yeah, you gotta decide which setup you want to go with, there is several out there. Not so many for the 6 bolt, but they are there. Those are the people you need to talk to.

Call this guy. No email.No web. Good stuff tho.

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Thanks for the information!

I put mine together with parts from Napa. I have a '51 axle under the front of my '38. I'm using 17 inch wheels and have lots of clearance. I think the 16's are OK.
It uses 1979/80 C10 calipers and 1979/80 K10 rotors. I fabricated the bracket out of plywood for a template then had a friend cut them out of 5/8 steel. Total cost around $300.
Check it out on page 5 in my progress photos

What did you use for the hubs? I have a '52 axle under my '49 1/2 ton.

I used my original hubs. Be sure to have the backside of the hubs turned so the rotors set flat against them. I also changed the wheel studs to longer ones.
Don't forget to buy the roller bearings for your axle. They fit right into my hubs.
It was a 2 step process at the machine shop to remove the studs, turn the hubs elsewhere, then back to the machine shop to install the new studs and races. ( the machine shop wouldn't turn the hubs)

My 50 is a Canadian one built in Oshawa, so the wheels may be a little different. My stock rims did not clear the 12" rotors/calipers from the CPP conversion kit, so I've gone with a set of Wheelsmith smoothies. Only problem - there may be a problem with the repro hub caps not fitting the new rims.

Went with about a 3 3/4" offset and a 14"+ barrel diameter for the 16" rims. I also converted to tapered roller bearings as well.

Ok, so I think it will probably work with my 16" wheels. I would like to put a kit together myself, making the bracket would not be too difficult to do.

Wayne,
your install looks very well done. I need to tear into my brakes and hubs to see what you are talking about with regard to having to turn down the hubs. I see the all the kits also have a adapter ring plate of some kind, did you also have to fabricate one?

Skipper, When you take off your wheels and then remove the bearings and hubs, the backside of the hub(opposite where the studs stick out) is what gets turned. The rotor attaches on the back side and it need to run true to the hub.
I did have to use a 1/8 inch spacer between the spindle and hub to make clearance for the brake pads. (Some of the kits have an offset made into the caliper bracket).

I wondered why some brackets seemed to have a step. What about a adapte ring that bolts to the hub. It looks like it has counter sunk holes, I have seen many kit with such ring?

Here is a pic of the P.O.L. Kit on a 50.

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I had to use and additional wheel spacer due to the crooks at Stockton wheel.

Those disk brakes sure look nice, it looks like a good kit. I see that you are using the non-power dual master cylinder. It looks like you modified your original MC bracket to fit the new dual MC. Did you make the MC adapter bracket yourself? I thought the MC adapter brackets where bolt on and did not require a modification to the original?

Someone else put the bracket on. I believe I've seen them on cpp or POL

There is a member here who makes a bracket
Search GHOSTRIDER here on Stovebolt
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