Purchase a Disc Brake Conversion Kit for 14" stock wheels, complete brake line kit, and a 2" drop spindle set from Right Stuff Detailing!
Was told that it was as simple as unbolting the old and bolting up the new!
WRONG!
I am not setup for this under taking, so I asked my local Brake and Alignment guys in town to help out with this project!
1st Problem - bolted up everything just as the direction said to come to realize the caliber housing and caliber bolt head was hitting the upper control arm when you turned left or right!
Contacted, email photos to RSD, and then was told that the 2" spindle would not work with my application! So, Why was the 2" spindles offered in the purchase, if it would not work on a 14" stock wheel kit????
Let me remind everyone here! This project is being done in a shop that charges by the hour!
RSD said that I would have to use the stock spindles! OK! now we are backing up at my exspense!
Put stock spindles back on and now everything is bolting up good!
2nd Problem - Stock 14" wheel will not bolt up! Caliber housing is hitting the wheel(rim)!
Folks what am I missing here! Kit said that it works with all A/F/X bodys
Car is orginal off the line! One owner car!

 

A 69 Cutlass with drum brakes used a different wheel than a 69 Cutlass with factory disc brakes. Get any OEM 14" wheel from any 73 and newer A body, F Body or X body as all these wheels will accept disc or drums applications.

Henry

 

Well ain't that just great! Now where am I going to find this, and how much more am I going to have to spend?

 

OK, let's back up. First, ALL 1964-72 A-body spindles interchange. Second, the drop spindle raises the wheel centerline relative to the stock location. The caliper, in turn, must raise by the same amount (since the rotor moves with the wheel) so yes, making this change will cause it to hit. There's nothing you can do about it, this is part of the problem with incorporating non-stock parts. All you can do is reduce the amount the wheels turn.

I assume you have the calipers correctly installed to the rear of the spindle, not to the front.

As noted, you'll need disc brake wheels to clear. In the late 1960s, as disc brakes were just coming into use, GM had two wheel configurations, one for drum only and one for discs. Your car has the drum-only wheels. These will not clear the 11" disc brakes.

Neither of these issues is the fault of the vendor, they are just facts of life.

 

66400 & Joe thanks for the input and info! So lets put this out there! Who has 2 or 4 GM wheels with the configuration of working with disc brakes For Sale that will fit up to my 69 cutlass?

 

let me clarify! looking for 2 or 4 GM solid wheels with the configuration of working with disc brakes! I am wanting to continue to run the stock 69 Olds cutlass hubcaps as well!

 

It might help in your search to mention your location.

 

Hey Joe,

Since I have 1970 disc brake SSI's on my 1966 Cutlass. What mods would I need to do to make a 2# drop spindle/disc brake conversion. I love the 70 SSI look on my car but I am not opposed to changing wheels to a shorter front/taller rear wheel to achieve that "rake" final look. I am about to undertake a complete front end rebuild as it is so i'd like to knock this out in one disassembly/reassembly kida deal if I can?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

I don't have any first-hand experience with the lowering spindles, but the only thing that might be an issue is clearance between the backside of the wheel and the steering arm, as the wheel/rotor/caliper is raised 2" relative to the steering arm and control arms. Assuming these spindles use the stock 10.75" rotors and stock calipers, clearance between the wheel and brakes will be unchanged from stock.

 

Hmmm most of the drop kits I see use an 11" rotor but I was thinking of using your budget parts list and just swapping the stock disc spindles for the drop spindles. Keep the rest *** as stock as the parts I can get from your budget list. Hypothetically

 

Most people round off the 10.75" dimension rotors to 11".

 

Thanks Joe,

Maybe you could define what you men in the above reply. I dont quite follow you.

P.S. is your sticky Budget A Body Disc Brake Parts List still accurate? I am about to start gathering the parts for the conversion as well as a front suspension rebuild. Like quick so TY for taking the time to reply to a redundant gearhead like me.

 

Most vendors refer to the stock disc brakes as 11" rotors. The actual dimension is 10.75". If you measure an "11 inch" rotor, it will measure 10.75 inches.

 

Thanks Joe