Sir Sawyer

We have a 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 4-Door and where wondering if anyone here knows where we can get a full front and rear disc brake conversion kit with booster. We recently ordered from ClassicDiscBrakes without reading the reviews and now were trying to get our money back. Just wondering if others know of a better site to get a full conversion kit with booster. We've allready looked on websites like Jegs, Summit, and Caddy Daddy. But their never full kits, just partial.

Thank You.

Olds64

I don't know if there are aftermarket supplies that supply a kit for your car. Have you checked out the Scarebird website? They offer brackets so you can use off the shelf parts to swap to disc brakes.

Schne442

Check out Inline Tube they had full kits when I was buying my parts

redoldsman

Disk brakes are going to be a pretty big undertaking on your car. First off the original master cylinder is mounted under the floorboard. Disk brakes will require a firewall mounted master cylinder which will then require a swinging brake pedal. I believe you can buy brackets for the front from Scarebird. It will require fabricating brake lines and probably some brackets. I have never seen a full kit to do this conversion and am pretty sure nobody makes one.

Sir Sawyer

Yeah, we figured it would require all of that work. The guy over at ClassicDiscBrakes.com shows that he can build it that way but after waiting a month or two and going back to check reviews we realized the guy was a schmuck.

joe_padavano

Why? There are a lot of street rods with disc brakes and the M/C under the floor. A hydroboost version takes up less space, and you can use a remote-fill M/C for an even smaller package.

BangScreech4-4-2

By no means an expert on '50s cars, but wouldn't a '57 have a pendulum brake/clutch pedal assembly?

redoldsman

Joe, have you ever installed power brakes on a 57. Have you ever owned a 57. A street rod is a totally different thing where you are fabricating everything from scratch. Go ahead and take your best shot.

joe_padavano

I have zero experience with the 50s cars. I still don't understand what changing to disc brakes has to to with moving the master cylinder. This isn't a bolt-in, so fabrication is obviously required in all cases. Lots of 1950s cars have been built with upgraded M/Cs under the floor.

redoldsman

I suppose anything is possible for a price. I have never seen anybody put the master cylinder under the floor. I agree it would look a lot better. All I have ever seen is the use of a swinging pedal which I would never do unless I was building a restomod.

sysmg

I know people want to have modern disk brakes. But it's so much work for so little benefit. If you drive the speed limit, don't have to do multiple 60-0 full emergency stops in a row, then drum brakes perform just as well. They would have to be in factory shape, but that's probably easier to do than doing a disk brake conversion.

joe_padavano

^^^THIS. For a car that's only driven to cruise night and back, the cost isn't worth the benefit. Just because every magazine and on-line article says you HAVE to convert to disc brakes doesn't make it true. Keep in mind that these resources are in business to make their advertisers and sponsors look good. These are really infomercials. In my experience, nearly all of the aftermarket conversion kits are poorly designed at best. Do a search on all the posts here and elsewhere that have people complaining that their new disc brake conversion stops worse than their drums. And while brake system design is poor, installation seems to be even worse. Sorry, but the number of posts from people who can't even bleed their brakes speaks volumes. Finally, as I've written before, no aftermarket kit has anywhere close to the engineering and testing that the factory system has. Obviously no one is going to claim that drums stop better than PROPERLY ENGINEERED AND INSTALLED discs, but rarely are those two conditions met with aftermarket parts.

griffey57

In my opinion, my 57 olds stops great I have replaced all brake components to brand new with no issues. I will drive this car anywhere. Every one is drinking the Kool aid that drum brakes are taboo. It's just not so, maintain your brakes and they will work just fine!!