I know very little about cars. So why I'm starting this mission is beyond me?. SIMPLY for my love of this car, i guess. I plan on ruining my manicure.

Ok brakes are shot. Brakes are tremendously important. Its what saves me... and my baby ( the 88 ) So any recommendations on a kit I can get that's a sorta all in one? Too many choices. I want mid grade. Not the absolute cheapest but also not top notch.
Times like this I miss my grandpa
thank you kindly

 

You should be able to get the hoses, shoes and/or other misc springs, wheel cylinders or kits from your local auto parts store, rockauto, or the varied other auto parts venders. Not very hard to change those and bleed the system. The complicated part is if you have power booster issues. Before you start take a picture of each wheel brake set up in case your memory fails when you go to reassemble everything.

 

Tina,
If you want QUALITY --- the internet is your enemy -- all garbage...
I have all Quality parts for you -- and it won't cost an arm and a leg....
You are spot on with knowing Brakes ARE important --- Priority # 1....

Always best to simply call me --- Craig --- 516 - 485 - 1935..... New York....

 

You will mess up your manicure and learn new words but with help all will be good. What are your symptoms or issues, do you have some stopping power at all or is the peddle hard with little effect on stopping or does it just go to the floor and bottom out? Do you have vacuum at the booster tank? Can you hear any air leaking while car idles that might be a vacuum leak, like at the base of the carburetor or the hose that goes to the booster, there is a one way valve in there and it keeps the vacuum from leaking back out of the booster. If you could be a little more precise and descriptive we could narrow it down and recommend some parts. It's doubtful you need everything replaces then again you might, pictures would be nice also.... It's a big elephant but with help will get her ate.... Lost in the fifties ..Tedd

Ps. if you are going to do this yourself the best thing you can buy is a Oldsmobile motor manual for you year car.

 

As always, Tedd is giving good advice.

 

Thank you Ted I am forever appreciative of any and all advice. Yes pedal is to the floor. I'll get some pictures tomorrow. Had to move it today with all the craziness here in beautiful so cal.

 

So I've received my shop manual ... major question... repair original or convert front brakes ... as has been recommended to me so far

 

If you're doing the work yourself and are a novice, I'd just repair the original. Just getting that right will be enough to begin with.

 

Tina, not trying to steer you away from disk brakes but it is a lot easier to go with the original system and probably cheaper. Drum brakes like what you have aren't as good as disks but are adequate and safe and have been for 60+ years and millions and million of miles on all kinds of cars of this era. They work just fine. You should be aware of what it takes to make your car a front disk brake car, not as easy as it sounds or what someone suggested. First off your present booster will not support any disk brake system, it's of a era that never envision the need to do so. You will need to replace it with a modern booster and master cylinder, except new boosters are made to work arss backwards of what you have now, so you will need to mount it differently like at the front of the drivers firewall where the air box for the defroster is located You may or may not lose your defroster depending on your fabrication skills. There are kits for your application but none are just a throw the parts at it and walk away. It's a fabucation thing with parts from different cars meshed together to make a system that works, it will work and work well but this conversion is not for the faint of heart or the non mechanically inclined.

On the other hand depending on what your original brakes need it should be straightforward to pull the older worn parts/drums and replace with new off the shelf stuff. The only fly in the ointment maybe your existing booster (hydra- vac) as Eric has said above it may need to be rebuilt and that should be done by a old gray haired gentleman with experience.
If you don't have a Oldsmobile motor manual now is the time to get one, it's probably the thing that will keep you from learning those new words you were concerned about in post #1. Keep us informed were here to help.... Tedd..... http://www.discbrakemike.com/..... https://www.ebay.com/i/230796768611?chn=ps

 

Ozzie, Tedd and Eric offer good advice. Look at the US Parts Supply catalog http://www.usapartssupply.com/upload...75_catalog.pdf

I've been shopping for parts for my 56 and they seem to have most all the parts needed.

 

I agree, stick to original drum brakes. Put all new hardware and rebuild your brake booster(I suggest karps) and it should work perfectly

 

I second the suggestion on Karps for rebuilding the treadlevac. They have been doing them a long time. They did mine several years ago and no problems. Not cheap but very good. Of course as you will find, nothing on these old cars is cheap. Good luck. Here is a link to Karps. http://www.karpspb.com/

 

I agree. My car stops at the touch of the pedal and quality work is important especially for brakes!! Worth every penny get it done right the first time. I have a 57 olds and they did mine 8 years ago, my car never stopped so good.