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Hey y'all, brand new to the forum but been looking at different forums for week... and I gotta say, y'all seem to be the most knowledgeable and helping of any that I've seen.
I am in need of picking the brains of some experts here and am hoping I can get some info. I have about 8 months to turn a '67 cutlass supreme into my little girl's (Mickey's) sweet 16 birthday present (with her help of course). My biggest concern is her ability to stop this thing... so i'm wanting to start with a disc break conversion. The problem i keep running into is that when I list 67 cutlass it says they have kits in stock but when I list 67 cutlass supreme the sites tell me that it won't fit my car 🤔... I know that the 442 had stiffer springs and bigger sway bars (and maybe a different rear end), but was there enough of a difference between the cutlass and cutlass supreme that would make a brake conversion exclusive? Any help would be amazing and very appreciated.
Larry.
Last edited by McDad; Apr 7, 2025 at 07:36 AM.
Reason: Typo
Welcome. First, aftermarket catalogs are NOT accurate representations of fitment. Disc brakes were a factory-available option for the 1967 cars. Second, the front spindles interchange on every single 1964-1972 GM A-body car, period. The only minor issue is that the bolts that hold the steering arms to the spindle are smaller on some of the early cars (not your 67) and may require the holes to be opened in the steering arms on those cars. This is a complete bolt-on. I've probably done a dozen of them over the years, including on a 65. Personally I'd find good used factory parts instead of imported kits. I can't tell the size of your wheels, but if they are 14", be sure the backside is contoured to clear the calipers.
[QUOTE=joe_padavano;1624302]Welcome. First, aftermarket catalogs are NOT accurate representations of fitment. Disc brakes were a factory-available option for the 1967 cars. Second, the front spindles interchange on every single 1964-1972 GM A-body car, period.
That's what I thought but, with a $1200 price tag on a 4 wheel kit (plus booster and master), I got a little skeered... I really appreciate your input.
Welcome aboard! Ditto what Joe said in the above post! I would recommend using the single piston caliper brakes as found on 1969 thru 1972 "A:" body models as they will be less expensive overall and easier to maintain than the 4 piston caliper brakes found on some 1967 and 1968 models. Good luck with your Olds!
Welcome. First, aftermarket catalogs are NOT accurate representations of fitment. Disc brakes were a factory-available option for the 1967 cars. Second, the front spindles interchange on every single 1964-1972 GM A-body car, period.
That's what I thought but, with a $1200 price tag on a 4 wheel kit (plus booster and master), I got a little skeered... I really appreciate your input.
You don't need a four wheel disc brake kit. Nearly NONE of these kits are designed properly and NONE of them have a fraction of the engineering or testing that the factory parts were subjected to. Even fewer of these kits are correctly installed. GM made sure that the brakes would work safely when new, when worn, when the car was empty, when loaded, on dry roads, on sand, and on snow and ice. Do you really think the aftermarket does this? More importantly, EVERY four wheel disc brake kit includes a generic imported proportioning valve that is intended to dial back the pressure in the rear brakes to prevent premature lockup of the rear wheels that can cause loss of control. Why do people want to spend $1200 to install rear discs then handicap them to provide no more braking force that the original drums did? Again, use factory style 11" front discs with the 69-72 single piston calipers. Use correctly set up factory rear drums. The car will stop as safely as anything on the road. Worry more about rebuilding the steering linkage and front and rear suspension if you are really worried about safety.
Most accidents don't occur because the brakes didn't work well or didn't have 4 wheel disc brakes. Smart phones and text messaging are a cause. Following to closely is the major cause.
People who are "drafting" like they are on a NASCAR track probably cause the most. At 60 MPH, a car is moving 88 feet per second. If you can hit the brakes 1/10th of a second, you have decreased the distance between your car and the one ahead of you 8.8 feet. If you are going 70 MPH, thats 102 feet per second, or 10.2 feet closer.
I am guessing most people who are on the road do NOT have the reflexes of a race driver.
[QUOTE=joe_padavano;1624425][QUOTE=McDad;1624343]
You don't need a four wheel disc brake kit. Nearly NONE of these kits are designed properly and NONE of them have a fraction of the engineering or testing that the factory parts were subjected to.
There is a lot of logic in what you're saying and definitely you've given me more angles to think about this from. And I agree with you about the suspension, going through it is definitely on my to do list. I hadn't even given any thought to the steering yet (because I haven't driven it yet), but I appreciate you for getting that on my radar early. Thank you for your time and input.
[QUOTE=OLDSter Ralph;1624464]Most accidents don't occur because the brakes didn't work well or didn't have 4 wheel disc brakes. Smart phones and text messaging are a cause. Following to closely is the major
I agree with you, the whole phone thing is out of control. She's a good kid but I'm sure at some point she'll be looking at the phone when she shouldn't be... we have an app on here phone that alerts us to her phone usage during driving (or even just moving in a car). And you can bet, her little butt will be right back on the school bus if I find that she can't put the phone down while driving. It is going to be a whole "thing" teaching her to drive something like this cutlass. I think one of my biggest concerns is there send to be a trend out here of people whipping in front of you, then brake checking you (trying to get a payout). So I have a bit of a concern about an idiot in a lighter car trying that on her.
