Changing drum to disc brakes on a 64 f-85

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Old December 7th, 2009, 03:39 PM
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Changing drum to disc brakes on a 64 f-85

I want to put disc brakes on 64 F-85 cutlass.I don't have the funds to put aftermarket brakes on the car.I don't want power either.What GM make/modle/year,will work for me.Thanks for any help you can give me.
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Old December 7th, 2009, 04:57 PM
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Talking Welcome to CO

I haven't heard of any wrecking yard complete set ups the will fit your can.

You can buy a set up from http://www.scarebird.com/ which uses your spindles and you use their hub and bracket and then use calipers and rotors you can buy at a wrecking yard or new at NAPA or Rock Auto. This is for the front brakes only. Should be able to do for under 500.00 with a little shopping around
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Old December 7th, 2009, 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by citcapp
I haven't heard of any wrecking yard complete set ups the will fit your can.
Well, except for the 67-72 A-body, 67-69 F-body, and 68-74 X-body cars...

Here's a bunch more info:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...sk-brakes.html

Of course, most of these have been scavanged long ago and resold on ebay.
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Old December 7th, 2009, 05:21 PM
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got me Joe, had a brain fart
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Old December 7th, 2009, 05:28 PM
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Originally Posted by citcapp
got me Joe, had a brain fart
You sure it wasn't a senior moment?

(Don't feel bad, I seem to have my share)
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Old December 7th, 2009, 06:47 PM
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Thanks guys,I'll look threw this and figure out what I'll do.It's getting a little wild at the other end of the track.Thanks again George
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Old December 7th, 2009, 10:46 PM
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Your best bet is to find any 69/72 Buick Olds Pontiac Chevy "A" body.
The 68/74 Pontiac Venture, Buick Apollo, Olds Omega, Chevy Nova,
Also the Camaro and Firebird, I'm not sure of the years for those.
I used the 69/72 "A" body set up, a master cyl from a '70 442 with manual disc brakes. The disc set from these cars is a bolt on, fab some lines and you are good to go.

A great looking car.

Gene
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Old December 8th, 2009, 11:53 AM
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A correct proportioning valve is essential ...

Later years work but will have a different bolt pattern and or ball joint ...
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Old December 8th, 2009, 02:17 PM
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I went to ECI brakes, they sell alot of hot rod conversions, they use your drum spindles and off the shelf GM calipers ans rotors etc but they use a custom aluminum hub. This Narrow Track conversion moves your front wheels together 1/2" over drum and 1" (each side!) in over the 68 to 72 stock disc setup.

If you run anykind of wheel other than the stock rim or ralley wheels, or if you lower the car at all you will have fender rub issues!

Check them out, but dont buy their master cylindr, get one from NAPA for a 70-72 Chevelle with manual disc/drum set up, it will work alot better and it's cheaper.
ecihotrodbrakes.com
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Old December 8th, 2009, 03:55 PM
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Almost everything will be power brakes, but if you really want non-power, the W31 came that way so I guess you can run them manual if you have a heavy foot. You aren't far from Ott's Friction Supply. John Andreotti can fix you up with premium drum brake shoes, etc. for pretty good stopping.
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Old December 8th, 2009, 04:08 PM
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Originally Posted by 1964f-85
I went to ECI brakes, they sell alot of hot rod conversions, they use your drum spindles and off the shelf GM calipers ans rotors etc but they use a custom aluminum hub. This Narrow Track conversion moves your front wheels together 1/2" over drum and 1" (each side!) in over the 68 to 72 stock disc setup.

If you run anykind of wheel other than the stock rim or ralley wheels, or if you lower the car at all you will have fender rub issues!

Check them out, but dont buy their master cylindr, get one from NAPA for a 70-72 Chevelle with manual disc/drum set up, it will work alot better and it's cheaper.
ecihotrodbrakes.com
ECI sells a good product, but this sounds pricey. The custom hub implies a custom rotor also, which may be an issue if replacements are requires. Does this kit use the early calipers or the later metric calipers? The metric calipers have substantially smaller pistons.

You can easily machine your drum brake spindles to turn them into disk brake spindles:

http://www.pozziracing.com/brakes.ht..._brake_spindle

This allows you to bolt on the stock caliper brackets (repros can be had for as little as $25 if you shop around). The rotors, bearings, calipers, pads, hoses, etc are all available from any auto parts store. Even 14x6 and 14x7 Super Stock II/III wheels will clear the stock disk brakes. I will also suggest that if tire rubbing is an issue, you might want to solve it with wheel offset changes instead of custom hubs and rotors.
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Old December 8th, 2009, 05:13 PM
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Here is the catalog info from ECI. As I recall the rotots are off te shelf Pontiac units and the calipers are GM single piston, off the shelf as well. They give you that info so you can buy replacement pads and rotors form your local auto part store.
I think drum brake spindles can be used with a slight modification, or you can source your own. Again, they spec a Huge Vette master cylinder for non power apps, I ran it for a year before replacing it with the chevy unit. I chose it due to its smaller bore diameter, whih increases peddle pressure.
Its a nice kit and works well, my 70's Tourq Thurst 14x7's no longer rub my front fenders, even with the front end lowered 2.5", under full compression and with the wheels turned!


GM subframes front track widths are often too wide for modern tires. If you need additional tire to fender clearance this new kit narrows the track width 2" on factory disc brake installations, and 1" on drum brake equipped subframes.
This new kit used the big piston GM calipers (stock units will work) and 11" diameter rotors on custom billet aluminum hubs.

68-74 Nova, 67-69 Camaro, 64-72 Chevelle, GTO -
EC-736CK...Drum brake spindles.............Complete Kit $ 650.00
ABOVE KIT WITH 13 INCH ROTORS.......................add $ 100.00

EC-736ACK...Disc brake spindles..............Complete Kit $ 575.00
ABOVE KIT WITH 13 INCH ROTORS.......................add $ 100.000
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Old December 9th, 2009, 07:06 AM
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Originally Posted by 1964f-85
...If you need additional tire to fender clearance this new kit narrows the track width 2" on factory disc brake installations, and 1" on drum brake equipped subframes....
Sorry, but I'm still trying to understand how all that work to narrow the front track is any different from simply getting wheels with the correct offset?
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Old December 10th, 2009, 10:31 AM
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There is no more work involved in using this kit over the later factory parts and other kits, the cost is about the same anyway you look at it.

Where it saved me money is that I am running 70's vintage wheels that I restored. I have less than $200.00 in the set of four, but I couldent specify back spacing.

Again I lowered my car 2.5" and the tires rubbed even when I as running 14x7 Olds Rally wheels (tons of backspacing), so pushing out the wheels out another 1/2" each side would have made the problem worse.

I had a 72' 442 and I could stuff any tire under that car without an issue, the 64's design just reduces the amount of wheel options you have, especially if you are on a budget and can't afford new spec'd wheels.
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Old December 11th, 2009, 06:01 PM
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64Oldsracer, Is you car "OLDS" powered or ????????? Hopefully not the dark side.

Gene
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Old December 11th, 2009, 08:05 PM
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509 BBC,turbo400& a 9 inch with 456's.
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Old December 13th, 2009, 11:05 PM
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Bummer....................







Gene
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