droptopcad

I have a "70 442 w/ non power 4 wheel drum brakes and I want to convert to front disc. Will the front brake set up from a car w/ power front disc brakes be the same? keep in mind I want to maintain non power brakes.

joe_padavano

The spindles/calipers/rotors are the same for manual and power disk brakes, as are the hoses, hose brackets, and metering valve. Of course you'll need the correct manual disk master cylinder.

MDchanic

Joe - I may be ig-ur-int, but I always thought front disks were only available with a power booster, never as a manual setup. Your post looks as though that's not the case.
I'd be interested to know more about non-power discs on A-bodies, and how often they are seen.

- Eric

joe_padavano

My 1970 W-30 4 spd has manual disks from the factory. I believe that manual disks were first available part way through the 1969 model year, as I have been told of 1969 W-30s that were built that way.

dk-52

In 70, did any of the 4-spd. W-30 cars have power brakes? I read somewhere that only the automatic cars had it. I do not know the correct answer to that one. Joe?

joe_padavano

No. The 1970 W-30 4 spd cars all got the 328/328 cam, which did not generate enough vacuum for the power booster or A/C. A/T cars got the less radical 285/287 cam (same one used in the 1969 H/O), which did allow for the use of power brakes and A/C. How the automatic trans W-30 cars made the same HP as the manual trans cars with this smaller cam is a mystery of the marketing department.

This is one reason why I don't believe factory HP ratings.