65_88

Hi,

I am looking for a front wheel hub (I don't need the brake drum) for a 65-70 Delta 88.
I am looking use it for mock up to work on a disc brake set up for my car (1965 88) in my spare time.
The part does not need to be in great or even serviceable condition -it only needs to be able to be bolted onto a spindle and mount a rim for mock up and clearance work.
If anyone has a spare spindle (even in poor shape) that would be helpful too.

I am not an expert as this is my first Oldsmobile B body but research tells me that the car has regular brakes (it think uses A6/A2 wheel bearings -I changed them when I got it but I don't recall anymore). Research also says that no company makes a conversion kit anymore. I spoke to Scarbird and they are out of business. I do not want to use the factory disc brake components because they are difficult to find and rotors are no longer available.

Any parts or info would be appreciated.

-Thanks

joe_padavano

If your car uses A2/A6 wheel bearings, that means that you have a Jetstar 88 with the A-body brakes. All other Olds full size cars use the A3/A5 bearing combo and bigger brakes. A Cutlass front rotor uses those same wheel bearings and should slide right onto your spindle. Your drum brakes are the same 5 x 4.75" bolt pattern hubs and 9.5" drums as on A-body cars. You can probably adapt the A-body caliper brackets with a little welding.

newmexguy

Have some '69-'72 A rotors in OK shape. These will fit in a Flat Rate box. PM if interested. Dave S

65_88

Thanks for the info Joe and thanks for the offer Dave.

My mistake on the bearings then. My car is a Delta 88. It has 5x5 rims and large drums (11"?) ...definitely not 9.5".
I changed the bearings a few years ago and I couldn't remember which ones I bought. I live in AZ and the car is in NY with my father so I only get to work on it for a couple months out of the year.
I don't have the car to go look at for reference so I get things wrong sometimes.


I was originally thinking about trying a 73-87 c10 truck front rotor but I don't think the bearings or the bearing spacing is the same. I was going to check when I make it back to where the car is stored because there a 79 c10 project truck there too.

Anyone tried that?

I have some ideas for brackets and would like to use a readily available caliper.

I also don't mean to get off topic I'm still looking for a hub and spindle (5x5 full size) to tinker with.

joe_padavano

I've tried the C10 rotor. It has too much offset and doesn't clear the spindle. I've got a brand new C10 rotor if you want to buy it.

Be careful with the 1965 full size cars, as the front wheel bearings were changed part way through the model year. The first design used an A3/A6 bearing combo. That smaller inner bearing was found to be inadequate and there was a midyear upgrade to the A3/A5 combo, which was used on all mid-65 through 1970 full size cars (and was continued on the 71-76 cars). If you have an early car with the A3/A6 combo, that is unique to the first design 1965 cars.

I've said this many times. The best disc brake setup for the 65-70 cars is the 1969-70 factory discs. These are not as hard to find as you think. Every single 1970 Olds full size came standard with disc brakes. The calipers are readily available everywhere. The rotor problem is solved by using the 2003-06 Cadillac CTS front rotors. These require minor machine work to enlarge the center bore and to redrill the wheel lug bolt pattern. I've used these on my 67 Delta (with 1969 spindles and calipers).

65_88

I remember reading about the bearings being different in early 1965. I believe the car I have was built in February -I'm almost postive that it uses the later bearings. I knew there was a difference when I ordered them and I recall cross referencing them with a 1966.


I will look into the cts rotor thing. I find these days there's no such things as "simple" machining.

Thanks.

65_88

Side Question.
Do the 69-70 Hubs work with the older drum brake dust caps? My car has the speedo cable in the front wheel driven off the dust cap.

joe_padavano

All 1965-70 full size have the wheel-driven speedo.

65_88

Okay. Good to know. If I go the 69 or 70 route do I need to get 69/70 spindles too?

-Thanks

joe_padavano

Disc brake spindles are different from drum brake spindles due to the way the caliper bracket mounts.

65_88

Okay Thanks again. I will see if I can locate some in the future.

newmexguy

Also have a near perfect set of '74 Impala rotors. Am guessing? they are the same as '71 up G series Van and '73 - '87 C PU series ones, but not positive. The '71 B cars, when they went to the "corporate" shared chassis, went with an integral cast spindle. Larger, but similar to what happened with the '70-'81 F car, '73-'77 A car, and '75-'79 X car. LIkely here, is that this cast spindle can not be swapped backwards, onto '65-'70 B cars, without serious rework of front suspension.

joe_padavano

Yes, they are the same rotors.