1952 Chevy Styleside Front Drum to Disc Swap

I read through all of the active threads and ran a couple of searches. My questions remain.

Can this swap be done without subframing or aftermarket brackets?

Is this front end suitable for the additional loads that are imposed from the disc arrangement?

I do not wish to relocate the master cylinder. Has anyone adapted a two outlet master cylinder to this application without having two master cylinders?

This modification and the addition of seatbelts will likely be the only modifications to this origional car.

go to www.speedwaymotors.com and they have a disc kit that will fit GM metric disc brake stuff on your '37-'54 Chevy spindles, you would need to send out your spindles for a little machining or you could buy there new forged 1's that are arleady done,

Are you referring to this: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp...tLargeView.htm

yes. but I justnotice an issue with them, it says that they do not work with the stock steering arms and can only be used in applications of a front str8 I beam axle like what a T bucket would have. there catalog does not say anything about this and I just found out by looking on the site, you need to get ahold of Speedway and ask what the story is with them and if there is any way to modify them to work, as this is the only kit I know of for 1937-1954 spindles.

The front end was barely adequate with drum brakes. The suspension is quite antiquated. Not sure that the additional stopping power wouldn't put too much stress on the front end pieces. I've seen the stock pieces used on the street, but even though you do gain the stopping power you would still have the lousy suspension and steering.

I am not a fan of these aftermarket bracket setups. But, this one http://www.mpbrakes.com/products/pro...product_id=345 I intend to look into. I was hoping to discover a spindle/bearing/control arm swap that would use OEM pieces and not require any machine work.

Has anyone used the above brackets or kit?
Anyone have a line on an easy master cylinder swap?

Has anyone used the bolt in subframe kit from C.E. (I think)?

Friend of mine in Brookings used the bolt in kit, said he wished he would of got the weld in kit. The bolt in kit was a more money, and not as good components, had to pay extra for the dropped spindles..... His looks ok, guess I just feel more comfortable with my crossmembers and shock hats welded in. The old riveted frames flex so bad, I would imagine the bolt on stuff does too.....

www.speedwaymotors.com has a line up of under floor master cylinders, all of them except 1 are dual masters, the single pot master is a reproduction Ford master used until '48 I think it is. you can get them in power also, with an under floor booster. I don't think your going to find a spindle swap kit for this early of a car, that MP brakes kit looks good, I wonder if those are factory GM calipers, if so that would be great. also if that kit does not include bearings, get a set of roller bearings for it, they last longer and they do have 1's that fit it.

Dave do you know how to ajust about 1/4 turn of play out of the steering on these cars? mine's got about that and I can't find the over/ center ajustment, but I never looked hard. during hard breaking, the car stops ok with the drums, they were compleatly rebuilt b4 I got the car.

Guys, Thanks for your suggestions. I know that I will figure out my route on this deal. I just want to ensure that i have a quality setup the first time.

The bolt in kit that I looked at had adjustable spring seats for changing the ride height. With the old steel and the known chassis flex, I can not see the welds holding without cracking. The oem's have gotten avay from welded in subframes and crossmembers for the most part. Most are now all bolt in.

I still can not find a dual master setup for the car, only for powerglide applications.

Matt, 1/4 turn of play is WAY loose. Check out http://chevy.tocmp.com/1949_53shop/09steering/9_01.HTM for steering gearbox info.

as for using a dual master, you may be able to get away with the single pot master by the way you plum it, if you use the single pot master with a T, just like it is but use a preassure differential switch in line of both of the front and rear lines, that way the loss of preassure on any 1 side will slam it shut and give you an ok brake pedal, and not no pedal, not perfect but it would do. there are universal fit under floor dual master cylinders you could use, but you would need to build mounts for it.

Boxing plates on the front of the frame (or the full length of the frame) will end the flexing and cracked welds. No way are bolt ons as rigid and non flexxing as weld ins..... Which ever way you go, do some boxing on the frame.

For the master cylinder, check out the two bolt dual reservoir on the GM Monte Carlo's, Grand Prix's from the late 70's, early 80's.

Found a potentially viable, dual outlet, powerboosted brake master.

Has anyone tried running a small vacuum booster, vacuum wipers and running a pcv valve with a 216? I question if I will have enough negative pressure in the manifold.

if not you could run a vacume canister. my early 235 ( babbit bearings and all, just a large bore 216 really ) makes 16 HG of manifold vac at idle and I have yet to time it. I don't know if you can bypass the road draft tube and replace with a PCV, never seen that done. I'd suggest switching to a '53-'54 235, they look just like the 216's but have a full preassure oiling system and regular bearings, not poured babbit bearings, not to mention www.speedwaymotors.com sells a electronic distributor to fit them.

Any draft tube engine can be changed to a pcv-The engine will never know the difference. The draft tube was simply the first approach to evacuating crankcase gases. I don't mind the draft tube, I just get tired of clothes smelling like oil just from driving my older cars a couple of blocks down the street. On stuff that I drive regularly, I put in a pcv.

My 216 was "rebuilt" just prior to my purchase of the car. If it blows up, I will swap it out with a nailhead engine I have in the garage. Otherwise, the car is way too nice and origional for me to cut it up.

I know that any draft tube could be replaced but I don't know if there is anything in the aftermarket to do it to this engine. the 216-early 235's are also vented in the valve cover ( the little slots ) so I don't know how the PCV would work out. when I shut my engine off, a little smoke is emmitted from the valve cover vents.

Your front end will work, its the same stuff as 'Vettes used til '62. Some disc conversions use stock hubs with slip-on rotors and need no spindle mods. Don't worry about boxing the frame, its already done. The frame rails are a hat section channel with a plate across the open part of the channel. BTW, if you want power steering, the Cavalier R&P unit works well.

For future reference, what year and flavor of Cavalier rack works?
What to use for mounts and tie rod ends?

bump bump bump

I'm in the process of putting the early chevy kit on my Buick stock suspension. Speedway motors guy doubted it would work (caliper interference with supension components when turning). I made a small modification to the stabilizer bar and moved the bracket on the lower suspension arm for the bolt between the stabilzer bar and the lower arm. The caliper body just bumped the bolt when the wheel was fully turned, but would interfere more when the brakes are actuated, thus moving the caliper body away from the mounting bracket. I also needed to have my spindles machined. They are in the shop now. I really think this is going to work. I will know more by Wed. or Thurs.

The chevy kit fit on the machined buick spindles ALMOST like I expected. I had a choice of redesigning the mounting bracket for the caliper or finding a way to set the rotor out about 3/16" to make the brakes fit over the rotor. A spacer is supplied with the kit that serves two jobs. It sets the inside bearing (and thus the rotor) out about 5/8" from the original bearing location and provide the surface the seal rides on. I could have had a new thicker spacer machined but I chose to just use some shim washers to set it out a little. Since the rotor sets further out I had to lose the washer for the outer bearing nut and grind out the notch in the nut just a bit. Knowing what I know now I would modify the machining of the spindles to fix these problems. I have a parts car so I suppose I could start over with the spindle machining but I don't see the need at this time.