1957 Chevy Grumman Front Disk Brake Conversion

[Classic v6 GMC's]

I usually stay on the 60-66 side but recently picked up a 57 Chevy Grumman van and was wondering what is the best way to convert the front to disk brakes.
Is the van front axle the same as a 3/4-1 ton truck axle?
Any good disk brake kits?
I want to keep the stock 19.5" Wheels.

I found this bracket kit. Any opinions on it? Will it push the wheels out to far?
http://www.thehollisterroadcompany.c...converion.html


I have a 2003 Chevy 2500 van rear axle with disk brakes and 3.73 gears so just need to figure out the front.
Thanks

[dwcsr]

Send me a picture of the front hub. wheel off. and I'll tell you if t will work

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

Send me a picture of the front hub. wheel off. and I'll tell you if t will work

Okay I will take some pics today.
Thanks

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

Send me a picture of the front hub. wheel off. and I'll tell you if t will work

Here are some pics

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Pics

[dwcsr]

That hub uses our SRW kit. Its a standard single rear wheel front axle. On the dually truck there is an extended hub that sticks out about 6" from the drum.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by dwcsr

That hub uses our SRW kit. Its a standard single rear wheel front axle. On the dually truck there is an extended hub that sticks out about 6" from the drum.

Okay thank you for the reply. Before I purchase I need to do my home work on the other parts I will need.

[MARTINSR]

Why do you need the discs? Again, I have to ask the question. Unless you are driving a lot on winding mountain roads you do not need disc brakes.

Forget all the "modern highway" BS you don't need disc brakes unless you are driving it on windy mountain roads or something like that where the drums get overheated.

Just normal driving you don't need them.

Brian

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Why do you need the discs? Again, I have to ask the question. Unless you are driving a lot on winding mountain roads you do not need disc brakes.

Forget all the "modern highway" BS you don't need disc brakes unless you are driving it on windy mountain roads or something like that where the drums get overheated.

Just normal driving you don't need them.

Brian

Well I could get by with the drum brakes but I want to pull a trailer and drive anywhere (Through Colorado and Arizona) with out having to worry about it. The brakes need redone anyway and the rear axle already has disk brakes so might as well upgrade the front.
Andy

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

Well I could get by with the drum brakes but I want to pull a trailer and drive anywhere (Through Colorado and Arizona) with out having to worry about it. The brakes need redone anyway and the rear axle already has disk brakes so might as well upgrade the front.
Andy

I hear you, yeah, that is a different story. I just have to ask the question some times I hear the craziest reasons to put discs on and they simply aren't a MUST as some people have been brain washed to think.

Brian

[dsraven]

hey Brian, have you ever had to hit the brakes after one wheel goes through a big puddle, or both for that matter. not as good as discs plus they tend to pull. if it was me it would be discs already. haha

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by dsraven

hey Brian, have you ever had to hit the brakes after one wheel goes through a big puddle, or both for that matter. not as good as discs plus they tend to pull. if it was me it would be discs already. haha

I have been driving for 40+ years, too many miles on drum brakes to count. I have never had anything happen that disc brakes would have somehow solved. That black rubber thing that is on the floor under the steering column that activates the brakes and the long black rubber thing that adjusts your speed mean a LOT more than the brake pads or shoes do.

I have to ask, what happened 40 or so years ago that changed everything? 40 years ago about 95% of the cars on the road were drum, it wasn't that many years before, 1970 or so where about 99.9% of the cars were drum. How did we survive? There must have been crashes on every street every day. Nope, there weren't, how in the hell did we survive.

Brian

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Why do you need the discs? Again, I have to ask the question. Unless you are driving a lot on winding mountain roads you do not need disc brakes.

Forget all the "modern highway" BS you don't need disc brakes unless you are driving it on windy mountain roads or something like that where the drums get overheated.

Just normal driving you don't need them.

Brian

The main reason for disc upgrade is drums are getting non existent. Below 1951 I doubt you'll even get parts for 3600 3800 other than wheel cylinders and seals. It can take weeks to months to find new drums if yours are not cutable. You can find some 3600 fronts but 14" rears are longer available anywhere.

The safety enhancements of disc brakes over drums are well known. The main one is if an outer wheel bearing fails on these trucks the wheel does not come off if its a disc brake. Disc brakes stop better with less maintenance, They don't fade in weather like drums and with the 2003 up parts this kit uses you can replace them in 10 years if you need to. Towing with a big van like he has its just a plain smart decision. Keeping up with traffic I one thing but you also need to be able to stop with traffic.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

I usually stay on the 60-66 side but recently picked up a 57 Chevy Grumman van

pics or it never happened

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

pics or it never happened

Here a couple pics
When I am ready to start working on it I will create a build thread.

[MARTINSR]

It looks like the windshield is made up of 6 pieces? A flat piece at the center and then a curved one with the flat one on the sides?

If that is the case those flat ones will be easy to change. The curved ones are a while different story but if you had the flat ones new it would be what you are looking threw most of the time and it would make a big difference.

Brian

[_Ogre]

those curved glass pieces are probably rare as hens teeth

thanks for posting up the pics, that body looks pretty clean

[dwcsr]

I saw a few videos on how to make those out of Lexan. Seemed to be moderating easy but time consuming

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

It looks like the windshield is made up of 6 pieces? A flat piece at the center and then a curved one with the flat one on the sides?

If that is the case those flat ones will be easy to change. The curved ones are a while different story but if you had the flat ones new it would be what you are looking threw most of the time and it would make a big difference.

Brian

Originally Posted by _Ogre

those curved glass pieces are probably rare as hens teeth

thanks for posting up the pics, that body looks pretty clean

Originally Posted by dwcsr

I saw a few videos on how to make those out of Lexan. Seemed to be moderating easy but time consuming

Yes it is 6 pieces. The drivers side corner and center are broke.
Luckily I found a guy on eBay who sells the curved corner piece in Plexiglas for $75 each. Already received it and it looks good.
The body is straight with just a few small dents and scrapes down the side.

[dsraven]

I wonder if a hydroboost could work for the brakes. it would take less physical space.

[_Ogre]

easy peasy to get a mc in there
leave the pedals as are (clutch is optional )
cut off the old mc (leaving the pedal mount) and make a bracket to mount the new mc or hydroboost a foot behind the old mc
make a new rod to connect the pedals to the new mc



look at orrieg's build for ideas, my hydroboost is at the pedals, it is a little tight to everything
orrieg has his mc 1 ft behind the pedals

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by dsraven

I wonder if a hydroboost could work for the brakes. it would take less physical space.

Thanks for bringing that up because I actually have a hydro boost setup I pulled off of a van and I am going to need the space.

Originally Posted by _Ogre

easy peasy to get a mc in there
leave the pedals as are (clutch is optional )
cut off the old mc (leaving the pedal mount) and make a bracket to mount the new mc or hydroboost a foot behind the old mc
make a new rod to connect the pedals to the new mc

look at orrieg's build for ideas, my hydroboost is at the pedals, it is a little tight to everything
orrieg has his mc 1 ft behind the pedals

That sounds like a good plan. Will probably go that route with the hydroboost. It will probably work well with the the new motor and trans.

[dwcsr]

12

[solidaxel]

What is the wheel base on the Van?

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by solidaxel

What is the wheel base on the Van?

It is a "Shorty" at 104" or 108" (still need to measure it) and that is the reason we bought it.