10 / 24 / 09 Update On Toby
Posted 10-23-2009 at 11:33 PM by Jim Carmichael
The front disc brake upgrade was done using the bracket kit from Scarebird and new rotors, calipers, bearings, seals and flex lines from South Side Brake & Clutch. The total cost of all the parts was about $850.00 but that could have been reduced by using used parts rather than purchasing everything new.
After removing the old drum and backing plate the caliper bracket was bolted into place using the proper grade 8 bolts to attach the steering arm and new cotter pins installed.
At this point it would have been nice to try the caliper with the pads as the bracket was just a little tight and needed to be touched up with a file in order for the pads to slide in. This needs to be done lightly as the pads will "clunk" when braking while changing direction if too much metal is removed.
The rotor was installed after slipping the seal adapter ring supplied by Scarebird onto the spindle. The instructions don't say which side goes on first but one side has been machined to fit the spindle radius so that goes to the spindle base. This ring is a very tight fit so if it was installed wrong it would be hard to remove.
The flat washer for the 1955 buick is a little too large to fit inside the grease cap and a new one for the 1971 to 1976 Buick rotor was not available so the old one was turned down on the lathe to fit.
The new caliper for the 1990 to 2002 Astro all wheel drive van came with new mounting bolts and it was bolted into position. Not shown in this picture is the new flex hose.
The hose came with copper mounting washers and a new hollow bolt but did not fit into the frame bracket so the bracket hole was filed out slightly to fit.
One more small problem surfaced when the wheel was placed back on the rotor. The old drum used bolts while the new rotor has studs that require nuts, which were purchased for the large sum of $4.37 including tax.
With the wheel and hubcap back in place the car still looks factory stock but should have better brakes to go with the bigger engine.
The hand prints need to be cleaned off and it's apparent from the pictures that this car gets driven. I don't try to keep the underside too clean but if there is anything rusted or worn it gets replaced. In the past I have done the bottom of my cars to look as good as the top but then the car is not pleasant to drive because of all the work to clean it up after each trip.
On a completly different note today is the 26th aniversary of my 40th birthday! I should be too old to keep putting big motors in old cars but I still love it.
After removing the old drum and backing plate the caliper bracket was bolted into place using the proper grade 8 bolts to attach the steering arm and new cotter pins installed.
At this point it would have been nice to try the caliper with the pads as the bracket was just a little tight and needed to be touched up with a file in order for the pads to slide in. This needs to be done lightly as the pads will "clunk" when braking while changing direction if too much metal is removed.
The rotor was installed after slipping the seal adapter ring supplied by Scarebird onto the spindle. The instructions don't say which side goes on first but one side has been machined to fit the spindle radius so that goes to the spindle base. This ring is a very tight fit so if it was installed wrong it would be hard to remove.
The flat washer for the 1955 buick is a little too large to fit inside the grease cap and a new one for the 1971 to 1976 Buick rotor was not available so the old one was turned down on the lathe to fit.
The new caliper for the 1990 to 2002 Astro all wheel drive van came with new mounting bolts and it was bolted into position. Not shown in this picture is the new flex hose.
The hose came with copper mounting washers and a new hollow bolt but did not fit into the frame bracket so the bracket hole was filed out slightly to fit.
One more small problem surfaced when the wheel was placed back on the rotor. The old drum used bolts while the new rotor has studs that require nuts, which were purchased for the large sum of $4.37 including tax.
With the wheel and hubcap back in place the car still looks factory stock but should have better brakes to go with the bigger engine.
The hand prints need to be cleaned off and it's apparent from the pictures that this car gets driven. I don't try to keep the underside too clean but if there is anything rusted or worn it gets replaced. In the past I have done the bottom of my cars to look as good as the top but then the car is not pleasant to drive because of all the work to clean it up after each trip.
On a completly different note today is the 26th aniversary of my 40th birthday! I should be too old to keep putting big motors in old cars but I still love it.
Total Comments 1
Comments
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what master cylinder did you end up useing?Posted 10-31-2009 at 09:07 AM by charley 
