Disc brake conversion question

[Jus" Roach]

I may be putting the cart before the hearse, er, horse (sorry cuuldn't resist)
Engine swap is in progress. Next project is brakes.
I have a '62 Superior Cadillac with drums on all four corners. Larry con Carne tells me I can put disc brakes on the front without major surgery.
What year(s) and model do I look for a donor?
Is it bolt on?
Same or different master cylinder? I'm guessing a proportioning valve is in order.
How involved is it beyond spindles/rotors/calipers?

[v8nightmare]

If im not mistaken they should sell comlete vehicle specific conversion kits at Summit or Jugs

[pyro]

PM me, as I have done this to my 63. Easy, no need to buy a new brake booster.

[spastic_chicken]

http://www.scarebird.com/index.php?id=10

^ I did a disc brake conversion on my '57 Eureka. The kit is awesome. You can get brake pads and calipers at any autoparts stores, newer wheel bearings. You buy the brackets, they send you a list of parts to buy. I think I did mine for like 300$ or less.

[Creepy Cruiser]

On my '65, I did 4 wheel disks, and the fronts were pretty easy. I used pretty much all bolt on parts from the local "pull N save" wrecking yard, and it cost me less than $100. I used mid 70's spindles/rotors/calipers from a DeVille, and I used the proportioning valve and master from the SeVille, (but that was because I was doing disk in the rear also). I would use the Master and the proportioning valve from the mid 70's DeVille though, since you're not doing rear disk at the same time. (I had to shorten the push rod a little and then it bolts right up to the original booster). I also had to change either the upper or lower control arms to match the ball joints (came from the same mid 70's DeVille). Everything just bolted on though. The brake lines come out in a different spot though, so I just made new ones.

[spastic_chicken]

What was involved in doing the rear disc conversion?? Do you have any pics?

[Creepy Cruiser]

I actually changed out the whole reared to one from a SeVille, because I needed it to be about 8" narrower than the stock one to tuck my 10" wide wheels, and I wanted highway gears. I basically just took a sawsall and cut off all the factory hearse rear suspension and rolled the whole thing out from underneath, and then started from scratch. I built all my own control arms and such from scratch (no more leaf springs) to get it to all lay flat on the ground. It was a lot of engineering and fabrication, but well worth it in the end. Sorry, at the time I was just jamming along and totally forgot to take any pics, lol. When I get the car out for the summer, I'll try to remember to take some pics then.

[Jus" Roach]

.... I used pretty much all bolt on parts from the local "pull N save" wrecking yard, and it cost me less than $100. I used mid 70's spindles/rotors/calipers from a DeVille, I would use the Master and the proportioning valve from the mid 70's DeVille though, since you're not doing rear disk I also had to change either the upper or lower control arms to match the ball joints (came from the same mid 70's DeVille). Everything just bolted on though. The brake lines come out in a different spot though, so I just made new ones.

So maybe getting from the control arms out, at the pull-n-pay may be simplest?

[Creepy Cruiser]

You can do some part# searching for the upper and lower ball joints and see what ones match and what ones don't, and that will tell you which arms you need to change. I just took really good pics and measurements of mine factory suspension, and went to the wrecking yard and compared everything. Yours is a different year, so it may be a little different. It was way easier than I thought, lol.

[chestypuller]

i want to convert mine before ptting money into drums

[pyro]

I would go with MP Brakes. Complete kit, and depending on your mechanical skills, easy to do. Since your car has been sitting for a long time, I would go with a new booster as well. They have a kit with the booster/master cylinder/proportionng valve.

[chestypuller]

no kits for me.

[pyro]

Its going to be the cheapest route. You can start with the 69 Cad brake caliper mount bracket. Used master cylinder and proportioning valve.

[Jus" Roach]

Actually, with a little homework I found out 61-69 uppers, lowers, ball joints and spindles are the same part.
In 1969, disk brakes were an option, so they used one spindle for both.
I found 1972 backing plates, calipers, mounts and rotors at a salvage yard. Three bolts removed the drum and hold the disc caliper bracket.
New pads and flexible brake lines (relocated to other side of spindle)
Replaced master cylinder and vacuum booster. The only real modification I needed to do was "french" a small area into the left fender to allow for brake line routing. Drum master cylinder exit to drivers right, disk cylinder has brake lines out the left side.
Less than $300.00 complete

[Creepy Cruiser]

Yep, I love my 4 wheel disks. Everything except my lines came from a self serve wrecking yard. And it was only about $100 for everything.