[75try5]

I am planning to put disk brakes on the 57. I keep seeing that I need larger wheels than the stock 14 inch wheels to clear calipers?? Does anyone make disk brakes for a 57 that allows me to use my stock wheels and hubcaps??

 

[angs1957]

I could be wrong but I believe that even the smallest of set ups will interfere with the 14 inch wheels. You do have other options, you can purchase new larger wheels to clear the calipers and still use the hubcaps.

 

[Ace57]

Yes. They are available. ABS Power Brakes has them. Page 6 & 7 under "55-57 Belair" (in drop down menu) in their catalog.

ABS Power Brake, Inc.

www.abspowerbrake.com

Check with Mike Garcia at MGChevyParts (Ebay seller) to see if he can make you a kit. He used to make them... He has better brackets in my opinion (3 point fasteners)

 

[SLIM]

If they don't use the upper 5/8 bolt they are crazy and inviting disaster at your expense. That upper bolt takes 99%+ of the force during a hard stop

 

[jmg283]

I could be wrong but I believe that even the smallest of set ups will interfere with the 14 inch wheels. You do have other options, you can purchase new larger wheels to clear the calipers and still use the hubcaps.

I'm curious how you can use 14" hubcaps on a larger wheel?

 

[75try5]

Yes. They are available. ABS Power Brakes has them. Page 6 & 7 under "55-57 Belair" (in drop down menu) in their catalog.

ABS Power Brake, Inc.

www.abspowerbrake.com

Check with Mike Garcia at MGChevyParts (Ebay seller) to see if he can make you a kit. He used to make them... He has better brackets in my opinion (3 point fasteners)

i contacted ABS Brakes and they can make the power disk brakes that allow me to use original 14 inch wheels. He said they used to make whatever they wanted. He said they learned to make what customers want to stay in business. Thanks Ace 57

 

[75try5]

I'm curious how you can use 14" hubcaps on a larger wheel?

From what I have read, I can buy later model 14 inch wheels for power disk brakes. One company sells those wheels that you can use with original hubcaps. ACE 57 put me in touch with ABS Brakes and they make front disk brakes that can accommodate the original 14 inch 57 wheels

 

[Dragsix]

The issue you need to deal with is the caliper size. The kits for the 14 inch stock wheels almost universally use the small metric calipers. Do a search on our site and you will see that these metric calipers are really a little too small for a trifive. In other words, that disc set up does not stop any better, or maybe marginally better, then the stock drum brakes. What you really need are the largest calipers you can fit, starting with the tried and true Chevelle caliper that has been the standard entry level disc brake caliper for decades now. But these will not fit with a 14 inch wheel.

I have the same issue as a disc set up will not fit with my old old 14 inch crager ss rims. So you really should consider moving to a 15 inch rim and the Chevelle caliper or there is another alternative. You could swap out the front and rear brake shoes with Muscle Car Brakes Matrix Ceramic brake shoes. I used them on my car (drum brakes all around) and they made a big difference in stopping power. Not cheap like over the counter generic shoes but they are doing a very good job for me.

Muscle Car Brakes

Also, I assume you have already swapped over to a dual master? Did you install any pressure residual vales in teh lines? Drum brakes need about 9-10 pounds of residual pressure to keep the shoes from fully retracting. Real drum drum dual master cylinders, and real Disc/Drum dual master cylinders use to come with these little duck bill pressure valves built into the master cylinders. Two years ago I purchased four master cylinders and took them apart, not one had the pressure vale installed.

The stock single pot master has a pressure residual vale built in (although different then the duck bill valves for the dual masters) and even the replacement masters retain this valve. So you might consider adding a separate unit for front or back or both as the case may be.