Brake update

[plee4139]

I want to update the brakes on my Sly Hawk to front discs with dual master cylinders. I went to the Turner Brakes site and saw some information, but am rather confused by all the conflicting opinions on our forum .I also want a ballpark figure on cost. Can anyone help me with this?

[Topper2011]

It's pricey, but his kit is well built. I did this on my GT and with my limited driving with it, works pretty well. I have a thread on my car and you can see what i went though to get mine done. Fairly labor intensive, but one step at a time.

[Rafe Hollister]

I put Turners on my 56 hawk maybe 6 months ago, but with original single un-boosted master cylinder. Compared to modern car brakes they aren't so great. But compared to the drums they replaced... a million times better.
Its really a pretty simple job... but the details will get you; needed torch to remove old brake lines (wouldn't have done it myself, but experienced buddy knew how, just heated them red hot with map gas, let the cool, easy peasy), bought several brake line flare tools before finding a good one, routing the brake lines, bleeding, etc...
By the way, what year did they make the 'Sly Hawk'?
Rafe Hollister.

[plee4139]

Oh, it's a very sly car all right. Sneaks on to the car show fields and steals all the trophies. Bad car!

[6hk71400]

One year only, 1956 like the Power Hawk and Flight Hawk. All three were replaced by the Silver Hawk in 1957 and the Golden Hawk continue but with a Supercharged 289.

Bob Miles
The big news in Sports Cars.
Now sports car fun is family fun
The 1956 Studebaker Hawks

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

1954 through 1966 V-8 powered Studebakers were equipped with front drum brakes that were 11” in diameter with a shoe width of 2-1/4”. For a car the weight of a typical Studebaker, these were considered to be large brakes and they stopped quite well. For someone to say a disc brake conversion is a “million times better” or even 2 times better is a meaningless statement. Just how bad were your worn out, poorly maintained drum brakes?
I’m not here to tell anyone they should or shouldn’t convert (notice I didn’t use that overused word “upgrade”) to disc brakes…it should just be noted that the self energizing drum brakes you are thinking of replacing are very good brakes themselves.

[Rafe Hollister]

I used to teach literature. Exaggeration is a common and appropriate English language figure of speech. It does not convey objective truth, but seeks to create a heightened sense of feeling. You can tell exaggeration because the statement could not possible be true. It isn't meaningless, it conveys my enthusiasm about how much I like the change. If I said they 1.87% better, my point would not be made.
I thought my drums were fine, but the 1st time is stepped hard on them at 80mph at Samoa Dragstrip, they scared the crap outa me. Yes, I get it, not properly adjusted.
The Great and Mighty and sooo good looking Rafe Hollister (also an exaggeration, but not by much)

[bensherb]

Sly Hawk, I wonder if it's of the Stallone variety? Easy typo!

My stock '62 drum brakes worked fine, with everything in them new, but were a bit lacking for 2020 something in San francisco bay area traffic. (drivers here are insane) The thing I dislike most about them is they are not self adjusting, maybe they're supposed to be, I don't know. Anyway, after installing a vacuum power booster, when I moved the master cylinder to the firewall, the drum brakes work GREAT, if you keep them adjusted. Certainly as well as my '99 Honda, '01 Tundra and '14 Prius.

[plee4139]

I lived in 'Frisco and drove a '68 Dodge minivan with three-speed manual. Now, there's a place where you could have used Studie's Hill Holder!

[StudeRich]

They are Self-Energizing starting in 1954, but Self Adjusting did not happen until 1963, and that did not help them stop better in my opinion, unless you compare them to poorly maintained Manual adjusting brakes.

A '56 Sky Hawk.

[plee4139]

I've met the man whose car this is. He's got a few others, including a Hudson, and lives in Point Loma in San Diego.

[STEWDI]

l have to add my agreement to all above who are saying that properly maintained Stude passenger car brakes from '54 up are very good. My '60 Lark V8, my '55 Champion, my dad's '62 GT, my '64 Commander, and my son's '56 Power Hawk - all of them.

l only got a Turner conversion for my '61 Champ (light trucks still used older-style brake mechanisms) . l didn't change the master and didn't add power assist. The pedal pressure did not really change (not that it was bad anyway), and it was not advertised that it would.

[BRUCESTUDE]

I went with Turner for the dual MC on my ‘60 Lark, and Hot Rods and Brakes for the front disc conversion ( because Jim Turner was in the middle of moving). I love the disc brakes, I find myself easing off the pedal rather than stepping harder as with my drums. Totally worth the effort and expense!

[plee4139]

Can you give me an idea about what that cost was?

[Topper2011]

$700 + for the front disc conversion, I forget how much for the dual master cylinder bracket kit. I also bought all new lines, metal and rubber, plus a new AMC master cylinder. I live in a hilly area and used to have a 1969 Cutlass with manual drum brakes. Even with semi-metallic shoes, they still faded after some heavy braking, not a good feeling. Going on a dump run, my fully loaded 1963 C20 with everything manual also heavily faded on heavy braking. I felt the conversion ends up being cheaper than front end sheet metal damaged if someone "brake checks" me. I've had that happen to me before and thankfully was ready for it. Some people do that for a big payday,

[Rafe Hollister]

I do my own work with occasional help from friends, so only bought parts for mine. I bought swap meet carrier brackets and drums for 100.00, then sourced calipers from local auto parts for, hmm I forget, less than 200.00 maybe. 50.00 for brake pads. I also bought an adjustable proportioning valve and the ft and rear pressure valves. So I saved some money. But after tools and buying my buddy lunch, still was around 500.00. But 700.00 is still a great deal.

Rafe Hollister