Brakes: Need help on disc brake conversion

[Shane]

Is their a Disc brake conversion kit out there that will work on the front of '65 Studebaker or something, I can fabricate I was told the rear wouldn't be a problem.

'65 Commander

[Rerun]

Go to:
http://www.turnerbrake.com/

I have installed Jim Turner's front disc kits on my '63 Avanti and '64 Daytona. They worked well and were easy to install. Just remember that you will need to replace your master cylinder, or remove the residual pressure valve for the front circuit.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

[gordr]

Disc brakes were available as a factory option from '63 onward. If you could find a parts car with disc brakes, you could recondition the brakes, and swap the whole system into your car, including the rear brakes and the master cylinder and booster, which are all different.

I am going to do this on one of my cars, because it was originally a disc brake car, and the parts were robbed off it, and I got a good deal on a decent set of disc brake parts. I wouldn't recommend this option to make a drum brake car into a disc brake car, because the Studebaker disc brakes are basically obsolete, and have become very costly to service.

Jim Turner makes conversion kits for mounting newer model Brand X brakes on your car, and his products (and the service to back them) are well-regarded in the Studebaker community. You can go to his website, www.turnerbrake.com for more information.

One of our Forum contributors, Tom, who posts under the handle SBCA96, has worked out a method for mounting Mustang Cobra disc brakes on a Studebaker suspension, and it looks pretty good, too. I'm not sure if he is actually manufacturing kits for this yet, however. I'm sure he will tell you if he is.

There is another vendor, Steeltech brakes. He advertises on eBay quite frequently, last I looked. Steeltech has fans here, and he has detractors. I opt to stay on the fence.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[Shane]

Thanks for the help fellas. This is what I've been looking for. One more thing to use the hubcaps pictured below, do I need to find Studebaker stock disc brakes rims? I don't imagine stock rims of a Ford or Chrysler would work? Thanks again Shane in Washington State

'65 Commander

[61Lark]

Actually you will want to use either ford or mopar disk brake wheels with the conversion. My 64 had ford wheels on when I got it and the wheel covers fit fine.
Check out Turner's site and do a couple of searches on the forum. That will give you more then enough info and keep you busy for hours.

Nick

[sbca96]

Thanks Gord, yah I am slowly getting into the "business" but still in
the infancy to say the least. It would be more correct to say that I
have designed a bracket to mount 94-04 Mustang brakes, which include
the Cobra 13 inch dual piston setup. Mustangs were also available in
a small 11 inch rotor and single piston setup. These can be found in
just about every salvage yard these days, and are practically given
away (thats how I got MY set!)

One of our forum members is putting together a bargin Mustang setup on
his Lark, and it will be interesting to see his results.

Tom

'63 Avanti, zinc plated drilled & slotted 03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, soon: TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires

[Rerun]

quote:Thanks for the help fellas. This is what I've been looking for. One more thing to use the hubcaps pictured below, do I need to find Studebaker stock disc brakes rims? I don't imagine stock rims of a Ford or Chrysler would work?

Your rims may clear the calipers. IIRC, by '65 the rims had all changed to the new (disc brake) style. Look for a circular "ridge" stamped in the wheel center, a couple of inches outside of the lugs that are used to snap on the small hub caps. Maybe someone more knowledgeable on the '65 can verify this.

That said, when I converted my '64 to discs, I bought new 6" rims. The 205-75 tires fit much better. These were a Hayes #82552 (a Ford Bronco application) which I understand are NLA new. The wheel covers fit fine. Use the search function and you will find numerous threads discussing rims.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

[bams50]

I've heard that restoring an original Stude disc brake system is much more expensive than just converting to a Turner kit. True or false?

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by bams50

I've heard that restoring an original Stude disc brake system is much more expensive than just converting to a Turner kit. True or false?

I think a Turner Kit is about $650.

Rotors, calipers, MC, and pads for a Stude set up will cost about $900. Then you may need the booster rebuilt,crossover and hose to caliper pipes, flex lines. Probably well over a grand to do a COMPLETE rebuild of the Stude set up.

Obviously if your rotors are good, if you only need kits for the calipers and MC, etc. it can be a lot cheaper.

Dick Steinkamp
Bellingham, WA

[chrise2]

for my 57 Hawk, I used the old hubs and pressed off the stock drums and replaced them with dodge rotors (11.75 dia 1" thk) and fabricated adapters from 1/2" aluminum plate. the calipers are from a full size chevy. everything fits and looks good. What I haven't accomplished yet is which master cylinder setup to use. I have about $150 in it so far.

57 hawk my parents bought new
72 Avanti
67 Avanti

[chrise2]

I forgot to mention that if you can find good stock stude rotors, you can put on replacement calipers from a toyota which bolt right in but require brake line work at the caliper. they are also somewhat larger. You have to use the disk brake spindles and brackets to make it easiest. They are cheap in comparison with the dunlop stock ones which are also used on Jag, Ferrari, Lamborghini and some other which make them hard to find and EXPENSIVE.
I can give you the part numbers if you wish for both sets of info.
On my Avanti I converted to plymouth roadrunner 'special duty brakes' which are the same hub as the stude but have 4 piston caliper and a 1" thk rotor. They are real hard to find though and you have to machine an adapter.

[wittsend]

I have a '63 Rambler American. I did a common AMC swap to adapt later year disc brakes to the car. They used the same (drum) spindle and everything pretty much just bolted on with the exception that the calipers swapped sides. I think the whole "Pick A Part" swap cost me $60 and that included core fees and tax.

When I first saw the front spindle on my '64 Daytona (drum brakes) it looked a lot like the AMC spindle mounting configuration. I'm curious if anyone have ever considered the AMC setup. They used the same Ford/Mopar bolt pattern.

Tom

[Mike Van Veghten]

Shane -

There's tons of conversion info already here..!
Just click on the "search" section, type in brake conversion or disc brake conversion and sit back with your favorite beverage...!

Mike

[studebakerkid]

Shane why do you want to convert it anyway if the drums work fine? You are not that far away from me and the traffic is not that different. You are not running anything like I have in Pinkie and she stops just fine in Seattle traffic.

[Skybolt]

Shane, I suggest you follow Mike advice at this point and search the forum for brake conversions. As I used a set up, not a Turner, and sourced the fully loaded calipers, 11" Granada slotted rotors, brackets, braided S/S lines, etc... for about $400. My master cylinder is under the floor, as I have. 59 Lark, and didn't touch the master cylinder or have to mess with any balance of the front/rear system. Have put a few thousand miles on it in LA traffic at 70-80 mph with no problems. So do yourself a favor and do some research. Either way you will be more informed. Len.