Brakes: turner brake kit

[bob mulhern]

I am getting ready to have turner kit installed on my 58 silverhawk and have a quetion. I have a new mastercyclinder in the car and wonder is it worth it to put new dual cyclinder in when installing kit?

[thunderations]

You MUST use a dual cylinder MC because the discs use different pressure then the drums in the rear. The kit should give you the part numbers for the correct MC and pressure valve needed.

[1badstude]

I have installed a few of these kits, and on the last one I had to fabricate a new adjustable push rod bracket and change the mount location on the pedal to get good break pressure I used a corvette master cylinder. Works great I also am running 4 wheel disk breaks I highly recommend as the old saying goes it will stop on a dime a.give you nine cents change.

[1badstude]

I got an email asking me to elaborate on my disk brake set up in my car I just found it in my junk file and tried to reply but there is a problem and it wont let me. anyway here it is I ordered the turner brakes a corvette dual master cylinder and a set of rear disk breaks from summit racing and a proportioning valve, I should mention I am running a 9" rear end. put the system together and had no brake pressure got looking at the pedal and it appeared the geometry of the pushrod was wrong I made a custom push rod and bracket and changed the location of the mounting point at the pedal and now I have good pressure. defiantly took some head scratching to figure this one out but then I had that duh moment. hope this helps.

[swvalcon]

I used the corvette master cylinder on my Vega drag car. Had mustang 2 disc in front, 1/2 ton chev 12 bolt rear with 11" drum brakes, no proportioning valve and no power booster. Would stop on a dime and straight as arrow from 130 mph.

[64V-K7]

I ordered the turner brakes a corvette dual master cylinder and a set of rear disk breaks ......

I may have been the one who emailed you. I was interested in which Corvette MC (part# or year) as they have much larger calipers in front than Turners Kit provides. My GT Hawk is getting Front and Rear Turner Disk brakes was trying to shorten the research time..
thx

[Warren Webb]

I put a "Corvette" master cylinder I bought from CPP in Orange County on my 62 Champ. I used that one only because it has 1 1/4" bore (the same as the original master) and had the provision for lines on both sides of the unit. I figured too that if someone comes up with a "DISC BRAKE"(not disk break) kit for 3/4 ton trucks then I'll be ready for it!!

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I have installed the Turner disc brake kit on the front of my formerly drum-brake '64 Hawk, and am in the process of changing out the MC for a new single MC. The MC is a Dorman M2796, from which I have removed the check valve. This MC appears identical to the original and has a 3/4" bore. I was under the impression that a single MC is fine with Turner's discs--not so??? Of course, I am replacing all the rubber hoses and all metal brake lines that show any rust. I should note that I am also replacing the 10" rear drums with Avanti 11" drum brakes. These are non-self-energizing, so their line pressure-to-braking force characteristics are closer to those of the front discs. As Dave Thibeault has pointed out, Studebaker did it right (whereas GM didn't), using non-self-energizing rear drums with front discs.
-Dwight FitzSimons, Editor, Greater Virginia Chapter--SDC

[karterfred88]

You might have a travel problem depending on the size of the Turner disc pistons. The original Avanti set up used 2 1/8 pistons in the caliper, 3/4 in rear wheel cylinders and 1 1/8 master. I'd check with Turner on his recommendation with the Avanti rears, Since he sells that conversion as well. I have the Bendix design specs, they are on Bob Johnstones site as well. Good luck.

[wdills]

I put the Turner kit on the front of my 61 Hawk. I still have the stock MC and stock rear drums. I talked to Jim several times before I started to make sure I understood everything I had to do. Kit went in very easy and works great. I seem to remember the instructions had me remove the check valve from my MC and punch a hole through it. I didn't have to fabricate anything and pedal height is right where it should be.

[karterfred88]

Not sure if the stock rear (10") used the same size bore as the 11" ones you put on. Won't hurt to ask Jim. What works for the Avanti conversion should also work on yours.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Why not just call Jim and ask him directly?
He won't bite...

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I did run my plans past Jim Turner when I ordered my disc brake kit. He said that either the 10" or 11" rear drum brakes will work with his front discs. The first respondent above (thunderations) stated that one MUST use a dual MC with discs front and drums rear. That is obviously NOT true. It may, however, be necessary to use a proportioning valve to get the braking force properly proportioned between the front and rear brakes.
-Dwight FitzSimons

[thunderations]

I'm know that single master cylinders will work, it's what Studebaker used. The reason to use a dual master cylinder is the safety aspect. The front and rear brakes are on separate systems with a dual master so if you have a flex line go bad, a steel line rupture or a slave cylinder leak, there will still be brakes. Studebaker went to dual masters on the later drum brakes, but not the disc's for some reason. Aftermarket dual masters are available and work with either drums or discs and just make sense, for the safety feature. Most vendors have the info on which masters work with which system and all the modifications needed.

[StudeRich]

I got an email asking me to elaborate on my disk brake set up in my car I just found it in my junk file and tried to reply but there is a problem and it wont let me. anyway here it is I ordered the turner brakes a corvette dual master cylinder and a set of rear disk breaks from summit racing and a proportioning valve, I should mention I am running a 9" rear end. put the system together and had no brake pressure got looking at the pedal and it appeared the geometry of the pushrod was wrong I made a custom push rod and bracket and changed the location of the mounting point at the pedal and now I have good pressure. defiantly took some head scratching to figure this one out but then I had that duh moment. hope this helps.

For your info to help anyone, we would need to know if your Car has a Under the Floor mounted Master Cylinder or a Firewall Mounted one.