62 Chevy II AF/X

[TheSilverBuick]

I bet

[Deaf Bob]

Nice thing about 9 inch rears is parts are cheap and plentiful in boneyards and aftermarket.. But every housing we have flexes or bends. Maybe look for an Edsel from the late 50's.. They tend to have the bigger bearing on the ends and are narrower.. See some guys use channel iron to fit the tubes and cut it to go over the pumpkin.. While others put bracing on top/bottom.. I'm thinking of putting straps about 3" wide top and bottom to see if I can get a housing to last more than a handful of events. Did the axles pull out easily? How about how they felt while turning them in the housing? Were they easier to turn with one axle in versus both? We have several axles to try..if all bind then the housing is bent.. I'm sure you will figure it all out without my rambling.. You probably know someone who has some way, a jig perhaps, to find out.. Keep us posted.. I learn from you..

[squirrel]

I was thinking of making a jig to check to see how bent the housing is, but I haven't got that far yet. The housing I have is from an early wagon, it's the big bearing, narrow, smooth back housing.

[Deaf Bob]

Cool! Should be same as those old Edsels!

[squirrel]

so far...

[DanStokes]

Looks like what I remember from my youth. At least, as best as I can remember........

Dan

[Huskinhano]

I've always wondered just how straight these housings were right out of the factory?

[Deaf Bob]

All jig welded, probably pretty straight .. I'd wonder how easy it'd be to warp depending on the hit in a wreck..It does take a beating..

[TheSilverBuick]

I got a question about your brake setup I'm looking at converting my Firebird to disc brakes in the front, still manual and want to know what you did on this car.

What size line to the front brakes from the master cylinder? Did you use any kind of distribution block or proportioning valve? If so, what did you use? I'll will be using a dual reservoir master though.

[squirrel]

I have a single reservoir master cylinder, and it's TEEd to the brakes using 3/16" line everywhere. No valves or anything, and I took the internal residual pressure valve out of the master cylinder (it's a metal thingy at the output end of the bore, inside). Willwood 11" front brakes, 4 piston calipers, and Chevy 11x2" drum brakes out back.

and a sample of how it stops, I think we were up to 132 mph on this run. You need to scroll up to the 2 minute mark though.

[TheSilverBuick]

I'm going to be using "stock'ish" equipment on the brake end. With removing the hold off valve I was primarily concerned about the drums brakes pulling back too far (pedal travel before they apply), where as leaving it I worried about the disc brakes dragging excessively. I'm considering plumbing it straight like you have, or seeing if I can run plugs into the front half of the proportioning valve and run the discs straight off the master and still have the hold off in the valve. I have a disc/drum master cylinder left over from the Skylark. I've looked at adjustable valves as well as a 10psi hold off valve for the rear.

I wanted to see what you did, thanks!

[milner351]

Randall -
On the falcon, I swapped the original single pot master for a dual pot master from a granada, it's for manual disc/drum brakes.
I ran a T like Jim - not a prop valve. So far so good - it stops just fine on the road, and was adequate on the drag strip. The pedal effort is fine, pedal is very firm.
The Mustang 2 kit I got came with s10 brakes as I recall - nothing fancy - stock parts, single piston calipers and 11" rotors.

[1946Austin]

I'm going to be using "stock'ish" equipment on the brake end. With removing the hold off valve I was primarily concerned about the drums brakes pulling back too far (pedal travel before they apply), where as leaving it I worried about the disc brakes dragging excessively. I'm considering plumbing it straight like you have, or seeing if I can run plugs into the front half of the proportioning valve and run the discs straight off the master and still have the hold off in the valve. I have a disc/drum master cylinder left over from the Skylark. I've looked at adjustable valves as well as a 10psi hold off valve for the rear.

I wanted to see what you did, thanks!

If you're going to convert a Firebird to disc/drums, I'd simply use the factory dual master for that, and the factory proportional valve. Updating to the next generation master, and prop valve, plus plumbing, would be the safest, and best way to do this change. On the cars I've converted, I tired to use the factory parts where they would work, and where they wouldn't, the only non factory part I used was an adjustable prop valve. Haven't needed to use residual valves, with the exception of one vehicle. A roadster that had the master under the floor, which allows the fluid to flow back towards the master. Your master is high enough that residual valves shouldn't be needed.

[DanStokes]

Damn I LOVE the folks on BS and the info they have in their noggins.

Dan

[TheSilverBuick]

Neat picture...I bought the 8x10 at Tulsa. You get to see the small online version, and if you go to the link you can buy the big print!

Bump