One of the common upgrades made to improve the stopping ability of a drum brake–equipped Chevrolet is a disc brake swap. In our particular case, the car needing better binders was a ’63 Corvette, so we turned to Wilwood for help.
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Wilwood has been a leading manufacturer of high-performance brake system components since 1977, and among their long list of products are a variety of disc brake conversions. For our application we wanted more modern brakes, but we also wanted to keep our vintage five-spoke wheels. That meant two things: the new brakes had to accommodate 15-inch-diameter wheels with a minimum tread width increase due to the wheel’s 7-inch width. To meet our needs, we decided on Wilwood’s Classic Series Dynalite front disc brake kit (PN 140-14663-R, the R indicates red powdercoated calipers). This new kit fits ’55-64 fullsize Chevrolets and ’63-64 Corvettes. It comes with large 11.5-inch rotors, forged Dynalite-M calipers, caliper mounting brackets, hardware, and complete bearing kits.
Based on Wilwood’s venerable Dynalite caliper, the Dynalite-M series is specifically designed to increase outboard wheel clearance for the Classic Series brake kits; the M stands for machined, the outer body is stepped to clear stock steel wheels, in some cases as small as 14 inches. These calipers are made from forged billet aluminum to reduce deflection and provide the utmost in clamping efficiency. Simply put, that means less pedal travel and better stopping power. To eliminate corrosion, the pistons are stainless steel and are equipped with high-temperature seals. Internal fluid passages to feed the pistons on both sides of the caliper eliminate the need for external supply lines, and multiple bleed screws allow the caliper to be mounted on either side of the vehicle. A variety of caliper finishes are available, which you can check out on their website for specifics.
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Included in the Classic Series brake kits are one-piece hub and rotor assemblies that fit drum brake Chevrolet spindles and may be used on either side of the car. Made from a proprietary blend of cast iron, these vented rotors are strong and lightweight, and as the hubs are integral, they are a cost-effective alternative to multi-piece hub and rotor assemblies. The rotor’s friction surfaces have plain faces—not drilled or slotted.
Installing Wilwood’s brake kit is simple enough—once the original brakes are removed, the caliper brackets bolt in place using the same factory holes that retained the drum brake backing plates. With the rotors temporarily installed, the caliper brackets are checked for proper alignment and shimmed if necessary. The calipers are also installed temporarily and checked to make sure they are centered over the rotors; they are also shimmed as necessary. With any adjustments made, all the fasteners receive thread-locking compound and are torqued to the required specifications.
Wilwood’s Classic Series brake kits will give your early Chevrolet or Corvette vastly improved stopping power with the ability to retain the look of vintage-size wheels. But we’re not ready to stop yet; next time we’ll show how to convert from a single- to a dual-reservoir master cylinder, plumb the system, and install the necessary valves.