Hot Rods Pete and Jakes type disc brake kit

I Need an actual review of the change from front drum brakes to the Pete and Jakes type disc brake kit for 37-48 Ford street rods. This is the typical kit sold by Speedway or others on the internet that use the 11 inch rotors and the GM metric calipers. How much better does it stop ? Did it make the front width of wheel base wider ? Or any other comments. I currently have all new parts for the ‘56 Ford F-100 conversion for my ‘32 Pickup build but am considering going the Front disc brake route if it makes a BIG difference. Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Most of the traditionalist on here will say use the F100 setup. Because I'm a thrifty kind of guy I too will say use the drum brakes because you already have them. If you lived in LA and drove on the freeways every day where they drive 80mph and slam on the brakes. 80mph and slam on the brakes all day then I would suggest stepping up for the discs.

 

Drum brakes can function fine. I drove my Model A rod more than 100k miles with four wheel drums.

 

Yeah I’ve got a 11 3/4 disc set up on my 46 and having driven drum fords I know they can put you into the dash just fine. But I’d have to say traffic around town is pretty close to 80 most the time if you’re going further than your neighborhood.

If I still lived in an area where highway speed limits were 55 or 65 I’d probably leave the drums on a fat ford but here I like the disc

 

I had both and both work good. You specified 37-48. I have P&J' Power Stoppers on the front of my 40 coupe and they work great. No bearing spacers, doesn't move the wheel out, easy bolt on, very high quality. I sold lots of them included with my customer chassis, never a problem.

 

I actually do have the F-100 brakes on my “A” coupe, it stops OK with a firm pedal but I really have to push real hard for a quick stop. I use one those combination clutch/brake master cylinders and it has an1 1/8 bore. That might be the issue

 

Drums all around on my old coupe. Never had a problem. You just need to understand the stopping distance differential and drive accordingly.

 

1 1/8 might be a little big for the drums. I'm not in the shop but I think the master cylinder diameter I've always used on mine and customer chassis with 4 wheel drums is 1 inch?

 

I've had good brake feel when master cylinder diameter and wheel cylinder diameter were similar.

 

I meant to say 37-42 spindles. I have the square back ‘42 type on my super bell I beam axle. I was looking at the basic disc brake kit that uses the GM metric caliper. I think Speedway and others sell a copy of the Pete and Jakes basic kit. It probably does use the bearing spacers.

 

If you want more stopping power with the disc brakes, they make a metric caliper with a big bore.

 

It's pretty common when using the early 60s Chevy pickup combo master to have to sleeve the clutch side depending on the hydraulic setup you use if you don't use the Chevy pickup setup. Also common to sleeve the brake side to get your brakes to work their best depending on what stuff you use. But correctly working drum brakes will certainly stop a 32 pickup with no issues.

 

hello
if you run the volaire front rotor with the 'econo; disc kit, from the king pin centres to the wheel mounting face it is exactly 5 inches per side
so, if you use a 46 inch wide axle the wheel mount face of the rotor side to side will be
56 inches exactly - run a maverick rear axle
IF you run a 47.25 width front axle it will be 57.25 -

if you opt for the chevrolet 70-77 rotor
the 'effective hub width' decreases by exactly 3/8ths of one inch or 10mm per side
for arguments sake a 47.25 axle with volaire or 1974 dodge charger rotors goes from
57.25 to 56.5 -

notes, you cannot quantify your numbers or begin to do and starting sums as
a 32 stock axle is 50.5 to king pin centres - so that is a dead end
you will run a 40 front hub and drum
the 40 front hub and drum is closest to the chevrolet rotor, well its 2.5mm off
and an f1 not f100 hub and drum is the exact same.

note too, IF you plan on running aftermarket steel wheels , and fancy some
4 by 16 drilled ford and chevrolet, that they come without a snap bead and they have a valve hole sized for an inner tube, so IF you go that route your only option is a tubed tyre.

for reference
IF you have a stock 1940 front axle at 48'' wide
IF you fit them with the chevrolet 70-77 rotors
IF you fit a 6j by 16 vintique gennie with a tallish tyre
the track width or centre of tyre at the top will be exactly 57.25''
at the bottom its a smidgers wider due to the built in caster of the spindle
but you cant get your tape measure under, it probably adds 1/4 inch each side
so its 57 3/4''
if i was to then swap in some volaire rotors, i would be 58.5'' on the tyres centres
IF my rear track is 59.25
my rear track is 3/8'' further outboard than the front, lets call it 10mm
if my front tyres are 195 wide and my rears 215, half of their difference is 10mm
so the front tyres inner edge will ride on the tarmac is the same place
which is nice.
so be mindful of wheel purchases IF you plan on trying to get things nice,

 

oh and the f100 front hub and drum is the WRONG choice if you plan on running a 16 inch wheel with a tall tyre
its quite a lot narrower than an f1 hub and a 1940 hub.
and the chevy rotor, and miles shorter than the volaire.

oh and
IF you plan on running a banjo axle with front disc brakes
you may 'need' to swap in some later style brakes that self adjust
I am also now of the thinking that an inline brake pressure switch interferes somehow with a stock style gm brake combination valve.

 

WOW, thats a lot of good information. I am running the 70s V-8 Maverick 8 inch rear. My front axle is a 48 inch ( unless its actually a 47 1/2) 4 inch dropped superbell. I will use 15x6 Rocket “Ignitor” wheels with 185-65-15 tires on front and 15x7 wheels on back with 235-75-15 tires. I dont know which 4 1/2 bolt pattern rotors come with the Speedway disc brake kit using the GM metric calipers. The truck will be full fendered so I need to pay attention to the track width.

 

Do you mean camber?

 

You could always get a kit that uses GM intermediate calipers/rotors and avoids metric calipers.

Kit will also move the wheels out an inch per side.

 

Speedway sell the Chevy 70 to 77 rotors drilled ford, so buy the wheels drilled ford. You then have options to run the Voltaire rotor.
Your rear brakes should be 10 by 1 3/4 wide shoes, run a one inch brake master and a stock style Chevy combination valve, use a dual chamber 7 inch booster. Set your pedal ratio to 7 to 1, or a 14 inch pedal with a 2 inch tab, don't fit a inline brake light pressure switch, fit a modern flick out switch to the top of the pedal along with a return spring, buy two long 1970 Mustang hand brake cables, note, if you have a 73 74 75 maverick axle and need new drums. They are simply the earlier ones but the central spigot is. Larger