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Hot Rods Chevy 6 lug discs and original wheels

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 6inarow, Sep 18, 2025.

  1. 1971BB427
    Joined: Mar 6, 2010
    Posts: 9,788

    1971BB427
    Member
    from Oregon

    I've adapted GM 70's style calipers to several conversions I've done. I buy the Speedway weld on caliper brackets they sell for the rear axle and modify them to bolt on front spindles of various cars. Then make whatever spacers are needed to center the calipers to the rotors. For rotors I buy whatever pattern rotors fit the old hubs and after replacing the studs with longer studs to accommodate the rotor thickness I reuse the stock hubs with new rotors. I'd look and any modern rotors that are 6 bolt Chevy and fit your stock hubs.
    Last few I did this conversion on cost about $150 in parts. Of course you'll also need to convert to a modern dual reservoir master and that's a separate cost.
     
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  2. 6inarow
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,471

    6inarow
    Member

    So here is where we are now. The caliper bracket won't clear the spindle - it was pushed out. So @Fomocokid stopped by and centered up the backing plate/caliper bracket and figured out where the spindle mounting bolts had to be. To me this was a difficult process. I struggled with seeing this. He didn't. Then he cut out the backing plate to clear the spindle and measured the back side for the spacers to bolt up to the spindle. It looks like they are cut at an angle to match backing plate and to me it looks like the top ones and bottom ones are different lengths. I don't know exactly how long they are - hopefully he will chime in here soon. He put the calipers on the plates to figure out exactly how far the backing plates had to be away from the spindle to center the rotor in the caliper. Anyhow here is what the modified backing plates look like
    upload_2025-10-11_18-31-38.jpeg

    upload_2025-10-11_18-32-12.jpeg
     
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  3. tb33anda3rd
    Joined: Oct 8, 2010
    Posts: 17,572

    tb33anda3rd
    Member

    that looks just like what I did. those are the best looking caliper brackets/backing plates and rugged .
     
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  4. 6inarow
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,471

    6inarow
    Member

    Then he mounted it all together - caliper mount, caliper, rotor and hub and bolted the wheel to the hub. He took the spindle off so he could do it on the bench. It wouldn't clear but he was able to grind the caliper a little and the wheel rivets a little and then it all fit and cleared. Here is it all mounted

    upload_2025-10-11_18-50-8.jpeg

    the caliper had to just barely be ground down top one is the caliper ground down bottom one is non modified caliper

    upload_2025-10-11_18-54-40.jpeg
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. 6inarow
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,471

    6inarow
    Member

    I have a cool 4 second video but cant post it. If someone else can I'll send it to them
     
  6. 6inarow
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,471

    6inarow
    Member

    I put it all together and everything works. As near as I can tell it brought the wheels in 7/8" per side. maybe just a little more. It looks like the wheels are in the stock position and measures that way too. So here is my take on ABS Power Brakes Inc 6 lug disc for early chevy straight axles. They do have a 6 lug kit that the stock OEM wheel will go over but they dont tell the truth when they say it doesnt push the wheel out. Their customer service*****s. Their directions are poor. Once they got my money I was on my own. Its probably an OK kit if you use different wheels. Thanks to @tb33anda3rd for posting up what he did all those years ago and encouraging me to do this. And to @Fomocokid for all the fabrication.
     
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  7. tb33anda3rd
    Joined: Oct 8, 2010
    Posts: 17,572

    tb33anda3rd
    Member

    a thin spacer [I don't use one with my 15" wheels] may have avoided the grinding and set the wheels out perfect.
     
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  8. It looks like the difference is the wheel. The stock wheels have a deep drop on the center (where yours looks like it's touching) and the 15" @tb33anda3rd is using looks pretty flat on the inside by the pics he posted. Also maybe a little bit of offset difference between your 16" and his 15".

    My modified 16" still run a stock center, so it has the deep drop but mine is tapered.....so the caliper might fit ok.

    Stock artillery:
    chevy wheels-1.jpg
    chevy wheels-2.jpg


    Mine:
    16x6 wheels-2.jpg
     
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  9. Again, GREAT thread.
     
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  10. Fomocokid
    Joined: Aug 1, 2009
    Posts: 572

    Fomocokid
    Member
    from Rapid City

    The spacers on the backing plate are all the same length from the flat surface in the center but because the bottom 2 are further onto the tapered surface of the backing plate they appear to be shorter than the top ones. I believe they are 5/8” long from that flat center surface. I made them longer and then put the backing plate in the mill to get them all cut at an even distance.
     
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  11. tb33anda3rd
    Joined: Oct 8, 2010
    Posts: 17,572

    tb33anda3rd
    Member

    when I was setting mine up, I stacked washers till the rotor was centered to the caliper. then I measured the washers and cut a pieces of tube to length. I can't remember what the measurement was for the 39 truck spindles. it may have been the same.
     
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  12. 6inarow
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,471

    6inarow
    Member

    Well I finished up a few days ago. Everything works, I took it for a test drive and all is good. Ill get some photos this weekend and post them up.
     
  13. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 15,715

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Just got caught up, good work and thread!
    Always like hearing that part.
     
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  14. 6inarow
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 2,471

    6inarow
    Member

    So here is a comparison of how this turned out
    Here are the ABS brakes that "dont push the wheel out"
    upload_2025-10-19_14-31-45.jpeg

    Here are the brakes from @Fomocokid and @tb33anda3rd
    upload_2025-10-19_14-33-6.jpeg

    and lastly, I could not get my fingers between the fender and the tire. Here is how it is now - thumb doesnt touch the tire or the fender
    upload_2025-10-19_14-35-22.jpeg
    nice white walls huh? Well they get changed on Tuesday to new radials from diamondback by the recommendation of @Bandit Billy
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2025

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