Technical Old School brake conversion on a 32 Chevrolet

I want to convert mechanical brakes to juice on a 32 Chevrolet. I plan on running a 235/ powerglide on a stock boxed frame.
I've tried looking for a build thread pertaining to this but cant find one.

I want to keep it old school with nothing newer that say 60- 62. Any suggestions out there?

 

In the old days, lots of those cars & trucks were converted to Huck hydraulics, but we don't do that any more. '51 up Bendix fronts from a pickup and a '51-'54 Powerglide torque tube axle , shortened for the '32. would be a mid to late '50s conversion. Your front axle can to be honed to use the larger '51 up 3100 kingpins & spindles. If you're staying with 6 lug wheels, the p***. rear axle shafts can be modified & pickup drums used, otherwise use '51-'54 p*** drum/ hubs up front.
Using your '60-62 time frame, rodders were using '60 Chev truck dual master cylinders & hanging pedals by then. Since you're using a PG, here's a chance to get dual circuit brakes if you desire ...

 

Just to add to the above, you can actually use 49-54 Chev. p***. car backing plates, hubs and drums. Can also fit these spindles to your axle and use complete set-up.

 

in this thread, i show the brakes being restored. the components are 33 axle [i think is the same as yours] with 41 chevy truck spindles [using special king pin bushings] and '51 chevy backing plates.
rear is a '57 chevy car axle.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/33-chevy-3w-time-for-a-cool-change.863287/

 

When you say, use the complete set up, your talking brakes or are we talking changing the steering components as well?

I plan on going 235 and before i pull out the original drive line, My mind wonders to the motor/ ****** and if a pre 59 235 will bolt up to the stock ******?
Thanks guys for your input.

 

Here's a couple pictures from when it was bought.

 

49-50 brakes are Huck, 51-54 are Bendix type. You can also use the original spindles, and play around with the bolts and spacers to mount the later backing plates. The original inner wheel bearing inner race might be needed to fit the later hubs onto the original spindles.

51-54 car hubs and drums are 5 lug, and will fit the same as 51-59 truck 6 lug hubs and drums.

 

Nice ride! 32 Chevy's are cool.

 

So a sheepish, dumb*** question... will a 59 235 bolt into the stock ******?

 

^^^^^
You don't want to do that ... what you want is a '41-'47 pickup 3 speed & the bellhousing to go with it. I like to use a '54 10'' truck flywheel, & a diaphragm pressure ***'y when keeping 6 volts, & I don't dump the clutch in low ... u-joints & axle shafts are getting scarce.

 

i honestly can't tell you they would or won't .
how do the pedals mount? if they bolt to the bell housing you have to see if the bell mounts to the later engine [i don't think it does] . so you might have to change to a later ****** and mount the pedals to the frame.

 

Still waiting for its homecoming. 33 is frame mount, not sure about the 32.

 

if you want to install a later 235 engine, you might consider going to an open driveline. The rearend housing and axles from a 41-46 truck can be made to fit, and you can put a late 50s open drive center section into it. The 40s truck rear came with hydraulic Huck brakes.

 

The chevy mechanical brakes aren't the worst with good cables and don't leak.

 

...and you can use late 50's internals in that '41-'47 pickup 3 speed for slightly stronger box with better ratios. I think the truck rear axles are heavier, aren't they? Use early 50's truck with the 3.55:1 gear set, and bendix brakes.

 

hugh fan of 32's
keep us posted as to what you do and figure out.

 

There's a very cool 32 pictured in this article, owned by George Varden. Does anyone have any more info? I think there was a magazine feature done on the car mid 50's. It would be interesting to see what the rest of the driveline is, for Lono's sake.

 

Okay, been awhile since dad and I messed with the stock axle, but..... here goes. If I'm wrong on anything, hopefully someone will correct me. The 49-54 p***. spindles and brakes will work on the '32, but the '32 kingpin is smaller, so you'll need different spindle bushings for the smaller pin. Also, will have to fit thrust bearing and shims between bottom of axle boss and spindle. Could also use later 1/2 ton axle with hydraulic brakes to maintain 6 lugs. Or, use this complete set-up and use 49-54 p***. 5-lug drums on the 1/2 ton spindles. There are a few other combos that we'll have to try and remember, as we've been messing with early Chevs for over 40 yrs. Hope some of this helps.

 

Forgot, the outer bearings are the same for many of the years mentioned, but the problem with the '32 spindles is the smaller dia. of the inner. Suppose you could machine a spacer/sleeve for the spindle and fit later backing plates and drums to stock '32 spindles.

 

Thats the Engine bay I want!!!!
Thank you for posting this great article.

 

I'd like to keep the front axle intact. So from your comments will this work ( CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG PLEASE):
Stock Axle
49-54 p***. spindles
49-54 p***. 5-lug drums and 53/54 brakes
Modified kingpin, thrust bearings and shims

 

49-50 brakes and drums are different from 51-54 brakes and drums. Huck vs. Bendix.

 

Check your king pin angle. Beam axles are around 7 degrees, 39 to 54 p***enger cars about 4 1/2. Trucks have deeper steering arms. I'd use truck spindles (7 degree) with bendix brakes. If you want 5 lug, p***enger car hubs bolt straight on.

 

This might be the most stupid question of the day, but here goes. I've found a good rear end from a 34 master, and after looking at it for 5 minuts i got this weird ideer: install to clutch slaves to move the manual brake arms.

Will this work or be stupid in epic proportions?

 

There's good info here at Sid's Axles: http://www.droppedaxles.com/TECH_ARTICLES.html

 

It would work, with careful thought to cylinder sizes, stroke, and angles etc. It would never be as good as Bendix brakes as they are self energising.

 

Got ya. So I'll correct that to 53-54 brakes, drums and backing plates on the stock spindles...
F@#$! I think I'm in a fog bank...

 

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?fid/26/tid/142634/

 

It would work, but hydraulic Huck brakes aren't much better than dry ones ...

 

According to my math the rear brakes on surply 45-50 % of the stopping power. And that will ensue that it doesn't try to flip back to front on heavy braking.
And in the last month or so I got the hankering for a torque tube rear end instead of the open Nissan.

And I'm going 1956 truck front brakes, in the front. So my believe they should stop the car just fine.

According to the VCCA page, "them stock brakes stop more then good, and if you stop any harder you will separate the body from wood!!"