My 1928 Roadster Pickup has the old Volvo disc brakes. I was told it was from a Volvo 122s 1965-1967. Mine were polished & chrome plated. Question is: my calipers have the steel line that supplies fluid to the other half. All the conversions I have seen, do not have the line. So what model do I really have? It's Volvo for sure, but like I said, I have the line. I have owned the car since 1977. Calipers still look great and no leaks. Amazing.
Post some clear pictures of what you have. I did that and the folks here ID’d my calipers in three posts. My roadster with Volvo rotors had VW Type II calipers IIRC.
Talking something like this? https://www.ebay.com/itm/2040611385...MI7cfD6rbZ_gIVGc3jBx0aSgx5EAQYBCABEgKhCvD_BwE
The first Mustangs & Fords were like that too. They put pressure to each side using a line instead of an internal p***age..
If memory serves, it was the 144 that used the external line. But I'm old, and forgetful. But smart. I wrote wife Joey's birthday date down, it's in my desk. Or toolbox. Wait...
I had some calipers like that years ago, never knew what they fit. When I bought my current 40 coupe it had Volvo brakes but the caliper did not have the cross over tube. Sold them on the HAMB.
Volvo originally used two brake hoses on each side, each feeding a pair of pistons. When used with a single hose, caliper is either cross drilled, or an external pipe is used to link them. There are several variants of these calipers, Volvo used Girling, Lockheed and Ate in different years. All similar, but repair kits are different.
Finally found it after much searching the internet. 122 Volvo. But after all that, when I redo the system, I probably will go with Wilwood. Taking my old calipers, rebuilding them & re-plating them, probably isn't worth the trouble. Wilwoods are only polished aluminum, not chrome. Just have to live with that but gain new brakes!
I would totally spend the time to refurb your old ones. Wilwood stuff is Waaay to modern looking and the Volvo stuff was over engineered to the tenth above them
You can rebuild those, Kits are available for sure. Do they need to be replated? Or are you thinking getting new ones and plating the new ones
Couldn't agree more, Volvo stuff is high quality, totally rebuildable and super bullet proof......and has the old school vintage look.
They look like the OG early Mustang Kelsey Hayes 4 piston calipers. I had them on my '68 GT and rebuilt them. Not a tough job.
Hey everyone-Thanks for the opinions-Really. Yes, talk about high quality-These have been on the car since 1976! Although only 10,000 miles, definitely a test of time. They are beautiful with all the other chrome stuff up front. Question if I may ask. Is it true that the piston is sealed by a rubber seal that is inserted in a groove on the caliper cylinder? Reason I ask is, if that's true, you don't have to worry about the walls of the caliper cylinder needing to be honed? Don't know after 46+ years what I'll see. I really would like to reuse the Volvo system as for all this time, the car has been kept as a period correct time capsule from my high school days.
I would sure attempt to rebuild them. If a kit is available, give it a try. I rebuilt the similar calipers in my daughter’s MG, and the kit was not too expensive.
I would stick with the Volvo calipers as well. Rebuild kits for newer (142?) models ( I looked up a '69 on RA) are cheap. $17 or so per caliper. I'm sure you could update to a dual piston caliper, too, staying in the Volvo parts bin using the same bolt pattern. I would Google using "Volvo 122 caliper" as see what comes up. Plenty of folks wrenching and upgrading vintage Volvos ], and willing to help.
They’re simple to rebuild. Although mine used an internal p***age with o-rings instead of your tubing, they were so easy that even a caveman like me could do it. Still running after 35 years. Nice roadster pickup!
Nice roadster pickup is right! I have been in the foreign auto repair since '64, and have rebuilt more of those calipers than one can count. (shop towels and compressed air gets the pistons out) I can't remember any of them needing a rebore or honing, although a certain boss would hone them with a small 3 stone honer. (his way) Use hydraulic brake ***embly lube when replacing the 'O' rings, otherwise? Straight forward repair, instructions usually included in repair kits. Good hunting!
Have also rebuilt tons of these and other calipers. Never had to hone the bore, what you need to look for is pitting on the piston, if so that needs to be replaced. I'm sure they are readily available as well. And you are correct, the seal is a square cut o-ring in a groove cut into caliper body wall.
Most calipers are relatively easy to rebuild. The hard part is drilling and extracting the broken and seized bleeder screw that often happens depending on where you live. As long as the bleeder screw comes loose, I will rebuild them myself. I would sure keep those Volvo calipers on it. I didn’t even realize using Volvo calipers was a thing until I read this thread.
Some place in the junk in my storage building on the farm I've got a pair of those calipers with the crossover line and a pair of rotors. Probably impossible to find?
Thanks all for the info and nice compliments. So since the bore is NOT the way it seals but rather a square seal, I can do this. The Bleeder valves move, as I bled the brakes 5 years ago. I do want to keep these on the car. And get this, the master cylinder has never leaked at all! It is the traditional 1967 Mustang dual unit. I am amazed more that this did not go bad in all these (46) years. I'm just going to wait for a leak or something before tearing into it. Thanks you guys, I appreciate your advise! Dino From Arcadia, Ca.
My comment earlier presumed your calipers were the four piston style used on many Volvo models. That said, I join with those that suggest rebuilding yours. Much better option than Willwood.
I have cleaned up most piston bores with solvent and emery cloth. As long as they are not badly pitted, they will be fine. The pistons have to be clean as well, outside of some of the Mopar and Ford piston cups that were chrome plated and had bad pits in them. The bad ones we replaced with new ones.
Mercedes used a neat setup too, in the early years of disc brakes, I think maybe very similar. The nice thing about it was it all fit into a 14” wheel without much change in track width. Solid disc, fixed caliper, narrow deep hat, larger WMS and caliper tucked behind WMS. Much like other Euro brands and our Pete & Jakes earlier set up with some similar ideas.
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