'56 Olds needing some stopping ability

I am looking to get my braking performance improved from 60 to 0 in less than 10,000 feet. I know it will take some of the driving fun away. I saw that Fatman Fab makes drop spindles and disc brakes for the ’56 Olds but I heard there needs to be some modifications made. Do they make quality stuff? Has any Olds guy here dropped them onto their ride? What do I need to look out for including the obvious? I don’t want to over looking something and be like Damn, I forgot to get a new master cylinder. I am trying to avoid buying a new front clip, and the car actually handles pretty decent.

 

DON WOW here on the board did a tech special on disc brakes for early Old's.
I don't know if it is archived or not.
I saved some of the pics of the swap at home.

 

I just checked DON_WOW's archive and it is not there. I would be interested in the pics if you could wrangle them up. I will also drop DON_WOW A PM.

Thanks

 

I have a complete stock power brake setup for a 55 olds sitting in my shop.Let me know if you want it,cheap......Shiny

 

Discs??? PM me with how much $$$ you are looking for. My '56 has a factory brake booster. I have to rebuild my brakes right now so it seems like a good time to upgrade.

 

I was told that master power brakes do a kit, but its not cheap and requires the spindles to be modified ( you send them and they'll do it ). Other than that if DON WOW can come up with anything its bound to be a hell of alot cheaper.
Maybe just replacing the master cylinder & booster with a modern one would be benefical ?

 

As to Fatman's quality, I have never used their dropped spindles/uprights, but I have installed a couple Fatman MII setups, and assisted in swapping a cherry 40 coupe body onto a fatman frame. In all cases, the workmanship and materials were very good, but the aesthetics are not nearly as elegant as competing products. (Rhinoceros engineering: It ain't pretty, but it's tough!) Of course 50's spindles were never meant to be works of art, and Fatman is often the only player on this field.

Also, I should mention that Brent has been pretty good to work with in my experience.

I don't know about the Olds deal, but as to mods on existing parts, I know that the 49-54 Chevy dropped uprights they sell require you to either bend the stock steering arm or purchase their dropped steering arms. You pay for it one way or another. Typically Brent provides some means of getting you what you need, even if it's just a part number to ask for at NAPA.

 

Great topic man. I don't have any tips cuz as you know I am new to Olds but I am watching the replies and hoping to learn a lot.

I was thinking disc as well but didn't know if it was even possible without clipping the car or spending loads of money.

I'd love to see the tech article on Olds brakes too if anyone finds it.

Big Daddy Eric

 

Howdy Hellbilly
You got e-mail tonite.

 

I just got off the phone with Fat Man Fab. For the Olds 2" dropped spindles the want $350 bucks for the pair. The guy I talked to said you have to heat and bend the stearing arms for them to fit. He said if you want the whole disc brake assembly, they go threw a place called Classic Custom Brakes (704) 799-3130. I gave them a call, but just got an answering machine. When I talk to them I will post again.

DON_WOW did you send that email last night or is coming tonight? I did not see anything in my e-mail this morning.

 

Just seen this on ebay..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2480259276&category=42605

Since the guy has kindly told us what donor poarts we need I reckon this plate would be reasonably easy to make up ( and certianly wouldn't cost $95 )...

Now, if only he'd figure out the front for us

 

That looks tempting to buy for the fact I can C.A.D. it up and give it to my machinist I use at work to CNC or EDM them out for me. Then turn around and sell the originals. The only problem for me in this is my 88 has the awesome 3.08 one wheel burn rear end which I planned on changing out.

 

I really want to thank DON_WOW for the info he sent me. I am posting the info here he sent me.

First three pics are the front wheel, fourth pic is shot of rear axle.I have 4 wheel disc's on my olds.

Parts you will need to get are rotors and calipers from a 69 to 76 olds toronado or caddy eldo- they are 5 inch on 5 studs same as your 56 pattern. You will need ten new lug nuts studs at least 1/2 or 3/4 inches longer than stock that the 56 has.Don't try and get left hand thread not needed. Next you need 1/4 inch plate large enough to make two brackets to mount calipers. Maybe new hoses to front calipers and new pads

You will have to use 15 inch wheels with this deal. If you want to run 14 inch wheels use 77and later toro or eldo parts because rotors are smaller in diameter. Stock rims will work fine. Larger rotors are better on big car and cost is same.

Here in southern Ill. all this will run around 100 bucks at the bone yard. New stuff might be found at NAPA if you want.

Master cylinder on 56 will work if you take out check valve in very front of bore. Other wise disc's will not release. Will not change how rear drums work cause they have springs to pull and release. No valve in line to rear drum is needed, if adjusted right, they will not lock up before the fronts. If you go to rear disc's also you will need a proportial valve in line to rear to keep from locking rears first.

Run a tube into your fill cap on master cylinder to upper part of fire wall to have master full all time and fluid level above front calipers. Make sure to have vent in top lid.

Tear off front wheel-brake and backing plates. Now you have a bare spindle. Use backing plate to make pattern on 1/4 inch plate so it will bolt on same as the backing plate did.

Knock drums and studs off of the bearing hub and install new longer studs. Take hub and turn outside diameter a little smaller just so it will let rotor slip over and sit flush.

Use 24 -26 guage sheet metal or cardboard and make pattern same as backing plate bolt holes, cut U to clear caliper. Put hub on spindle, slip caliper and pads on rotor so they are set right with bleeder on top and mark center for caliper bolts. Transfer pattern to plate cut, drill, and tap, grind and make purdy. Plate bolts on same as backing plate did , hub and bearings are stock ------only now you got disc brakes.

Same deal for rear only weld bracket to axle to get spacing right.

Kinda long winded but pics will fill in blanks, I hope. Have done this on 6 different makes of cars, works on about anything .

My olds at 4000 pounds stops as good as late model new cars.

Hope this helps you out

 

front pic 3

 

rear brake pic

 

If you want to make it stop cheap just use a midland brake booster. All you have to do is put it inline with the front brakes and run a vacume line. Works great on my huge ol 40'.

 

cool,
ive been waiting for that to pop up again.right on!
ive heard that 66-67 toro neddle bearings/races fit in the hubs.never tried it though.
eric

 

anyone know if this switch would work on a 54 buick century,same or different part??

 

From the great Don_Wow in a PM "ALL the cars i have done this mod to , needed the hub reduced in diameter a little,55 chev,58 chev, 51 stude, 50 olds, 53 olds , 61 olds"

If I have a chance tomorrow, I will go through my interchange catalog and see if anything about the hubs matches up.

 

thanks that would be great im tryin to locate an intercange manual for a far price myself any info would be awesome

 

for the '54 buick

part | car with same Part # | Part #
-----------------------------------------------
spindles - '54 and '55 Buick - 1391617-8

hubs and drums - '52 thru '56 Buick - 1345845

Nothing I saw was a direct match to any of the cars that Don_Wow had listed for your '54 Buick, then again mine didn't match those of any of the cars he performed it on also.

 

Hey guys
You don't change hubs on any of the makes or models , use the hub that is on the car. Just turn down the outside diameter on the hub so it will slip inside the rotor. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

Great tech, I saved that for later reference!

 

Just for reference, came across this on ebay.. wondered if anyone can ID the parts he's using..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2482558308&category=34199

 

Will this work on the pontiacs (56) too, or is it a differnt critter altogether?

 

[ QUOTE ]
Will this work on the pontiacs (56) too, or is it a differnt critter altogether?

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I belive 56 olds amd pontiacs used the same inner and outer wheel bearings. If thats the case, it should work.

 

I just looked up that place that sales the disc brake kit. The ebayer is trying to cut a profit. Sorry if this is you. You can get it from www.streetrodgarage.com for about $800 bucks.

 

I talked to the guys at street rod garage he is using I belive it was calipers from a 76 olds 88 but he said they needed to be modified to work on his set up. I was already tring to find if there was a cheaper way to do it, but really 850 isnt that bad campared to the same kits for other cars.

 

[ QUOTE ]
cool,
ive been waiting for that to pop up again.right on!
ive heard that 66-67 toro neddle bearings/races fit in the hubs.never tried it though.
eric

[/ QUOTE ]

how about this? is it a go or no-go?