My front wheels on my '55 Chevy are not compatible with disc brakes and I'm not going to change them. That said, I know that this has been done successfully If someone on here has details I would really appreciate you p***ing them along.
Can you be more specific as to the actual issue? Are the wheels 14" or 15"? I'm a bit foggy being it was some 40 years ago. I don't believe 14's will work at all and it seems a 3/4" spacer and going to 1/2" lug studs did the job. At the same time, it may be my sometimers acting up. My 76-year-old hard drive doesn't have instant recall. Digital cameras didn't exist yet.
***le says drop spindles and drum brakes, and your statement is your wheels aren't compatible with disc brakes. Not sure what you're working with, but we had to use a spacer to fit aftermarket 14" wheels on original 56 spindles and drum brakes to clear the ball joint. If your wheels won't fit your new drop spindles and disc brakes, then a spacer may help you out as well.
Did a 55 with stock 15” wheels and 70 a- body spindles/disc’s via modified lower a-frames to receive ball joint that points up. So what wheel and brakes are you referring to?
You can lower the car by cutting about 1.5 coils out of the springs. But it won't go all the way to the ground, you'll still be able to drive it. (sounds like he's looking for dropped spindles that will work with the original brakes, and all the aftermarket spindles he can find are for discs which won't clear his wheels)
The reason there are no drop spindle for drums is because backing plates will never seat correctly due to redesign.
That pretty well says it all. I'm not sure that you could even design a new backing plate that would work right. Remembering that the 14x7 Crager Mach 8 wheels that I had on the front of my 48 for years then on a 72 Chevelle wouldn't clear the calipers on the 72 Monte Carlo disk brakes on the Camaro clip or on the Chevelle without a spacer. I'm not sure now that those Cragers fit on the 54 station wagon front drums without a spacer. Those wheels were made for small brake drums on a Nova The stock 14 inch 60 somethign Chevy steel wheel I carried for a spare wouldn't either.
Just some F.Y.I. The 70 Nova was Disc front and ran a 14" wheel. I took a pair of them and moved the center on the hoop to get what I needed on my 51 Vicky just so I could run my hubcap of choice. Nothing is impossible but it's seldom easy.
14" disc brake wheels will fit on most of the GM 11" disc brakes. But aftermarket wheels often won't, not even 15s, if they were designed for drum brakes. Something about the drop not being offset to the outside of the wheel.
depends on the disc brakes. I got Z28 brakes on my 40 for example. 11 3/4 inch rotor, larger caliper than the common p***enger car brakes of that era. 14" wheels won't clear, so I am running 15s. But if the discs were the more common floaters of the era then 14s would have cleared just fine. I did make a discovery that I have never know of before. My 14" 57 Chevy wheels went right right on flipped (reversed) and cleared just fine. Add that to your list of useless information. LOL As far as discs or drums. The dropped spindles should work fine with the drum brakes. If the spindle is for a tri five it should be like the original.
Most of the Tri-5 drop spindles do not have the anchor bolt boss on them, which would accept original drum brake set up. Might be a work around, never tried.
On that note. Look up 58 and up drop spindles. They “have the anchor bolt boss” but clearly state as well, no drum brakes.
here are three types of spindles you can get for the cars. The stockers... and one drop replacement that accepts bolt on disk brake kits, but not backing plates, and another style that has caliper brackets built in
Why backing plates will not bolt on. The wavy line is extra material that won’t let backing plate seat. Arrow’s are for steering arm ( bolt’s, more interference) they have to be there for correct geometry or at same plain to ball joints as before so tie rods can stay parallel to lower a-frame.
Guess this shows my age, the ones I am accustomed to were for stock brakes. Almost no one had way back when. LOL
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