F-body to A-body brake conversion.

[dzamora28]

Hello knowledgeable ones, i have a question regarding the parts i have on hand. I have a 69 pontiac lemans on drum brake all around and i have a 79 Trans Am with front disk. What do i need to do to convert my brakes to disk on the 69 lemans using as much parts from the 79. Times are hard so i have to improvise. Please let me know what i can salvage from my 79 TA. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Danny

[Apogee]

This would probably be a better question in the brake forum, however to answer your question, you'd be money ahead to just put factory 64-72 A-body disc brakes on your car versus attempting a tall-spindle/B-body spinde/F-body spindle swap depending on whose terminology you subscribe. There are several undersireable symptoms of that swap with respect to bump steer, Ackerman angle, turn radius, etc, so do your research. It will require "custom" modified lower ball joints and new upper control arms in the least. In just those two items, you've spent probably as much as you could find a complete set of original type brakes for...in fact, I've got a friend selling an original setup from a '68 Firebird (brakes basically swap between early A/F/X-bodies). PM me if you'd like his contact info.

Tobin
KORE3

[Randy67]

You could put a C5 front conversion on your LeMans probably for less than putting on the 79 front brakes. Check Tobins site and you might be surprised. Unless you want to run 15" wheels, then follow his advice and go with stock disc brakes.

[novaderrik]

you can buy the caliper mounts to put stock 69 disc brake calipers on your existing drum spindles from www.piratejack.net .
it is easy to do- use the caliper bracket as a guides to chop down the upper boss to fit the caliper and use locally purchased calipers, rotors, bearings, brake hoses, and master cylinder to get everything together.
add a $40 adjustable prop valve in the rear brake line after the stock distribution valve and you are ready to roll and only have a couple hundred $$$ and an easy weekend of work into the whole setup.

[MonzaRacer]

Give Tobin a call at Kore3 he has a big brake kit that will fit right on your spindles, no b@$t@rd fitment or bumpsteer issues and no different control arms needed, and if you want to mod the suspension give SC&C a call and let MArcus hook you up, either with tall ball joins and control arms or go nuts other ways. The tall spindle setup isnt the best handling and needs different uppers at least to make it viable. HO Racing developed it many yaers ago but there are so many newer and better setups.