Power Vs Manual Brakes (4 wheel disc conv)

[Phillip_L]

My 1969 Camaro currently has 4 wheel drum brakes with a power booster. I am looking at the Wilwood kit and the Touring Classic C5 Brake kit to convert to 4 wheel disc brakes. Some of the guys have recommended ditching the booster and just changing to a smaller bore master cylinder. What you all think?

Is the pedal assembly the same on “factory” power brake cars vs. non-power brake cars (Pushrod mounting location, etc.)? I do not know if they changed the fulcrum on non-power car to assist in pedal effort.

Wilwood recommends a 1” bore on a manual setup and Touring Classic C5 Brake recommends 15/16” bore.

Is the pedal pressure going to greatly increase with a manual system? I know the larger rotors and caliper action should be more efficient than drums?

What about in traffic at low speeds?

Thanks.

Phillip

[Phillip_L]

This looks like a popular question as I read further and further back. It looks like if the system is designed properly, manual is cleaner and better.

[graycamaro]

I have driven cars with power brakes front disk and four wheel disk mostly but I did have a 75 Duster with 4wheel manual drums and despite the fact that they were in rather rough shape they seemed to stop just as well as anything else not that it had much to stop as it was only a slant six car but the pedal effort wasn,t a great deal more than power brakes. It just had more feel to it. I also never had a problem with the brakes locking up on emergency stops.

I will be going with a manual 4 wheel disk setup on my camaro and would be intrested on any information on the mastercylinder having any effect on pedal effort and any other design changes in the brake system that might need to be made to convert to manual brakes.

Thanks James

[Blue70]

James

I see you have an 80 Camaro, mine is a 70 but I have kept the stock fronts, added 95 Z28 rears and am using a 1968-1976 Corvette manual four-wheel disc-brake master cylinder with an adjustable proportioning valve

Pedal in not bad at all

[graycamaro]

Thanks for the info. I figured an adjustable prop valve would be the way to go. Do you know what the bore is on that corvette master cylinder?


Thanks James