Manual Brake Configuration

[65 drop top]

As mentioned above, the calipers piston area and master cylinder bore size is absolutely critical if planning on manual brakes.



And yes, you will need a proportioning valve. I mounted mine in the rear brake line down on the frame rail so its hidden.

On my 65 Chevelle with Wilwoods, (which doesn’t matter the brand name but rather piston area) I have 4.04” piston area with a 7/8” master and 14” rotors. The brakes are just ok, definitely not super car type brakes. Some sort of brake booster would be needed to really make it stop fast. Now on my current build, which isn’t on the road yet, I have 5.40” piston area and a 15/16” master. The brake calculations say they will produce enough brake torque to rip your eyes out. When I asked if I could add a booster if I ever wanted additional stopping power, they almost laughed and said it would be actually dangerous. My point is that if you match the system, then manual brakes can work great.