Brake upgrades don't have to be elaborate or cost-prohibitive. If you're in the market for an increase in performance on the street for your daily driver, then a front drum-to-disc upgrade is going to make a huge difference without killing the bank. Since the front brakes do more than 60 percent of the vehicle's braking, just replacing the old drums will net you a significant gain in performance along with better pedal feel and cooling. A lot of the drivers out there won't be flogging their rides on open-track days or performing 60-0 mph stops on a daily basis. However, having the confidence to know you could is always a bonus. Most rides will see light duty on the track, with most miles accumulated on the streets in and around town through traffic and to local car-digs.
To begin the swap, we situated...
To begin the swap, we situated the Nova wagon on jackstands using a hydraulic jack. From there, we took off the passenger-side 15-inch Cragar rim with a 13/16-inch socket.
Forty years ago drum-brakes were outfitted on nearly everything, from delivery trucks to four-door saloons. Our mildly modified '64 Nova Wagon was one such vehicle. While that may have been more than adequate at one time, it's fairly antiquated by today's standards. Increased freeway speeds, frequent traffic stops, and high-zoot engines won't allow for any lacking in the wagon's clamping department. To combat this problem, we needed a full front brake upgrade complete with everything from the rotors to lines. Pirate Jack Brakes had what we needed. We got the full-deal with one kit that provided everything we needed for the swap, including new stock-height spindles, 11-inch cross-drilled rotors, calipers, bearings, lines, and even the master cylinder in one complete kit for under $700.
We should mention that the drum-to-disc upgrade took the better part of the day, but it only required basic handtools. Follow along as we modernize yesteryear's technology for a set of modern-day binders.
Quick Notes
What We Did
Upgraded the front factory drums with a modern set of 11-inch cross-drilled rotors
Bottom Line
Stop faster and smoother with less drama and fade-free performance
Thirty years ago these drums...
Thirty years ago these drums got the job done. However, with the freshened-up 327 under the hood, it was time for an upgrade. Here, we first removed the drum cover to gain access to the brake system.
To work around the old drum...
To work around the old drum brakes, the easiest thing to do is to loosen the nut that connects the tie rod from the steering to the tie rod arm that is attached to the back of the drums. We used an 11/16-inch socket and ratchet to free the pieces.
We removed the two clips holding...
We removed the two clips holding the rubber brake line fittings to the hard line coming from the master cylinder. We used a 3/8-inch wrench to separate the two line fittings. Note: Brake fluid will leak from the line.
To separate the links, we...
To separate the links, we used an air-powered hammer with a tie rod separator fork attached. Once the two were separated, we removed the nut. This would allow the spindle and drum assembly to move freely.
Next we removed the drum assembly....
Next we removed the drum assembly. To do so, we removed the cotter pins from the upper and lower ball-joint nuts and loosened both. For the upper we used a 3/4-inch socket and a 7/8-inch wrench for the lower. Once the nuts were loose, we again used the ball-joint separator to "pop" the upper and lower ball joints. Finally, we removed the nut along with the passenger drum.
Moving on to the bearing assembly,...
Moving on to the bearing assembly, we pulled out the new 11-inch cross-drilled rotors. Before we could install the discs, the outer and inner bearings had to be packed with grease. We packed the inner (larger) bearing with plenty of grease. We placed the inner bearing in the disc and used a small wooden block to evenly distribute the force of the hammer to set the seal in place.