1964 Chevy Chevelle Front Disc Brake Conversion - Braking Effects

Don't worry about saving the old 1/2-inch bolts. The Brembo kit comes with a new set of Grade 8 bolts for attaching the steering arm. After reassembling the suspension and installing the new spindle, it's time to install the new brakes!

Spindles & Steering Arms
While we went for CPP's drop spindle, the upgrade is not necessary. The earlier steering arms used a 7/16 bolt, while later GM models switched to a 1/2-inch bolt on the steering arms. The Brembo kit comes with the 1/2-inch bolts. If a sharp enough drill bit is in your toolbox, the earlier steering arms with the 7/16 holes can be drilled out to 1/2 inch. A $69 option when ordering the Brembo kit is the new 1/2-inch black-coated steering arms.

Before you install the new hub, the supplied inner and outer roller bearings need to be packed with grease.

Here's a view of the new aluminum hub that comes with the kit.

Lastly, the new seal is tapped into place, keeping it all together.

When sliding on the washer and castle nut, we tightened the castle with a wrench to seat the bearings. Then we backed the nut off, finger-tightened it to take out the slack, and inserted the cotter pin. Never tighten the nut down on the bearing with a wrench and leave it that way; too much load can cause premature bearing failure and potential spindle damage.

A couple taps from the rubber mallet is all you need to seat the dust cap in place, and the hub is as good as done.

The aircraft-grade precision-machined aluminum bracket which holds the caliper in place attaches to the spindle as shown here. What sets the Brembo fixed brakes apart from other fixed calipers is the radial-mounted caliper versus that of the axial-mounted fixed caliper. All Brembo brakes are radial-mounted and no shimming is required to set the caliper's position, resulting in longer pad life and far superior braking.

Here is the beauty of these two-piece 13-inch rotors. The rotors are built in such a way that they're considered floating rotors. Every other disc mounting screw has approximately 0.001 inch of play and is held in place with a spring bushing. The spring keeps constant tension on the bushing and fastener, eliminating rattles or squeaks from road vibration. The two-piece hat and rotor system has distinct advantages over a one-piece, including weight savings; nearly 8 pounds is saved on each front corner of the vehicle. Additionally, the direction vanes and cross-drilling help to further dissipate heat. These two features result in more consistent braking and heat dissipation of the rotor.

Just The Facts
When upgrading any braking system on a vehicle, you should always take wheel size and caliper clearance into consideration. Due to the size of the Brembo rotor and caliper, a minimum 17-inch wheel is required to work with this kit. However, depending on the wheel manufacturer and model, some 17-inch wheels could still have clearance issues. In the image to the left, the white arrow represents a straightedge laid across the brake hub. The caliper is just slightly taller than the aluminum hub by 1 inch. Depending on the wheel, a 1/4-inch wheel spacer will more than likely resolve any fitment issues.

The performance-built two-piece aluminum calipers have four sequentially sized pistons (40 and 44 mm), resulting in even pad wear during all types of braking. The pads included in this kit are Ferodo performance pads, great for high-end street use and even limited track applications.

If you have OE rubber hoses, you can toss them. New braided steel lines are included. Another interesting aspect of the Brembo fixed caliper is the tension clip that applies just enough pressure on the pads and keeps them floating off the surface of the rotor. The spring in no way affects the caliper pistons, just the pads.

Finishing up the job, we simply attached the tie rod to the spindle's steering arm and this brake upgrade is almost done. Keep in mind that you will need to bleed the system. The greatest brakes in the world won't do anything if there is air in the line.

Just The Facts
Currently, Brembo only offers a front disc brake kit for the '64-72 Chevelle and BOP, '68-74 Nova, and '67-69 Camaro. A rear disc kit is currently under development, so keep your eyes open.

Large and in charge, these brakes fit perfectly when matched to a set of 17-inch Coy wheels. The good news: You'll notice how you can come to a stop much more quickly. The bad news: The guy behind you may not be able to.