It's always been my opinion that a car capable of going real fast should also be able to stop real fast. In fact, I even tend to give stopping power priority over all-out horsepower. It's quite simple, really. On the one hand, it's a safety factor. On the other hand, a stout braking system is a major part of a balanced musclecar--ideally, each system in a well-built car should be up to the performance level of every other system. So, in my book, all engine and no brakes is a bad thing. But then there's CHP's still-unnamed project car, our POS '74 Z28 Camaro. (Don't worry, "Name the POS" contest results are coming soon.) Talk about the opposite extreme! After a day in the shop installing a host of braking components, this car is all stop and no go--new brakes but no engine tends to create that situation.
Sarcasm aside, we're simply preparing the POS for the nasty small-block that is to come, balancing our books on the braking side while waiting for the payoff in the acceleration department. To that end, we gave Stainless Steel Brakes (SSBC) a call, and were able to get just what we needed. Up front, we went with SSBC's Quick Change aluminum caliper upgrade kits. The Quick Change kit for our Z28 comes with a pair of Force 10 Super Twin two-piston calipers, which we ordered powdercoated in CHP red. The aluminum calipers are fitted with corrosion-free stainless steel pistons, and are also lighter than the factory pieces, thus reducing unsprung weight a tad. Most importantly, the Super Twin calipers provide a claimed 30 percent more clamping power than the OEM binders. The POS being our test mule, I'm guessing we'll need all the clamping force we can get.
The Quick Change setup is made to be a direct replacement for the factory calipers, using the stock rotors and brake hoses. Indeed, the calipers do bolt in as advertised, though we also chose to upgrade to SSBC's Turbo Slotted rotors and PST braided stainless brake hoses. The Turbo Slotted rotors are directional, built with curved vanes for improved cooling. The slots on the rotor face also aid cooling, along with providing space for the heat and gas created during braking to escape. The braided lines were also a direct bolt-on, and should give us superior braking pedal feel and better response along with a bit more clamping force.
 1. Here are the makings of...  1. Here are the makings of our POS Camaro's new brake system: Stainless Steel Brakes Super Twin front calipers, a standard rear-disc setup, and Turbo Slotted rotors all around. |  2. We'll begin this project...  2. We'll begin this project at the end--the rear end of the car, that is, by installing SSBC's Rear Disc Brake Conversion Kit PN A125. Step one is to remove the rusty original drum setups. |  3. CHP Publisher Ed Zinke...  3. CHP Publisher Ed Zinke never misses a chance to ditch work and turn a wrench or two, and this project was no exception. Here, Ed has already pulled the rear diff cover and the axle C-clips within, allowing the passenger-side axle to be pulled free. |
 5. With the axle out of the...  5. With the axle out of the way, the backing plate comes off in short order by disconnecting the fluid hard line from the rear and then pulling the plate retaining bolts. After disconnecting the e-brake cable from the drum, these old binders were discarded... |  ...leaving us with a bare...  ...leaving us with a bare axle flange. A little clean-up here, and we were ready to install our new brake system. Note that our '74 Z28 has staggered rear shocks; this will become a factor as we bolt on the caliper mounting brackets. |  6. On the passenger side of...  6. On the passenger side of the car, the mounting bracket is bolted to the flange with the top edge pointing forward. Four 7/16-24x2-inch bolts are then run through the outer holes in the bracket, and the splash shield slid over them. Note that the open part of the shield faces toward the rear of the car. |