Changing drum brakes to front PDB's in a '60 chevy
Asked by ChevyGuy1960 Apr 01, 2020 at 07:44 PM about the 1960 Chevrolet Bel Air Hardtop Sport Sedan RWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Acquired a 1960 BelAir with manual drum brakes on all 4 wheels. I have a front PDB kit for it, but it has no documentation at all. When I changed from all-drums to front PDB's on my '57 chevy it was necessary to drill the brake pedal and relocate the master cylinder clevis. Does that hold true for the '60 as well? If so, where should the clevis be moved To??
3 Answers
If you can't get the instructions you need all you can do is assemble it and then check to see if the brake pedal travel is correct.
post to any number of pro Chevy forums with as much info you have on your kit, someone likely has a PDF of instructions for it. Also make sure you have a proportioning valve set right for the swap.
ChevyGuy1960 answered 4 years ago
If the master cylinder clevis is not properly positioned on the brake pedal, then the stroke will be too little or too much. Too little and the brakes won't engage properly. Too much stroke and the brakes become very touchy. The kit is from Classic Industries...#BK2008 with 8" booster, for front discs and rear drums. It arrived without any 'how to' at all beyond a sheet telling me how to paint the bare cast-iron MC. Classic Industries has totally shut down for the duration of the lockdown and isn't answering their phones. I've looked all around their site and can't find Any PDF's or other 'how to' on anything at all. Ditto for the 'LateGreatChevy' website. I've asked the people at the National Impala Ass'n and haven't gotten any response at all. I'm certain that someone, somewhere, has already done this swap. I'd prefer to get this done while I have lots of time and to only have to do it once, but it doesn't look like I'm going to get anything at all out of Classic Industries. The kit came with a pre-set proportioning valve, so no problem there.
