ABS Powerbrake front disc install on my 66 calais coupe

[ou812]

Got the deluxe front disc conversion kit from ABS Powerbrake the other day.  Kit came in two boxes....one with the new master/booster/prop valve and the other with calipers, bearings, lines, rotors, brackets and hardware.  Everything was shipped quickly and packaged up well. 

The good:
1.  Kit all appears to be high quality components
2.  packaged up well
3.  12" rotors but still allows stock wheel fitment
4.  Brackets fit perfectly

The bad:
1.  not cheap...$1130 shipped
2.  missing four adapters for the brake lines.....one per each line, and adapting the stock lines to the master.  Cost less than $20 locally, but annoying

I havent driven the car that much yet, but it seems to stop quite a bit better.  I will give it more of a shakedown this weekend, and recheck for leaks, etc.  Overall I think I can give the install a thumbs up, even though I spent nearly the same amount as what I gave for the complete car last fall!!!


Onto some pics.....









Put new wheel slaves in the rear while it was on the lift....need to do some cleaning and painting here soon...

[Captain Morgan]

so is it actually ABS?? or is that just the name? I  don't see $1100 worth of stuff there, but thats just me.

Looks like a nice setup either way.

[TxHearseGuy]

so is it actually ABS?? or is that just the name? I  don't see $1100 worth of stuff there, but thats just me.

Looks like a nice setup either way.

I'm with the Captain on this in regard to cost, especially after looking at my Speedway catalog yesterday and they have a similar kit for under $500 with the EXACT same items you used from ABS.  It looks great though and you're going to find a major change in the way your car brakes now. 

I have a friend who was able to score a '68 Calais with disc brakes, tilt/tele column and a host of other goodies he needed for his '67 hearse.  Scary thing is, he paid the SAME price for the donor car that he paid for the hearse 12 years ago.

[STDog]

2.  missing four adapters for the brake lines.....one per each line, and adapting the stock lines to the master. 

I would expect you would change the line instead of using adapters.

Did they include a new proportioning valve and metering valve (or a combination).

[Ted in Olympia WA]

I did not see anything in the Speedway Catalog that had a 12 inch brake kit for a 1966 Cadillac?

The ABS kit looks very nice to me.  Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pay for quality.

http://www.abspowerbrake.com/maincatalog_frameset031.html

TED

[The Tassie Devil (Bruce Reynolds)]

I think the problem with using the 12" Rotors with the '66 Wheels is that the way the centre to rim set-up is, the large rotors will not fit with the caliper attached.

Bruce.

[xxilimited]

Can't argue with the beef on those rotors in width, braided stainless steel lines as well.

[ou812]

A few things of note....thanks for all the comments....

I did not see exactly what I needed anywhere else, and honestly did not choose to spend a bunch of time piecing the brakes together.  Part of it is pure laziness, and part of it is probably just smart with my time.  Yep, over 1100 bucks for front brakes on a $1400 car is pretty darn expensive....but, then again I wanted to get them on and move forward.

I did not see all the parts to do a setup on the speedway site.....please show us, as they do have good prices.

I didnt want to replace the lines....I figured it would either bolt up or include the adapters.  Either way, it wasnt that big of deal....took more time to figure that all out and get the right adapters than the rest of the install.  I would expect a bit better for the $$.

Anyways, it stops a lot straighter and faster.  That was my goal!

[EZ]

Your kit came with the big booster and MC for a '69 model Caddy, right?  They also sell one with a 7" or 8" Corvette
style double diaphram booster and MC that I have my eye one.  It's about $350 but it bolts right up and has the correct
clevis on the rod for the brake pedal and the Corvette booster I bought from the local parts store doesn't. 

"EZ"

[pdxmose]

EZ,

That looks like a smaller booster.  Maybe not as small as the Vette booster, but smaller than the '69 and close to the stock size.  I put the '69 booster on mine and there's only about 1/16" clearance to the wiper motor.  In the pic, it looks like he has ~1" of clearance.

          ...mose

[BadBoyRipper]

I'm looking at converting my 64 to disc as well, and have a quick question: Is it totally necessary  to change out the booster and MC? I just replaced my current MC and my booster is working great. I do have a buddy that swapped his drums out and didn't upgrade the booster and MC and it stops great. Just wondering.

[The Tassie Devil (Bruce Reynolds)]

There is no need to replace a proper-working Master Cylinder/Brake Booster, unless it is a Single Circuit type.

The main thing to do is not to forget the Proportioning Valve in the rear line.

Bruce.

[73eldo]

I thought there was some sort of residual pressure valve in drum MC's?

That caliper looks like the 'expensive' part of the kit.  Those dont quite look like any stock caliper I have seen.  Anyone seen one like that?  That thing has a very low profile which must be why it can fit stock wheels.  There would be no reason for an OE vendor to make a caliper like that because any car with 12" rotors is going to have at least a 17" wheel now days. 

[STDog]

I thought there was some sort of residual pressure valve in drum MC's?

Some do, but I don't think the 60s Cadillacs did though. I think the metering valve on the Disc/Drum setup was used instead.
Or maybe it's in the OEM proportioning valve.

There would be no reason for an OE vendor to make a caliper like that because any car with 12" rotors is going to have at least a 17" wheel now days. 

Well, the '68 disc option was a 15" wheel with 12" rotors, and all the Cadillacs through the 70s kept that same setup.
The issue is the shape of the earlier wheels. They don't have clearance. In '68 the wheels were changed to allow for the calipers.
But you cannot use the old hub caps with the later wheels.

[73eldo]

Wasnt the 68 (and maybe 69) disc a 4 piston fixed caliper?   Seems like those tended to be lower profile than the single piston floaters.