Super Chevy - Vintage Wheel Works

BEATING THE DRUMS
Meet the star of our show. This '69
Nova is your typical street machine.
The owner dropped in a worked­
over small-block topped with a
small Weiand blower, but the brakes
weren't considered sexy enough to
warrant any attention. As such, it still
nail-biting stop
from 60 mph-,
with the best 01
was downright
matters worse,
to pull to one si
ran the power-assisted four-wheel
drums that the General had given it
at the factory. Initial testing yielded
We wan
By Steven Rupp
Photos by the author
A long time ago, when our now classic Chevys were new, people didn't
know any better when it came to braking performance. If your car took 200
feet to stop from 60 mph, it wasn't a big deal, since that's just how far it
took back then. Disc brakes were still an option, just .like many of the
widgets that are standard fare today. It was a simpler time.
Fast-forward to the 21st century,
where things are different. We whiz
mance into our old Chevys.
Our plan was simple. We would
perform
bigger t
Howeve
needed
the IS-in
on the c
days, thi
Even the
big-brak
still wan'
so we pi,
around in our modern cars and have
find an old Chevy with stock binders,
Vintage
grown accustomed to technology like
test it, and then throw some high­
rollers. T
four-wheel power disc brakes and
tech parts at it. Also, to be fair, we
design Ie
the guys
ASS. In a way, we've gotten soft; we
would upgrade the rolling stock
like how nice our modern rides drive
before the test so we could get
right SiZE
and, more importantly, stop. It's
accurate data on how much the new
inch b.s.)
almost shocking how bad our classic
braking parts helped the stopping
feels when we hop in it for a drive. In
distance. After all, tires play a big
reality, our classics don't stop any
part in how quickly any car comes to
worse than they did back in the day;
a halt. We also didn't want to
Works hE
(s.7s-inc
interface
its tires, !
to cheap
we've just gotten used to better. Well,
mortgage our house to pay for it.
245/40/1
in 27S/4C
thanks to the aftermarket, we no
With a plan in mind and the keys to a
really hel
longer have to settle for sketchy
buddy's '69 Nova, we headed over to
do their t
extra laur
braking with a high pucker factor.
Classic Performance Products (CPP)
With a few bucks and a couple of
in Anaheim, California, to see what
the rear. I
days of wrench time, it's pretty easy
they had to help slow our aging
about tur
to impart modern braking perfor-
Chevy.
»082/ SUPER CHEVY / JUNE
2008
with Nitt(
PERFDRMANCE nail-biting stopping distances
from 60 mph-around 200 feet,
with the best one being 196 feet. It
was downright scary, and to make
matters worse, it also had a tendency
to pull to one side.
Most Compact
Accessory Drive
We wanted modern
Package Available
performance for our Nova, so
bigger binders were in order.
No Mounting
However, that meant we
Bolts In Heads
needed bigger wheels. Since
the 15-inch Welds currently
on the car had seen better
days, this wasn't an issue.
Even though we needed a
SAE Spec
big-brake-friendly size, we
Dynamic Belt
still wanted a classic look,
Tensioner Eliminates
so we picked up a set of
Vintage Wheel Works V40
rollers. The classic five-spoke
design looked great, and
the guys at Vintage Wheel
Works helped us choose the
Black Anodized Finish Shown with Black HardCoat Pulleys Uses Optional Compact GM Type II Power Steering Pump
right sizes, 17x8-inch (4.75inch b.s.) front and 17x9-inch
(5.75-inch b.s.) rear. A car's
interface to the asphalt is
its tires, so we didn't want
to cheap out. Nitto 555s in
245/40/17 front and 555Rs
in 275/40/17 in the rear will
really help the new brakes
do their thing. For a little
Exclusive Web· Truss Bracket
Includes High Volume
Aluminum Water Pump
All Pulleys Are
Engineered
For Optimum
Component
Speeds
extra launch grip, we went
with Nitto's drag radials in
the rear. Hey, it's not always
about turning corners.
Includes
Vintage Air
TiteFiF"
Polished
Line Kit
When we S1
For this install we chose CPP's big-brake
CPP caliper
they were f1
front kit (PN 6472WBK-P13, $799) and
its matching rear kit (PN 6869RWBK-P12,
with the CPI
We werewr
PBR C15 fro I
$699). It should be noted that if you buy
both kits at the same time, CPP offers
better pricing. Featuring twin-piston
a bit better I
stuff. Jim Ri«
"Our caliper
front calipers and single-piston rears,
this should stop our Nova in a Bow Tie
heartbeat and, as a bonus, look great
as opposed'
found in C5'
also have lar
doing it. Paired with these calipers are
slotted and drilled 13-inch front rotors
and matching 12-inch rear rotors. For
that offer ab
more stoppir
C5 calipers, 1
power assist, we wanted to try something
different, so we picked a Hydratech
hydroboost system out of CPP's parts
much. In add
bodies that a
resulting in a
bin. These kits include all the hardware,
hoses, and trinkets you need to get the
install completed.
remove t
Here you can see CPP's standard spindle alongside its
CPP offers its calipers in a wide selection
two-inch drop unit (PN CP30100, $249). The dropped
of colors. Choices include red, black, gray,
version lowers the car without affecting the steering or
chrome, and even custom colors. We chose
suspension geometry. Best of all, they accommodate a
red because they would look great behind the
wide array of brake options, from CPP's ll-inch standard
new Vintage Wheel Works wheels and would
brake kit to the 13-inch big-brake kit we're installing.
hold up to the constant abuse heaped on
Made from 1050 forged steel with CNC-machined
brakes. The powder paint option ran us $50
work with the
per pair, and the chrome option would have
Chrome-moly axle pins, these units
factory ball joints and stock steering arms. They also
set us back $200 per pair.
work with Wilwood and Baer disc brake systems.
We then bolted
the new caliper
bracket to the
CPP spindle.
It should be
noted that the
CPP spindle
works with
both OEM-style
aftermarket and
stock brakes. So
if you want the
two-inch drop
but are happy
with your stock
disc brakes, you
With the new dropped spindle secured in
place, we bolted on the freshly painted OEM
steering arm using the new bolts supplied by
CPP.
»084/ SUPER CHEVY / JUNE
2008
can buy just the
spindle.
Make sur
lower COl
the sprin
launch it:
shop. Thi
��.JI'\'
time to ir
joints an<
parts for
When we saw the picture of the
cpp calipers, we just thought
they were factory Vette calipers
with the CPP name on them.
We were wrong. Turns out these
PBR C15 front calipers are quite
a bit better than the factory
stuff. Jim Ries of CPP explained,
"Our calipers use 52mm pistons
as opposed to the 40mm units
found in C5 Vette calipers. They
also have larger pad surfaces
that offer about 50 percent
more stopping power than the
C5 calipers, and they cost half as
much. In addition, they have iron
bodies that are far more rigid,
resulting in a firmer pedal."
We won't put you to sleep
by giving you a blow-by­
blow on how to take off
the old brakes; just remove
all the old stuff until you
get to this point. You will
need to reuse the steering
arm, so put that aside, but
all the other parts can go
in the circular file. One
word of caution when you
remove the old spindle:
Make sure to support the
lower control arm so that
the spring doesn't try to
launch itself across your
shop. This is also a good
time to inspect your ball
joints and other steering
parts for wear.
bearing grease,
we slid it onto the
greased spindle.
Once in place, we
secured it with the
supplied hardware
and installed the
dust cap. Don't
overtighten the
castle nut. You
want it snug, but
free spinning. Also,
remember the
cotter pin. CPP also
offers a different
hub that will pull
the wheel in 7/,.
inch if you need the
extra clearance.
BEATING THE DRUMS
Lastly, we bolted
the CPP caliper to
the bracket and
then attached
the new brake
lines that came
in the kit. To save
cash, we opted
for rubber, but for
an additional $49
per pair, we could
have upgraded
to braided lines.
Now it was time to slide on the beefy 13-inch
rotor. The extra mass of the larger rotor will really
pay off in the braking department, especially
after repeated heavy action. The rotors are
directional, so make sure you have them on the
correct side. The slots, like the venting, help
cool the rotors as well as provide a space for
heat and gas to escape, thus improving braking
performance. The slots also help clean the area
between the pad and the rotor surface. The holes
are mostly for looks, and the zinc coating will
1
With the left side
done, we repeated
the installation
on the right side.
Everything bolted
together rather
simply, and the
front install, not
including bleeding,
took us a leisurely
three hours.
keep rust out of the equation.
Converting
brakes to di
was a bit ml
front since t
come out. C
was a good
the old diffe
pulled the c(
C-clips, then
assembly an,
provides nev
and rear e-b,
remove thos(
I
!
With the axletube bare, we could now bolt on our new
caliper bracket and reinstall the axle. Take a moment to
check your axle bearings for wear.
Next up was bOI
caliper. CPP inel
shims with its ki
ma ke sure the Ci
lined up with thE
our case, the rot
cen ter with the (
all sunshine and
we realized we f(
the new wheel st
in the kit. Since t
is '/.-inch thicker
drum, CPP feels t
longer wheel stU(
way to go, and w
CPP also includes the proper e-brake cables for the install.
We mated it to the factory cable and then attached it to
the caliper as shown. Once everything is done we will
adjust the cable to the proper tension.
})086/ SUPER CHEVY / JUNE
2008
In an effort to make this install something you could easily
do in your garage, CPP includes these cool little brackets
for the brake lines. By using the supplied band clamps, we
didn't need to do any welding during the install. Sweet!
argue. We pulled
back off, removec
ins tall ed the new
we caught it befo
up the rear end.
Converting the rear drum
brakes to disc on our Chevy
was a bit more work than the
front since the axles needed to
come out. Oh well, at least it
was a good excuse to change
the old differential fluid. We
pulled the cover, removed the
C-clips, then removed the drum
assembly and the axle. CPP
provides new brake hard lines
and rear e-brake cables, so
remove those as well.
Next up was bolting on the rear
caliper. CPP includes several
shims with its kit so we could
make sure the caliper properly
lined up with the rotor. In
our case, the rotor was dead
center with the caliper. It was
all sunshine and rainbows until
we realized we forgot to install
the new wheel studs included
in the kit. Since the rotor hat
is '/B-inch thicker than the old
drum, CPP feels that '/B-inch­
longer wheel studs are the safer
way to go, and who are we to
argue. We pulled the caliper
back off, removed the axle, and
installed the new studs. At least
we caught it before buttoning
up the rear end.
---
A . . .....
E..
EnGInEERInG
260-=726-6689 I
www.MoserEngineering.com
EXT.
815
With the brakes installed, we moved under the
hood to tackle the power booster and master
cylinder. The factory stuff worked OK, but the old
master wasn't optimal for the new four-wheel disc
arrangement. We also wanted to try our hand at
installing a hydroboost unit. Our first step was to
With the old booster gone, the
hydroboost unit simply attached to
the firewall using the special long
fasteners supplied in the kit.
remove the booster and master from the firewall
after disconnecting the rod from the brake pedal
under the dash.
If you want to
save a few bucks,
or if you prefer
a more OEM
look, you can
also go with this
more traditional
master cylinder
(PN MCPVU-4,
$149). It also
comes with the
right hard lines
so that you don't
have to cut and
flare anything.
The big question
was how well our
Nova would stop
with all these new
parts. Our first test
on the original
wheels was 197 feet.
Just by swapping on
the new tires that
number dropped
With the hydroboost unit
to 188 feet, but the
plumbed, we then bolted on
drums were toast
the CPP master cylinder. This
after only one hard
billet beauty (PN CP31501-P,
stop. With the new
$189) is fully adjustable with
hydroboost-assisted
all the valving built into it. This
keeps the area uncluttered since
brakes and Nitto
tires, we managed a best stopping distance of 128 feet! That's an improvement of 60 feet.
there's no need for an external
More importantly, we made 10 max-effort stops over the course of only 7 minutes and
proportioning valve. With two
didn't experience any brake fade. In fact, the last stop was better than the first. The peak
simple adjustments and a couple
deceleration g-force was .73 g with the old parts, .89 g with the new tires, and a whiplash­
of test runs, it's easy to get the
inducing 1.12 g with the new brakes and tires. The Nova also lost its tendency to randomly
brakes dialed in. We did need
pull to the right or left during braking. The hydroboost has a different feel compared to a
to cut and flare a couple of the
traditional booster, but after a few stops we were confidently slinging the Nova to a halt.
factory lines for this install, so
The entire install, from start to finish, took us around 12 hours. Time well spent to bring
have a flare kit on hand.
our '60s Nova into the 21st century.
»088/ SUPER CHEVY / JUNE
2008
The 2-inch dro
rollers are just
needed for an
Even though C
at least a 16-in,
clearance, we (
Vintage Wheel
since it greatly
options for tire
Plumbing the hydroboost unit
into the power steering system
wasn't rocket science, but it
did take some work. The high­
pressure line from the pump
went to the hydroboost and
then to the gearbox. There's
also a low-pressure line from
the hydroboost that joined
with the low-pressure return
line from the steering box (by
an included T fitting) before
going back to the power
steering pump. All the various
fittings and hoses needed
were included in the kit. There
were also adapters included
if we were running a newer­
style Saginaw 600 box and
more adapters if we decide to
run AN-style fittings on our
return line. Remember that the
hydroboost unit is dependent
on your power steering pump,
so if your pump is sketchy, toss
on a new one.
The 2-inch drop and new
rollers are just what this Nova
needed for an updated look.
Even though CPP recommends
at least a 16-inch wheel for
clearance, we opted for 17-inch
Vintage Wheel Works wheels
since it greatly increased our
options for tires.
i
II
II
i