[retrojoe]

Oh yeah, after much grinding and beating with a hammer, I was able to get the left side caliper brackets to fit. Chris, are you reading any of this????

[Donovan]

If I was working on an A-body and wanted to retain original 14" rims I'd look into mid 80's G-body brakes and spindles.

With the proper adapter balljoints and tie rods you should be able to bolt in the tall spindle of a G-body since the spindle is essentially the same as the Tall spindle on a 12" rotor conversion with B-body parts, but with a shallower mounted caliper.

The G-body STANDARD discs use a rotor about 10.5" and would be the best chance of fitting in a 14" rim. Worst case you will need 14" rims made for disc brakes, which are out there.

Still need to check for caliper to rim face clearance but it would be a good chance. The knuckles and brakes are dime-a-dozen in the salvage industry and can be had cheeeaap. This also allows you to have discs that you can maintain with parts from ANY parts store.

You could go a step further and get the rear discs off of an 82-86 F-body, and bolt them on the rear. They fit in a 14" rim too. Then buy a cast iron 4 wheel disc master cylinder for the 79 WS6 TA. Bolt a combo valve from the same into the car and you have a done package behind stock rims.

With this setup you have the improved suspension geometry and brakes all in one move. I have not done the swap but the impression I get is that people have completed it with no need for the tubular arms.

[Scarebird]

My brackets work with 14's though not the early drum Rally 1's.

[our70gto]

I called Ames and their kit is $730 power disc conversion and includes all lines, front and rear. Has anyone used the kit from Ames?

[tininjun67]

It sounds as though some of you have not dealt too much with the aftermarket! Welcome to the world of hotrodding. If the line isn't bent correctly, bust out a tubing bender and make it right. If you guys are at a state where you are doing brake conversions, cutting and flaring tubing should be a no brainer. a little bracket fab work won't kill you either. I went with the tubular uppers and b-body spindles on my 67 gto. It was advertized at the time (12 years ago) that the taller spindles would also lower the car by 2". I did not qualify this with measurements, but was looking to lower the car anyway. Initially Global West sent me a-arms for a g-body. Sent them back for a-body arms. The camber is off by -2', requiring me to either use offset control arm shafts or relocate the mounting points on the frame. I went with the offset shafts. On the rear I went with caliper brackets from the rear of an 84 eldorado. Calipers from an S10 or G-body. No parking brake though. If I wanted a parking brake, the eldo caliper would work. For a Master, I went with one from an IROC camaro, with no booster, and no proportioning valve. 15 in wheels are required with the 12" rotors up front. To get the 5 x 4.75 bolt circle back, went with 1LE camaro rotors. At the time, I was president of the broke a$$ of the month club. The only new parts were the control arms and the front rotors. Everything else was from the salvage yard. Even the pads were scuffed and used. Total cost was $750. The arms alone were $400, rotors about $90 each.

[cblandin]

All - Several of us on the First Gen Firebird Mailing list have used the SSBC kit with less than stellar results (each made the decision independantly of the others with EXACTLY the same results). The kits look great, install easily, and do everything EXCEPT STOP THE CAR CORRECTLY!!! None of us were successful in getting enough pressure to the front calipers. Under "average" braking conditions everything seems OK, but under hard braking this kit just doesn't cut it. At least one of us has tried replacing the master cylinder with an entirely different unit with higher capacity (i.e. 1 ton truck unit I believe), but results still weren't what they are supposed to be. I can't comment on SSBC's other (non first gen Bird) kits, but I can say these kits do not appear to work as they are supposed to. It may be a booster issue, but I have yet to spend even more money exploring that avenue.

[roadrage david]

CAB witch kits are we talking about as i bought the compleat force 10 4 piston calipers/system with 13 inch disks in the frond and single piston handbrake system with 11,25 disks for the back. i havend install them yet , cant imagen they would not stop my 68 bird properly(forgive my spelling im Dutch)

[judgeITO]

Dudes,
all these aftermarket deals sound like one big pain in the ass, why not just go with a 69-72 A-body swap, get new loaded calipers and M-cyl and rotors, and your stopping real good for under $600.00. All the tubing is readily available at most parts stores. No compatiblity issues to speak of, they bolt right up no sweat. Mine stops great, took less than a day to get it done.
ITO

[462conv68]

I just ordered my ssbc brake conversion kit from summit for 859. I have already purchased a p-s-t super front end kit with polygraphite and a 1 1/4 sway bar to go with new springs and kyb gas a just shocks.I will be starting install tomorrow. I'll let u know how it goes.

[GTO2050]

Yikes, now I don't feel quite so comfortable with my decision to buy the kit from www.inlinetube.com! I thought I had researched this pretty well but maybe not. I decided on the inline set because of the auto proportioning valve. The SSBC set was a manual valve. Where can I find the 68 A-body swap?? Hints will be appreciated.

[462conv68]

I started the swap after work on Saturday.I have my neighbor doing the job with my help as he is a restorer and has a safer place to do it.All was removed in a couple of hours that night.Sunday we bagan assemble and all fit great except for having to elongate a hole in the bracket for the booster.Quit working after 4 hours, mostly spent on the new a arm bushings,to get a spring compressor and lower ball joint tool today.

[PonchoMike]

GTO2050, I used the Inline PDB conversion on our 65 GTO, no installation problems at all. I went with them because they cut me a break on their SS lines.

[462conv68]

All is done with no problems. I and the restorer would recomend SSBC. He said he was very impressed and they are better than any other kits he has used.

[GDK_1968]

I went with conversion kit from Inline Tube (Shelby Township, MI) for my 69. I also picked up front stainless steel lines and fittings for '71 GTO to use instead of the spaghetti of lines they provide in the kit.

So far all parts are installing with ease. The lines will need some tweaking and I'll have to fabricate a bracket for the '71 proportioning valve to mount on the frame.

The professionalism and personalities of their technical help however is something to be desired. Overall I am pleased with the conversion kit.

For suspension on the front end I went with Performance Suspension Technology (PST) super front end kit with polygraphite bushings. Again, a very nice kit. Also bought their 1.25" front sway bar, nice unit.

Don't forget to get replacement hardware where possible and hopfully you have saved all the old hardware. About the only thing old for my installation are the screws that secire the front sway bar bushing brackets to the frame.

[retrojoe]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> It sounds as though some of you have not dealt too much with the aftermarket! Welcome to the world of hotrodding. If the line isn't bent correctly, bust out a tubing bender and make it right. If you guys are at a state where you are doing brake conversions, cutting and flaring tubing should be a no brainer. a little bracket fab work won't kill you either. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Tininjun67, I agree, BUT when you shell out close to a grand for a setup, you better get it right the first time!

[428PHIL]

Bought my kit from SSBC about Year and a half ago. Instructions where so so,told you to replace the steering arm backwards. What none of the suppliers of convertion kits tell you is that most require a min of 18" of engine vacuum to operate their booster. Am running a Ram Air IV in my 428 and it only gets 12". Had to change the master from the one sent which was for 4 wheel disc, to one for front only. Added a canister and that help quite a bit. So beware, not all as advertised.

[aj66gto]

JudgeITO,

Will that set up work on a 66 GTO, 15" rims???

[cblandin]

The kit on my 1st gen bird was teh standard SSBC power disc kit (not the Force 10 kit). At least 3 of us on the 1st gen Firebird list are dissatisfied with teh performance of the kit despite the fact that it looked good, installed easily, and all parts appeared to be of high quality. I'm leaning towards the power booster being undersized in this particular kit - doesn't seem to get enough pressure to the front calipers ultimately. One of the members tried replacing the master cylinder already still without satisfactory results.

[olblue]

SSBC power kit on my 67 Tempest works GREAT, PST Poly-Graphite bushings were a good idea at the same time.

Still running my 14" Rally II's, which helped me to decide to go with SSBC, in the first place. Plus Minimal hassles.

See my project atSouth Coast Rides go to "in Progress"

[GTO2050]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PonchoMike:
GTO2050, I used the Inline PDB conversion on our 65 GTO, no installation problems at all. I went with them because they cut me a break on their SS lines. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I pulled the trigger on the inlinetube set and upgraded the master to an 11" and stainless. Now I am waiting for the package toarrive!