Disk Brake Setup?

[CorsaTurboKid]

I was curious to know how hard it is to convert to disk brakes (65 corsa), or if it is even worth it? After being so "pampered" with disk brakes, I think I've grown quite fond of them from my other vehicles and sometimes I scare the crap out of myself driving even with good drum brakes. I would feel a lot more comfortable with disks I believe, any thoughts, or am I just being a woos?

[bbodie52]

You should consider the comments below and perhaps click on the link and read the entire article. This article is part of a series of Corvair-related autocross racing articles with performance tuning, braking and handling in mind. This short article discusses drum and disc brake options for Corvairs...

http://autoxer.skiblack.com/brakes.html

Corvair Brakes.

A Corvair has an advantage over a front engine car under braking. Since the weight bias is to the rear, the car is much less nose heavy under braking, so it makes use of all four tires when stopping. Early model Corvairs had adequate, though not spectacular, brakes and the rear weight bias helped the car use all four when braking. Late models used GM intermediate platform (Chevelle, Tempest, etc.) brakes which performed very well on the 1000 pound lighter Corvair. FCs use full size Chevy brakes and they too work quite well on the lighter Corvair trucks.

Tires Affect Brakes

Corvair brakes still perform just as well as they did over 40 years ago. What's different are the tires. Many folks forget that in terms of actual stopping distance the only way to improve the performance of a car that can lock up the wheels is to get better tires. These tires then are capable of more torque which translates to more heat in the brakes...

The large drum brakes found on a 1965-1969 Late Model Corvair are quite powerful and perform well — especially when matched with over-sized wheels and a good set of high-performance radial tires. Street performance especially is excellent and you can have every expectation of solid, safe and strong performance when driving your Corvair on the street without having to spend a significant amount of money to upgrade to more-exotic disc brakes. The advances made in disc brake designs are real and have become economically practical over the years since the Corvair was in production, so front or all-wheel disc brakes have become the norm in modern automobile production. But is it necessary to spend time and money installing disc brakes on a Corvair? I beileve it may be more appropriate for a Corvair that is to be used for road racing, where high speeds and frequent, heavy application of brakes is expected. Under those circumstances heat buildup and brake fading can become a significant problem. Front or four-wheel disc brakes under a road racing scenario begin to make more sense. But in a Corvair that you purchased as your daily driver on the street, do you think it is wise to apply a large portion of your Corvair budget to such an exotic upgrade? Or would your time and money be better-spent making improvements in other areas?

Certainly the presence of disc brakes on a Corvair produce some bragging rights and look impressive. You are the only one who can ultimately decide what is right for you. Perhaps you should make a list of everything you want to do on your Corvair. Do some cost, appearance, and performance benefit research and consideration for each item on your list, and then sort the list in order of priority to help you with the decision-making process.

If you don't own a copy of this book, I would strongly suggest that you buy a copy and read it to help you with your Corvair upgrades and improvement investments. I have owned the earlier version of this book since 1970, and bought the updated version when it was published last year. It is filled with a great deal of informative material that has been developed and collected over decades of Corvair ownership and racing. Chapter 18 (pages 127-134) specifically addresses brakes, wheels and tires for everything from daily driving to racing. At $22.37 it is a good Corvair "bible" that will help you to make educated, informed decisions for your Corvair before you actually spend time and money.

http://www.amazon.com/Performance-Corva ... th+emerson





Inspecting, repairing and tuning the stock drum brakes is certainly a good investment. Carefully inspect the steel brake lines and flexible brake hoses, as well as the wheel brake components and wheel cylinders. Upgrading to a dual master cylinder is a good safety measure, and flushing the old brake fluid periodically is also a good idea, since brake fluid can accumulate a water content over time, which lowers the boiling point and can bring on brake fading. You might also consider replacing the brake fluid with silicone brake fluid. Clark's Corvair Parts recommends DOT 5 silicone brake fluid in all Corvairs. Their reasons are outlined below...

http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/catalog ... N&page=144

[miniman82]

If you drive like me in your turbo (like an asshat), you need disc brakes. Powerful stock drum brakes? Sure, the first time you get into them at speed they work great. But how about the second and third times? You'll get nothing but fade, and it's especially bad if you're anywhere over 40 mph. IMO to be safe you need disc brakes if you do any sort of performance driving, because it's very easy to out drive the stock ones.

I was on the freeway once doing about 60 mph, when the Cadillac in front of me suddenly blew out it's front driver's side tire. He swerved right, I had to swerve left into the breakdown lane while smashing on my brakes to avoid a collision. Wanna know how the brakes responded? They didn't even lock up, and I was up out of my seat applying pressure to the pedal. The guy was pretty banged up, as he had gone airborne into the right hand ditch and inverted the car. But I shudder to think what might have happened to me, if I had no where to go and my brakes didn't grab... I'd have gone right into the back of him, and likely wouldn't have a Corvair.

[CorsaTurboKid]

Thanks Bbodie, if you havent read on my ignition problem post... (like an idiot my dist cap wasnt tight enough, now car runs great), just as I post about disc brakes, I get my car running and then my rear right brake cylinder goes out, while sitting in my driveway! There was a big puddle, brakes were great last time I drove.. now im back to square one!

[bbodie52]

Perhaps another good reason to upgrade to a dual master cylinder! I had the same thing happen to my 1966 Corsa while it was parked in the driveway. I got in, stepped on the brake pedal, and it went to the floor! Bad wheel cylinder!
I already bought a dual master cylinder kit for my Corvair last year, but had not installed it yet. I guess now is the time!!

On the other hand, last year I climbed into my 2005 GMC Sierra 4X4 pickup truck and stepped on the brake pedal to shift it into Drive. The pedal went to the floor! I discovered that a steel brake line in the engine compartment had burst, and was spraying brake fluid all over my power steering unit every time I stepped on the brakes! It turned out that the steel brake lines were badly scaled and rusted throughout the truck (55,000 miles) and I had to replace all of the steel lines throughout my truck! Never had that happen in any vehicle I have ever owned, except for the GMC! So much for disc brakes, relatively new vehicle, low mileage, etc. I read many posts on the Internet when I Googled this problem. It seems that many Chevrolet and GMC truck owners have experienced similar problems.

If you drive like me in your turbo (like an asshat), you need disc brakes. Powerful stock drum brakes? Sure, the first time you get into them at speed they work great. But how about the second and third times? You'll get nothing but fade, and it's especially bad if you're anywhere over 40 mph. IMO to be safe you need disc brakes if you do any sort of performance driving, because it's very easy to out drive the stock ones.

I don't know about this. I have been driving Corvairs since the 1960s, including some heavy applications of the brakes on the autobahn in Germany, and regular use in a heavily-loaded 1965 Corsa on a lengthy downhill grade from Lake Tahoe. I have never experienced fade like that described above with the drum brakes, with one exception: I was driving a recently-purchased 1963 Monza around town in Warner Robins, Georgia, and discovered serious brake fading with only moderate use!



It turned out that the brake fluid was very old and badly contaminated with water content. That was when I discovered that conventional brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air over time, and that is why Clark's Corvair Parts recommends flushing the old fluid and replacing it every 2-3 years, or switching to Silicone brake fluid, which does not eat paint or absorb water. With a high water content, the water boils at much lower temperatures than brake fluid, which promotes brake fade early as the brakes heat up. If my brakes faded as described after one hard application, I would suspect contaminated brake fluid.

[davemotohead]

When you drive 90-150 mph you will wish you had disc's up front! IMO the stock drum brakes are good for anything below 90mph for a few stops,after that they get hot and fade, the brake pedal becomes a brick! for consistent performance stops,disc are the way to go.

[CorsaTurboKid]

I think for right now im going to just put in new cylinders and order a duel master cylinder. I'm about to move and I don't have the time for disc brake install but it is definitely something I will do in the future. After swaying when hard braking.. holy crap that thing will scare you even at low speeds if you aren't use to it! It's not bad but its enough to make you grip the steering wheel a tad more thats for sure. I think im gonna switch to the silicone fluid as well. Thanks Brad

[terribleted]

Dual master is a safety must in my book. Disc brakes are nice but not a big difference in normal driving...even somewhat spirited normal driving. IF your car is unstable and all over the road while braking there is something wrong with your brakes or your suspension. Yes I have experienced brake fade in my vairs with very, very heavy braking like on an autocross course, but, normally they stop very straight. I have had front disc before as well. I like the front disc rear drum setup just fine, altho I must admit I have not tried a rear disc conversion on one yet. I think what I like most is the feel of front discs not so much how well they stop (which is very similar to stock mostly). They are less prone to fade as well.