Our "ready-for-the-grave" patient at the start of these installations was a factory-stock '66 Chevelle begging for much-needed upgrades. You could tell that no one had rolled under this car, as the stock bushings were still in place, as were the factory springs, and four-wheel drum brakes. An unsightly and hazardous combination, ABS Power Brake had in the answer to our failing drums in the form of their complete front and rear disc brake package for A-body cars.
Joe Juliano, the owner, loves the look of his 15-inch Cragar wheels and made only one stipulation through all this, and that was to keep them on the car. Luckily, ABS has a kit matched specifically to our needs. Its kit supplies everything you need to complete the project from 11 and 10 3/4-inch rotors, calipers, mounting brackets, dust shields, power brake booster, and accessories designed specifically for a small wheel combination. Because of bracket fitment issues, the fronts are actually the smaller of the rotors by 1/4-inch.
Our before and after testing proved that this Chevelle was now a much safer, more fun automobile to drive, and that was our one and only concern. Joe is not going to be digging this Chevelle deep into corners or going fender-to-fender on the road course (although it was enjoyable to beat up). Our mission was to stop this Chevelle safely on the street and put the days of braking for 400 feet behind us. Best of all, when Joe finally does eat up a set of rotors and pads, a simple run to the local parts store will supply all he needs to do the swap in his driveway.
The disc setup was also going to help us cosmetically. Looking through a five-spoke and getting a face full of rusty drums isn't anyone's idea of a gorgeous setup. It just so happened that our gold calipers matched the paint so much so that the final look of the car was absolutely phenomenal.
 Check out the kit we received...  Check out the kit we received for the front suspension complete with single-piston calipers, 10 3/4-inch rotors, bearings, hardward, and 8-inch dual bendix style brake booster. We check ahead of time with ABS Power Brake to ensure that its brake kit would work with the Detroit Speed & Engineering suspension setup and as we expected, we had no trouble mating the two. Clearance between the caliper bracket and spindle was tight, but there was enough for us to feel comfortable with it. |  Up to this point, we had the...  Up to this point, we had the DSE front and rear suspension in and were staring at a bare spindle. Both the DSE and ABS drop spindles would have worked here, but we used DSE's simply because it is a part of suspension kit and maintains the geometry of the upper and lower control arm. |  First and foremost, we bolted...  First and foremost, we bolted the caliper bracket to the spindle as per the directions. These will actually bolt up quite a few ways, but only will work. Make sure that the caliper is positioned up towards the fender, and to the back of the car. We lubricated all bolts upon installation and ensured that the mating surfaces were properly snug. This is most important on any disc brake assembly as a small misalignment will cause an angle of contact between the rotor and pad and ultimately, lead to poor braking and an uneven wear pattern. |
 Next, we set the rotor on...  Next, we set the rotor on a table and greased both it and the bearings. It is essential that both the front and rear bearings of the assembly are packed with grease, ensuring there is limited metal-to-metal contact, and thus limited wear on the mating surfaces. |  We then slid the front brake...  We then slid the front brake rotor over the back-side bearing and followed it up with the front side. These 10 3/4-inch rotors will provide plenty of stopping power on the street--far more than the stock drums. Also, they are versatile in that you can use a rim as small as 14-inches if you so desire. Yes, the owner is bucking the latest "bigger is better" trend here, but he likes the classic look of 15-inch Cragar SS wheels. |  After installing the washer,...  After installing the washer, we bolted the assembly to just before snug and installed the cotter pin through one of the two holes through the spindle and the ridges of the castle nut, ensuring that our assembly was not going anywhere. At this point, the rotor assembly is complete. Give it a good spin and ensure there is no binding in the unit. |