Big Brakes for Small Wheels

Stopping power was not a priority--or even much of a concern--back when classic cars were designed. Even after disc brakes became available, they remained as optional equipment on some of the fastest production cars of the time. In contrast, it's interesting to note that today, despite the fact that nearly all factory performance cars come with very competent braking systems, upgrading beyond the factory components has become very popular.

Baer Inc. is one of the better known sources for improved brake hardware, having built a reputation by first adapting modern road-course quality brakes to vintage muscle-era iron, and then steadily expanding its offerings to include improved systems for a broad array of today's showroom vehicles, including SUVs and compacts.

Although the merits of shorter stopping distances and more controlled braking are fairly apparent, when it comes to merging the hardware required to achieve world-class braking with vintage vehicles, there is often a conflict. Most modern high-performance brake systems use rotors that are larger in diameter than anything installed at the factory prior to the mid-'80s. What this means is that larger-diameter wheels--sometimes at least 17-inch--are usually required to clear the brake components. On late-model vehicles that rolled off the assembly line with big rollers, this isn't an issue, but for older cars that originally ran tiny 14-inch wheels, it quickly becomes one. While it has also become very popular to outfit older cars with modern large-diameter wheel/tire combos, not everyone wants to go that route.

So, for those enthusiasts of vintage iron who also appreciate the benefits of modern braking, Baer has developed a new addition to its Serious Street line of brake systems. The package combines high-performance PBR aluminum dual-piston calipers (factory equipment on many late-model Corvettes, Mustang Cobras, and others) with 11-inch EradiSpeed rotors. It fits inside any factory 15-inch wheel originally used with disc brakes and can even tuck inside some 14-inch disc-brake rims. Currently, this system is available for certain GM cars, including '67-'69 F-bodies (Camaro/Firebird), '68-'74 X-bodies (Nova, Ventura, Omega, Apollo), and '64-'72 A-bodies (Chevelle, LeMans, Cutlass, Skylark, and so on). In all cases, the same system can be used whether the car originally came with drum or disc brakes. Since the components are based on production pieces, wear parts like brake pads, wheel bearings, and dust seals are available at any auto parts distributor.

We thought the system sounded like the perfect way to finally rid our '67 Camaro daily driver of its original four-wheel drum brakes. The car runs stock-type 15x7 rally wheels, which we'd like to retain, at least part of the time. Steel wheels and tall tires go well with urban commuting, and they're cheap to replace.

The Baer system is relatively easy to install, requiring no cutting or welding, and includes just about everything you'll need to make the swap. We even had them test the car before and after to see if it was all worth it. As it turned out, the new front discs improved the Camaro's 60-mph stopping distances by 24 percent, reducing the average from 234 feet with four-wheel drums to 177 feet. From 100 mph, the Camaro saw a 56 percent improvement, stopping in 526 feet rather than 1,207. Take a look at the installation procedure.

Our '67 Camaro is relatively...        read full caption Our '67 Camaro is relatively stock and sees frequent road use. Like most Camaros produced back then, it came equipped with 91/2-inch drum brakes on all four corners controlled with a manually operated dual-circuit master cylinder. The brake system seemed to function as GM intended, but today, those standards are marginal at best. Even cruising around town, stopping was something that had to be planned in advance. We wanted to keep the 15-inch steel wheels in service, but until now that meant our options for brake upgrades were limited to factory-type disc brake components.	Baer Inc. has developed a...        read full caption Baer Inc. has developed a high-performance front brake system that uses PBR dual-piston calipers on relatively small-diameter rotors, so the whole thing will package inside a 15-inch wheel. Don't mistake that rotor for a milled-and-drilled stock replacement piece. It's actually specifically designed and manufactured for this system and features a beefier casting and directional cooling vanes. The rotor mates to the stock GM spindle (whether disc or drum) of a '67 to '69 F-body as well as '64 to '72 GM A-body or '68 to '74 X-body using stock wheel bearings. Baer also offers an upgrade to EradiSpeed Plus rotors, which feature aluminum hubs for significant unsprung weight savings.	Before the new brakes can...        read full caption Before the new brakes can go on, the old stuff has to come off. The front drums on the Camaro slide off the hub, though on some GM cars of the era, the hubs were pressed into the drums. In those instances, the hub/drum assembly is removed by pulling the dust cap, cotter pin, and spindle nut, and then sliding the entire unit off the spindle.
After pulling the hub and...        read full caption After pulling the hub and removing the brake springs, it will be necessary to remove the brake-spring anchor, which doubles as the upper fastening bolt for the drum-brake backing plate. The two bolts that hold the steering arm to the spindle will also have to be removed to release the backing plate from the spindle.	Removal of the drum-brake...        read full caption Removal of the drum-brake backing plate marks the end of disassembly--the Baer system uses the stock spindle, which can remain on the vehicle for the installation. One modification may be necessary however. For most of the cars covered by this system, the steering arm is retained with 1/2-inch bolts, which is what the Baer system uses. However, some early models used 7/16-inch bolts. In these instances, the holes in the spindles and steering arms will have to be enlarged. This can be accomplished with a drill and a 1/2-inch bit, but a better approach is to use a 1/2-inch tapered reamer, which is available through Baer.	Prior to beginning assembly...        read full caption Prior to beginning assembly of the new brake system, the spindle should be thoroughly cleaned. The first step is to install the new caliper bracket. This is a CNC-machined billet aluminum piece, which surrounds the spindle but fastens using two new bolts through the steering-arm holes.
The bracket should be positioned...        read full caption The bracket should be positioned so that the calipers will mount toward the rear of the vehicle. Place the supplied washers under the heads of the new bolts, and then feed the bolts in from the outside, through the bracket, spindle, and steering arm. Camaros are rear steer, so the longer of the two supplied bolts will go to the rear. Lock nuts are also provided and should be torqued to 95 lb-ft.	Since the rotors are directional,...        read full caption Since the rotors are directional, there is a left and a right.	These are clearly labeled,...        read full caption These are clearly labeled, and proper directional rotation is illustrated in the accompanying diagram. Note that the direction of the vanes and the slots do not coincide. Installed incorrectly, the rotor will overheat and fail.
New wheel bearings are included,...        read full caption New wheel bearings are included, and are already packed with Redline synthetic grease. In fact, the inner bearings are already installed in the rotors along with new dust seals. After the rotor is slipped over the spindle, the outer bearing is inserted followed by the keyed washer. The castle nut should be tightened while rotating the hub and should only be taken just beyond finger-tight. Baer stresses not to tighten further in an attempt to align the next cotter keyway as the hub needs the relatively loose fastener torque to allow for thermal expansion. The keyed washer, castle nut, and dust cap are all stock-type parts, though new pieces are supplied with the kit.	Calipers also differ left...        read full caption Calipers also differ left to right but are marked accordingly. Each caliper comes loaded with new high-metallic pads and is ready to slide into place over the rotor. The supplied 9/16-inch bolts are installed and torqued to 105 lb-ft.	The system includes new stainless...        read full caption The system includes new stainless steel braided brake hoses, which are fastened to the calipers with banjo-type fitting bolts. Make sure to place one of the supplied crush washers on each side of the fitting (arrows). The banjo bolts should be torqued to only 15-20 lb-ft; they're designed to break if over-tightened rather than strip out the caliper threads.
The new brake hose should...        read full caption The new brake hose should be routed downward from the caliper and then looped upward toward the hose frame bracket. It will be fastened to the factory hose bracket on drum-brake cars using the supplied hose lock. On cars originally equipped with drum-brakes, the new hose should thread directly to the existing hard line, but some factory-disc-equipped cars will require the supplied 90-degree hard line extensions to route the factory line down the side of the framerail.	This view better illustrates...        read full caption This view better illustrates the routing of the brake hose. Before moving forward, check to ensure that the hose doesn't bind or come into contact with other parts of the car at full droop and at jounce, including left and right lock.	Converting from drum brakes...        read full caption Converting from drum brakes to disc requires changing the master cylinder as well. The disc brakes require a larger master cylinder bore to deliver the additional fluid required by the larger pistons of the calipers versus the original wheel cylinders. But even disc-brake master cylinders are not a one-size-fits-all situation, so the Baer system includes a GM-type unit spec'd for the application. Note that the master cylinders used with manual and power brakes are not the same. Though a power-brake master will physically bolt directly to the firewall of a GM car, the pedal pushrod will not properly engage with the master-cylinder piston.
Although our Camaro originally...        read full caption Although our Camaro originally had dual-circuit braking, the junction block mounted below the original master cylinder was simply a splitter, not a proportioning valve. The Baer system uses an adjustable proportioning valve in the rear brake line to reduce pressure to the rear brakes as needed to balance the system. Baer recommends starting by seating the valve (fully tight) and backing it out five turns. Final adjustment will be made during the testdrive. The goal is to keep the rear wheels from locking under hard braking.