Do I need power disc brakes

[daveccpa]

Planning to add disc brakes up front on a 59 gmc truck with a V-8 SB in it. Do I need to add power or can I get away without power?

Thoughts and opinions are welcome

[zenchal26]

cant say for sure but im running stock brakes all around and have no issues.

[dubie]

i decided to go with power disc brakes up front on mine. Only because it's an upgraded safety feature. You can easily get away with running stock drum brakes for a s long as you want without any hang ups.

[arturo7]

I went with power in the front for peace of mind.

[oldcouple]

No, but the first time you have to stop in traffic, you are gonna want them.

[fabguy]

it makes it alot easier if you add a proportioning valve, if not then most pressure will be applied to the rears instead of the fronts, and when you slam on the brakes the rears will lock up and the back of the truck may pull and try to come around to the front.
ask me how I know
man, I was pulling seat cushion from my behind for a week when that happened

[Dan in Pasadena]

I had the same concern over my '55 because I have too radical a cam to develop enough vacuum to operate a booster and after thinking on it awhile, I decided I didn't want to use a hydrovac system.

Any number of guys over on the HAMB told me a manual disc brake system will work just fine and since I already own a CPP disc brake kit, I went looking and bought the frame mount dual master cylinder and bracket. Haven't installed any of it yet because I'll need to run new brakes lines and I don't have the tools to bend it myself....yet!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by fabguy

...man, I was pulling seat cushion from my behind for a week when that happened

Had you 'suckin seat covers" huh, Mike?

I REALLY need to install the CPP kit and dual MC I just mentioned above.
I bought both new-but-unused cheaply from Craigslist ads. I'm just procrastinating cause I need a tubing bender (and likely a flaring tool = $$$) and I know once I get it all apart I'll be thinking, "...while I'm doing this..."

I should put in Posies Super Sliders, but

since I'm doing that,

I should order a dropped axle and,

while I'm at it have Sid rebuild the kingpins, yada, yada, yada

[Midgets50]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I had the same concern over my '55 because I have too radical a cam to develop enough vacuum to operate a booster and after thinking on it awhile, I decided I didn't want to use a hydrovac system.

Any number of guys over on the HAMB told me a manual disc brake system will work just fine and since I already own a CPP disc brake kit, I went looking and bought the frame mount dual master cylinder and bracket. Haven't installed any of it yet because I'll need to run new brakes lines and I don't have the tools to bend it myself....yet!

im assuming you dont use the brake lines that you can easily bend by hand

[OrrieG]

When I installed my 4wd with disc/drum set up in 1985 (74 K10 donor) I did not use a booster and could lock up the wheels in an emergency. This time I added a booster and PS so my wife can drive the beast.

[fabguy]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I had the same concern over my '55 because I have too radical a cam to develop enough vacuum to operate a booster and after thinking on it awhile, I decided I didn't want to use a hydrovac system.

Any number of guys over on the HAMB told me a manual disc brake system will work just fine and since I already own a CPP disc brake kit, I went looking and bought the frame mount dual master cylinder and bracket. Haven't installed any of it yet because I'll need to run new brakes lines and I don't have the tools to bend it myself....yet!

I have the tubing bender if you need to use it Dan. It isn't really expensive model but it gets the job done. As for the flare tool, The lengths I bought at Oreally? seemed to work great. You outta stop by the shop one day and see what I did with mine and pick up the tools to do yours.

LMAO, And YES, it was an @$$ puckering ride. that was when I decided I needed to go through the truck. I was shaking for about 1 hrs if I remember right. That was about 16 yrs ago. I drove the truck for a couple years and had never pounded on the brakes that hard.

[Rufton]

I put manual front disc on my car. Pedal effort is good; same ball park as proper manual drum brakes. Large caliper piston surface area reduces pedal effort. Control is very good. I wouldn't switch to power brakes if free. I don't feel a sacrifice when switching from power brake car to manual brake disc car. Unlike manual vs power steering where the difference is very noticeable.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by daveccpa

Planning to add disc brakes up front on a 59 gmc truck with a V-8 SB in it. Do I need to add power or can I get away without power?

Thoughts and opinions are welcome

I have one of each, 53 & 55, and there is just a bit of difference with the power. I do like the power as I drive them both in the city, and it is a bit easier to drive.............. stop.

I do not know if the cost justifies the difference but they are available.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Midgets50

im assuming you dont use the brake lines that you can easily bend by hand

I've never installed ANY brake lines, so I didn't know there were any you could "easily bend by hand". What are they called or what material do I want them made from? Even if I can hand bend them, I'd want them to look pro, not fly-by-night.

Fabguy, Extremely generous of you. I really do want to get to see your shop. As I posted above, my truck is locked up til I get back from vacation about August 9th. THEN, I've gotta go through the whole routine: load the camper on the dually, pull it out, out comes the '55, in goes the boat, back goes the dually, unload the camper again.... good problems to have I suppose but it tires me out just thinking about it!

I've been wanting to pull the bed since I took a Sawzall to the old wood so I can thoroughly clean and prime/paint from the cab back. We'll see. Thanks Mike for the heads up on using pre-flared lines. Would save me a lot of headaches and cash cause a GOOD flaring tool is $$$.

[mknittle]

Dan they are nickel copper and are Dot approved. I am think about using it with stainless flair nuts.


http://www.agscompany.com/automotive...ines/nicopp/11



http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS-Performan...11534/10002/-1

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks mknittle. Does anyone know if NAPA or other retail parts store carry pre flared nickel-copper lines? Obviously Jegs carries them but I wouldn't want to have to wait for an order to arrive if I mis order and run short.
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[Midgets50]

Im not sure if they are nickel or copper plated but i know that they carry the easy to bend lines that are already preflared with fittings on them in several different diameters in metric and standard. They are also in multiple lengths

[_Ogre]

any hand bent line will look hand bent and fly by night
for nice looking, tight to the frame your better of with straight line sections and a bender.
you can buy the steel lines at any auto parts store, your 50 yr old oem lines are steel
i bought a ss straight line kit from inlinetube.com and supplemented with some short straight sections
this way i only needed to flare maybe 5 ends
flaring ss tube requires a pro flaring tool, no $40 kit will work
once you figure out the bender, replacing all the lines is easy peasy

as far as power vs manual, that is a personal prefference
by converting to disc brakes; you will need to update the mc and replace all lines anyway
replacing the mc requires converting to hanging pedals or converting the underfloor mc
this is probably the hardest part
at this point, upgrading to power is easy and usually not much additional cost

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

Any hand bent line will look hand bent and fly by night. For nice looking, tight-to-the-frame you're better of with straight line sections and a bender....

UGH, yeah I suspect you're right. I've read about straightening coiled lines by puling them through a small hole in a 2x4. I'm sure that would work...some....but not truly straight as I'd want them to be. I want to be able to say, "...I did them myself" - and be proud of how it looks.

Jeg's sells them in straight sections as the link shows. If I buy the nickel-copper lines it would only be straight, pre-flared & nutted lines and I'd STILL buy a bender to make the bends look clean. I won't much like it if the lines turn greenish. Maybe I could mildly polish them and rattle can clear them(?)
Quick question: When to use 1/4" and when to use 3/16"? Is it just one or the other, or 3/16" into the MC and 1/4" out near the wheels?

BTW, very sorry for the hijack. Back to the original question: No, I don't think you must have a power booster at all.

[55dude]

Anyone just run power drum?

[bobinbc]

I ran non-power disc on the truck in my avatar pic and it worked very well. No problem with stopping power and good pedal feel. Do your research on pedal ratio if changing to a non-stock brake pedal setup, I used the stock pedal with an adapter bracket from ECI and late model MC and prop valve.

Aout power drum brakes, I had that setup on a 67 camaro and they had lots of power but because they were drum they would go into brake fade if you worked them too hard, easy to do with power drums. I would say don't do it.

[55dude]

Brake fade is issue with drum brakes. I feel better with the disc setup.