14 August 2012 ChevyClassics

by Randy Irwin

Parts Needed: Catalog price Member price

AB-80 67-69 Disc brake kit, at the wheel 419.99 398.99 kitAB-22 67-69 Complete front disc brake kit 497.99 473.09 kitKit includes: Rotors Spindles

Bearings Grease Seals Spindle Gasket Dust CapsCastle Nuts WashersCotter Pins Caliper BracketsNew Calipers Organic PadsBacking Plates Flex HosesFlex Hose Clips Banjo BoltsSteering Arm Bolts Combination ValveValve Bracket Valve HardwareBrake Switch Pigtail Pedal Rod ExtensionDual Bail Master Cylinder Instructions

Tools Needed: Tie rod splitterBall joint splitter3/4" wrench5/8" wrench7/8" wrench

15/16" wrenchCuttersTorque wrenchCoil spring compressor

In 1969, Chevrolet offered the Camaro with manual or power brakes andboth were available with either discs or drums. Many of the cars wereordered with just the basic manual drum brakes, but upgrading is veryeasy. By installing a booster and a dual master cylinder, you will increaseyour Camaro’s stopping power. To install disc brakes on your car, theupgrade requires the drum brake spindle to be replaced with a disc brakespindle. If you have been to a junkyard lately and asked for disc brakespindles for a 1969 Camaro, you probably got laughed at! Since the early1980s disc brake spindles have been harder to find than hen’s teeth.Rick’s Camaro, an Eckler’s company, offers a complete power disc brakekit, part AB-22 which includes NEW reproduction spindles, along with anew booster, master cylinder proportioning valve, rotors, bearings, seals,calipers, brake lines and all mounting hardware. With this kit all you willneed is the brake fluid and few hours of your time!

Photo #1: The stock drum brake spindle has a different offsetthan the disc brake spindle, so even a GM disc brake bracketwill not work on the drum brake spindle. This is why a newspindle must be used. The drum brake spindle has a backingplate where the wheel cylinder and brake shoes mount. Thebacking plate is held to the spindle with an anchor bolt at thetop and two lower bolts at the bottom which also hold theouter steering arm to the spindle.

Photo #2: To removethe spindle, first theouter tie rod endmust be removed.Remove the cotterpin and nut fromthe tie rod end, andthan using a tie rodend splitter, removethe tie rod end fromthe steering arm.

Photo #3: Nowremove the twolower bolts andnuts. This willallow the steeringarm to beremoved. Thestock steering armwill be reused.This could bedone after thespindle is

removed from the car, but it makes it nice to have the spindlemounted to something solid.

Time Frame: 8 Hours

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1967-69 CAMARO FRONT DISC BRAKE KITINSTALLATION

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Photo #5a & 5b: To remove the spindle, a coil springcompressor MUST be used to compress the spring. By doingthis, the load will be taken off the ball joints.

Photo #6: With the coil spring compressed, remove the cotterpins and nuts from the ball joints.

Photo #8: Install the new spindle in place of the old one.Make sure to use new cotter pins on the ball joint nuts.

Photo #9: The new caliperbracket will mount to the rearof the spindle and bolt to thetop of the new spindle with a3/4" x 1" bolt. Make sure to usea small amount of threadlocker on this bolt. The boltneeds to be torqued to 85 lbs.

Photo #7a & 7b: Now using a ball joint splitter, disconnect theball joints from the spindle and remove it from the A-arm.

Photo #4: Next remove the upper anchor bolt. This bolt has athin flat square washer behind it. One or two of the ears fromthe washer will be bent over the edge of the anchor bolt.Using a chisel, drive the washer flat.

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Photo #15: The inner greaseseal will be driven in flushwith the hub.

Photo #16: The rotor can beslide up onto the spindle andthe outer bearing can now beinstalled.

Photo #17: Next install the spindle nut washer, the spindlenut and cotter pin. Make sure to torque the spindle nut to 25lbs. With the nut and cotter pin installed, give the rotor a spinand make sure there are no tight spots.

Photo #13: The kit comes with new inner and outer bearings,seals, spindles nuts, washers, dust caps and cotter pins.

Photo #10: Thecomplete power discbrake kit, P/N AB-20comes with two 7/16" x 21/2" bolts and two 7/16" x2 3/4" bolts. The 2 1/2"bolt is for the frontmount of the steeringarm and the 2 3/4" bolt isfor the rear calipermounting bracket andthe steering arm.

Photo #11: The bolts areheld in place with newlock nuts. Torque thesebolts to 75 lbs.

Photo #12: Next attachthe outer tie rod end tothe steering arm. Makesure to use a newcotter pin here also.Whenever installingnew front end parts,always have the frontend realigned.

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Photo #14a & #14b: The larger of the two bearings is the innerone. Install the bearing face down and make sure to pack thebearing with a good quality disc brake bearing grease.

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Photo #19a & 19b: The inner pad is the one that just has theears on each end. There is an anti-rattle clip that holds thepad tight in place.

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Photo #20a & 20b: The outer pad has a hole on each end.The caliper anchor pins will pass through these holes.

Photo #18: The dust cap is driven on flush with the rotor.This kit uses the large 11" rotor and big GM caliper. Many kitsuse the small S-10 calipers and 10" rotors. By using the largerrotors the larger inner and outer bearing are also used.

Photo #21: The brake hose is held tothe caliper with a banjo bolt and hasa copper washer on each side of thebanjo block to seal it to the caliper.

Photo #22: The banjo bolt willscrew into the caliper and theneck of the banjo block will fitbetween the two stands. Thiswill keep the hose in place.

Photo #23:Place thecaliper overthe rotor withone padinboard of therotor and onepad out board. Make sure the bleeder valve is to the top ofthe caliper. If it is at the bottom, you have the wrong caliperon the wrong side. Photo #23 shows the correct placement.

Photo #24: The anchor pins will passthrough the inner ear of the caliperand screw into the caliper bracket.

Photo #25: The disc brake hosewill mount to the same bracketas the drum brake hose did. Itis held in place with a new clipsupplied in the kit.You now have a large disc

brake kit on our once drumbrake front end! Next, simply follow the instructions providedwith this kit for the installation of the master cylinder, propor-tioning valve and brake lines.

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