At this stage of the project, we installed the front conversion, master cylinder, and proportioning valve, while retaining the rear drum brakes. The rear disc conversion requires aftermarket "green" non-adjustable rear axle shaft bearings with snap-ring retention, and is not compatible with the factory tapered roller bearings. Since future plans call for a narrowed custom rear housing, it would be money down the drain to re-bearing our current axle shafts. The rear brake assembly will be included in the rear end build when we make the swap. Wilwood's proportioning valve allowed us to adjust the bias to accommodate the drums in the rear, and we can later dial in the braking system for the discs out back with a simple twist of the valve.
| WHERE THE MONEY WENT |
| PART NO.: | DESCRIPTION: | PRICE:* |
| 140-10740-D | Front kit, 12.19 rotor, drilled | $1,167.95 |
| 260-8555B | Master cylinder, 1-inch, black | $239.95 |
| 220-7699 | Flexline kit, universal, 16-inch. | $59.95 |
| 290-2210 | Brake fluid, (6) 12-ounce bottles | $47.95 |
| 260-8419 | Compact proportioning valve | $41.95 |
| Misc | Brake line | $9.95 |
| Total: | $1,567.70 |
| *Prices as listed from Summit Racing Equipment |
The caliper mount bolts to...
The caliper mount bolts to the spindle with new fasteners (included in the kit). The front lower ball joint bolt from the drum car is required, as it is longer than the disc brake bolt, and it is reused in the conversion.
With the rotor assemblies...
With the rotor assemblies already bench-assembled, the installation was simply a matter of sliding the hubs onto the spindles, and adjusting the wheel bearings as normal. The Wilwood hubs feature nice, machined-aluminum, screw-on spindle caps, as compared to the stamped-steel hammer-on stockers. Our kit uses Wilwood's "Dynapro 6" six-piston calipers.
The calipers must be centered...
The calipers must be centered over the rotors, with shims used at the mounting lugs to set the alignment. Add shims as required to center the caliper, and then Locktite and torque the caliper fasteners. Next, apply safety wire per the Wilwood specifications.
The brake pads are inserted...
The brake pads are inserted from the top of the caliper, and retained with a quick-release clip. Finish the installation by plumbing the brake lines. We went with Wilwood's universal 16-inch braided steel brake line kit, which fit our Satellite perfectly, and mated to the stock hard-line connection.
We weighed all of the components...
We weighed all of the components involved in the conversion and were surprised to find a savings of 19.5 pounds per side with the larger diameter 12.19-inch Wilwood brakes, a hefty savings in comparison to the OEM 11-inch discs. Along with the master cylinder conversion and eliminating the booster, we saved a total of 53.5 pounds.
To allow adjustment of the...
To allow adjustment of the brake bias front to rear, we added a Wilwood proportioning valve, and plumbed it into the line to the rear brakes. We fabbed a simple bracket to mount the valve to the inner rocker panel, which put the control knob inside the passenger compartment through an existing body plug in the floor pan.
With the proportioning valve...
With the proportioning valve location through the left-rear floor pan plug, the brake bias can be adjusted from the driver seat. We found the knob on the proportioning valve fit the existing body hole perfectly.
With the relatively light...
With the relatively light weight of our Satellite and the 12.19-inch rotors and six-piston calipers, we decided that a manual brake system would offer improved feel, less clutter, and a weight reduction. The factory iron master cylinder and brake booster were removed as an assembly.
To install the Wilwood 1-inch...
To install the Wilwood 1-inch piston master cylinder, we used a firewall reinforcement plate from a factory drum brake car. The Wilwood master uses two mounting bolts in contrast to the factory four-bolt flange. Although an adaptor is available, we re-drilled the reinforcement plate, firewall, and inner pedal bracket to the Wilwood pattern and mounted the master cylinder directly. A manual brake master cylinder pushrod is required. A positive pedal stop is also required, since the Wilwood master cylinder piston lacks the provision for the OEM-style internal pushrod retention bushing.