Should I switch to manual brakes?

[RCCDrew]

Getting ready to do a disc brake swap on the old rat trap. I want to go from drums to the factory style 11" discs. I want to go to manual brakes for the classic hot rod feel (manual steering and brakes, no ac).  Do you think that this would be a dumb move? I am very physically able, but if this would make the car less safe then I might move away from the manual setup.

Also, who did you go to for your disc brake swap kit? Remember I want to keep a factory style setup.

[c00nhunterjoe]

I have never had a problem with manual brakes. Stops just fine with 1 foot at the end of the drag strip. Will panic stop on the street with the best of them. Factory drums on the rear, this kit on front. Jegs universal master cylinder, factory drum/drum distribution block without a proportioning valve. Stops level and straight.

https://www.performanceonline.com/62-74-MOPAR-Chrysler-Dodge-Plymouth-Disc-Brake-Conversion-Kit-Stock-Spindles/

[ACUDANUT]

Power front disk brakes is 10 times more safer and can stop a hell of a lot better. 

[Kern Dog]

The only thing a power booster does is reduce the strength needed to stop the car. Power boosted cars have a reduction in the linkage. Manual cars do not.
I have a 4 wheel disc setup in my 70 Charger. Years back I put in a brake booster and 15/16" master cylinder from a 75 Dart. I wanted a cleaner look underhood so I decided to try swapping to a manual setup. The car had manual drums when new so it was an easy swap.
It was not a successful attempt though. I tried 4 different master cylinders but they all gave the same result: Firm pedal but the car was very hard to stop. I tried a 1 1/8" bore, a 1 1/32" bore and 2 different 15/16" bore master cylinders and even the best one had a hard time skidding on dirt!
I admitted defeat and put the power stuff back on. Months later I was looking under the car and saw something that I overlooked before: I had a disc/drum proportioning valve in the car. The 4 wheel disc setup is essentially self proportioning based on the bore sizes of the calipers. The proper setup should have been to use a drum/drum distribution block with no proportioning in it.
Since learning of the mistake, I have bought another 15/16" master cylinder to try it all again!
Good luck!

[71charger_fan]

I'm running front discs off a Volare with Mustang GT rear discs from Dr. Diff. I'm using the Raybestos manual master cylinder for an A-body. It stops great.

[Charger-Bodie]

I'm running front discs off a Volare with Mustang GT rear discs from Dr. Diff. I'm using the Raybestos manual master cylinder for an A-body. It stops great.

What valves and dist. Blocks in the lines. I have similar and mine aren't that impressive.

[alfaitalia]

Power front disk brakes is 10 times more safer and can stop a hell of a lot better.  

Nope.....no safer....in fact more to go wrong. A booster is just assistance and cant stop any faster than a manual system if given the same discs and pads.....as said above it just takes more push!!

One of the fastest road cars of all time...the McLaren F1 has no servo assistance on the brakes  ....and that stops OK. Was deemed to be too much extra weight  to add the servo....hey what do you expect for a couple of million bucks!!! LOL!

Also modern motorcycles can stand on the front wheel at 100mph just using one finger on the brake lever with completely manual brakes too (ask me how I know!!!).....its all down to the set up and choice of disc/pad.

[JR]

My car has factory disc brakes but the previous owner deleted the brake booster, so theyre manual now.

As someone who autocrosses his car regularly, POWER BRAKES 100%.

Manual brakes are ok in normal street driving, 99% of the time.

But when I really stand on them, before corner entry, or shutdown at the end of the track, they are GARBAGE. It takes me twice as long to stop as it does the equivalent sized cars with power assist. It takes longer to apply the same force that the power boosted cars do instantly,  and the difference is MASSIVE.

I know most guys here dont care about AutoX or road racing, but the same thing is true when youre on the street and a texting 16 year old girl pulls out in front of you.

If youre gonna spend the money making the car accelerate faster, it only makes sense to make it stop faster, too. Because afterall, It's your life riding on it.

Im saving my pennies for a Hydroboost conversion, and a rear disc swap myself.

[Kern Dog]

I'm running front discs off a Volare with Mustang GT rear discs from Dr. Diff. I'm using the Raybestos manual master cylinder for an A-body. It stops great.

This is essentially the same setup that I have. I do have the larger 12" rotors but the same sized calipers that you have.   

[71charger_fan]

"What valves and dist. Blocks in the lines. I have similar and mine aren't that impressive."

I just used the combination valve that was in the Volare.

[Kern Dog]

Not sure... Are you asking a question?

When I tried the manual master cylinders a few years back, I was unaware that i was running a disc/drum proportioning valve. This is not needed. The reason for the proportioning valve is to try to limit pressure to the rear brakes to prevent lockup. A 4 wheel drum system is self proportioning because the wheel cylinder sizes are different front/rear. It is because of this that a 4 wheel disc system also needs no proportioning if the caliper bore sizes are properly chosen.

[c00nhunterjoe]

I run the 1 1/32 bore with stock style front disc and rear drums. This bore should handle up to single piston disc/disc setups. The 1 1/8 should be used if you have multiple piston calipers.

[Kern Dog]

You do realize that the larger the bore, the harder the pedal effort, right?

[c00nhunterjoe]

You do realize that the larger the bore, the harder the pedal effort, right?

If you run 4 wheel disc brakes with 4 piston calipers on each corner , then the smaller bore master cylinder will not move enough fluid to operate properly. The 15/16 bore would have a long travel and low pedal by the time the car starts to stop on this system. With the large bore on this system You would not feel an increased effort in that situation. What you are describing is putting a large bore mc on a stock single piston caliper/ rear drum setup. There will be very little pedal movement to operate the brakes because of the small amount of piston surface area vs large mc bore.

[Kern Dog]

Wow... 4 piston calipers at EACH corner?
The stock Aspen/Volare calipers are a single 2.75 bore. The Dr Diff 10.7" rear disc kit uses a single 1.5 bore caliper.  I'm not aware of any 4 piston rear caliper but regardless, I don't agree with the need for that much more fluid volume. A single piston presses to one side, opposing pistons move toward each other, effectively the same volume requirement EXCEPT for the difference in total piston area.

[RCCDrew]

Thanks guys. I ordered the manual disc brake conversion kit.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Wow... 4 piston calipers at EACH corner?
The stock Aspen/Volare calipers are a single 2.75 bore. The Dr Diff 10.7" rear disc kit uses a single 1.5 bore caliper.  I'm not aware of any 4 piston rear caliper but regardless, I don't agree with the need for that much more fluid volume. A single piston presses to one side, opposing pistons move toward each other, effectively the same volume requirement EXCEPT for the difference in total piston area.

Wilwood..... we run them on all 4 corners on the race cars. Stops great with manual brakes and 1 foot at 160 mph. And yes, they make them for street use with park brakes too.

[toocheaptosmoke]

I run 4 wheel discs with manual, pedal effort was a bit more than I liked with the cheapo front pads that came with the kit.  I put it some yellow EBC pads and it made a noticeable increase in stopping power.