Upgrading to Disc Brakes (Forgotten Tasks)
Short answer: When freshening a junkyard 1969 disc setup for a 1968: vacuum-test the booster (if it leaks, use it as a core); use the master cylinder and calipers as core exchanges for reliable rebuilt/new parts; replace the flex hoses (old ones fail when you need them most); and replace pitted/rusted caliper pins/bolts (parts-store “HELP!” line).
- Cleaning: have brackets and spindles hot-tanked/bead-blasted, then paint (POR-15 works well). The booster’s correct finish is silver cadmium (Eastwood sells a cad-look kit; most cheap rebuilds are painted black, or pay extra to have one plated).
- Rotors: the original 2-piece rotors (the ones with the groove) are hard to find and costly; 1-piece replacements (1969–72 Nova/Chevelle/LeMans/Omega/Ventura/Skylark) work fine. Have rotors checked for warpage/thickness — if good, just clean them (many shops turn to minimum thickness, so they can’t be turned again).
- Valve: stock proportioning valves are non-adjustable — use the disc unit from the donor or buy new (Master Power). Two types exist: one with separate front-line outlets, and one that relies on a second small valve to split the single front line.
- Inspect ball joints and front-end parts (and the rear brakes) while you’re in there.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
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