FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Gday all, just wondering if I can replace my drum brake setup with a disc setup but keep the fc k frame? Thanks.

I have seen a disc brake conversion on an EK front end, however the braking force tends to place extra load on the king pins causing premature wear and tear.

Regards Seb

Righto,so would be better with hr front end?

This may help:

http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=22793&p=229694&hilit=harv+disk+brake+conversion#p229694

Cheers,
Harv

Hey Muzzie,
HR front end would be the way to go.
Its been tried and tested to death,
You can't go wrong.

Regards Seb.

Muzzie,
Another alternative if you want to keep the original crossmember would be to upgrade to EJ duo servo drum brakes and fit an in line vh44 booster. Same basic brake system was used on the front of Holdens through HQ. Discs are over rated n my opinion unless you are thrashing around in a hot auto. You would need to change the steering knuckles and rear axle housing as you do with HR disc, but not the wishbones or crossmember. You could possibly even fit the HR commercial or Torana backing plates, with self adjusting mechanisms and larger shoes and drums. There is no doubt that the later drums are an improvement in both performance and reliability.

Food for thought.
Cheers
Clay


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Clay ..What are your thoughts on a standard original FC brake system ,re furbished and working ,then fitting VH44 or similar booster ,I have heard of a mini booster which can be fitted under guard ,any knowledge on these ? ..THX Vern ..

Hi Vern,
I had an FC sedan with that setup for a while and the brakes were perfectly adequate for city and country driving. The car was completely stock other than the booster. I did lower the front springs slightly and fit radials. At the time I fitted all new master, slaves  and shoes but left the drums alone. I am currently doing up an FB Ute and running the same.

The advantages of the EJ brakes are that the parts are more readily available and therefore cheaper, they are mechanically more efficient and require less maintenance and adjustment.
Cheers
Clay



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Hi Clay ..Thanks for your reply ..How did you lower the front end ?..Vern ..

Vern,
I discovered one of the front coils was actually snapped near the base. I trimmed it up with the grinder and cut the other to match. The car handled very nicely at speed on the highway and in general, when compared with my HR balljoint red motor EK sedan with 25mm sway bar. I did fit new shocks all around.
Cheers
Clay


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Clay ..broken front spring ,not all that common !!! Mine had been lowered 2'' ,coils had been heated till they compressed a bit ,I wanted standard suspension so put new King coils in and took the 2" lowering blocks out of the rear ..The front coils are a weird shape after having been adjusted just with heat,i swapped the lowering blocks with Rusty for a good fly wheel and ring gear ..cheers Vern

That was a dodgy method back in the day wasn’t it, heating the coils with oxy. Saved taking them out.

One older friend told me of his lowered FB. Wooden lowering blocks and the tail shaft rubbing on the floor. Rims were widened by sectioning and welding in a strip, which was soon made illegal.

Looking at an EJ Premier a mate picked up the other day, an M20 4 speed had been fitted behind the grey. Front engine mount retained and rear mount for the gearbox added with a crossmember attached to the floor. The grey rear mounts had been discarded, there being no ears on the box. To stop the drivetrain falling over a red motor front mount had been attached between the front mount plate and inner guard. The things people did!


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Thanks heaps guys, I might try and source the ej method. Thanks Clay for all you input. 👍

Sounds very easy, and cheap too. Thanks Harvard.

Hi Muzzie, I have done the EJ front and rear swap on my sedan, one thing that also makes it a good proposition, is the cost of parts. You can buy a new set of brake shoes and wheel cylinder for a lot less than the early wheel cylinder alone. I have been told that because it is still a king pin front end, it doesn’t need to be engineered.
Jim

👍

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. . . HR/Torana front backing plates are designed for the ball-joint front suspension and won't bolt onto the king-pin stub axles.  You'd have to go EJ/EH front brakes for 1-3/4" front drums, or late EH commercial/HD king-pin front brakes for 2-1/4" front drums (rocking-horse-poo alert).  Self-adjusters will retro-fit to EJ and EH front brakes, as long as you change over to the "fine-tooth" adjuster.

Rob

Thanks for straightening that detail out Rob.

While you are scrounging EJ - HD parts Muzzie, see if you can get a HD hr drag link assembly. It will firm up your steering and it bolts up to steering arms, Idler arm to subframe and to the steering pitman? Shaft. About the only part not readily available as a service item is the actual pitman or steering arm, so most important you get this. Stewart Faulk had them (pitman arms) pretty cheap on gumtree up until a few months ago but seems to have ceased trading unfortunately.


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