Classic Performance Products Chevy C10 Drop Spindle Install - Choose Your Own Brake Adventure

We're going to turn our attention to the master cylinder/booster combo in the truck for a little while. My truck was originally equipped with a manual disc/drum brake system. Somewhere along the line it got switched to power-assist with parts from the junkyard. This wasn't a bad thing, but it looks like ... well, um, not the best.

Luckily, CPP has a variety of master/booster combos available, including this very nice stock '67-72-style unit that CPP makes. It mimics the stock dimensions and operation to a "T" and can be ordered for a disc/drum or drum/drum setup depending on your needs. The 11-inch booster is gold cadmium-plated just like the originals and looks great in a driver or resto/show truck.

One of the first things that needs to be done to remove the old booster/master assembly is to take the pivot bolt out of the brake pedal that connects it to the booster pushrod under the dash.

The pushrod needs to be set to the same length as the old one. This is measured from the back of the mount to the pivot hole. Once this is set, tighten the jam nut. The CPP reproduction booster/master bracket is done just like the original with its unique fifth mount seen down by Craig's right hand.

This is where the fifth mount goes on the firewall. Since this was originally a manual disc/drum truck, there was no booster bracket on it until someone made the one to mount the junkyard booster/master. The fifth mount is also a little offset from the plane of the other four mounts, which CPP's bracket accommodates perfectly instead of just mashing it down like many others out there.

Before installing the booster/master assembly, the master cylinder was removed and bench bled. Bleeding the air out of any new master cylinder like this is highly recommended since it is much easier than trying to push any air bubbles all the way to the wheel cylinders or calipers to be released.

Now the whole assembly can be put in its rightful place. It helps to have someone on the inside of the cab to guide the pushrod back to its location. Don't forget to secure the rubber boot seal in the firewall, too.

Quite the improvement, huh? What was once a huge eyesore under the hood is now one of the best-looking things there! When it comes time to hooking up your existing brake lines to the proportioning valve, it helps to loosen the proportioning valve, the master cylinder itself, or both. Just make sure to go back and retighten everything. If you have a brake light warning switch in your dash, that can now be reconnected or spliced into the new wiring provided.

Now it's time to make good on the Modular-ness of CPP's new spindles. The spindles were stripped back down and the caliper brackets for the 13-inch discs were installed. These are flat, so there is no left and right.

Next, the hub gets fresh bearings, grease, and inner grease seal before going on. CPP uses the large truck bearings in their hubs, which only makes sense, but many other companies use smaller passenger-car bearings for their big brakes.

Now the impressive drilled and slotted 13-inch rotors can go on. These babies slide right onto the hub; a lug nut threaded on will help hold the rotor while installing the caliper.

For the 13-inch big brakes, CPP uses the big late-model GM two 52mm piston calipers. These calipers combined with quality AC Delco ceramic pads should last in the neighborhood of 100,000 miles or so! The ceramic from the pads actually builds up a layer of ceramic on the rotors and grips to it instead of wearing the rotor down. This takes about 50 miles to really start happening after the zinc plating wears off the rotor, but when it does the brakes get even better. The '72 stopped 29 feet shorter from 60-0 and resisted fading after the first three tests, unlike the stock brakes! Call or surf to CPP for more info today.