If you are like us, then you love your old truck and would never want to jeopardize its metal health. There's an old expression that says, "Why stop when you're having fun?" but when it comes to customized trucks, trust us, it's no fun when you can't stop.
Our subject vehicle is a '56 Chevy half-ton panel that belongs to one of our good friends who admits he is a moronic idiot. Allow us to explain why and we think you will agree. Wally's (a fake name to protect the idiotic) '56 panel, with its 375-horsepower, 350-inch Corvette engine and beefed Turbo-hydramatic tranny, is a strong runner-strong enough that it lights up the tires all the way into third gear.
Unfortunately, the 56's Corvette engine and trans are where the panel's performance improvements (not to make a pun) stop. The '56's original factory equipment single master cylinder with four-wheel drum brakes is still in place. Add to the mix Wally has no idea whether or not the brake shoes or hydraulics are up to OEM specs, and we have (another old expression) an accident just waiting to happen. Oh yeah, we should mention Wally was driving the truck with a rapidly increasing brake fluid leak in his hydraulic system. Anytime he felt the brake pedal getting low, he would just spin the cap off his vintage EIS master cylinder mounted in its stock location under the floor and pour in more brake fluid. For the most part, this bad practice worked OK, except Wally's leak intensified to the point that his brake pedal would hit the floor when he applied them coming up to a red light. Being kind of an ingenious lazy guy, Wally placed a funnel on top of his master cylinder, then poured brake fluid in and pumped the brakes as he was driving whenever he needed to stop.
While on his way to the Rat Fink Reunion held at Moon Equipment Speed Shop in Santa Fe Springs, California, Wally got into a little streetlight Grand Prix with a carload of guys in a '59 Ford Galaxy. He blew past the Galaxy like it was stopped, but when he hit the brakes for the red light ahead there was nothing there. Fortunately for Wally, Norwalk Blvd. has, er, uh, had a row of bushes on the center divider, and he was able to mow them down instead of plowing into the stopped traffic ahead.
 Master Power Brakes' front...  Master Power Brakes' front disc kit (PN DB1753B) for '55-59 half-ton GMC and Chevrolet panel and pickup trucks includes (2) '70-77 Camaro-style rotors and (2) '68 Olds police-option disc brake calipers with mounting brackets and all necessary hardware (Master Power Brakes PN BRTR1751 mounting brackets fit '28-59 trucks). |  Master Power Brakes' rear...  Master Power Brakes' rear disc kit (PN DB1716BR) for '55-72 trucks includes (2) Cadillac rear calipers with emergency brakes (used in all rear kits) and (2) Trans-Am multi-pattern rotors and all necessary hardware. |  Master Power Brakes' dual-master...  Master Power Brakes' dual-master cylinder with power brake booster kit for '55-59 Chevys and GMCs includes 4WD Corvette-style master cylinders with a 7-inch booster and VL3350 combination valve. These valves give the correct front-to-rear bias and prevent nosedive and rear wheel lockup under extreme braking conditions. |