The '79 Chevy Big 10 Fleetside known to loyal CCT readers as the Americruise truck has been a great testbed for not only myself as an editor in search of firsthand knowledge, but for the manufacturers involved as well. As we all rushed to complete the truck I had owned for only a few short weeks to make its 6,000-mile maiden voyage the project had all of the trappings of a television reality show. The only difference was this was real life and if the truck did break down at any stage of the journey there was no backup crew, it would be game over for me and my '79 Chevy. As it turned out, equipped with Classic Performance Products prototype trailing-arm rear suspension kit for late C10 trucks, and the stock 350 backed with a bulletproof Gearstar 4L60E transmission the truck didn't skip a beat and made real believers out of the naysayers who tried to discourage me from attempting the feat.
The banzai run to Americruise in Lincoln, Nebraska, taught me some valuable lessons and provided a list of improvements I wanted to incorporate into the truck when I returned to California. It was after a leg-wetting experience in the Colorado Rockies I put high-performance brake upgrades at the top of the list. As part of Chevrolet's Big 10 option package, my '79 came with the F-44 heavy-duty brakes, which include beefier 11/4-inch thick rotors and definitely offer an improvement over the standard C10 1-inch wide variety. For the type of driver who likes to just cruise their truck and seldom drives like a maniac, the F-44 brakes with the right (brake pad) compound will be more than sufficient. For someone who likes to hang with the fast cars on winding mountain roads, and not run out of brakes, or occasionally might find themselves barreling down on a semi-rig that just pulled out to pass a slower semi the only logical answer is to install uber brakes. Yes, uber, that friendly little German word that means the extreme high end of the very best. The opportunity to upgrade my '79 Big 10 to the ultimate 4-wheel disc brake system presented itself when Classic Performance Products called and asked me if me if I would be interested in installing the new 4-wheel disc brake setup Wilwood had just released specifically for the Chevy C10. They didn't have to ask me twice. It was only a few moments after we spoke that I pulled the '79 into CPP's research and development center and the truck was up on the lift and getting new Wilwood brakes ... four monstrous Wilwood disc brakes! Every superlative in the book cannot do a better job of describing a performance increase than cold hard facts. Before we did anything, the '79 Big 10 was driven out to the track in Fontana, California, and we recorded the stopping distance from 60 mph to zero, and then two more hard stops from 60 to see if there was any brake fade. Stop number one took 173.89 feet, stop number two took 178.89 feet, and the third attempt took 190.10 feet, definitely an increasing pattern of brake fade.
The Wilwood/CPP tour de force for the C10 includes their 6-piston calipers with 14-inch rotors up front and 4-piston calipers with 13-inch rotors in the rear. After we get the installation completed we'll get the Big 10 back out on the track and see if we can't get those stopping distances down in the 120s and find out how well the uber brakes resist fade. As a side note, Wilwood products are available through CPP dealers and vice versa. The 14/13-inch C10 kit as shown is exclusive to Wilwood dealers.
The CPP/Wilwood association...
The CPP/Wilwood association is not a new one. At the heart of matter is CPP's new modular C10 drop spindles that debuted at SEMA last year. The difference between a garden variety C10 drop spindle intended only for stock GM brakes and the CPP modular spindle is the ability to accommodate the larger Wilwood multi-piston calipers, as well as other aftermarket brands.
CPP's Craig Chaffers started...
CPP's Craig Chaffers started the job at the rear by removing the rear wheels and brake drums.
He then removed the 12 bolts...
He then removed the 12 bolts retaining the differential cover and removed it. The Royal Purple synthetic gear oil will be used when it all goes back together.
Next, the rear axles were...
Next, the rear axles were removed by unbolting the set screw used to retain the pin in the spider gears.
With the pin removed, it is...
With the pin removed, it is very easy for the spider gears to drop out of place. Be careful when removing the retainer clip on the end of each rear axle.
This is what the retainer...
This is what the retainer clip holding the axle looks like after being removed.
Craig then extracted the axles...
Craig then extracted the axles by pulling them outward, and made a visual inspection of the axle bearings once the axles were out.
Once the rear axles were pulled,...
Once the rear axles were pulled, it was a simple matter of removing the four bolts holding the brake backing plates to gain access to rear axle flanges.
The first step of installing...
The first step of installing the rear 4-piston Wilwood 13-inch disc brakes was to bolt the emergency brakes to the rear axle flanges.
Next, the 13-inch brake rotors...
Next, the 13-inch brake rotors were placed over the emergency brakes.
With everything bolted into...
With everything bolted into place, including the 4-piston caliper and the rear axles reinstalled, it was very important to check for axle endplay. Excessive axle endplay will cause brake drag and too much travel at the brake pedal.
The Wilwood 14-inch front...
The Wilwood 14-inch front rotors required assembly using Red Loctite on the fasteners, which were then tightened down evenly.
Wilwood specified after the...
Wilwood specified after the fasteners were installed the drilled heads were to be safety wired.
The stock front brakes were...
The stock front brakes were removed as an assembly (brake rotor, caliper, and spindle) by disconnecting the upper and lower ball joints. A sharp blow with a 2lb hammer usually does the trick.
Here the CPP modular spindle...
Here the CPP modular spindle is being inserted into the upper and lower ball joints. Notice the truck has already been equipped with CPP tubular control arms.
The Wilwood kit includes a...
The Wilwood kit includes a billet hub manufactured by CPP at their Anaheim, California, location. The CPP hub utilizes the larger Timken style wheel bearings found on trucks (not all hubs do).
After packing the tapered...
After packing the tapered wheel bearings with premium grade wheel bearing grease intended for disc brakes, Craig installed the hub grease seal, flush against the hub.
Next, Craig installed the...
Next, Craig installed the dust (grease) cap by using a piece of pipe that matched the diameter of the cap's outer lip.
With the 14-inch front brake...
With the 14-inch front brake rotor mounted onto the hub, the Wilwood modular caliper mount was then positioned into place and the Wilwood 6-piston caliper tightened down on top.
The final assembly step for...
The final assembly step for the front brakes was to install the brake pads and attach the brake hydraulic flex lines.
The stock dual master-cylinder...
The stock dual master-cylinder with a vacuum brake booster was removed by unbolting its six mounting bolts of which two are a real bear to get to.
An important step, before...
An important step, before mounting the CPP hydraulic brake booster, Craig measured the stock travel (push) rod's length to match it to the new CPP booster.
The CPP Hydratech hydraulic...
The CPP Hydratech hydraulic brake booster's billet aluminum flange mounts with four easy-to-reach bolts to four existing holes.
Next, the high-capacity Wilwood...
Next, the high-capacity Wilwood dual master cylinder was bolted up to the CPP Hydratech. Then using fitting adapters, included in the kit, the stock brake hydraulic lines threaded right up without bending the lines.
The CPP Hydratech uses hydraulic...
The CPP Hydratech uses hydraulic force generated by the power steering pump. A die-grinder with an abrasive disc was used to cut the braided stainless steel line to length. Note the duct tape used to prevent fraying.
After the CPP Hydratech's...
After the CPP Hydratech's hydraulic lines were cut to length and the fittings attached, the power steering (pump) system was flushed and then topped-off with Amsoil synthetic power steering fluid.
The routing specified for...
The routing specified for the hydraulic lines at the T-fitting defies aesthetics, but a big loop must be used to ensure proper hydraulic flow.
Bleeding the brakes started...
Bleeding the brakes started with the Wilwood master cylinder and then worked from the farthest point forward. A Wilwood proportioning valve was installed under the hood.
Here's a front view of the...
Here's a front view of the Wilwood-supplied adapter that connects the Wilwood emergency brakes to the stock Chevy emergency brake pedal linkage.
This is how the rear section...
This is how the rear section of the e-brake linkage appeared after it was connected. The next phase will be in an upcoming issue where we get the '79 back out to the track and see what kind of braking numbers the monster 14 /13-inch Wilwood 4-wheel disc brake combination delivers.