Factory drum brakes on a first-gen Camaro are a liability — they fade under repeated hard stops, they're a nightmare to adjust, and they can't keep up with a modified engine. This guide walks through a complete drum-to-disc conversion on a 1967, 1968, or 1969 Camaro using a bolt-on kit. No cutting, no fabrication.
Disc brakes dissipate heat faster than drums. When you're driving a 50-year-old car with a 350 or 454 under the hood, you need brakes that can keep up. Drums work fine for low-speed cruising. They don't work fine when you have to panic-stop at 60 mph.
Beyond safety, disc brakes require less maintenance. No more drum adjustments, no more shoe fitting, no more pulling drums to inspect hardware. Pull the wheel, look at the rotor and pads — that's it.
Two options dominate first-gen Camaro conversions:
SSBC-USA makes a true bolt-on kit that reuses your factory spindles with an adapter bracket. Less labor, lower cost. Good for a driver that needs reliable stops without a full rebuild.
Wilwood sends replacement spindles. More work, but stronger geometry and better caliper options for high-performance builds.
This guide uses the SSBC kit for the front since most people aren't building a track car. Rear disc conversion is optional — covered in Step 4.
Front disc conversion kit: [SSBC-USA A116-1 Disc Brake Conversion for 1967-69 Camaro](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001MA0A1C?tag=rusttoroad-20)
- Floor jack and four jack stands - Torque wrench - 3/8" and 1/2" drive socket sets (metric and standard) - Brake line wrench set (don't use regular open-end wrenches on brake fittings) - Line flaring tool (if running new brake lines) - Rubber mallet or dead blow hammer - DOT 4 brake fluid (1 liter minimum) - Brake cleaner spray - Anti-seize compound - Wire brush
Park on a flat, solid surface. Crack the front lug nuts loose while the car is still on the ground. Place the car on jack stands — front and rear. Don't work under a car on just a floor jack.
Disconnect the battery negative terminal. Wrap the positive terminal in a rag. You'll be near brake lines and metal — no sparks.
Remove the front wheels. The drum should slide off the axle studs once the wheel is off. If it's stuck (and it probably is after 50 years), hit the back side of the drum sharply with a dead blow hammer. Four or five strikes around the circumference. It'll break free.
Once the drum is off, you'll see the brake shoes, wheel cylinder, and backing plate. Take a photo before you disassemble anything — it's useful when something doesn't look right later.
Drum puller (if the hammer approach fails): [OTC 7634A Drum Puller Attachment](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002STQLY?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Disconnect the brake hose at the hard line junction (use a brake line wrench — box end wrenches round off these fittings). Cap the hard line immediately with a brake line plug to prevent fluid loss and contamination.
Unbolt the four bolts holding the backing plate to the spindle. The whole assembly — shoes, cylinder, backing plate — comes off as one unit. Set it aside. You won't need it again.
The SSBC kit uses a caliper bracket that bolts to your factory spindle using the same four holes the backing plate occupied. Clean the spindle face with a wire brush and brake cleaner before mounting.
Install the adapter bracket with the supplied grade-8 hardware. Torque to 80 ft-lbs. Thread-locker is a good idea here — these bolts are under repeated stress.
Thread-locker: [Loctite 243 Blue Threadlocker](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I1RSNS?tag=rusttoroad-20)
The SSBC kit includes vented rotors sized for the 1967-69 Camaro spindle. Slide the rotor onto the spindle studs. It should seat flush against the hub — if it's cocked, it means the hub bearing surface needs cleaning.
Hang the caliper on the bracket using the supplied hardware. Torque the caliper bolts to 35 ft-lbs. Check that the rotor spins freely inside the caliper — it should spin without dragging.
This is the step most people overlook. The factory single-reservoir master cylinder on drum-only cars isn't rated for four-wheel hydraulic load. You need a dual-reservoir tandem master cylinder.
If you're doing front disc / rear drum (the most common conversion), you also need an adjustable proportioning valve to balance front-to-rear brake bias. Without it, the rear drums will lock up under hard braking.
Dual-reservoir master cylinder: [Dorman 13-4200 Replacement Tandem Master Cylinder](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C2BR06?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Adjustable proportioning valve: [Wilwood 260-11179 Adjustable Proportioning Valve](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00164VB4E?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Mount the master cylinder at the firewall. Run the front circuit to the new front disc calipers and the rear circuit to the existing rear drum system through the proportioning valve.
Replace the rubber front brake hoses. The factory rubber hoses are 55+ years old — they crack internally and restrict flow. Stainless braided lines improve pedal feel and last indefinitely.
Stainless brake line kit: [Russell 695440 Stainless Front Brake Lines for 1967-69 Camaro](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C2C2J0?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Tighten all flare fittings snug — 1/8 to 1/4 turn past hand tight. Over-tightening splits the flare. Under-tightening leaks. Brake line wrench only.
Fill the master cylinder reservoir with fresh DOT 4 fluid. Bleed in this order: right rear, left rear, right front, left front (furthest to closest from the master cylinder).
Two-person method: one pumps the pedal, one opens/closes the bleeder valve. Keep the reservoir topped up — if it runs dry you get air in the lines and have to start over.
Vacuum brake bleeder: [Mityvac MV6840 Pneumatic Brake Bleeder Kit](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NPR33E?tag=rusttoroad-20)
Bleed until you get solid, air-bubble-free fluid from each bleeder. The pedal should feel firm — not spongy, not rock-hard. Soft and spongy means air. Rock-hard means something's binding.
New pads and rotors need to be bedded in. Find an empty road or parking lot:
1. Make 10 stops from 30 mph — firm pressure, don't lock the brakes, don't come to a complete stop 2. Let the brakes cool for 5 minutes with the car moving slowly (don't stop completely — the hot pads will leave deposits on the rotors) 3. Make 10 more stops from 40 mph with moderate pressure 4. Cool again for 10 minutes
Proper bedding transfers pad material evenly to the rotor surface and eliminates brake squeal. Skip this and you'll have squealing brakes and uneven rotor wear.
| Part | Cost | |------|------| | SSBC Front Disc Conversion Kit | ~$680 | | Dual-Reservoir Master Cylinder | ~$60 | | Adjustable Proportioning Valve | ~$55 | | Stainless Front Brake Lines | ~$80 | | DOT 4 Brake Fluid (2 liters) | ~$25 | | Thread-locker, brake cleaner, misc | ~$30 |
Total front conversion: ~$930. Rear drum-to-disc adds another $600-900 if you want full four-wheel discs.
Spongy pedal after bleeding: Air is still in the system. Re-bleed starting from the right rear. Make sure you're pumping the pedal fully before opening each bleeder.
Brakes pull left or right: One caliper is dragging or has uneven pad wear. Check that both caliper slide pins move freely. Lube them with silicone grease if they're dry.
Brakes grab immediately/lock up: Proportioning valve is set too aggressive. Turn the adjustment counterclockwise to reduce rear bias.
Pedal goes to the floor: You have a leak. Crawl under the car and check every fitting, the master cylinder, and each caliper. Don't drive the car until the leak is found and fixed.
This conversion takes one day if you've done it before. Two days if this is your first time. The result is a Camaro that stops the way it should have come from the factory. Modern braking on a classic platform.
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