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Assembling the Brake System on STALKERV6 #29
The brakes on the Stalker are based on the Chevy S-10 disk and drum brakes. I purchased rotors and loaded calipers for an '89 S-10; however, the S-10 front brake hoses are too short to reach the side of the chassis due to the custom control arms. Some builders have resorted to a combination of production and AN fittings to rig the brakes on the Stalker. However, I wanted to keep the brakes on #29 "production" so all components could be obtained from local auto parts houses. There is a shopping list at the bottom of this page.
2/17/04 A Stalker builder gave me the idea of looking for hoses from a full-size Chevy truck. I was looking for a hose that would tuck into the suspension regardless of which way the steering was turned. After several turns down dead ends, I came up with what I feel is a very satisfactory donor, the '88 Chevy C3500 truck. This hose has a nearly straight metal fitting which nestles perfectly into the recess on the S-10 caliper with no mods required and uses the same banjo bolt as the S-10. The metal bracket can be discarded.
This photo shows the left wheel turned full lock to the left. The inboard hose end is being held close to the frame and you can see that even though the hose is pulled almost straight, there is still sufficient slack to prevent damage to the hose or interference with the suspension members.
Turned to the right, the hose stays up against the control arm and doesn't dangle. I bent the fitting at the caliper up slightly so there would be more clearance around the lower ball joint nut and the fender bracket. By carefully positioning the fitting, it can be located so clearance is maintained between the fitting and the coil spring. All in all, I think this hose will work splendidly on the Stalker and it is available at any parts store. Numbers that you want to look for include 38663 and 38624; various brands will have different prefixes with these numbers.
Another reason I like the '88 C3500 hose is that it uses a clip at the inboard end to secure the hose to the frame. Obviously, the Stalker frame doesn't have an appropriate bracket for the hose, but the enterprising custom car builder should be able to handle this task! I used some scrap from the body panels to fabricate two brackets; the large hole is 5/8" and the two smaller ones are 1/8" for attachment screws.
I purchased the clips that are used on the Chevy truck when I got the hoses. The brackets were attached to the lower frame longeron with screws just forward of the steering rack and the hoses are secured to the bracket with the clips. Wonder if we could convince Dennis and Justin to add these tabs to the frame on future cars? <hint> It makes a very neat and "production" anchor for the transition from flex hose to steel brake line.
2/20/04 Twelve inch long 3/16" steel lines were brought back from the flex brackets to a tee on the frame crossmember. A 40" line then runs back to the master cylinder and is secured as necessary with cushioned clamps. I used the steering column tube as a form for bending the lines. Be sure the fittings are located at the ends of the tubing before the lines are bent!
The pedals are mounted on 3/4" spacers so they will be high enough for the master cylinders to mount properly. I placed the pedals against the footwell firewall so the firewall installation would not be complicated by having to notch around the cylinders. The clutch pedal was place as far to the left as possible to allow ample room for the brake and throttle pedals. It is possible to achieve an even 2 1/2" spacing between the cylinders. The cylinder pushrods were adjusted so the pedals would be as close to the driver as possible. Michael is a few inches shorter than me, and I want the car to fit as many people as possible. Alas, my wife cannot reach the pedals; the difference in our heights is just too great. I will try to make the passenger seat as comfortable as possible!
There are several things that need to be noted during the pedal and cylinder installation. The hole for the steering column needs to be cut before the firewall is attached to the frame. The reservoirs need to be heated with a heat gun so they will slide onto the cylinders without damage. Be sure the clamps are put on the reservoirs before installing them. Jam nuts need to be put on the cylinder pushrods and they must be in place before the cylinders are installed.
The coil on the front brake line is the result of not being able to buy a ready made line of the exact length needed. I made a point of building the entire brake system (with the exception of the cylinders) from components that are available from any auto parts store. All the brake lines, fittings, tees, etc. are off-the-shelf items. It was necessary to remote the clutch reservoir because of lack of space on the cylinder. This will probably also prevent drainback from the slave cylinder.
A 10 lb residual pressure valve was installed in the rear brake line along with a tee that carries the brake light switch. The threads on the 1/8" NPT fittings need either teflon tape or pipe dope. I fabricated a brace from scrap panel material that carries the weight of the valve and switch to prevent the lines from cracking from vibration. I ran 1/4" line from the residual valve back to the rear flex hose since that is the size that fits the S-10 hose without adapters. The same hex head screws that are used for securing the body panels also work nicely for fastening the cushioned clamps to the frame. I used a lot of clamps so the lines cannot touch the frame at any place.
Here is the termination of the 1/4" brake line at the rear flex hose. One of the straps that came with a steering column U-bolt makes a nice bracket to secure the hose junction. The 3/16" lines running from the flex hose to the wheel cylinders were bent to follow the contour of the axle; I put short lengths of rubber hose over the lines and secured them to the axle housing with cable ties.
Also visible in this photo is the electric fuel pump (NAPA # BK 6101050) and the 3/8" brake line used as the fuel line through the tunnel. The red tube left of the pump is the end of the wiring conduit.
Here are a couple more tools that are very useful. The 1/8" x 12" drill bit is just the thing for drilling holes on the inside of the tunnel frame members. The right angle adapter is a tool that isn't used very much, but when you need it, you really need it! This one was less than $20 at Harbor Freight. The deburring tool is used to smooth the edges of panels and large holes such as the steering column hole in the firewall. The air drill isn't essential, but it sure is nice if the shop has an air compressor.
Here is the right angle adapter being used to drill holes for the fuel pump mount. The pump was mounted on a plate made from scrap panel material.
The tunnel carries not only the rear brake line, but the fuel line and a conduit for the wiring to the rear of the car. I used 3/8" steel brake line for the fuel line from the pump to the firewall of the car. I will run braided flex line through the engine compartment to the carb. A 1/2" x 36" aluminum tube was clamped into the tunnel so wires going to the rear of the car would be protected. It will also allow wires to be snaked at a later date without having to open up the tunnel. The brake system is complete; all that remains is to fill the cylinders, bleed the system, and check for leaks. Here is the shopping list for the brake system I installed: Front brakes Rear brakes
Continue to Assembling the Bodywork
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