Re: Disc brake upgrade for a 1939 Packard Super Eight

Posted by flackmaster On 2014/9/29 20:43:31

I was going to reply earlier and offer armchair experience, hoping that Phil would chime in, as he is the only actual user I know of having installed the Kanter kit. Phil, please, add more detail, if you posted elsewhere, I must have missed it.

I will add that several other folks I know have also upgraded, for safety reasons from the original single master cylinder to a dual master, and a vacuum booster. Every responsible Packard driver should make this safety upgrade, show cars aside. This can be done very discreetly, installing the booster kind of under the floor in front of the battery box, and painting the master cylinder black; no one will notice except the now infamous purists.

I will also agree with West that the original drum brakes, especially with a booster, are very adequate for the car, more so in fact on the 39 Super 8, which has, if I recall correctly, 12x2" brakes versus 12 x 11 3/4 on the 120's. Not much more, likely due to the increased weight of the 320 engine, but enough to point out for the record...and if Boosquat does indeed pull the drum setup, I am confident there is a buyer waiting to upgrade to the wider front brakes.
Me for one...send'em my way- I'll buy the backing plates, brakes and drums.

DAF