Re: '54 Clipper Brakes Different Than Specs

Posted by BH On 2010/1/27 12:47:00

Owen -

Though the 1955-56 shop manual was never really updated for the late-breaking Exec models, the parts book shows brakes and related details for the Exec chassis as being the same as the Clippers, which would be 11".

Since I never had the brake drums off of my dad's car (sitting in a field all the while since the day I found it back in 1976) and all my other V8s are Seniors, I don't personally know enough about any diffeences between steering knuckles and rear axle details (Jr. vs. Sr.) to say whether the 12" drums and brake servos would fit. Swapping knuckles, if necessary, isn't difficult, but a different bolt circle for Jr. wheels than Sr. sure complicates things WRT to rear axle.

While Packard did just that for the 5411 chassis, I've not seen any documentation supporting such equipment for the Exec. On the other hand, it's hard to say what they might have done to keep the assembly line moving during the last weeks of production; we've heard plenty of reports of variations and deviations on the late 56th Series cars.