Been looking around at the disc brake conversion kits for the front of my 66. Wondering if there will be any problems using my new 14 inch rims with the disc brake setup??? If so I guess I'll have to sell the new rims and go to 15 inchers. Good thing I haven't invested in the tires yet.

Depends in part on what size rotors you use. If you go with a smaller rotor you'll be able to use the 14s you have. The down side is the smaller rotor will not have as much stopping power as a larger one. The larger break conversion places can give you measurements or a template to see if your wheel will clear or not.

Will the smaller disc brake provide more stopping power than the old drum set-up I have now? When the roads are damp/wet sometimes the brakes don't work effectively, and the El Camino just slides along the pavement. Pumping the brakes helps but, when the shoes grab again the slides starts over again. This doesn't happen all the time, just once in awhile. :cry:

If you're going to the trouble and expense of disc brakes you should get at least 11" rotors. If you have stock 14" wheels some disc brake conversions will work but the conversions usually don't fit if you have 14" "mag" wheels. If you're slipping and sliding in wet weather than you may have tire realated problems and new disc brakes won't help that.

Tires are are in great shape, about 75% of the tread is left, air pressure holds steady at 32 lbs. Goodyear Eagle II's, I was going to switch to a set of T/A Radials with the new rims. The sliding and slipping doesn't happen all the time just once in awhile. It rained most of the day today, I was out and about most of it and didn't slip or slide once. Almost like the brakes lock up every once in a blue moon. I'll get my hands on one of the hardware sets and some new shoes. I replaced all the wheel cylinders last summer, new master cylinder the year before. Fluid is clean and clear, and full all the time. About the only thing I haven't done is the hardware, it's possible that some of it may be worn enough to cause a problem or two now and then. I can sell the 14" Cragers and buy a set of the 15's. Thanks for the assistance.

With 15 and larger rims you can use an 11" Rotor with no problems. 11" is what they used on the 4th generation Elkys. I think the 5th generations use a 10.5" Rotor. I know the rotors on my 80 are smaller then the ones on the 76 Elky and so are the calipers and pads. My 76 came with "4H QDR TIRE GR78X15W" 15" rims so I'd say that with a 15" Rim you can have an 11" Rotor, like a 4th generation Elky has.

It also depends on which 14" wheels you have. Some are for drum brakes only and won't even work on stock 11" disc brake set ups. Even some rally wheels won't work if they were originally ordered on a drum brake car.