There are lots of big brake kits available for newer vehicles, but there seems to be quite a shortage of applications for older solid axle front ends. Besides that, most brake kits require upgrading to a larger wheel and a much larger price- neither of which we are very fond of.
After blowing most of our money on other automotive goodies, we didn't have a ton to spend on rotors and calipers. We were also looking for the maximum amount of disc that would fit within our 15-inch wheels. With those concerns in mind, we made a call to Stainless Steel Brake Corporation. They suggested using a single piston, cast iron caliper kit. While it appears nearly identical to a stock caliper, the SSBC caliper's piston diameter has been increased to 80mm (70's Chevy OEM was around 75mm). This allows the brake to have more direct braking force on the rotor. These calipers can use standard brake pads that are available at any auto parts store. This was good, economical replacement for our current setup, and came with Big Bite unidirectional slotted and plated rotors measuring just shy of a 12-inch diameter. These rotors are CNC precision drilled and mill slotted. While both aid in increasing the heat dissipation of the rotors, the slots keep the braking surface nice and clean by collecting and releasing brake dust and dirt as the rotor turns. This also increases its braking abilities in wet weather conditions through improved water dissipation. The rotors are vented, meaning that the vanes between the inner and outer rotor surfaces, force air flow between them and up through the drilled holes. This helps remove superheated gases from the surfaces, which reduces braking temperatures. Lower temperatures and cleaner surfaces increase the amount of friction between the brake pad and rotor surface. This leads to less brake fade, quieter performance, extended life of the pads and rotors, and a decreased possibility of warping those big rotors.
While deadline demands of the magazine did not give us too much time testing the brakes before story submissions, we can tell you that we already noticed a significant difference in braking power on the freeway trip home.
 It's hard to produce a better...  It's hard to produce a better looking rotor than these zinc electroplated, SSBC Big Bite ones. The venting and slotting make the rotors unidirectional so pay attention when installing them. |  Here is the SSBC, stock style...  Here is the SSBC, stock style calipers utilizing oversized internals. Included are new pairs of high performance pads and all the necessary hardware to mount the new parts. |  Although it may be hard to...  Although it may be hard to tell from the picture, the larger piston diameter (or bore) was noticeable in person. Also note the increased piston wall thickness to handle those increased clamping forces. |
 Notice the circular enclosure...  Notice the circular enclosure surrounding the SSBC caliper's inlet hole compared with that of the stock caliper. This brought up an unforeseen problem as our extended, steel braided brake line kit used square fittings that were too big to fit within the circular enclosure. We chose to break out our trusty grinder and very carefully remove the extra material around the brakeline inlet instead of looking for a new set of extended lines. | | |