1973 Cadillac Hearse Brakes

I was wondering on my 73 Cadillac hearse would the brakes be standard Cadillac or Commercial Chassis? If they are Commercial Chassis where would I get a set?
Thanks, Josh
 
The front brakes rotors are specific to the Commercial Chassis, as far as the rotor assembly. The Commercial Chassis is a 12" rotor, and the passanger car uses a 11" rotor. Depending on which parts book that I reference, I have found that some say that the caliper is the same as the standard Cadillac part, and others indicate that it is a Commercial Chassis only part. The problem arises that the casting might be the same, but the bore will be of a different size, and the rebuilt "fits all" type of part might be all that you can get locally. In this case, you have a few choices. You can remove your old calipers and take them apart, and measure the bore, to see if what the local auto parts store has is the same. Problem with this is that many times they will not accept the core back if it has been disassembled. You can also just remove the caliper and have the parts store take the measurement. The next thing that you can do if there is a difference, is to see if the parts store can supply you with a rebuild kit for your caliper, and rebuild it yourself, or have someone do it for you. The third option is to send the caliper to White Post Restoration, 1 Old Car Drive, White Post, VA 22663 (540) 837-1140, and have them insert a new sleeve and rebuild it. I have heard mixed reviews on their work, so this is only a suggestion, and not a recommendation. I have sent brake cylinders to Sierra Specialty Automotive , 34 Chandler Road, Quincy, CA 95971, (530) 283-1886 / (800) 4-BRASS-1 and have had great results with there work. They are no more expensive than White Post, but the shipping time is a factor. Usually the turn around time is quick.
The brake pads are standard Cadillac, and I suggest that you buy the best quality pads that are available for the application. Personally, I prefer to find NOS (new old stock) brake pads since I prefer the old organic/asbestos lining materials.
The master cylinder is also a Commercial Chassis only item, and once again, the parts books list this as being the same as the passenger car, however, the bore diameter is different. If yours is bad, then I would send that to Sierra Specialty also.
The brake booster is another item that is Commercial Chassis specific, and there is only one place that I would trust to rebuild this unit. I speak from experience. Most places that you might send the booster to, might just take yours and exchange it for one of there rebuilt units on the shelf. I remember going through this problem of incorrect booster and master cylinder with a person on the old website. It took almost 3 years until the person finally listened and sought out the correct parts for his hearse. His standard complaint was that the vehicle just wouldn't stop well, and his "mechanic" had replaced everything. What his mechanic did was to replace everything with incorrect parts, that would fit, but wouldn't perform properly. Once he had purchased and installed the correct parts, there was no more problem. If your booster needs to be rebuilt, then there is no one other than Booster Dewey to do it. Power Brake Booster Exchange Inc., 4335 SE 63rd Avenue, Portland OR 97206, (503) 238-8882. Depending on the time of the year, turn around on a booster can be as little as 72 hours, and if they are busy, then it will take longer. Call for details.
Brake hoses are the same on the Commercial Chassis as the passenger car. I suggest replacing them if they are more than 5 years old. Most cars still have the original brake hoses, however, they do deteriorate with age. An inexpensive part to replace for the peace of mind.
The rear brake shoes are 12" and the standard car shoes are 11", so the drums, linings, and cylinders are all different from the car. The rear shoes are riveted linings, however, it is getting more difficult to find riveted linings, unless they are specially ordered. The rear brake spring hardware is also specific to the Commercial Chassis, and the only place that you can get that is from the Cadillac dealer, if they have the books to look it up. In a pinch, you can take your old springs to the auto parts store, and see if they can match them up with springs from a Chevrolet pick up truck. Many pick up trucks used similar parts to the Commercial Chassis. I strongly advise against purchasing any brake cylinders that are manufactured in China. I have first hand experiance with them failing before the tires were put back on the car.
If you need new brake lines, you can get them from Inline Tube, 15066 Technology Drive, Shelby Township, MI 48315 (800) 385-9452 / (586) 532 1338 however, I don't believe that they have the line that goes from the front of the car to the rear for the commercial chassis cars. All the rest of the lines are the same as the passenger car.
While you are doing the brakes, there is no better time than this to clean and repack the front wheel bearings. These are standard shelf bearings in the auto parts store, and bring in the old bearing seal so they can match it for a replacement.
 
I went to Car Quest and he said it told him he had a listing for a Fleetwood 75 commercial chassis and it was the same as the standard Cadillac. Does anybody have a part number?
 
What specific part of the braking system are you referring to? If you are referring to the front disc brake pads, they are almost universal across the entire GM line
 
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