68 Barracuda front disc brake conversion and suspension upgrade

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rfdfyrmed

rfdfyrmed

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Hello, long-time reader and first-time messenger. I am looking to convert my front drum to disk and upgrade my front suspension on my 68 Barracuda. Does anyone recommend one kit over the other? Is Willwood the best for the price?

Appreciate the insight!!
 
Welcome to FABO. What kind of a car do you have? The Welcome Wagon is a place to introduce yourself and show off your car. The brake forum is where you ask questions.
 
rfdfyrmed said:
Hello, long-time reader and first-time messenger. I am looking to convert my front drum to disk and upgrade my front suspension on my 68 Barracuda. Does anyone recommend one kit over the other? Is Willwood the best for the price?

Appreciate the insight!!
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I used SSBC for my conversion welcome!
 
Depends on what you want, I have 2 cars with Willwoods and one with stock disc. Does your car have the small bolt pattern yet, want to stay with that or go to large bolt pattern?
 
CRUZE 418 said:
Depends on what you want, I have 2 cars with Willwoods and one with stock disc. Does your car have the small bolt pattern yet, want to stay with that or go to large bolt pattern?
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Also , you have the option of bolting calipers on front like A body’s, or if you have a sway bar as I do, you can reverse the mounts and mount them like B body on rear.
 
Welcome!

DoctorDiff's kits are by far the best for the money, and use primarily all stock design parts so replacement parts are easier to get.

Wilwood is definitely NOT the best for the price, nor are they even the best performing brakes.
 
As for the suspension upgrades, which has seemed to have got lost in this thread, my vote is QA1 uppers at least, rebuild the lowers. Maybe add stiffener plates, and throw a set of Bilsteins on her.. and if you don’t have one put a sway bar on the front.. my 2 cents..
 
@moparmark65 - I see you ran the QA1 tubular UCA on the stock spindle. Did the UCA come with the big ball joint?

I am okay with the 5x4 bolt pattern but is seems the more common is the 5x4.5. If I stay with the 5x4 I will not need new wheels immediately. My wheels are 14"
 
No, I stayed with the small ball joint. It coincides with keeping the lower A arms. I did upgrade to 15” cragers and tires . I had 14” as well but you can buy a few 15’s with small bolt pattern!
 
moparmark65 said:
No, I stayed with the small ball joint. It coincides with keeping the lower A arms. I did upgrade to 15” cragers and tires . I had 14” as well but you can buy a few 15’s with small bolt pattern!
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Huh?

The lower control arms are the same regardless of what upper ball joint you use. You change the lower ball joint to match whatever spindle you use, but nothing changes with the LCA.
 
I had already rebuilt my lowers I replaced the uppers to gain caster and improve drivability. I kept the small ball joint on the upper. I had no intentions of going to the bigger bolt pattern. I had just rebuilt the Lowers and did not want to go with QA1 lowers. Sorry for the confusion.
 
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rfdfyrmed said:
On your set up, what size upper ball joint did you go with? Did you keep the stock spindle or get a new one?
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Sorry, you already answered this above. Except if you kept the original spindle. Sounds like if I go to the large bolt pattern I need the big ball joint?
 
rfdfyrmed said:
Sorry, you already answered this above. Except if you kept the original spindle. Sounds like if I go to the large bolt pattern I need the big ball joint?
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a lot of the aftermarket kits use the small ball joint and/or drum spindles.

ball joint taper adapters exist so that you can run the small ball joint with the later spindle that takes the large joint.
 
Your right, I used small ball joint, and used my drum spindles. They provide an adaptor that slides over the drum spindles that makes the new rotors fit, and The rotors are drilled for both bolt patterns and supply both lugs for the option of staying with small bolt pattern or going to the 5x41/2. I stayed with small bolt pattern.
 
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I have a question regarding the lower ball joints. I am using my OE knuckle for the disc brake conversion. Do I order the lower ball joint for drum brakes? Are they the same size for drum and disc? Or does it matter? Are they different sizes BJ?

68 Barracuda
 
rfdfyrmed said:
I have a question regarding the lower ball joints. I am using my OE knuckle for the disc brake conversion. Do I order the lower ball joint for drum brakes? Are they the same size for drum and disc? Or does it matter? Are they different sizes BJ?

68 Barracuda
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You need to use the ball joint that's correct for the spindles you're using.

There are differences between the lower ball joints for 9" drum spindles, KH disk spindles, and 73+ disk spindles.
 
My kit came with a bushing that slides over the drum spindle that brings the hub out and allows you to use it. I used my drum ball joints on lower. When I ordered upper A arms , I ordered with small ball joint!

IMG_1670.jpeg
 
moparmark65 said:
Your right, I used small ball joint, and used my drum spindles. They provide an adaptor that slides over the drum spindles that makes the new rotors fit, and The rotors are drilled for both bolt patterns and supply both lugs for the option of staying with small bolt pattern or going to the 5x41/2. I stayed with small bolt pattern.
Click to expand...
I have a question regarding the lower ball joints. I am using my OE knuckle for the disc brake conversion. Do I order the lower ball joint for drum brakes? Are they the same size for drum and disc? Or does it matter? Are they different sizes BJ?

68 Barracuda
 
I’m assuming your conversion kit comes with the correct parts to convert from drum to disc correct? So if your going to buy lower ball joint, it would make sense to me that you would order ones for drum.your kit should contain the proper parts to compensate . Are they the same as factory disc? I don’t think so.. but I’m not positive..
 
rfdfyrmed said:
I have a question regarding the lower ball joints. I am using my OE knuckle for the disc brake conversion. Do I order the lower ball joint for drum brakes? Are they the same size for drum and disc? Or does it matter? Are they different sizes BJ?

68 Barracuda
Click to expand...

If you have drum brake spindles, you need the lower ball joints for drum brakes.

Disk spindles and drum spindles use different ball joints, drums use smaller bolts between the lower ball joints and spindles than disks do. The ball joints have no impact on the type brakes themselves, they have to match the spindle being used.
 
72bluNblu said:
If you have drum brake spindles, you need the lower ball joints for drum brakes.

Disk spindles and drum spindles use different ball joints, drums use smaller bolts between the lower ball joints and spindles than disks do. The ball joints have no impact on the type brakes themselves, they have to match the spindle being used.
Click to expand...
Ya, kinda what I said
 
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