Brake swap caliper question

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meathead66

meathead66

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Bought the front end from a 73 Duster, cleaned everything up and looking at the calipers the openings for the lines are different size. It didn't have the lines connected but my question is is it supposed to be like that? I haven't looked at the new lines I got from DrDiff but my paranoia is starting to show I guess.

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By the brake hose openings, I'd say you have 2 different calipers there
 
Nope, the hoses have a square block end that fits there with 2 copper seal washers and a banjo bolt though. I didn't know these were made in 2 different sizes at the same location on these castings. I'll assume the smaller is very latest model type but... who knows?.
Their changing stuff to save pennies was a bad habit. Smaller banjo bolt and smaller copper washers, or even larger diameter steel banjo bolts with larger I.D. washers, would add up over thousands of builds. Anyway... If you can locate the correct hardware, this wont make a difference in braking.
 
They both came off the same car so I guess I better pre fit and see if the hoses will fit. Maybe gotta buy new calipers. Anyone know if they are still available and if so where?
 
One had a hose that screwed straight into the caliper and the other has a banjo bolt.
 
Before you get too far, measure the diameter of the pistons. There are two different piston sizes for that style of caliper, the 73-76 A-bodies used a 2.6" piston, the B/E/R and all the F/M/J cars used one with a 2.75" piston. You wouldn't want to mix piston sizes on the same car. Otherwise, it shouldn't matter as long as you can find the right hoses.

And you can get calipers at any parts store or on RockAuto, they're readily available in both piston sizes.
 
72bluNblu said:
And you can get calipers at any parts store or on RockAuto, they're readily available in both piston sizes.
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plus they are pretty inexpensive. last set I bought were about $20 each new and some even come with new copper washers. 1980 Aspen/Volare is a good one to get.
Do check the boxes to make sure you get a left and right, dont trust the labels.
 
Jimacuda said:
plus they are pretty inexpensive. last set I bought were about $20 each new and some even come with new copper washers. 1980 Aspen/Volare is a good one to get.
Do check the boxes to make sure you get a left and right, dont trust the labels.
Click to expand...

Yeah I always check the boxes before I leave, never know anymore. Left, right, the actual part you wanted in the box, and with calipers making sure the pistons are the same material too since they have metal or phenolic pistons.

FYI, the Aspen/Volare calipers will have the larger 2.75" pistons. It's a nice little braking upgrade, but, keep in mind it will change the pedal feel a little too.
 
meathead66 said:
They both came off the same car so I guess I better pre fit and see if the hoses will fit. Maybe gotta buy new calipers. Anyone know if they are still available and if so where?
Click to expand...

The 73 and later calipers are the same as the b & e body ones... There were two styles, pin or slide... Once you find out which one it is, I bought some at Napa a few years back...
 
Checked with DrDiff where I got all the lines and it looks like Right Stuff forgot a bag of crush washers and banjo bolts. Cass says they are on the way; anyone wanna know why Cass is successful. Never saw customer service that good anywhere. Thanks guys it's all good now.
 
krazykuda said:
The 73 and later calipers are the same as the b & e body ones... There were two styles, pin or slide... Once you find out which one it is, I bought some at Napa a few years back...
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That's not true. The 73-76 A-body calipers have a smaller piston at 2.6" as I mentioned before, the B/E body are all 2.75". You can look in the parts books, they will confirm. And I can confirm from the couple of '74 A-bodies I have/had.

All the original 73-76 A-body calipers were sliders. Most of the B/E body calipers were the pin style, some of the later B bodies got sliders. The FMJ and R body styles used both. Most of the FMJ stuff is the slider type, but I've encountered a few in wrecking yards that were pin style, might be a model year thing. The later ones were all sliders. Same with the R bodies, I've seen both styles on those.
 
Found my old Haynes book and according to it there were 3 kinds . The fixed, floating and the sliding calipers and I'm guessing that mine are the sliding type. Thanks for an education.
 
meathead66 said:
Found my old Haynes book and according to it there were 3 kinds . The fixed, floating and the sliding calipers and I'm guessing that mine are the sliding type. Thanks for an education.
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Correct! From the pictures yours are the sliding type. The fixed ones are the earlier SBP Kelsey Hayes 4 piston brakes. The floating ones are the pin-style calipers, they started using them in '70 on the B/E bodies. Internally they're basically the same single piston caliper, they just use the pin style caliper brackets. And the sliders are the one's that started in '73 on the A-bodies. Not sure if the sliders started before '73 on a different platform or not, I know the B/E bodies were pin style before that. Pretty much all the other body styles used the 2.75" diameter piston regardless of whether they were sliding or floating (pin style) calipers. Only the 73-76 A-bodies use the 2.6" piston calipers, and I believe those are all sliding calipers. After that they were all 2.75". Except the C-bodies, but they were pretty much their own thing the whole time, some years were the same as the 1/2 ton trucks.
 
OK while I have all your attentions; seeing as I don't have a sway bar is it best to have the calipers facing the front or does it not matter?
 
Doesn't matter as long as you have the correct hoses for the mounting location you're using.
 
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