Can front disc brake swap work with OEM wheels?

-

drpreposterous

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
Messages
302
Reaction score
495
Location
Detroit
Please help me in my ignorance here. For a 1972 Dart Custom 4dr with 14 x 5 1/2 black steelies, 5 on 4" SBP.
I've heard SSBC scare stories, have not been impressed by Scarebird reviews. Wilwood and Dr. Diff seem to draw more positive reviews. And everyone seems to love '73-76 factory setups. But I'd really like to get front discs relatively quickly---and scouring for factory set ups is not pleasant sounding. Would I likely have to go to LBP? I've also heard scare stories about using spacers. Thanks in advance for any input. I'm no gearhead, and at 65, ain't ever gonna be.
 
14” SBP steelies do not clear the calipers on the SBP 63-76 (dr diff) kit without a spacer and considerable grinding. Ask me how I know.

14BBP definitely work though, they came stock.
 
The 73-76 factory brakes are sweet. Bolt right on with upper arm swap also. Buy parts at the auto parts store. And a stock 14" wheel fits over them.

What's not to like?

Aftermarket 14x6" SBP rally wheels don't fit over stock Kelsey Hayes SBP factory disc brakes. Why would they do that?
 
The 73-76 factory brakes are sweet. Bolt right on with upper arm swap also. Buy parts at the auto parts store. And a stock 14" wheel fits over them.

What's not to like?

Aftermarket 14x6" SBP rally wheels don't fit over stock Kelsey Hayes SBP factory disc brakes. Why would they do that?
Sorry, I'm a bit confused there. You referenced "Aftermarket rally wheels." Are these aftermarket then (14 x 5 1/2)? And would places like Summit, RockAuto, O'Reilly's carry everything I would need for the '73-76 swap? Reckoning they'd be individually bought, not as a kit. Thanks again for enlightening me! BTW, this isn't my car, but I may buy it...

447503515_26015123991406257_5168999319969760880_n.jpg


447777752_26015124998072823_4499822683377282541_n.jpg
 
Last edited:
Trying to send you a PM but your inbox is full. Can you clean it out please?
 
The 73-76 factory brakes are sweet. Bolt right on with upper arm swap also. Buy parts at the auto parts store. And a stock 14" wheel fits over them.

What's not to like?

Aftermarket 14x6" SBP rally wheels don't fit over stock Kelsey Hayes SBP factory disc brakes. Why would they do that?
Sorry, I'm a bit confused there. You referenced "Aftermarket rally wheels." Are these aftermarket then (14 x 5 1/2)? And would places like Summit, RockAuto, O'Reilly's carry everything I would need for the '73-76 swap? Reckoning they'd be individually bought, not as a kit. Thanks again for enlightening me! BTW, this isn't my car, but I may buy it...

View attachment 1716260031

View attachment 1716260033
For the 73-73 a body sLBP discs You need to get the main swap parts from a donor car: spindle and caliper bracket. You can buy all the replacement parts from auto parts store. Pads, rotor caliper, caliper kits, hoses, bearings, seals, etc.

I typed aftermarket 14x6 rally wheel because that's what the aftermarket sells. They don't fit over factory SBP disc brakes.

Factory rally wheels are 14x5.5" and they fit over factory SBP disc brakes.
 
if you want to keep SBP but want to use the later 73~76 style components (which the dr diff basically just gives you a SBP rotor) then you're likely to run into two problems: one is rim interference to the caliper as @remytherat noted, and the second is rim selection.

rim selection is already limited in SBP so adding larger rotors and calipers is going to further limit what you can get to fit.

going to big bolt, you can run stock 14" steelies, but a lot of aftermarket 14" rims won't fit (for example some 14" rallye rims don't). out back, you can upgrade your axles or the entire rear end. some people like to run adapters, which are fine if they're good quality billet pieces.

or, you can source a factory 65~72 kelsey hayes disc set up. which comes with its own unique challenges, but gives you discs and lets you keep SBP and not have much in the way of wheel clearance problems.
 
20 years ago I used SSBC on my '71 Dart GT. I wanted to keep my small bolt pattern Rallye wheels (the car also has the factory installed 8 3/4" rear end). The kit was expensive, but it was complete and was an easy install.

FYI the 14" X 5 1/2" factory STEEL wheels did NOT fit my car. I suppose I could have done some grinding, but I opted to stay with factory Rallye wheels.

Ask me about PSC Liver Disease
 
For the 73-73 a body sLBP discs You need to get the main swap parts from a donor car: spindle and caliper bracket. You can buy all the replacement parts from auto parts store. Pads, rotor caliper, caliper kits, hoses, bearings, seals, etc.

I typed aftermarket 14x6 rally wheel because that's what the aftermarket sells. They don't fit over factory SBP disc brakes.

Factory rally wheels are 14x5.5" and they fit over factory SBP disc brakes.
Thanks for the scoop, '13!
 
Just my own experience with my 66 barracuda. I had the stock 14x5.5 in rims, which did not clear the Dr Diff stage 1 conversion kit. I went with the aftermarket SBP 14x6 Rallye wheels from wheel vintiques which do clear the calipers and work fine.
 
-
Back
Top