Problems Identifying and Matching up new Brake Calipers

[soonercruiser]

ANYONE RECOGNIZE THIS SPINDLE???

The MOPAR brake parts that were on my front wheels - parts numbers were for a 1970-73 Duster. Large single piston caliper.
**But, we've been through 2 separate Wilwood kits with that year matching, that neither fit!
**Is this a drum brake spindle????

(Yes, we are trying to identify any part numbers on it.)

 

[hemi71x]

Well, first of all, 1970, 71, 72, A Body disc brakes were Kelsey Hayes 4 piston calipers.
You have 1973 and up "slider" type calipers, and the gravel shield, is 1973 up, so you should have a disc brake spindle.

 

[soonercruiser]

Well, first of all, 1970, 71, 72, A Body disc brakes were Kelsey Hayes 4 piston calipers.
You have 1973 and up "slider" type calipers, and the gravel shield, is 1973 up, so you should have a disc brake spindle.

Thanks!

Question is, is that compatible with any newer low profile brake caliper kits?

 

[junkyardhero]

there are many aftermarket brake kits. maybe you could tell us what you're trying to accomplish and we could help you out better.

i see that the caliper is spray painted and it has a big ol witness mark on it, so i'm gonna guess you're trying to find a "low profile" caliper to fit a specific rim.

 

[soonercruiser]

there are many aftermarket brake kits. maybe you could tell us what you're trying to accomplish and we could help you out better.

i see that the caliper is spray painted and it has a big ol witness mark on it, so i'm gonna guess you're trying to find a "low profile" caliper to fit a specific rim.

Yes, the red monster is rubbing my new 14 inch wheels.
So, I am looking for a compatible low profile upgrade.

 

[junkyardhero]

a lot of 14" aftermarket wheels don't work with stock 73~76 disc setups, even less work with aftermarket disc setups.

you'll need to measure your wheels and then consult the brake kit mfgr's wheel fitment diagrams to see if they're compatible.

here's one from wilwood as an example:

 

[soonercruiser]

So, I've been here at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, shopping and picking suspension and A Body brake part brains.
As it turns out, I have an even worse cobbled front disc brake system than my engine bay was. My worse fears were realized.
What was my worse fears???
Well, I spent a lot of this guy's time, even though he could have sold me 9 or 10 inch spindles. My shop took off the dust shields and sent me some pictures. Even though my spindle is flat like a 10 inch, the mounting bolt to the upper control arm is a larger diameter than the mounting hole for a standard 10 inch MOPAR spindle!! Which means I would have to get new upper control arms too in order to use Wilwoods.
***So, the cobbled parts keep creating backwards up the suspension chain.
No telling how far this this will go.
***So, he recommended that I simply grind off the edges of the single piston calipers. He said that he has the same setup and 14 inch wheels on his trailer. Actually I had a machine shop grind off the edges before I left town. But, the driver's side wouldn't line back up, looking like it may have been dropped by him, and warped.

So, 2 Duralast single piston replacements will be about $80. Thereby saving me a thousand dollars from the Wilwood upgrades. I will grind them myself the slow way.

I didn't find another Cooper Cobra GT 205/60 R14. But, late Saturday I spotted two used 215/60 R14s.....that the guy didn't want to haul back to New York, and scored those for $20...his original price was $40 each!

So, all things considered, Carlisle saved me at least $1,000.
Had to be around 3,000 MOPARs there. I know there were over 1,000 modern Challengers alone. Probably a couple of hundred A Bodies.

 

[junkyardhero]

Even though my spindle is flat like a 10 inch, the mounting bolt to the upper control arm is a larger diameter than the mounting hole for a standard 10 inch MOPAR spindle!!

you have a disc brake spindle, which means it takes the large ball joint so the hole for the upper ball joint stud, as well as the lower ball joint bolts will be bigger than a drum spindle, which takes small ball joints.

i don't see a cobbled together system. i see some people that don't know how to properly identify parts, and not to be ticky-tacky, use proper terminology.

i fail to see how changing your upper control arms has any effect on the wilwood install unless you are also swapping the spindle.

anyway, hope you figured it out and don't have to go thru the rigamarole with that again.

 

[abodyjoe]

As it turns out, I have an even worse cobbled front disc brake system than my engine bay was. My worse fears were realized.
What was my worse fears???
Well, I spent a lot of this guy's time, even though he could have sold me 9 or 10 inch spindles. My shop took off the dust shields and sent me some pictures. Even though my spindle is flat like a 10 inch, the mounting bolt to the upper control arm is a larger diameter than the mounting hole for a standard 10 inch MOPAR spindle!! Which means I would have to get new upper control arms too in order to use Wilwoods.

the pictures above look like a standard 73-up disc brake set up so i'm wondering what you are talking about when you say its cobbled together... who have you been talking to? do they know what they are talking about? does your mechanic know what he is talking about? sounds like a bunch of misinformation being thrown around..

 

[soonercruiser]

the pictures above look like a standard 73-up disc brake set up so i'm wondering what you are talking about when you say its cobbled together... who have you been talking to? do they know what they are talking about? does your mechanic know what he is talking about? sounds like a bunch of misinformation being thrown around..

My car is a 67 Barracuda; that's why!
We're trying to figure out how to low-profile upgrade.
Have now given up.
I am currently trusting the opinion of the suspension and parts Guru that I talked to at Carlisle.

 

[abodyjoe]

still not sure what the problem is. ok so its a 67 abody. looks to be 73-up abody brakes. is someone telling you it isn't?

 

[RustyRatRod]

So what's the beef? The 73 and up A body brakes are arguably among the best. Just clearance the calipers and rock on. 15 minutes work with a die grinder. They aren't hitting all that much.

 

[soonercruiser]

So what's the beef? The 73 and up A body brakes are arguably among the best. Just clearance the calipers and rock on. 15 minutes work with a die grinder. They aren't hitting all that much.

That is what I will now do.
But, I didn't get that advice until I talked to the guy at the Chrysler Nationals this past weekend.
Shipping the expensive stuff back to Summit Racing today.

 

[junkyardhero]

So what's the beef? The 73 and up A body brakes are arguably among the best. Just clearance the calipers and rock on. 15 minutes work with a die grinder. They aren't hitting all that much.

exactamundo. fire up the grinder with a 80 grit flap wheel and have at it.

or... if you have the room, i'd bet a slice of ham that a little 1/4" billet spacer might just take the wheel out enough to clear.

but the spinny wheel of death option is free and sparks are fun.

 

[soonercruiser]

exactamundo. fire up the grinder with a 80 grit flap wheel and have at it.

or... if you have the room, i'd bet a slice of ham that a little 1/4" billet spacer might just take the wheel out enough to clear.

but the spinny wheel of death option is free and sparks are fun.

Gonna do some small depth cuts on the area that I know was rubbing.
Will do both calipers just in case.
I think my son's shop has a belt sander to smooth it down.

 

[junkyardhero]

Gonna do some small depth cuts on the area that I know was rubbing.
Will do both calipers just in case.
I think my son's shop has a belt sander to smooth it down.

just.use.a.grinder.

you don't even need to take the caliper off.

buzz it a little, test fit. buzz it some more, test fit. buzz it again, voila it fits! next!

 

[lemondana]

To those that don't know-the 76 A body caliper used little larger pistons than the 73-75 A body. I think they were the same as the F and later M body calipers. Probably doesn't really matter but probably does?

 

[RustyRatRod]

That is what I will now do.
But, I didn't get that advice until I talked to the guy at the Chrysler Nationals this past weekend.
Shipping the expensive stuff back to Summit Racing today.

I think that's a smart move! You can free up that money for something else. Those brakes you have are really good!

 

[RustyRatRod]

To those that don't know-the 76 A body caliper used little larger pistons than the 73-75 A body. I think they were the same as the F and later M body calipers. Probably doesn't really matter but probably does?

That's info I didn't know.....and yeah, it would matter if you're rebuilding calipers and get the wrong pistons or seals. lol

 

[junkyardhero]

To those that don't know-the 76 A body caliper used little larger pistons than the 73-75 A body. I think they were the same as the F and later M body calipers. Probably doesn't really matter but probably does?

i'm *pretty* sure just the casting is machined larger. there's the 2.58 and the 2.75 is the "big one" and that's used on pretty much everything else.

ma mopar did some wild things, but splashing the pot and casting all new calipers would go well against their penny pinching ways in the bean counting days.

 

[RustyRatRod]

i'm *pretty* sure just the casting is machined larger. there's the 2.58 and the 2.75 is the "big one" and that's used on pretty much everything else.

ma mopar did some wild things, but splashing the pot and casting all new calipers would go well against their penny pinching ways in the bean counting days.

Oh I'm sure the just overbored the caliper for new pistons. Still has a bigger piston. ....and that's something I never knew.

 

[soonercruiser]

Thanks all!

 

[lemondana]

I've acquired quite a few older application books for a lot of stuff. I have a big EIS catalog, so I was able to find the 76 A body calipers on Ebay. These are new EIS made in USA calipers. A lot of those items are still available if you have a brand and part number. It's nice to buy stuff that has Made in USA cast into it.