Disc brake conversion kits

Technical Question and Answer - On topic to 71-74 Plymouth B-bodies only.

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morty318
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Disc brake conversion kits

Post by morty318 » Sun Nov 09, 2014 2:26 pm

Hi guys,
would like to get some recommendations for drum to disc conversion kits, there are so many, would like to keep it correct looking as possible and light as possible, both power or manual, have not made up my mind yet, also carpeting, same deal so many choices, don't want to get cheap crap, thanks men.

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road chicken
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Re: Disc brake conversion kits

Post by road chicken » Sun Nov 09, 2014 5:12 pm

I know you asked about kits, but it really isn't that hard to do in parts swapping

http://www.moparaction.com/tech/archive/disc-main.html

This is a basic breakdown of chrysler parts you can use to do the conversion. It covers more years and lines than just ours so read carefully. The small bearing disks used on 71 72 can be pricey so if you can find a 73-76 A body with disks, ( these are the key cars) grab the knuckles and caliper mounts.They have the larger inner bearing and more available disks, the rest you can buy through Rock Auto. You can use some of the 73-4 body knuckles as well, the the ball join angle isn't as optimized as it is with the 73-76 a body units.
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Re: Disc brake conversion kits

Post by 71Satellite98661 » Tue Nov 11, 2014 12:28 am

Check out the Feb. 2015 edition of Mopar Action magazine. The man who originally wrote the Disc-O-Tech article back in the '80s has endorsed a complete package offered by Master Power Brakes. This kit allows for reuse of OEM drum knuckles and includes 11" x 1" drilled and slotted and zinc plated rotors. MPB calls it their "Rallye Series" kit. Rotors even come with Timkin bearings pre-lubed and pre-installed. Made in U.S.A

72bluNblu
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Re: Disc brake conversion kits

Post by 72bluNblu » Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:40 pm

Unless you plan on going bigger than the OE brake sizes (10.9" or 11.75"), I wouldn't use aftermarket kits. The stock disks are more than capable, and all of the parts are readily available. If junkyard shopping isn't your thing, you can get kits from Doctor DIff that use the OE parts

10.9" kit (this one uses disk spindles that you have to buy)
http://www.doctordiff.com/10.95-front-d ... e-kit.html

11.75" kit (this one uses the stock drum spindles)
http://www.doctordiff.com/front-disc-br ... ckles.html

I run 11.75" rotors on my Challenger, they're a great upgrade from the 10.95" stock disks and can still be used with the rest of the stock parts. They do require 15" rims though.

If you don't mind hitting the yards, you can ignore everything Ehrenburg said about the FMJ spindles. He's 100% wrong on them. They do not cause binding, they do not significantly increase bump steer, and they actually improve negative camber gain. I run FMJ spindles on my cars without issue. You can even see the #'s in this article, which actually investigated using the FMJ spindles instead of just making wild, incorrect assumptions about their use...

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/chassis-su ... -spindles/

What that means is that you can go to the yard and get your brakes from a 5th Avenue or Diplomat all the way up to '89, which are much more prevalent in the yards. I still usually only grab the spindles and caliper brackets though, as the rotors, bearings and calipers are usually not in a condition that I want to use, and the core charge for those items is less or equal to what they charge at the yards.
'71 SSP GA4
'71 DartGT EL5 (#65 in the GT registry)
'71 DartGT GK6 ( #69 in the GT registry)
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dangina
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Re: Disc brake conversion kits

Post by dangina » Sun Nov 16, 2014 1:25 am

another supporter of dr. diff here,its the best, cheapest aftermarket option out there
400 stroked to 470ci, 3:55 Eaton true trac, slightly upgraded suspension lol

BUILD THREAD!!!! http://www.protouringmopar.com/showthread.php?796-1971-Speedipus-Rex&highlight=speedipus

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bruce
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Re: Disc brake conversion kits

Post by bruce » Mon Nov 17, 2014 9:18 am

All F-Body stuff on mine. They work fine. The car now has the best brakes it's ever had.

Mine was a kit from US Car Tool and the drilled and slotted rotors are an option on the kit. In the second photo you can see the calipers that we powered coated orange.
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DiscBrakes.jpg
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Bruce Anliker

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