Do most people convert to disc brakes for the front on their A bodies? I guess a good reason to do it is to get away from the 4 on 4" wheels. Are the front drum brakes adequate as is?

bwhitejr

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'72 Duster (Performance 360)
'83 Ramcharger (Performance 318)
'80 TrailDuster (360)
'80 D-150 Truck (See Below)
CompCams 252S, Holley 390cfm, Offy manifold
Ported, Polished and Gasket Matched
P4286813 Springs,0.040 Overbore,
0.090 Shaved Head

I'm not a slow driver, and haven't had any problems with the 9" drums all-around.............

I can lock up the wheels, and in the city I haven't seen the need for discs.


I did improve my suspension with F/R anti-roll bars and KYB's. Plus 195/70 14's from the stock 6.50 13's. So on twisty roads (or just turning corners) I can keep up a high constant speed by not slowing down for corners by using the brakes(and having to speed up again), in fact I hardly use the brakes at all......


Now if you're constantly on the brakes and fading brakes, then I see the need for discs.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

All drivers benefit from better brakes. This is a very good area to update on your car.
I converted to disks as part of a front-end rebuild/upgrade. I was going to need new drums anyway, and the wheel cylinders were getting on in years. One spindle was toast. All things considered, it was cost effective to do the swap. I now have 15X7 rims, 205-60R15 tires, and 10.87" disks up front. Much better!
Nine-inch drums are adequate at best. Properly maintained, they do work. I drove with the stock 9X2 drums all around for about 18 years, with only one minor collision (sideswiped by a Mustang driver - my brakes were not a factor). The problem is at the extremes. I don't ride my brakes, nor do I drive hard by most standards. I did, however, scare myself once coming down Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. By the time I got to the bottom, I basically had nothing at the pedal.
It's not just about stopping at the same stop signs on the way to work every day, but being ready for those odd situations that can happen NOW. It doesn't take much brake to lock up "13 by skinny" tires, nor is that a particularly good way to slow down.
While you can certainly get around with the stock setup, better tire/wheel/brake combinations will give you a lot more control with reserve handling and braking capacity.

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

I hate drums just on the fact that they are more difficult to assemble. I drove my 73 home and immediately put it up on jackstands to start the brake swap. My 70 however I drove for little while on the drums, it's a V8 though (was when it had the drums too) so stopping it was a little more scary then my /6 cars are. Once you drive one of them with disks you'll realize where the money went.

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70 Dart, 360, 727

Will the front end from a 74 Valiant fit under a 70 Valiant? If so, what other parts do I need from the donor car?

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70 Valiant Super Six

You don't need the whole front end. Upper control arms and knuckles are the junkyard parts, most of the rest are available new or rebuilt.
Do a search on this forum and you'll turn up several discussions of what is needed.

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

If I get a kit from SSBC for the front discs. I would like to go ahead with the complete make-over. What else do I need and who makes a kit (if that is what I need?). After I took the motor and transmission out yesterday, I tested the front suspension (torsion bars) seems pretty stiff to me. How do I know when I need to replace them?

bwhitejr

_________________
'72 Duster (Performance 360)
'83 Ramcharger (Performance 318)
'80 TrailDuster (360)
'80 D-150 Truck (See Below)
CompCams 252S, Holley 390cfm, Offy manifold
Ported, Polished and Gasket Matched
P4286813 Springs,0.040 Overbore,
0.090 Shaved Head

I bought an SSBC kit way back when (over 5 years ago) because for some reason I wanted to keep the small bolt pattern.

Another aftermarket option is by Master Power Brakes: http://www.mpbrakes.com/products/produc ... uct_id=238


Expensive, I guess, but it's a lot more complete than the SSBC kit. And for the SSBC kit, you need to have 10" drum brake spindles first, which is stupid since a great number of A-bodies came with 9" brakes.

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'68 Dodge Dart 4dr Sedan