As far as wheel size goes it may be possible to run a 16" wheel after I did my measuring but it will be super close. From the center of the hub to the most outer part of the caliper I measure 7.750 so if the inside of the wheel truelly measures 16" you will have a 1/4" of space. To close for me but putting the info out there.

I transfered the cardboard template over to MDF today to do a temp install of the caliper to spindle. I didn't want to just cut it from metal and it be wrong. So far so good sorry no picts yet. I plan on bolting in the k-frame next week if all goes well and then that will be a final check of suspension parts and wheel clearance before the metal brackets get cut. Sorry slow progress but such is life. I get most of my work done on the car in the 2 hours my kids take there naps.

Is anything (other than adapting the caliper to the spindle) required that can't be bought at a parts store? It'd be waste to cut new rotors, but could be done. The rotor hats are off the shelf. The caliper brackets aappear to be integral to the caliper. What else?

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Brooks

'72 Dart Swinger
'71 Plymouth 'Cuda

Cheap, Fast, Reliable
Pick 2!

I finally got a chance to get to the shop and cut a test caliper addapter on some thinner 1/4plate. The program needs some fine tuning before the final cut on the 5/8s plate. But we had it close. I should have the final brackets by next week.

the_engineers no the caliper brackets are not integral with the caliper, Mike I can't wait to see the final product bro !!!


-Mike

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I am the Guardian, I hate helos, everything leaks.......

Yeah, I said that wrong...

A lot of calipers don't rely strictly on bolts for mounting.They also have a notch, hook or other index point. These appear to bolt only, with no need for any other feature or locating point.

Sorry for confusion.

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Brooks

'72 Dart Swinger
'71 Plymouth 'Cuda

Cheap, Fast, Reliable
Pick 2!

There is a groove on the caliper bracket that the pads slide on and a spring clip rest against. My bracket addapts the 73+ spindle to the S197 mustangs caliper bracket.

Just catching up on old posts... fascinating what people can do with a mind for fabrication, and the right tools!

You may have figured this out by now, but if I understand your description that you have an absolute max of 15.5 available, I'm pretty sure a 16" rim won't fit. The 16" specification is where the tire bead seats on the rim, so the actual inside diameter of the wheel must be less (by 2x the thickness of the metal).

To test that theory, I went out and measured what I had easily available: a 13" stamped steel rim measures 12 3/4 on the inside (at the widest point), with a sudden drop to about 11 in the middle (where the caliper would be). A 14" alloy rim measures about 13 5/8, tapering to about 12 1/4 at the point where the caliper would need clearance. I've got a 15" alloy somewhere, but it would take a lot of work to unbury the garage to find it.

So, if you want a 16" tire to fit with zero clearance, your rim material would have to be less than 1/4" thick, AND have no taper... and my guess is that the taper is there for strength. A perfectly cylindrical wheel cross section would be much more prone to flexing during potholes.

Very, very cool project. And I'm glad you're strengthening the front suspension to be able to handle the extra stopping power.

- Erik

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Lots of early Valiants and Barracudas have crossed my path.
Also a handful of other toys for variety now and then.

Erik you are right there is no way I would try a 16" but some one out there may. I have 17" wheels that work just fine. Any work on my car has slowed down to nothing this past 2 months. Been working 72 hrs a week one week and 52 the next also had to rebuild the front end on the family durango.

The brake caliper brackets have been delayed due to equipment set backs. I dropped the program and material off at my buddys shop and a month later they still haven't been cut because the cnc plasma cutting tip on his machine maxis out at 9/16s and my material is 5/8s thick. So I need to pick the parts up and go to another shop.

I feel your pain bro, being in the Navy 72hour weeks are the norm for me, but thank you for the update

-Mike

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I am the Guardian, I hate helos, everything leaks.......

Just a thought, but I'd bet 5/8" material is overkill. I'd use 9/16" or 1/2" and add a washer if the spacing is off a little. That way you could get your adapters cut by your friend rather than have to go someplace else.

Did something very similar with a set of C5 Vette calipers and 13" Cobra rotors awhile ago. Used a hacksaw to cut the rotors off and had a shop true them up and turn the nose down. Cost me less than having them do it all, just an idea. Haven't run the brakes yet though, always something else to spend money and time on, and I need new tires before I can run the 17" wheels I have anyway. I made mine out of 1/2", needed something closer to 9/16" but figured I could either ignore it or add a washer. In the end, I don't believe it's that critical.





Note, this is with no spacer to center the abutment perfectly. One washer is just about right.

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'15 Chrysler 200S V6
'74 Duster 360, factory 4 speed car

Oh, and just so nobody has to point it out, I know the caliper is upside down. I didn't care at the time.

And I plan to put the caliper on the back of the spindle to more correctly match the original location anyway, which will fix that issue at the same time.

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'15 Chrysler 200S V6
'74 Duster 360, factory 4 speed car

Love to see folks successfully rolling their own. Nice work.

Lou

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