Well, I found a great Wilwood brake setup. Then I did a search here to verify that they were the best you could have, and I was wrong. Oh well....so I kept searching.

At the fear of beating a dead horse, I am intrigued by the thought of using B-body spindles on my Dart.....I read the Big Block Dart article.....and I am satisfied with their reasoning on the matter.

I'm torn between that setup(using all Mopar "yard-parts"), OR using the Scarebird bracket with the Celebrity Rotor and Caliper. I'm positive that I want the 4.5" bolt circle.
Scouring the local yard for all the parts listed, that makes me cringe. Plus your getting used parts.....unless you buy new/reman products. The only real plus I see is having an 11.75 rotor. That itself pulls alot of slack with me. (Cost: ?)
On the other hand, buying the Scarebird bracket looks simple, but you still have to do something about a proportioning (sp?) valve, that wierd part about machining your stock drums, (I didn't understand that.) Plus you have a small rotor. (Cost: $400)

So what is the going opinion on disc brakes? Daily driver, 4.5" pattern, ease of part location? Keep in mind 95% of the A-body mopars around here are missing the undercarrige. The parts list for the big rotor swap scares me, maybe someone who has done this can give a little advice?
Thanks ahead!

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225 Cubic Inches of Iron-Head American Muscle

225 bored .040 /.100 off block, Schneider Cam 224@.050~ .480 lift - Stock valves, blended bowls, Offenhauser intake with 500 Edelbrock carb

I'm lucky to live out West and got myself a '75 Duster disc brake parts car for $200. I swapped the control arms (lower only because it had sway bar brackets) and everything in between onto my '67 Valiant. This was at least the 4th time I've done this and I've always used factory parts. One time I used some B body stuff and ended up with 11.75" rotors and pin type calipers. The car stopped fine, but the pin type calipers twist around their rubber pin bushings and kill the pedal feel and increase travel. Rick Ehrenberg poo-poos sliding calipers, but I prefer them. Everything you need is available new except the spindles and caliper adapters. The 10.87" brake rotor is fine for 95+% of the cars out there. With good pads you will have a hard time fading the brakes unless you have a lot of power under the hood and drive like a race car driver.

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Joshua

Wow! $200? I wish.....
If I could find a stock disc donor car for that, I wouldn't even look anywhere else. But untouched old mopars simply aren't around here....you cowboys don't have that problem.

So, has anyone here used the Scarebird arrangment? I noticed Dan posted a link to thier stuff.....and Dan doesn't post advertising 'Junk'. Until he chimes in though, that's only an observation.

The ease of part availability is a big plus, although the Celebrity rotor is on the smallish side. Regardless, those brakes would stop better than my wimpy 9" drums, right? Plus I could eliminate this small bolt circle headache.

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225 Cubic Inches of Iron-Head American Muscle

225 bored .040 /.100 off block, Schneider Cam 224@.050~ .480 lift - Stock valves, blended bowls, Offenhauser intake with 500 Edelbrock carb

I've used the 73-76 disc conversion in at least 4 earlier A Bodies and will be doing 2 more (65 Dart convert and 65 Dart wagon) in the near future. Other than the spindle and caliper adapter, everything is available new or remanufactured as close as my nearest NAPA/Advance/Auto Zone, etc.

NEW KNUCKLES are available from Magnum Force, but they're pretty expensive.

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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

The Scarebird conversion retains the original 4" bolt pattern. You drill the rotors for the new pattern (or have them or a machine shop do it). The hub is retained,

If I were doing it today and could find some suitable rims, I'd consider the Scarebird conversion.

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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

Factory disc brakes on eBag. Item 170171961767.

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Joshua

Well even out West it is getting harder to find A body cars to pull parts from but there are still plenty of those crappy FMJ cars filling up the wrecking yards! Last time I swung by the local wrecking yard there was a whole row of Volare, 5th Ave, etc bent bar cars. I actually prefer those knuckles since they are the lightest ones Ma Mopar ever made. Evidently one of the design engineers took a finite element modeling class in the early 80's and decided he could save a few lbs of cast iron for every pair of front knuckles. In any case, I always use the lighter knuckles from the later model FMJ cars when ever I do a big disc swap. Every little bit of weight reduction helps.

Andy,

Nice to see you here.

I have run both A and F body spindles. The only problem I found with the FMJ spindle is my 17x8" F@rd wheels won't clear the upper ball joint on my '72 Dart without a spacer. If I was not trying to put the rim over the upper ball joint this wouldn't be an issue.

I am keeping my Valiant on a fairly strict diet (consistent with a small budget) so I may just put my FMJ spindles on it. I have a Wilwood caliper setup I bought off Tim W if I feel the need to use them.

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Joshua

Fat man Fabrications has new B- body disc brake spindles with caliper bracket for $180 a pair. Their 2"drop spindles are pricey at $505 a pair.
All I got is a phone # 704-545-0369,,, they may be on the web.

What I did.

I could not find the factory disc UCA's so I bought the tubular ones form Riley motor sports...the big block dart site. Yes they are pricey at $300.00 BUT are worth every penny for the adjust ability they provide. (my car don't sit at stock height) I used a master cylinder for a 74 disk brake RoadRunner. Everything else came off a 77 Volare. At this time I am NOT running a prop valve. (yeha I know)

I have stock 74 10 inch drums on the rear.

You would not believe how good this thing stops now. With 195-60-15 tires on the front and 215-60-15 tires on the rear ( T rated, not sticky like H or Z tires) I can lock all 4 wheels it I stand on it.

This is the most awesome thing I have done to my car.

I looked at the SCAREbird setup, it will cost you extra money EVERY time you need to change rotors having them redrilled for your pattern.

Keep your Mopar all Mopar, leave the general monkey parts to the monkeys.

My 2 cents worth

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