[chevelle_502]

So heres my dilemna. On the 68 chrysler I started digging into the brakes. I hit the front first and right off the bat im hitting the wall. The best I can find for the brake drums is about $50 apiece. Plus shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders, bearings, and seeing as how the pedal is froze Im sure the master cylinder is shot my mediocre math skills are coming up with about $300 in just the front brakes and just browsing Im thinking another $150 give or take for the rear. Now I will take answers to several questions.

1. Anybody know some good sites with better prices for the parts Im hunting?
2.Any of those same people know where I could find a comparably priced disc conversion for this not soo mainstream application?


Finally get the right parts comin to make it go and I dont have the stuff to make it stop....go figure.

[oldschool hero]

Why go with all new stuff? Do a rebuild yourself and save alot.Those drums can be turned,wheel cylinders rebuilt same as the master cylinder.

[mud bros]

if there is one thing you shouldn't skimp or learn how to rebuild without physical guidance from others its brakes.

save,beg,borrow and get the best parts money can buy.
oem replacement or aftermarket upgrade you pick but i would get the good stuff

http://www.jcwhitney.com/front-4-pis...estid=10572893

[chevelle_502]

The drums are worn so thin the parts house wont turn them anymore.


And as much as Id like to go with a kit like SSBC its still a little much right now, I can redo everything new and keep the drums for less than the conversion for just the front.

[BarryK]

Take this for what it is worth but here is my two cents.

Ten or so years ago Converted front brakes on wifes 57 to a disc set up from a t-bird house, yes I paid but 25,000 mile later they still work like new.

Then last summer almost wiped the car out in TN when I had to slam the brakes on at most likley doing
around 70 MPH and missed by inches and I could feel the rears fade and then fronts locked after the rears gave out.

Not sure what I was thinking but I bought the rear conversion from Summit or Jegs because of price, a car apprised at $83,000 and bought to save a few hundred bucks-duh.

Biggest piece of crap ever had on a car (gm metrics) used for a 1,000 miles and ordered a kit fro SSBC, took the old ones off and one pad was cracked, one had a 1/2 chunk missing. (damn 7 year old china workers)

I would not give this unit away or sell it, threw it in the back of Sequoia and dumped the whole chitin kaboo in the dumpster that Monday.
Best, just under $400 I ever threw away.

I say, if you don't have the money, then wait and do it right.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by chevelle_502

So heres my dilemna. On the 68 chrysler I started digging into the brakes. I hit the front first and right off the bat im hitting the wall. The best I can find for the brake drums is about $50 apiece. Plus shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders, bearings, and seeing as how the pedal is froze Im sure the master cylinder is shot my mediocre math skills are coming up with about $300 in just the front brakes and just browsing Im thinking another $150 give or take for the rear. Now I will take answers to several questions.

1. Anybody know some good sites with better prices for the parts Im hunting?
2.Any of those same people know where I could find a comparably priced disc conversion for this not soo mainstream application?


Finally get the right parts comin to make it go and I dont have the stuff to make it stop....go figure.

Those prices are very reasonable for new parts, IMO. I spent about $350 for the brakes on a '80 Malibu- common parts- so your estimate for the "road less traveled" MOPAR sounds right to me.

I believe that unless repeated hard stops that will fade drum brakes are anticipated, that properly adjusted and maintained drum brakes will work satisfactorily. Grabbing in wet conditions has also been a problem w/some drum systems, but once you're used to them, they will stop the vehicle if you do your job. But I agree- they're not discs.

If it was me, I'd use the front disc brake set up from a '70-'73 C body. The '73 set up was preferred because new '73 rotors cost less than the '70-'72 rotors but the '70-'72 rotors have come down some in price.

[Bryan59EC]

Yep----be looking for a big 73 Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge.
Will bolt right on with no issues whatsoever.
(may need to use the 73 porportioning valve)

I did this on my 67 300 back in the 80s.
Was originally equipped with the Budd 4 piston calipers and 2-piece rotors.
Even then the calipers wer well over $150 each, rotors were $110 each and the lower ball joint on this car was $100.

Ripped everything out (shoulda kept it all) and put in lower control arms, spindles, rotors and calipers from a 73 Fury. Car stopped just fine and replacement parts were 25% the cost of the original disc system.
Wish I still had that car----stolen in 89----still my all time favorite car

[Bryan59EC]

Oh---By the way
I just spent over $300 for parts to do the brakes on my 65 Ranchero.
And only got the rear done.
Still need to get front drums, shoes and hardware to finish----another $150.
But will have new brakes, wheel cylinders and master.

Brakes went out last friday on my way to work
Had to call the spouse to come and get me so I could get the Ranger to tow the Ranchero home.

At least it is stopping now-----but still have to get the front done

[chevelle_502]

Im not saying that those prices are necessarily high just a little high for the budget right now. A conversion from another vehicle was the ideal solution and Ill definitely pursue that. There is a manual out there that lists pretty much every interchangeable part between all domestic vechicles but I forgot the name of it. So any 70-73 c body mopar is what Im lookin for right? Plannin a junkyard raid in the near future anyways so ill just add that to the list.

Another reason Im wantin to go with discs is just from the searchin Ive been doin the last two days it seems like parts for this particular car are becoming hard to come by.


just in case the google search doesnt answer me good enough what are the best c bodies to be lookin for?

[chevelle_502]

Found out the book I was referring to was hollander interchange. Looked it up and its on the way. After the good advice I looked up some 73 dodge polara parts and I think I can get those disc parts for a conversion for about the same price I can redo the drums on it.

[Bryan59EC]

Full size Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth-----all the same
Not including the Imperial---that is a completely different car----about the only thing that interchanges with that will be the headlights

[willowbilly3]

I don't think the prices are too bad either. Depending on where you live, those drum brakes are just fine. The price on the new drums isn't bad and they will make the whole system work like it should. When drums get turned out to the limit, the braking suffers because you don't have as much contact on the shoes.
I also don't mess around with old pitted wheel cylinders, I put on new ones, and new hoses.
You might check rockauto, I can get everything but the drums for my old IH pickup for about $250

[chevelle_502]

Yeah tried rockauto the other day but the vendors with the reasonable prices listed as closeout deals, dont wanna get down the road lookin for some more and cant find them. From what Ive been able to find out the 70-73 c body as listed has some pretty common parts that Im not having much trouble finding. After the roofer comes and gives me an estimate and if I dont pass out goin to the parts house to browse through their computer and see what I can get.

[willowbilly3]

Just because the vendor is closing out doesn't mean some other vendors parts won't fit. Besides you should never need most of this stuff again, at least not for several years.