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Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
#1159693
01/17/12 09:34 PM
01/17/12 09:34 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 36,840
South San Francisco, Californi...
MidPenMopar
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I am interested in installing the SSBC rear disc kit in place of my factory drum brakes in the road runner. I was wondering if anyone has done this before and just how simple is it? I am asking as i have to do it in the driveway of my house and soon it's going to be raining so is it an easy one day project or not? Also do i need any special tools of just the basic stuff we all have. Thanks for any advice. Stu http://www.ssbrakes.com/commerce/detail/index.cfm?nPID=8568
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: MidPenMopar]
#1159694
01/17/12 09:42 PM
01/17/12 09:42 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 12,481
Chino Valley
RodStRace
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 for Stu. I used another kit and had to have the axle ends machined, brake hose tabs welded and other minor stuff. I'll defer to others that have actually used THIS kit, but the consensus here seems to be the Dr. Diff kit.  If your luck is the same on this as it was for the 'bolt-in' transmission, make sure you have triple A to tow it to a shop! 
Last edited by RodStRace; 01/17/12 09:44 PM.
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: RodStRace]
#1159695
01/17/12 09:44 PM
01/17/12 09:44 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 36,840
South San Francisco, Californi...
MidPenMopar
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Quote:
for Stu.
I used another kit and had to have the axle ends machined, brake hose tabs welded and other minor stuff.
I'll defer to others that have actually used THIS kit, but the consensus here seems to be the Dr. Diff kit.
Hummn?? Sounds like more than just a few hours in the driveway swap.
Do you have a link for the Dr. Diff kit i can check out??
Thank you
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: MidPenMopar]
#1159700
01/18/12 07:52 AM
01/18/12 07:52 AM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,688
Marlboro, NY, USA
Rick_Ehrenberg
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Marlboro, NY, USA
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That's the '85 Caddy Eldorado caliper kit. Master Power, etc., all use it because it simplifies the park brake deal. The calipers are kinda weird, but, you you follow the instructions, they DO work, although I don't know if I'd trust the PB in San Francisco!
I've had this setup on one car for almost 10 years with no problems.
Anything Dr. Diff sells is likely to be excellent, just don't swap to "Green" wheel bearings.
Also check scarebird.com
Rick
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: MidPenMopar]
#1159702
01/18/12 11:51 AM
01/18/12 11:51 AM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157
Mass
DAYCLONA
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I Live Here
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Posts: 18,157
Mass
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Quote:
I called SSBC just now and said the kit they sell uses parts from a 1988 Turbo Thunderbird. 
That's correct Stu,...SSBC rear disc kits are all that I use on my cars or customers cars,... Ford Thundercoupe rotors and calipers have always been the supplied componets in the kit, the rotors are redrilled to slip on the mopar axle studs, you'll need to remove the axles (naturally) the kit will have a spacer to replace the clearance lost by removing the drum backing plate, so no need to remove the thrust button if your doing an 8 3/4 axle, you will need to switch over to the GREEN Bearings, regardless of what the naysayers say, there's nothing wrong with using them, I've used them, as have my customers for decades with no issues or failures, street, track, or road course cars that have been equipped with them,....however: your emergency brake cables can be used with no mods, the only thing to remember is to install the calipers on the correct side of the car with the bleeders as high as possible, and to use the shims provided to center the caliper over the rotor for equal pad wear/placement, flex lines are provided to adapt to your existing hard brake lines, now is the time to replace any old lines on the axle, they do offer lines alredy done for the rear disc brake set-up if you desire new lines, you will have to reshape/direct your existing ends, so if they're in sad shape?...replace
So if you have the tools/equipment to change out to Green Bearings, assorted hand tools, brake tubing tools (possibly needed) it is a 2-4 hr change out
The Dr Diff kits have provisions for the tapered bearing adjuster should you decide to go that route and keep the factory adjuster/bearings...perhaps Cass will chime in with a run down of his install guidlines for you?, or PM him
Mike
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: MidPenMopar]
#1159705
01/18/12 02:31 PM
01/18/12 02:31 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157
Mass
DAYCLONA
I Live Here
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I Live Here
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Posts: 18,157
Mass
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Quote:
Wow lots of great info there Mike!! Thank you!! I think i will pass the job on to a local shop as it sounds like more than i want to get into in my driveway.
BTW i have always heard of "green bearings" but just what are they?
Thanks again
Stu
Stu,... Green Bearings are a ball bearing design, the originator of GREEN Bearings was Chrysler, it was a replacement bearing assy offered thru MOPAR to replace the tapered roller bearing assy found in production chrysler vehicles, Green Bearing allow you to loose the adjuster assy/preload required with the tapered bearings...Green Bearings, Chrysler's and other designs have been the topic of yea or nay amongsts motorheads for a few decades, some swear by them, some swear at them,.....myself I've used them the better part of 2 decades on the street/track/course with no failures, guess it boils down to installation for some?...almost every vehicle produced (re: Millions of vehicles, where's those massive failures  ?) in the last few decades uses a "Green" style bearing, more and more track/course even circle cars are running Greens......if you do decide to use Greens use the snap ring style, Dr Diff sells those also
mike
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: MidPenMopar]
#1159710
01/18/12 11:06 PM
01/18/12 11:06 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,688
Marlboro, NY, USA
Rick_Ehrenberg
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"Green" (brand) ball bearing conversions were originated by...The Green Ball Bearing Co. (now part of Bearing Technologies, Avon, Ohio).
MP has sold them, with the catalog proviso: "for drag racing use only", for quite a while. They definitely make life easier if you're making frequent "pig" swaps; however, being ball (vs. huge OEM Timken tapered rollers) they, of course, have a small fraction of the load carrying capacity. I have never personally seen a set last more than 10K, the stockers can go 250K.
I was originally worried that they would fail catastrophically, but they do seem to give plenty of warning - "snow tire" type noise. Still, they are a much weaker design -- this is intuitively obvious to even the most casual observer.
I'd personally not even do even one high-speed road-course lap, or one Auto-X lap (with sticky tires) with 'em.
Rick
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: bill440rt]
#1159717
01/21/12 05:31 PM
01/21/12 05:31 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 36,840
South San Francisco, Californi...
MidPenMopar
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Quote:
My experience with the rear SSBC stuff is that it was a pile o' crap.
Oh great................well so far the front kit has worked our very well. So i will keep my  on the rear kit.
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: Rick_Ehrenberg]
#1159718
01/21/12 06:07 PM
01/21/12 06:07 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 25,790
Rio Linda, CA
John_Kunkel
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Rio Linda, CA
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I have often wondered why most rear disc kits specify Green bearings, the front Timken bearings can be adjusted to zero end play why not the rears?
The INTERNET, the MISinformation superhighway
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: WO23Coronet]
#1159720
01/21/12 06:56 PM
01/21/12 06:56 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,688
Marlboro, NY, USA
Rick_Ehrenberg
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Quote:
So what takes the side loading when you go around a corner with a GREEN bearing installed in a 8 3/4 diff? Isn't that what the tapered bearings are for? I know on a GREEN bearing type diff that was designed for it (ie 8 1/4 and 9 1/4) it's taken up by the snap rings and transfered to the carrier bearings, at least thats the way I understand it.
8-1/4 and 9-1/4" axles did not have Green (or any other brand) ball bearings. They had straight rollers which rode directly upon the axle shaft. Cornering thrust was taken by the axle inner "tips", which transferred the load to the differential bearings (Timkens) via the diff pinion pin.
Rick E.
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: bill440rt]
#1159723
01/22/12 12:50 AM
01/22/12 12:50 AM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074
Manitoba Canada
67autocross
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074
Manitoba Canada
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A friend did a SSBC 4 wheel disc swap on his C body and it does not work very good, the shop that installed it spent a lot of time on the phone with their tech department and they never did get it to work.
A new iron curtain drawn across the 49th parallel
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: 67autocross]
#1159724
01/22/12 02:12 PM
01/22/12 02:12 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 36,840
South San Francisco, Californi...
MidPenMopar
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Quote:
A friend did a SSBC 4 wheel disc swap on his C body and it does not work very good, the shop that installed it spent a lot of time on the phone with their tech department and they never did get it to work.
So last night at our car club annual dinner i asked around if anyone had used the SSBC rear disc kit and quite a few have. Everyone of them said the kit was terrible and they all sent them back or just gave up and bought another brand.
Although none of them had used it on a 8 3/4 mopar only fords and chevies.....hummnnn??
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: MidPenMopar]
#1159725
01/22/12 02:45 PM
01/22/12 02:45 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157
Mass
DAYCLONA
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I Live Here
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Mass
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Quote:
Quote:
A friend did a SSBC 4 wheel disc swap on his C body and it does not work very good, the shop that installed it spent a lot of time on the phone with their tech department and they never did get it to work.
So last night at our car club annual dinner i asked around if anyone had used the SSBC rear disc kit and quite a few have. Everyone of them said the kit was terrible and they all sent them back or just gave up and bought another brand.
Although none of them had used it on a 8 3/4 mopar only fords and chevies.....hummnnn??
Some people can be all "thumbs" when it comes to working on their vehicles....I've installed the SSBC rear discs on 68-70 B bodies, 71-2 B bodies, and 70-74 E bodies, 8 3/4 and DANA 60
...heres SSBC rears on my Charger, no mods needed other than re-routing the hard lines on the axle....everything was bolt-on, rear E brake lines fit/work with no issues,....although the instructions included with the kits lack a step by step approach, anyone with moderate skill can install them,....I think the biggest problem that people encounter is how the parts go together, and in what order,...and centering the caliper over the rotor for equal pad placement,....Stu if your running cast wheels, make sure to increase the length of the wheel studs...as some neglect to do this, common sense is the rule of thumb when making modifications
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: DAYCLONA]
#1159726
01/22/12 03:12 PM
01/22/12 03:12 PM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 36,840
South San Francisco, Californi...
MidPenMopar
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Quote:
Stu if your running cast wheels, make sure to increase the length of the wheel studs...as some neglect to do this, common sense is the rule of thumb when making modifications
Thanks for the heads up Mike your set up looks great! I have a set of AR Hoopsters on the car.
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: DAYCLONA]
#1159727
01/22/12 11:10 PM
01/22/12 11:10 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,311
NJ, USA
bill440rt
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NJ, USA
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In my case it was complete product failure vs consumer error, although that was the angle SSBC was trying to push.
They went on just fine, although yes I do agree the rear kit instructions are very vague.
I had problems with the crossover tubes on the front calipers leaking. Tightened some more, leaking. Tightened more, still leaking. Finally sent them back to SSBC, to which they replied they were going to repair them vs replace them. I thought they were nuts, but they refused to replace them. I got them back & on the car, they still leaked but this time I got them to stop. They then BLEW APART while bleeding the brakes. I sent them back yet again where they found they were assembled with the incorrect tensile strength bolts from manufacturing. Scary stuff indeed. At this point SSBC refused to offer me a refund because the brakes had been installed (still zero miles on the car mind you).
I found the rear caliper mounting brackets to be on the flimsy side, they have quite a bit of flex to them.
Stu, whatever you do, take Dayclona's advice & do NOT use the wheel studs they give you! With a mere 23 miles on the car the rear wheel studs FAILED. I lost one lug, and almost completely lost a wheel. I don't know what tensile strength steel they are made of, but upon inspection I found the knurls on all the wheel studs rounded off, the studs were flattened smooth. And yes, I know how to install wheel studs, and yes the wheels were torqued properly. There were plenty of threads for the lugs to engage as well.
A friend of mine just had front hubs fail on his SSBC kit on his Dart, they were on the car for about 8 years or so. He nearly lost a wheel, and resulted in quite a bit of damage to his car.
These are just my experiences. I know several people that use & like them just fine. But based on my experiences I won't use their products on my cars ever again.
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: DAYCLONA]
#1159729
01/23/12 03:40 PM
01/23/12 03:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074
Manitoba Canada
67autocross
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074
Manitoba Canada
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
A friend did a SSBC 4 wheel disc swap on his C body and it does not work very good, the shop that installed it spent a lot of time on the phone with their tech department and they never did get it to work.
So last night at our car club annual dinner i asked around if anyone had used the SSBC rear disc kit and quite a few have. Everyone of them said the kit was terrible and they all sent them back or just gave up and bought another brand.
Although none of them had used it on a 8 3/4 mopar only fords and chevies.....hummnnn??
Some people can be all "thumbs" when it comes to working on their vehicles....I've installed the SSBC rear discs on 68-70 B bodies, 71-2 B bodies, and 70-74 E bodies, 8 3/4 and DANA 60
...heres SSBC rears on my Charger, no mods needed other than re-routing the hard lines on the axle....everything was bolt-on, rear E brake lines fit/work with no issues,....although the instructions included with the kits lack a step by step approach, anyone with moderate skill can install them,....I think the biggest problem that people encounter is how the parts go together, and in what order,...and centering the caliper over the rotor for equal pad placement,....Stu if your running cast wheels, make sure to increase the length of the wheel studs...as some neglect to do this, common sense is the rule of thumb when making modifications
The shop had no problem installing the kit, they just could never get it to work good. The car has very poor stopping power.
A new iron curtain drawn across the 49th parallel
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: 67autocross]
#1159730
01/23/12 05:38 PM
01/23/12 05:38 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 18,157
Mass
DAYCLONA
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I Live Here
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Mass
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Quote:
The shop had no problem installing the kit, they just could never get it to work good. The car has very poor stopping power.
Lots of possible variables?....system not properly bleed?, wrong choice in master cylinder bore?, a residual vavle left in-line?, the PV system still in place?, rubber lines swelling under pressure?, or too much rubber line in the system?.etc,etc,etc
All the things you must consider when building a 4 wheel disc system among other variables
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Re: Rear drum to disc conversion SSBC kit question
[Re: DAYCLONA]
#1159734
01/30/12 12:02 AM
01/30/12 12:02 AM
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 36,840
South San Francisco, Californi...
MidPenMopar
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Quote:
but even the last kit that a customer supplied about a year ago had no provisions for the axle adjuster
Mike
Well the SSBC tech said it's all good for stock or geen bearings so we shall see! Hope it all goes smoothly...... 
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