I want to convert an a-body to disc, and still have the small bolt pattern wheels. I want to also keep my 14 inch rally wheels. I have a buddy that heard you could use b-body parts to do the conversion, he has a 67 coronet with disc brakes he would give me the parts for the conversion. I don't think it will be possible. The last conversion I did I used 73-76 a-body parts and used 17-Inch wheels. Any ideas on where to find a good kit so I could keep my factory wheels. Thanks in advance for your help.

I think you might be able to get all the parts from RockAuto.com

Last time I looked I thought they had all of it.

There aren't very many SBP disc kits available. You could use original A body parts of course or re-drill some B body rotors but that is a bunch of work. I think one of the aftermarket companies is selling a SBP setup but I've never paid much attention to it.

I'm in the exact same situation. I don't have the time to do it yet but have been doing some research.

I'm fairly new so nothing I say is first hand knowledge but from what I've researched online the options seem to be:
SBP = 4" bolt pattern
LBP = 4.5" bolt pattern

there's a 4 piston kelsey hayes SBP setup but their hard to get parts for and the parts are expensive. They may also not be as good with 4 pistons?

swaping in a b body front end with a LBP. and getting new rims. The advantage of this is more selection in rims. this would require a rear solution as well. maybe just the axles maybe the whole differential. depeneds how the problem is attacked and what parts you want to get at a junk yard versus aftermarket. I'm also not certain what will match to what yet. maybe pull just the axles from a LBP A body and put them in the old SBP differential? depending on the size of the rotors it may be possible to keep 14" rims and not have to use 15" I think there are two different sizes of rotors (with diff systems).

I think it may be possible to only do the front end b body swap and then redrill the rotors for a SBP.

There's a few different solutions and i still haven't made up my own mind which way I want to go.

Oh and it seems to be important to research exactly which master cylinder to use with which brake setup. also which proportioning valve. It would seem that some of the already set ones will work on the setup but the aftermarket adjustable one is best. there's a whole thing with calipers matching the master depending on power brakes or not also with a back pressure valve thing being in the master or the lines. (I didn't call it the right name but if you read through you'll find it)

right now i'm leaning towards getting just the brackets from http://www.scarebird.com/12802/21432.html and then getting the rotors, calibers and others from napa. but haven't fully decided if I want to convert to LBP or not. Might depend on what I find in the junk yards.

I keep a word file where I copy in the info I find so that I can find it later. I've included a quick copy paste of it. You'll notice that sometimes I saved the page where I found the info just in case the sites down when I finally get around to doing it. It should be possible to find the page with a little creative searching when I didn't remember to save the exact link.

see this is the exact kind of question that should be on a wiki as the answer is static but evolves.... and keeps comeing up. If I get time maybe I'll do that on one of them....



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05 Brakes – Service Parking
Moparts.com PRINT!!!
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/tech/pages/abody.html

file:///D:/Projects/Dodge%20Dart/05%20Brakes%20-%20Service%20Parking/abody%20disc%20brake%20conversion.html


Joshua Skinner
file:///D:/Projects/Dodge%20Dart/05%20Brakes%20-%20Service%20Parking/a%20body%20disc%20brake%20conversion2.htm

MoparAction.com
file:///D:/Projects/Dodge%20Dart/05%20Brakes%20-%20Service%20Parking/MoparAction.com/disc-main.html

further options from moparaction site
http://www.68cuda.com/disk.html


bigblockdart.com
file:///D:/Projects/Dodge%20Dart/05%20Brakes%20-%20Service%20Parking/bigblockdart.com%20-%20brake%20conversion.shtml

a conversion explains some other front end things to do at same time.
http://www.carreview.com/projectdart%5Ebrakescrx.aspx


A body small brakes
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/brake/3.html


http://www.scarebird.com/12802/21432.html

http://www.stainlesssteelbrakes.com/brakeproducts/brakekits/StandardFront/ whole kit well recomended


Print good year info
http://www.autohobbydigest.com/a-brake.html



We use the 30-30-30 rule for breaking in pads,; 30 gentle stops from 30 mph and 30 seconds between stops.


1966 and earlier cars were equipped with a single reservoir master cylinder (MC). A Federal mandate required all 1967 and later cars to have a dual circuit hydraulic brake system, so Chrysler began using a dual reservoir MC. Retrofitting 1966 and early cars with a dual reservoir MC and a dual circuit hydraulic brake system is a great safety improvement and is highly recommended. All that is needed to do this is a 1967-1975 (see footnote #1) drum brake master cylinder, brake lines, and a distribution block.


http://www.houstonmopars.org/brakes.html
· The next A-body configuration is the disc-brakes. These were available 1965-1970 as the same interchange.
· Actually mid '65 through '72 used the same small-bolt 4-piston Kelsey-hayes disc brakes, with the *only* difference being that the '71-'72 cars used RH threads on the lugs on both sides of the car.
The 1971 and 1972 cars are the same part with the 1973 and up the 4 1/2", bolt pattern.
· This is a completely different, single-piston setup which also is used on the F-bodies (Aspen, Volare). There are quite a number of swaps and parts optimizations possible within the '73 and up disc brakes.
It is possible to swap any of the A-bodies to disc brakes by using everything between the upper and lower control arms. When going from a drum to disc front brake setup, it is easier to buy the Mopar performance proportioning valve, than to change the master cylinder.
· This is partly correct. Disc brake master cylinders differ from drum brake items in several respects. One such respect is that it is ESSENTIAL that a master cylinder (or section of a master cylinder) used with disc brakes NOT HAVE A PRESSURE RESIDUAL VALVE!! This is a small rubber flapper valve located behind the tube seat. Its function is to keep small ("residual") pressure on a drum brake system to avoid air being sucked in at the wheel cylinders. This does not create a problem with brake dragging, because drum brakes use strong springs to pull the shoes back. Discs rely on a complete lack of system pressure and the deformation of the piston seal to pull the piston and the shoe back ever so slightly from the disc. Residual pressure in a disc system will prevent this release and cause brake wear and heat buildup. Also, disc brake master cylinders have much larger reservoirs to cope with the fact that disc brakes have a much higher fluid carrying volume. This isn't so crucial as the PR valve above, if you keep careful watch over your fluid level.
Plumb it accordingly and adjust your bias as needed.
· Keeping in mind that A-body disc brake systems have had chronic problems with premature rear lockup, your advice to get the adjustable valve is quite excellent.


bump-steer
Please be aware that when you go to swapping brakes from body to body, carefully check your ball joint taper - and your bump-steer when the swap is completed. Bump-steer can most easily be explained by having someone jump up and down on your front bumper. If the front wheels turn in and out during this process, you have created a geometry problem and it must be connected before driving. (Much more common on rack and pinion cars.)

I just bought 2 new SBP rotors - ordered Raybestos - they substituted
Bendix - They only fit the 4 piston kelsey Hayes setup - But I think if
you want SBP and disc brakes that is what you get. Everything was
pricey for this setup - Probably out to price out the whole deal with
SBP and then with the LBP and a rear swap - see which is more cost effective. But SPB rotors are available under the following PNs:
Expect to pay about 90 dollars each.

Wagner BD60257
Bendix 141054
Raybestos 76739
NAPA 86739

PST offers a sbp kit for $999.00 that I will be able to use my stock wheels. It would be cheaper in the long run to buy the set off ebay. I want it to look correct and function well. I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

I thought I heard somewhere once that older mustangs used the exact same setup?

what little I know wikified:

http://mopedia.org/A-body_disc_brake_conversion

looking at the chart here:
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/axle/17.html

I notice that the 7 1/4 rear end is almost 2 inches shorter from flange to flange than the earlier a bodies. in the exact years one would want for a disk swap '73 - '76 was this to accommodate the different large bolt patern tires or did the body get narrower? would a non standard rim need to be used to get it to be where it needs to be in the wheel well or do those rims usually have different ?backspace?.

The Kelsey-Hayes setups are still out there and parts are available, but hubs and rotors are the most difficult part or it. Rotors also cannot be legally turned (from my research). They are a very good brake when right, but they are more complex than a single-piston setup.