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front disks stockish upgrade on 73 javelin

Printed From: TheAMCForum.com
Category: The Garage
Forum Name: Suspension, Steering, Brakes & Wheels
Forum Description: What makes it stop, turn, and smooths the ride
URL: https://theamcforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=86908
Printed Date: Mar/28/2024 at 6:58pm
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Topic: front disks stockish upgrade on 73 javelin
Posted By: raser13
Subject: front disks stockish upgrade on 73 javelin
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 3:14am
hey guys, i'm finally going to earnestly start my javelin build this summer. with hopes to have her moving under her own power by fall. i have most of the go stuff. but now i'm looking to make sure i have the stop stuff inplace first. i have a 73 javelin with stock disks up front. is there a better bolt on option?

i need something in the way of cheap. i'm on a verrry tight budget. that's why i don't need something form summit, or wildwood. this car is getting a 304 with a five speed stick. she's not going to be winning any drag races. but if there is a nice easy swap out that i can get from a parts store. or mod that i can get parts from a junkyard(spindles and such. calipers and rotors will be new) I'd love to do it since i have to get all new for the car any how. the ones on it are rusty junk. and i don't want the risk of re using just to be cheap and killing my family or some one elses. don't know if there is anything better or not. but i figured i'd ask.

also any way to disk out the back axle??? amc 20 same kind of thing. can't spend $500 on a disk conversion when i got the car for $700.i think the wife would kill me. but if there is an easy bolt on swap out. then it would be all good.



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Replies:
Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 7:07am
IMO a stock 73 disc brake setup is plenty good, unless you really need to stop performance wise.

Many choose a brake booster setup. I never had driven mine with one, and found it nice and firm, positive action feel.

I suggest... If unable to use rotors safely after being turned. Then you may look into various aftermarket setups. I think scare bird is the least expensive.

But most all replacement brake setups require changing out brake components. So if your 73 brakes are beyond being used without a proper rebuild, the cost of obtaining rebuilt components with your cores, may be the least expensive route as long as you have good rotors.

I think the other option may be obtaining late disc brakes, spindle and mounting brackets, which are easier to find rotors for will be an option.

On a budget I'd work with what I got if possible and save for later on the big upgrade. After all you just wanted to get it operational first as to enjoy it. Stock brakes when properly operational, are enjoyable.

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71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: WesternRed
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 7:10am
If you are on a tight budget, sounds like that is the case, then reconditioned factory parts will do the job just fine.


Posted By: Red Devil
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 10:04am
Best bang-for-the-buck, assuming it still has the Kelsey Hayes calipers:

1) Rebuild calipers (not hard to do) and can get pistons, seal kit, pins and hardware kit from most local parts stores. Try for steel pistons, not the plastic ones. Or get new, rebuilt calipers. New or resurface rotors ... IIRC, someone posted how they used a Jeep or other rotor as a lower cost replacement on a drum or machined disc hub, so try a search.

2) Replace flex lines if old - could go stainless, flush complete system with new high temp. brake fluid. New CuNi (copper-nickel) hard lines if steel ones are old or corroded.

3) Pad change to a street performance pad (most noticeable gain):

(a) Hawk HPS (Hawk part no. HB643F.595):
- higher CoF at operating temperature than typical parts store pads, higher temperature range, low dust, low noise. Good basic street pad upgrade where you are concerned about dust and noise. Noticeable increase in braking torque and fade resistance.

(b) EBC Yellowstuff (EBC part no. DP41176R)
- higher CoF than Hawk HPS, higher temperature range for better fade resistance and light track use. More dust and noise.

IMO, the stock Kelsey Hayes caliper & rotor combination is at least as good if not better than the 12.19" Wilwood AMC street kits ... except that it is heavier and no bling and harder to get replacement parts. It has more braking torque (assuming same bore master and pad CoF), more heat capacity (wider, heavier rotor with more vanes), more pad area and pad volume. Remove dust shields for better cooling.

Rear drums:

1) New drums - ones that are heavily finned for better heat capacity and cooling.

2) Replace wheel cylinders, hardware, flex line, new CuNi hard lines if steel ones are old or corroded, ensure park brake is working - replace parts as req'd.

3) Porterfield R4-S shoes (Porterfield part no. SHOE151 R4-S)
- higher CoF than stock shoes at operating temp, higher temperature range for much improved fade resistance. Good match for upgraded front pads. Match shoe to drum.

If you want pads or shoes more suited to racing, contact Porterfield brakes. My understanding is they can put any compound they sell on a pad or shoe as long as they have the backing plate ... but at that point, you'd likely be better to go with aftermarket rotors and calipers for better pad and rotor availability to suit frequent replacements.

And most importantly, sticky tires. Improved brake parts don't do any good if you lock them up

Hope this helps, RD.


Posted By: raser13
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 10:24am
yeah, all my hard lines are dust. so everything is going new or rebuild. i was planing to go with power brakes. i'll look into the better lines both hard and soft. if what i have is that good then i'll look into trying to find a rebuild kit for the calipers. i'm not worried about the "bling" factor. your not going to see the calipers behind those turbo cast rims. might derust them and add some red caliper paint to them. that's about it. 

since it was mentioned. any recommendations on tires? i might be a cheap arsed son of a gun when it comes to the rest of the car. but brakes and tires are where i see there being no compromises. that and seat belts. i had to many bad accidents in my youth that were someone elses fault that i was lucky enough to walk away from. i want to be able to stop on as close to a dime as possible. or have enough traction to swerve out of the way if need be. and now i'll have my family in the car with me. so i will definitely want to even more.



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Posted By: Red Devil
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 11:29am
Depends on wheel dia. and width for tire options. Not many all-weather performance tire options in 15" ... likely need to go 17" or bigger.

Hope this helps,RD.


Posted By: raser13
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 12:11pm
but i love my turbo cast rims.Cry there has to be a good 15 inch tire.

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Posted By: Red Devil
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 3:17pm
"Good" is relative. BFG TAs are good for basic cruising ... as are Cooper Cobras/Mickey Thompson Sportsman STs. Beyond that are Mickey Thompson Sportsman SRs, drag radials, and a few exotics like Avon CR6ZZ.

As OEMs moved on to bigger wheels, tire makers moved with them, so not much left for smaller diameters, particularly in sizes to suit old muscle cars.

If a 235/60-15 fits those wheels, a Pirelli P600 may be a nice tire ... not cheap, but maybe less than a wheel upgrade. It has a 180 UTQG rating vs. the rock-hard 400 rating of a BFG T/A.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=P600&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=36WR5600&tab=Sizes" rel="nofollow - https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=P600&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=36WR5600&tab=Sizes

Hope this helps,RD.


Posted By: 6768rogues
Date Posted: Apr/21/2017 at 6:05pm
I like the KH brakes so much that I put them on two of my Americans. If you do decide to change to something else, there is a market for your existing parts.

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Content intended for mature audiences. If you experience nausea or diarrhea, stop reading and seek medical attention.

Located usually near Rochester, NY and sometimes central FL.


Posted By: farna
Date Posted: Apr/27/2017 at 8:34am
The KH brakes are good as any. You can get rebuilt calipers for little more than the rebuild kits -- I wouldn't bother with the kit. The only thing expensive is the rotors. They are over $100 each, and you will likely have to go through an AMC vendor. If your rotors will turn you're good for now.  I wouldn't worry too much about using standard steel lines and stock replacement rubber lines. The old lines are over 40 years old, the replacements should last that long, but if only half that long (20 years!) they will be fine for most of your lifetime. Won't hurt to use more expensive, longer lasting stuff, but you did mention being on a budget...

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Frank Swygert


Posted By: jpnjim
Date Posted: Apr/28/2017 at 9:20am
I got KH rotors on Amazon,
 waited for a price drop, and paid $74.10 each.

Currently they are just over $100, and only 1 available.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DAEE9O/" rel="nofollow - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DAEE9O/


I'd suggest you put them in an Amazon cart/save for later, and watch to see if there's another price drop.

Anything around $90 each is a pretty good deal.


If this were 25 years ago,
 I'd suggest grabbing everything from  the spindles out from a later model Concord at your local junkyard,
 but I think those days are over.

The later model stuff used to be cheaper for replacement parts,
 but I don't know how much cheaper they are these days.


These are the Kelsey Hayes brake pads I bought to go with the rotors:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C702XG" rel="nofollow - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C702XG

there are probably better, and or cheaper options,
 but they looked good for around $35.

I'm still looking to get started on my brake rebuild (among many other jobs),
 so I can't speak to the quality of the parts, other than knowing Raybestos was a good brand for replacement brake parts in the past.



For rear discs,
 anything is possible with a little time and fabrication,
 I know Jeep ZJ (Grand Cherokee) disc backing plates have been redrilled to fit axles other than the D35/44's they came on,
 but just be aware that your drum backing plate is also your bearing retainer plate, holding your shafts in.

 And the stock axleshaft/wheel bearings are preloaded as a set against each other,
so whatever you do to modify or replace the factory rear brake setup has to be thought out to both retain the axleshaft bearings, and still allow them to be preloaded against the opposite axle shaft too.

There are other options like replacing the factory tapered wheel bearings with a type that doesn't require preloading,
 but there is an expense and compromises with going that route too.

If you are happy with your gear ratio,
I would suggest rebuilding the stock drum setup out back,
 retorquing your axle shafts and calling it good.

If you're not happy with your gear ratio (especially once you add a 5speed),
 start junkyard axle shopping.
 No sense changing gears, and brakes, while dealing with bearing preload and 2 piece axle shafts if you're on a budget and originality isn't a priority.

Tires?

Tires are funny now,
 Plain jane BFG 235/60-15's (a decent size that fits front and rear on most Humpsters) cost more than Hi Performance 255/40-17's from the same company.

Most of the time, 17's are the new cheapest performance size tire to buy now.

15's still look ride and fit great on our cars,
 just know you'll pay premium tire prices for them, and not be getting premium tire performance (for the most part).

Good luck



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71 P-code 4spd Javelin/AMX
some Jeeps and some Fords


Posted By: uncljohn
Date Posted: Apr/28/2017 at 1:06pm
Just a comment on $100.00 disk or rotors.
My Dodge Caravan or Chrysler T&C cost that and more for front discs and almost that much for rears.
Quit thinking cheap. It ain't cheap to do brakes but they are worth doing.

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70 390 5spd Donohue
74 Hornet In restoration
76 Hornet, 5.7L Mercury Marine Power
80 Fuel Injected I6 Spirit
74 232 I-6, 4bbl, 270HL Isky Cam


Posted By: farna
Date Posted: Apr/29/2017 at 7:32am
If you're not worried about a park brake rear disks are cheap and easy. Cut the drum backing plate down to just the bearing retaining part. You can get weld-on caliper brackets from Speedway Motors for standard GM calipers. You can use those with park brake built in or go cheap and forget the park brake. You can add a manual go-cart caliper later for a park brake. Won't do much as an emergency brake, but will keep the car from rolling off when parked. One note on the GM calipers (or any others) with built-in park capability -- you have to use the park brake some! It has a threaded stud that clamps down and is self-adjusting. If you don't use it some the park mechanism won't clamp down hard enough to hold the car. When changing pads you have to screw the stud out to move the piston back.

I don't have a park brake on my car, but it's an automatic. I keep a set of steel chocks in the back just in case I have to park on a steep incline or have some kind of brake issue and need to leave the car somewhere. Been carrying them for 14 years now and can't recall using them at all, but they are there just in case...  Hmmmm...  did use them once when changing a flat tire on the Interstate shoulder near Atlanta...


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Frank Swygert


Posted By: Red Devil
Date Posted: Apr/30/2017 at 12:07pm
If wanting a park brake, a Wilwood MC4 mechanical caliper is worth considering.   They use it in rear kits where the internal drum park brake doesn't fit. Fits a 0.81" thick rotor but have seen some use spacers to work on a wider rotor. Good for fitting a much wider range of caliper and pad options than calipers with internal park brake mechanism.  
http://www.wilwood.com/Calipers/CaliperList.aspx?subname=MC4%20Mechanical" rel="nofollow - http://www.wilwood.com/Calipers/CaliperList.aspx?subname=MC4%20Mechanical

Also, don't underestimate the improvements you get with a pad or shoe upgrade.   Higher CoF pads are like fitting larger diameter rotors and generally have much better fade resistance for repeated stops.

Hope this helps,RD


Posted By: farna
Date Posted: May/01/2017 at 6:44am
These work just as good for a park brake, at 1/3 the price.
http://www.gopowersports.com/manual-brake-caliper/" rel="nofollow - http://www.gopowersports.com/manual-brake-caliper/
Adjust to thickness of caliper by using spacers in the body. There is a floating mount available also -- scroll to bottom of page.


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Frank Swygert


Posted By: Greg55_99
Date Posted: May/01/2017 at 10:36am
Flashback:

http://theamcforum.com/forum/2000-mustang-gt-disk-brakes-for-most-amcs_topic48139.html

Greg



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