1962 Valiant Suspension/Brake Swap Options with other A-bodies
My recollection is that 60-61 front suspensions are different, but 62 Valiants/Lancers had front suspensions that are interchangeable with 63 through 72. I believe rears are interchangeable 60-76. Not sure about the front spring eyes on the 60-62. (I do know the rear gears are unique to the 60-61, as they use smaller ring gear bolts; I have a set NOS, but can't use them.)
V8's had ten inch drums from 65 on, but slants had nine inch brakes. Unless either had disc brakes, of course. Nine inch spindles, ten inch spindles and disc brake spindles are all unique to the brakes they go with. Upper and lower control arms are the same for all. And the 73-up single piston disc brakes use still a different spindle (and different upper control arms).
Over the years, I've owned a 63 Valiant convertible, a 65, 66 and 67 Barracuda, and a 73 Duster 340. Plus my Mom had a 64 Barracuda and a 71 Duster 340. I've done a lot of swapping from one to the other.
My 67 Barracuda originally was a slant six car. It had nine inch drums all around, small torsion bars (.83), puny rear springs and a 7 1/4 rear. While it still was a slant six, I swapped in the original HD rear springs and ten inch front drums from my 65 Barracuda, along with .87 torsion bars from Mom's Duster 340 (which my brother rolled), and Addco front and rear sway bars. The small rear end I swapped for an 8 3/4 originally from a 69 Dart that had also been in my 65 Barracuda for years.
The 65 Barracuda got the front disc brakes, rear springs and 8 3/4 rear from the same Duster 340. (Also the motor, bellhousing and driveshaft)
The 69 Dart rear that I put in my 67 had a mild howl, which I figured wouldn't be a problem behind a slant six. After a few years, I swapped the 67's slant six (which had come out of a 76 something or other) for a 74 360/Torqueflite that came out of a scrapped Duster 360. Kept the noisy rear for quite a few years without any problems before taking the chunk to someone who fixed the noise by replacing the bearings. Gears were fine. Also put disc brakes up front. The ten inch drums went into Mom's 64 Barracuda V8, which originally came with nine inch drums.
I also swapped ten inch front drums for the nines that my 63 Valiant convertible originally came with. Later went to the SBP discs up front. Also .85 standard V8 torsion bars. Kept the 7 1/4 rear with its nine inch drums. Valiant still has its slant six. Recently swapped in a set of rebuilt 340 rear springs. Plan to upgrade to some old .87 torsion bars I have sitting around, and also add a 65 front sway bar.
I also put ten inch front drums on my old 66 slant six Barracuda, along with the original slant six rear springs from my 67 Barracuda (the 66 springs had one broken leaf).
As you can see, most everything is swappable 63-72 for sure, and I think with 62s also.
My recollection is that 60-61 front suspensions are different, but 62 Valiants/Lancers had front suspensions that are interchangeable with 63 through 72. I believe rears are interchangeable 60-76. Not sure about the front spring eyes on the 60-62. (I do know the rear gears are unique to the 60-61, as they use smaller ring gear bolts; I have a set NOS, but can't use them.)
V8's had ten inch drums from 65 on, but slants had nine inch brakes. Unless either had disc brakes, of course. Nine inch spindles, ten inch spindles and disc brake spindles are all unique to the brakes they go with. Upper and lower control arms are the same for all. And the 73-up single piston disc brakes use still a different spindle (and different upper control arms).
Over the years, I've owned a 63 Valiant convertible, a 65, 66 and 67 Barracuda, and a 73 Duster 340. Plus my Mom had a 64 Barracuda and a 71 Duster 340. I've done a lot of swapping from one to the other.
My 67 Barracuda originally was a slant six car. It had nine inch drums all around, small torsion bars (.83), puny rear springs and a 7 1/4 rear. While it still was a slant six, I swapped in the original HD rear springs and ten inch front drums from my 65 Barracuda, along with .87 torsion bars from Mom's Duster 340 (which my brother rolled), and Addco front and rear sway bars. The small rear end I swapped for an 8 3/4 originally from a 69 Dart that had also been in my 65 Barracuda for years.
The 65 Barracuda got the front disc brakes, rear springs and 8 3/4 rear from the same Duster 340. (Also the motor, bellhousing and driveshaft)
The 69 Dart rear that I put in my 67 had a mild howl, which I figured wouldn't be a problem behind a slant six. After a few years, I swapped the 67's slant six (which had come out of a 76 something or other) for a 74 360/Torqueflite that came out of a scrapped Duster 360. Kept the noisy rear for quite a few years without any problems before taking the chunk to someone who fixed the noise by replacing the bearings. Gears were fine. Also put disc brakes up front. The ten inch drums went into Mom's 64 Barracuda V8, which originally came with nine inch drums.
I also swapped ten inch front drums for the nines that my 63 Valiant convertible originally came with. Later went to the SBP discs up front. Also .85 standard V8 torsion bars. Kept the 7 1/4 rear with its nine inch drums. Valiant still has its slant six. Recently swapped in a set of rebuilt 340 rear springs. Plan to upgrade to some old .87 torsion bars I have sitting around, and also add a 65 front sway bar.
I also put ten inch front drums on my old 66 slant six Barracuda, along with the original slant six rear springs from my 67 Barracuda (the 66 springs had one broken leaf).
As you can see, most everything is swappable 63-72 for sure, and I think with 62s also.
