1965 Valiant disc brake upgrade
Hello All,
I finally finished the disc brake project on my Valiant. It took a while. The job was a mix of my research and part buying combined with a mechanic I found here in Los Angeles.
I got the car and it had a big problem with brakes. I fixed them (drum) but they still didnt work well. Not for 2015 LA traffic. I decided to upgrade to discs on the front.
List of stuff:
Used Rotors, spindles, steering parts Kelsey Hayes disc brakes from a 1972 dart. (see original post) (Wildcat Auto Wrecking,
http://www.wildcatmopars.com/). ($512)
New calipers, brake pads, wheel bearings, stainless brake tubing for calipers, rubber tubing, dust caps, retaining nuts and washers and master cylinder from RockAuto.com.
New adjustable proportioning valve from JEGS.com ($40). After lots of looking I decided to use the same master cylinder used by Plymouth when they made the car with the disc brake option, 1 bore, two reservoirs, does not require new pushrod ($40). I also used the same distribution block that was on the car, just blocked the port for the rear brakes. The second reservoir on the master cylinder was routed to the JEGS adjustable proportioning valve mounted under the car and then directly to the rear brakes.
New Wheels and tires: $1200.
Crager Super Sport: Bolt Pattern 5X4inch, 15 x 6 up front and 15 x 7 in the rear. Both with same bolt pattern.
Tires:
FRONT - BF Goodrich Radial T/A - 205/60R15 - White Letter
REAR - BF Goodrich Radial T/A - 215/60R15 - White Letter
Mechanic:
I went around town and got the rotors turned and the bearing pressed into the new parts. I put it all together and found a good mechanic. His biggest challenge was finding all the correct fittings for the brake line. This wasnt easy the thread patterned used by Plymouth on their Master Cylinders is difficult to find and match without an adaptor.
His name is Tony, Tonys Custom Bike & Rod Fabrication, 323-428-2559, 995 Mission Rd. L.A. CA, 90033. He did a really fast installation and the brakes work great.
