Can't Stop 71 440 Demon

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mopar nut

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Dearborn Heights Mi
Working on a 71 Dodge Demon 440 4spd.
It has 4 piston calipers which are not rebuildable. I have been looking high and low and every parts supplier states that these are no longer available or that they can get one side but can't get the other.

My question is has anyone switched from 4 piston power brakes to single or dual and what is involved?

Sucks that car is finally running but I can't drive it cause it wont stop.
 
1974 A-body brakes work great. You will need the Large Balljoint upper control arms and the complete spindle ,Rotor ,Brake assembly. Very reliable and easy to maintain. You will have a larger 4.5 bolt pattern . Moser Eng. do sell rear axles with the 4.5 BP. I am referencing 1974 but it maybe 73-78 just not sure.
 
Are you just talking about the Raybestos WK518 caliper rebuild kit? Its available at Rock Auto. I just got one for my Kelsey Hayes 4 piston calipers.
They also offer the piston DPS85002
 
I'd just get another pair of stock calipers if yours are too far gone to rebuild. I remember seeing that someone here had them for sale a short while ago.
 
Working on a 71 Dodge Demon 440 4spd.
It has 4 piston calipers which are not rebuildable. I have been looking high and low and every parts supplier states that these are no longer available or that they can get one side but can't get the other.

My question is has anyone switched from 4 piston power brakes to single or dual and what is involved?

Sucks that car is finally running but I can't drive it cause it wont stop.
Try posting pics of what brakes you have. A while ago I was considering rebuilding a set of kelsey hayes 4 piston brakes and couldn't find any for them... I found out that mustangs of similar years used the same brakes so I looked up the parts for a mustang instead of the specific brakes and found parts no problem.
 
@hemi71x rebuilds the 4 piston calipers. Might even have some for sale.
Thank's, RRA.
I just have one rebuilt caliper, to sell.

A Left side one.[FOR SALE] - **REBUILT** Kelsey Hayes 4 Piston Caliper, Left Side, 65-72 A Body Cars.

My rebuilding, doing work on brake and suspension parts, has come to an end for the foreseeable future, as i am awaiting a scheduled date, for heart surgery.
Don't know how long recovery will take, after all that.



To the OP.
In what way are your calipers too far gone to rebuild?
Broken off, frozen, bleeder screws, or hard line flair nuts.
Pitting in the Kelsey Hayes 4 piston caliper bores isn't a big deal at all like, on the BUDD, or BENDIX, brakes, due to the piston seal design.
 
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I'd just get another pair of stock calipers if yours are too far gone to rebuild. I remember seeing that someone here had them for sale a short while ago.
He already stated he tried that route, and they are pretty much unobtainable, obsolete, can't get them, at the parts store, retail level.
Have to find them private party, like your most likely thinking he do.
 
Are you just talking about the Raybestos WK518 caliper rebuild kit? Its available at Rock Auto. I just got one for my Kelsey Hayes 4 piston calipers.
They also offer the piston DPS85002

I ordered pistons and boots/seal kit but the caliper itself is rusted keeping the seals from sealing.
 
I ordered pistons and boots/seal kit but the caliper itself is rusted keeping the seals from sealing.
Get yourself a couple of gallons of Evaporust, and soak out the calipers, to bare metal condition.

If you don't own a Dremel, go get one. Buy, beg, borrow.
Put a flap wheel on the end of the Dremel, and then use it around the bore of the caliper.
Cleans them up nicely.
Don't loose any sleep, worrying about, doing it.

I see your Michigan, a rust bucket state, so maybe your calipers are pretty rusted.
But i never have seen any Kelsey Hayes calipers that i couldn't rebuild, except for rusted, frozen, parts.

Dremel flap wheel.png
 
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I ordered pistons and boots/seal kit but the caliper itself is rusted keeping the seals from sealing.

The piston seal itself is in a groove, on top of the bore of the caliper.
The seal isn't on the piston itself, having to go up and down in the caliper bore, like on the BUDD, or BENDIX, designed brakes.
The seal, seals up just fine, on the Kelsey Hayes brakes, with the piston installed in each bore hole.

I'd have to see a clear picture of what your working with.
Obviously, you must already have them disassembled for evaluation.
 
I've seen a couple calipers from the rust belt where the seal grooves were destroyed, but, that's it. They rebuild fairly easy around here. Do they sleeve them somehow like the Budds and Bendix's?
 
I've seen a couple calipers from the rust belt where the seal grooves were destroyed, but, that's it. They rebuild fairly easy around here. Do they sleeve them somehow like the Budds and Bendix's?
They do.
But not worth it in trying to get it done, when the companies that do sleeving charge 70 to 100 dollars, per hole.
 
For a 440, I'd have quit dicking with those brakes and gone the 73-74 A/E knuckle with biggie copcar disc's a LONG time ago.

Let's face it, you're not exactly heading to OE judging at the Nats with this car.

Maybe I'm missing something.
 
For a 440, I'd have quit dicking with those brakes and gone the 73-74 A/E knuckle with biggie copcar disc's a LONG time ago.

Let's face it, you're not exactly heading to OE judging at the Nats with this car.

Maybe I'm missing something.
I think the op has already answered his own question, in regards to swapping out his discs to something else.
 
For a 440, I'd have quit dicking with those brakes and gone the 73-74 A/E knuckle with biggie copcar disc's a LONG time ago.

Let's face it, you're not exactly heading to OE judging at the Nats with this car.

Maybe I'm missing something.
Sure, if he's willing to change everything but the lower control arms up front....wheels and all
 
Sure, if he's willing to change everything but the lower control arms up front....wheels and all
That's true, I didn't think about having to swap wheels.

But I would prefer to not ride on rinky dink wheel studs in a 440 car either
 
1974 A-body brakes work great. You will need the Large Balljoint upper control arms and the complete spindle ,Rotor ,Brake assembly. Very reliable and easy to maintain. You will have a larger 4.5 bolt pattern . Moser Eng. do sell rear axles with the 4.5 BP. I am referencing 1974 but it maybe 73-78 just not sure.

Thanks for the info, I had heard this before but didn't know what all needed to be purchased or sourced (was thinking I could hit a salvage yard).
Only thing is there is the cost of new front rims. I have the bigger bolt pattern axles in the rear and have the smaller bolt pattern in the front (since it worked fine when I started)
At least I know what to get of I can't locate calipers
 
For a 440, I'd have quit dicking with those brakes and gone the 73-74 A/E knuckle with biggie copcar disc's a LONG time ago.

Let's face it, you're not exactly heading to OE judging at the Nats with this car.

Maybe I'm missing something.

I rebuilt the calipers 15 years ago used new larger wheel studs and the car ran and stopped fine 440 and all. Car sat a couple years during engine rebuild and other issues finally got it done and driving and noticed calipers leaking tried to rebuild but grove for seals is rusted and lets seal move with piston.
Just looking to build the Demon the way I would have done my first one without breaking the bank, as for judges people (like me who build and work on old cars) understand what it takes and are not as critical and enjoy the cars for what they are. Not looking for trophies or awards to prove anything
 
The piston seal itself is in a groove, on top of the bore of the caliper.
The seal isn't on the piston itself, having to go up and down in the caliper bore, like on the BUDD, or BENDIX, designed brakes.
The seal, seals up just fine, on the Kelsey Hayes brakes, with the piston installed in each bore hole.

I'd have to see a clear picture of what your working with.
Obviously, you must already have them disassembled for evaluation.

The grove is rusted to the point where the seal moves and is allowing it to leak slowly and drip. I can take a picture and show and post later.
The drivers side is the one leaking. Checked with a Parts Supply Warehouse and was told that Cardone has these backordered and no expected date is available.
I did happen to find the calipers on E-Bay from (2) two different sellers and they should be here by the 8th of Nov.
 
The grove is rusted to the point where the seal moves and is allowing it to leak slowly and drip. I can take a picture and show and post later.
The drivers side is the one leaking. Checked with a Parts Supply Warehouse and was told that Cardone has these backordered and no expected date is available.
I did happen to find the calipers on E-Bay from (2) two different sellers and they should be here by the 8th of Nov.
Boy, i feel for you guys living in the rust bucket states, here in the USA.
Something like that, what your going through, i would never see out here in the Western states.
CA, AZ, NM, NV, parts are sure nice to deal with from the start.
 
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