8.25" rear axle and disc brakes???

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superdart

Shade Tree Tinker Gnome.....
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My question is: Is it possible? and Does anyone make a kit for this mod?

It's for my '75 Dart. I currently am finishing up my tuning on the motor so that I can cruise with the car while I save up to rebuild the rear axle.

My plan is to scrap the 2.45 gears and go with aftermarket axles, a Powertax unit and 3.55 gears. If I tear it out to rebuild it, I'd really like to go to rear disc if possible.

Of course this is a big bolt pattern (BBP) car.
 
Just some food for thought! 80% of your stopping power comes from the front wheels. Spending that $260 on improving the braking up front will make a much more dramatic difference than being spent on the rear wheels.

Also, isn't the 2.45:1 carrier the point at which you would need a new carrier to go to 3.55 gears?

Another point if you are going to pull the rear end apart to rebuild why not just go with an Auburn limit-slip carrier to start with? The Powertrax units are more expensive but are nice because you don't have to pull the carrier to install.
 
Well...I really like the idea of 4 wheel disc, less weight, less likely to lock up..and I probably will spend the $$$ on the front anyway. I just figure that I should do it while I've got the rear axle out.

A correction $260 for the rotors and brackets....another $300 for the calipers...hmmmmm.....

My motto on this car "Do it right THE FIRST TIME" but I'm not going to waste money on unrealized improvements either.

As for the rear, yes, I know I need a new carrier. I have just heard many good things about the Powertrax. Maybe the Auburn is an option. My car is going to be a street car, and I want to make sure that it can handle being driven hard on the roads.
 
just got done installing the TSM kit on my duster 8.75 rear. really easy, straight foward to do. if you want ebrakes you'll need cores or it will get very expensive. cost me about $450 to do the rear disk conversion. for now i am sticking with non-ebrake calipers to keep costs down ($15 each at autozone) when i convert to manual trans i'll go for the ebrake calipers.

f55cd2da.jpg
 
Ok..I don't understand the whole core thing. Aren't these units TSMs own design? If so where would I come up with cores?

This is a driver...Parking brake is mandatory (Yes, they actually check these things here in Texas)...They warned me the first time I got it inspected that it wasn't holding. They let me slide because they were rodders themselves and knew the car was a project in progress (the fully welded exhaust with Edelbrock mufflers tipped them off).
 
man those rear disc brakes look nice, 450 bucks isnt a lot of money to get disc brakes and an upgrade to the larger bolt pattern. What kind of calipers does it use
 
nope $450 is close to what it would cost to completely restore equivalent drum brakes: new drums/hardware/shoes/backing plates


cores are used calipers to exchange when you buy new ones. that way the rebuilder can rebuild anothe set of the caliper you just bought.

if you want to run ebrakes and cant get cores, buy from TSM their price is good on the calipers, especially since there is no core charge.
 
340duster340 said:
nope $450 is close to what it would cost to completely restore equivalent drum brakes: new drums/hardware/shoes/backing plates

You can rebuild rear drum brakes less than 1/2 that number.

Drums = $40 each
Spring Kit = $16 each
Adjuster = $ 8 each
Wheel Cyl = $15 each

Shoes = $35 set

That's a total of $193 at NAPA. You could take another $20-$30 off this if you buy there low line parts.
 
yeah for 10 inch drums. double that number if you want 11inch drums. most applications 10 inch is fine though. plus if you cant do the work your self labor is also a factor.

drums or discs...doesnt really matter, most of your stopping power will come from the front brakes. rear discs are pretty much just for the looks for me because i really wont be racing my car, just cruising.
 
Guess I didn't explain my question enough..I know WHAT a core is, what I want to know is WHERE will the core come from?

A bodies never came with disc brakes in the rear, so what vehicle do I need to tear a set off from to turn in for core? Year? Model? :dontknow:

For that price, I'll rebuild what I have. Ceramic shoes, nitrogen wash the drums and have money to spare.
 
superdart said:
Guess I didn't explain my question enough..I know WHAT a core is, what I want to know is WHERE will the core come from?

The way it works is you pay your money which includes a core charge. If you return a core then you are given credit for the core charge you orignally paid if you don't hae a core then there's no credit.

For example: When I swapped 73-76 A-body disks onto my 68 Barracuda rebuilt calipers were $30 each plus a $30 each core charge so I paid $60 for the caliper. When I returned the dead caliper I got $30 back.

Sometimes the core charge is hardly worth the effort to return other times it's more than the rebuilt cost.
 
340duster340 said:
the tsm kit uses GM calipers. go to their web page for specs on what years you can get calipers from gm cars to use with the kit. www.tsmmfg.com

Ah...It's all becoming clear to me now.... :salut:
 
superdart said:
Well...I really like the idea of 4 wheel disc, less weight, .

Less weight?
I don't think so...
Front disc brakes weight more than drum brakes, i think those rear disc brakes are the same?

If you go to drag race, weight counts...
I wan't those rear discs too 'cause my wife is an happy with the drum brakes at circle track, she love's to drag race and she love to race at circle track but our 10" rear drums get a little wild at the circle track...

Has somebody buy those rear disc and put it to the scale to get actual weight?
 
Wilwoods front disc brake kit takes off around 40lbs versus the drums. The factory discs may way the same as drums but not the aftermarket brakes, thye use a lot of aluminum parts
 
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