Are these calipers on correct?

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GeorgeGerhard

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Hello everone
I went to Napa today to but a new left side caliper, went I got home it noticed they gave me a right. I went back they said now they gave me they left as I asked.
If I use the one they gave me the bleeder valve would be down not the highest point.
The last pic shows the one they gave me for the left
Many thanks for the help
George

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It appears that my calipers and assembly are on wrong. My calipers are towards the rear of the car (aft of the balljoint)
Should the calipers be infront of the balljoint?
Do I have to switch them?
thank you for the help
George
 
On a sbp to lbp conversion the calipers often get moved to the rear. Left becomes right and right becomes left.

Use the caliper that puts the bleeder on the top.
 
They come from the factory on the front but can be put on the back too if you want. Either way will work.
 
It doesn't matter really. The factory placed the caliper at the 11 o'clock position ( ahead of the ball joint ). If you have or intend to have the early style sway bar you would need the claipers moved to the 1 o'clock position. There is no problem other than make sure you dont strecth or pinch the fluid hose.
 
Well yeah I guess asking for a right when you need a left is another probelm with the switcharoo. I'll add that I never replace just one caliper.
 
If you're going to rear mount the calipers then you need to order a caliper that is designed to be rear hung. This is a fairly simple concept but most people have a problem understanding it. For some reason lots of Mopar guys use the wrong parts and end up with the same situation that you have in your picture. The calipers from a late model FMJ should work better for you.
 
If you're going to rear mount the calipers then you need to order a caliper that is designed to be rear hung. This is a fairly simple concept but most people have a problem understanding it. For some reason lots of Mopar guys use the wrong parts and end up with the same situation that you have in your picture. The calipers from a late model FMJ should work better for you.

Can you elaborate? What is a late model FMJ?
 
FMJ's are the bent bar cars. Volare, Aspen, Dippy, 5th Ave, etc. You know those rust buckets that clog up the wrecking yards? Most of the car is junk but they do have excellent front disc brakes on them. Starting somewhere around 1980 those cars got rear hung calipers with a rear mounted hard line. That makes them the perfect caliper to use for rear hung applications. The bleeder is at the top, the inlet is at the bottom, etc. The are slider calipers and will work with either 10.78 or 11.75 caliper adapters.

This is such a weird deal. The factory built the right parts for people to use on these swaps yet 90% of the brake swaps I see are screwed up by people using the wrong parts. I never have figured that out. The correct parts are just sitting there in the wrecking yard for people to use but lots of Mopar guys insist on jacking around with the wrong parts.
 
There have been several threads on here that say the later model stuff can't be used! I asked the question a few years back cause I had an 80 or 81 Diplomat and sent the brakes to the junker....how much of it can you use..just the calipers? or can you use rotors, shields, hubs, etc???? How about the upper control arms??

Dave
 
There have been several threads on here that say the later model stuff can't be used! I asked the question a few years back cause I had an 80 or 81 Diplomat and sent the brakes to the junker....how much of it can you use..just the calipers? or can you use rotors, shields, hubs, etc???? How about the upper control arms??

Dave

I will be using on my 65 wagon the spindles and dust shields, etc from the 80 J Body I parted out. Going with new rotors and calipers spec'd for the J Body. Still have to use the 73-76 large ball joint UCA
 
So I screwed up letting them go...Ok..and the alternative to the 73 upper is a tubular?
 
The late model stuff works fine on earlier cars. You just have to know who to listen to on these forums. Some people know what they are talking about and some don't.

Firm Feel makes upper control arms that are designed to work with the taller knuckles off of the FMJ cars. A set of those control arms with the taller knuckles, rear hung calipers and 11.75 rotors makes a great street setup. Custom hoses make a clean install.

One little known fact is that the taller FMJ knuckles actually weigh less than the shorter A/E body knuckles. If you're interested in unsprung weight then that is another reason to use the late model stuff.
 
The FJM calipers are NEARLY identical to the 73-76 A body slider calipers. The fiirst difference is the A body calipers use a 2.6" piston bore, the FJM 2.75" bore. The second difference;the physical layout of the inlet / bleeder ports are NOT identical. For me, I've found that either (A or FJM) caliper will work fine if rear or front hung.

If moving to rear hung, the right caliper becomes the left, and vice-versa. no biggie. You just need to be careful of 2 thing: 1) bleeder screws are in the top position. 2) CAREFUL routing of the hoses are a must. I use 73 Disk brake hoses in the front AND rear position, and just route them accordingly. I find that the calipers on the back side are easier to fit especially on the early A's (63-66) with sway bars.

My preference??? I prefer the FJM calipers for 3 reasons: 1) they are much cheaper to buy. 2) the larger piston bore gives more braking force at the rotor. (Force = Pressure x Area) 3) are actually designed for front or rear mounting (see rock auto description)

I've done this swap several times. I have rear mounted the calipers on early A's, front hang them on later As (as stock). No difference at all in performance. As a side note, I've also used FJM spindles AND 73+ spindles. No diff. in road manners ever encountered. FJM are more plentiful and cheaper (never mind the bump steer controversy.....but that's another thread).

Here are some of the swaps that I've done;

Car picture 1 is of a 65 Barracuda with 73 Hoses, FJM calipers, rear mounted. (2010)
Car Picture 2 is of a 75 Dart with 73 Hoses, 73+ A body calipers, front mounted (stock) position. (2008)
Car picture 3 is of a 64 Valiant with rear mounted 73+ A body calipers. Notice the same brake hose, routed slightly different for the rear mounted 73+ A body caliper. (2006)
Car picture 4 is a 72 Scamp, 73 Hoses, 73+ A body calipers, rear mounted. (2003)
Car picture 5 is a 71 Coronet, B body (drum to disk conversion), 73+ A body calipers. (2005)

FWIW: I'm doing 2 other conversion in the coming months; 73 Dart Sport and a 65 Belvedere are both getting rear mounted FJM calipers!

Caliper Information:
Rockauto: 80 Diplomat: A-1 CARDONE Part # 184145 {Unloaded; [Caliper w/Installation Hardware] Reman.}
Front Right; w/Forward Mount Calipers; OE Phenolic Piston
Front Left; w/Rear Mount Calipers; OE Phenolic Piston

The picture of this caliper is in the 3 image picture. Note the bleeder and inlet are on opposite sides of the housing.

Rockauto: 75 Dart: A-1 CARDONE Part # 164068 {Loaded; [Caliper w/Installation Hardware & Pad] Reman.}
Front Left; OE Metal Piston;Semi-Metallic Pads

The 4 image picture for this caliper image. Note the bleeder and inlet are on the same side of the housing.

SPECIAL NOTE! 1977-78 FJM calipers will have the 2.75" bore AND the bleeder / inlet configuration of the A body calipers!!!!

In short? My OPINION (do you own research for sure, I'm not responsible for what you do)...here is what I would do:

In replacing 73-76 A body calipers for a customer, I'd use the correct 2.6" bore A body calipers.
In replacing 73-76 A body calipers in MY car, I'd use the larger bore 76-78 FJM calipers in the stock front position for a little more braking force.
In replacing 73-76 A body calipers in MY car, mounting to the rear, I'd use the larger bore 79+ FJM calipers with the opposite side inlet / bleeders config.

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Thanks very much for all the details concerning the FMJ disc conversion, also big thanks to Andy F on the Firm Feel UCA info.!
 
If you elect to mount the calipers on the rear versus the front utilizing factory components from the later model 73 up mopars that were designed to mount on the front or forward position (1 o’clock position) does it require using the spindles from opposite sides? ( left spindle relos to right side and right to left).
 
If you elect to mount the calipers on the rear versus the front utilizing factory components from the later model 73 up mopars that were designed to mount on the front or forward position (1 o’clock position) does it require using the spindles from opposite sides? ( left spindle relos to right side and right to left).
Caliper mounts only one way to spindle so yes spindle with caliper mount and caliper get switched left for right. Steering arm is formed on lower ball joint so those stay where they were, right and left.
 
There have been several threads on here that say the later model stuff can't be used! I asked the question a few years back cause I had an 80 or 81 Diplomat and sent the brakes to the junker....how much of it can you use..just the calipers? or can you use rotors, shields, hubs, etc???? How about the upper control arms??

Dave

Spindle Comparison
 
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