I have to put a complete front and rear suspension under my new project. I have never done this under a early A body before. Any help or comments would be appreciated. I started looking thru my parts stash last night. I have a 66 Valiant K member, and a 74 Duster complete disc brake setup and 8 1/4 rear end. I am thinking I will need the upper, lower control arms, inner and outer tie rod ends, spindles, disc, combination valve, new manual disc brake master cyl. and calipers off of the 74 Duster. The V-8 center link, steering box, pitman and idler arms off of the 66 Valiant, and new torsion bars for a V-8 A body. I have the Early A body motor mounts and new insulators, and a V-8 throttle pedal and cable. I have a 66 up 904 and will cut a new driveshaft. I will order the new shifter cables for a later style transmission and use the stock floor shifter. Anything I am missing or that any of you know will not work together? I have never done a later disc conversion on a early A body, but have read and thought it out and think I have everything covered.
Putting a 4 1/2" disc brakes on my 65 Valiant Signet
- Thread starter B-onefan
- Start date
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grumpuscreature
Resident Curmudgeon
Pardon my ignorance, but what kind of shape is the '65 Signet in? Running car? Roller? Gutted shell? If it's a runner or roller, you won't need the '66 K, the inner and outer tie rod ends, steering box, Pitman arm, idler arm, or the lower control arms unless what you have on the car is trashed and needs to be replaced anyway. You will need the V8 center link if you are doing a V8 swap. From the '74 Duster you will need the upper control arms, lower ball joints, spindles, brakes, and prop valve. You can use the Duster master cylinder if you like your brakes to feel like stepping on a rock. I prefer a '74 Charger manual disc master. It has a smaller piston than the Duster one and if you didn't know better you'd think you had power brakes. That's what I used when I did this swap on a '66 Valiant. You will also need a set of Moog offset upper control arm bushings to get enough camber adjustment for radial tires, or just replace the front tires every 15-20K miles because they are slick on the outside...
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
I bought the car as a complete body. The previous owner removed and threw away the k member, all the front suspension and the rear suspension. I bought it as a parts car, but have decided to put it back together. That is why I was using the k frame out of the 66 parts car I have. Thanks for the suggestion on the master cyl and offset bushings. I have a complete front end rebuild set of ball joints, tie rods, upper and lower control arm bushings and all that. Do you happen to have the offset bushings part #? I also have a V-8 center link from a 65 Dart GT.
Thanks, Joe. I knew I had seen this list somewhere, just couldn't remember where.
I am also planning on moving the springs into the frame rail and putting these wheels on it. The previous owner cut out the inner wheel wells so I will have to tub it to the frame rails. The outside wheel opening will be left stock. 15x4.5 in the front and 15x8.5 (as best as I can tell, will change as needed)in the rear.
Here are pictures of the cut outs and the fuel cell he mounted. I'm not sure I will keep it there. He did it right, but I prefer to have it mounted under the car. He did cut out and weld over the spare tire well, and that will stay, I just will mount a tank under the car. I would love to find a stock type tank, but without the tire well cutout.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Post #2 covered it well. The only part I would change is that the Moog offset bushings are to give more CASTER, not camber. Caster doesn't affect tire wear, it is the "shopping cart wheels" effect where the wheels want to follow the car. Makes for easier steering and critical if you ever flat-tow the car. Look in rockauto for "Moog offset bushings". Install them correctly for more caster, which is opposite the directions in the Moog box (meant to fix collision damage). Search for posts here with photos.
It sounds like many of the parts to swap are simply because they are missing. Otherwise, you could re-use the 65's LCA's and K-frame. I assume your 8.25" rear-end is BBP like your new front disks will be, so you can carry one spare.
Any MC will work. A dual reservoir one is smartest. I like the later 2-bolt aluminum ones (can buy an adapter plate). Who needs more heavy, rusty iron on their car?
It sounds like many of the parts to swap are simply because they are missing. Otherwise, you could re-use the 65's LCA's and K-frame. I assume your 8.25" rear-end is BBP like your new front disks will be, so you can carry one spare.
Any MC will work. A dual reservoir one is smartest. I like the later 2-bolt aluminum ones (can buy an adapter plate). Who needs more heavy, rusty iron on their car?
grumpuscreature
Resident Curmudgeon
Offset bushings are Moog K7103. $22.79 @ Rock Auto for the pair. Your alignment man can tell you if they are needed or not. Mine did. Yours may not. Didn't know you were fixing up somebody else's castoff. Good on you and carry on. FWIW either the '74 or '66 lower control arms will work for you...
Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
Here is a very good write up with a list of donor cars and pictures of the work being done. It will be a good resource to use with the link Joe posted.
A Body Disc Brake Swap 101
Ordering K7103 only has the bushings to do one upper control arm so you have to order two packages.
Also you can use this code for a 5% discount at Rock Auto so that will help you out. 2508238123397131 or 249328589308968 good until nov 2
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=90216
A Body Disc Brake Swap 101
Ordering K7103 only has the bushings to do one upper control arm so you have to order two packages.
Also you can use this code for a 5% discount at Rock Auto so that will help you out. 2508238123397131 or 249328589308968 good until nov 2
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=90216
Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
Enter the 5% discount code in the "How Did You Hear About Us?" box.
Thanks for the info and part #'s. I have a set of stock replacement upper control are bushings. Would it be better to just install the offset bushing from the beginning or try the stock first and then if needed install the offset? Any reason NOT to install the offset to begin with? I have several sets of upper arms and guess I could install the standard bushings on one set and the offset on another. I have a few more projects to do, so they will get used anyways.
Yes, this was someone's castoff. He bought the car for $1500, drove it home 200 miles, pulled it apart to build a gasser and never got any farther. That was in 2008, by they title paperwork. His marriage fell apart and he needed it gone from his ex- wife's garage. I stepped up and bought it off of ebay for less than $500 like you see it now. I only wish I could have got it before he pulled it apart, but then I would feel bad about pulling it apart. It is so much easier on my mind to change something up that someone else has already pulled apart.
Thanks, will do
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
I have read that if you install adjustable strut rods, you won't need offset UCA bushings. The goal is to move the lower ball joint forward, to give more caster. Also, better the Moog "improved" strut rod bushings, instead of the factory 1-piece rubber.
Thanks again, Bill!! Any idea of a Moog part # or application for the improved strut rod bushings?
And thanks to all of you for the input.
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Rockauto, Autozone, & others list the "improved" strut rod bushings. They are a pair of round rubber disks, for each side. I recall getting them in polyurethane. The factory 1-piece "Michelin Man" looking rubber part must be squashed thru the hole (tough) and the sheet metal proceeds to cut into it's side over time.
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