SSBC/KH calipers

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rmchrgr

rmchrgr

Skate And Destroy
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OK gang, I am looking to change the front brakes on my Duster from the current 10" drums to disc. I have small bolt Centerlines on there which I really like so I decided I was going to stay with the 4" bolt pattern.

I have read and re-read all I could about front disc swaps. I've done them before but I never knew that the '73-up spindles change track width. I really like the look and stance of my car as it is and didn't want it to change even just a little.

So I went out and scored a set of 67-72 Kelsey Hayes disc brake spindles. Now, I know I can get the OE cast iron calipers and parts from a few sources but I want to save weight. I have been looking at the SSBC aluminum replacement calipers. I can not, however for the life of me figure out exactly which ones I need.

I believe there are two versions, one is sort of like a 'race' version and the other is a 'stock replacement' deal.

Does anyone have a part # for their aluminum direct bolt-in replacement caliper?

I also plan to use the OE-type rotors from Rock Auto.

Thanks for any info.
 
All the Kelsey Hays calipers that I have ever ran accross to fit our 72 back a-bodies are the factory cast iron.

I hope you also got the original rotors because the replacement rotors have no hubs of studs. they are just like the front wheel drice rotors. There sre some special brakets that are must have that go on the calipers that are not available new and they are hard to find.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
All the Kelsey Hays calipers that I have ever ran accross to fit our 72 back a-bodies are the factory cast iron.
Click to expand...

I'm asking about the Stainless Steel Brake Co. replacement aluminum ones...

Oklacarcollecto said:
I hope you also got the original rotors because the replacement rotors have no hubs of studs. they are just like the front wheel drice rotors. There sre some special brakets that are must have that go on the calipers that are not available new and they are hard to find.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... AFAIK, OE-type rotors are available from places like Rock Auto, Master Power and SSBC. Not sure about the hubs, you could be correct.

Don't know about the brackets either, I thought the caliper bolted to the spindle. Again, I could be incorrect.
 
rmchrgr said:
I'm asking about the Stainless Steel Brake Co. replacement aluminum ones...



Hmmm... AFAIK, OE-type rotors are available from places like Rock Auto, Master Power and SSBC. Not sure about the hubs, you could be correct.

Don't know about the brackets either, I thought the caliper bolted to the spindle. Again, I could be incorrect.
Click to expand...

Look at the picture on the Rock Auto or anywhere else and all they show is the rotor. Bracket is for the brake hose attachment to the caliper.
 
These are the caliper hose brakets and bolts.

attachment.php
 
This is hemi71x posting.
Yes, i have a few 65-72 small bolt pattern, 4 piston, Kelsey Hayes, disc brake set up's in stock, ready to go.
And no, Drum spindles, are not the same as Disc spindles.
Totally different animals.

Caliper hose brackets, and bolts are pretty much unobtanium, hens teeth, dinosaur eggs, to find now-a-days.
And disc brake hubs are getting close to be put on that list too.
Jim V.

Oops, just re-read your posting.
No, DRUM hubs are Not the same as DISK hubs.
 
rmchrgr said:
Are the hubs the same as drums?
Click to expand...

As hemi71x said they are not the same. You only have one piece of the pie and to gather everything you need will be expensive. You will be money ahead to buy a complete set up.

SBP Kelsey Hayes Caliper Core Prices

The left caliper is $56.25 and the right caliper is $45.00 at Rock Auto and then you have to ship them back on your dime. They have some with cheaper cores but the caliper cost is much higher so you will even pay more.

O'Reilly Auto Parts the core is just $30.00 in addition to the caliper price of $154.99 each.

The last time I tried NAPA they could only get them if you sent your core in and had it rebuilt so you pay shipping both ways.

Even after you have bought the cores there are still the cross-over lines and other parts that you must have that isn't with the rebuilt caliper.

If you are trying to maintain the left handed threads on your disc brakes guess what. Those studs are long ago discontinued and are about if not impossible to find new so you must locate used ones.

If your car has 10 inch brakes now you can use the wheel bearings and the grease cup but that is it. Everything else you will have to find. If you find the parts cheap one at a time then shipping will eat you up. Honestly buy a set where all the parts are there and you will be way ahead.

I am not trying to give you bad news but just sharing what I learned before I smartened up and started buying complete sets.
 
OK, thanks for all the info but no one has answered my initial question about the SSBC calipers.

Anyone have the part # I am looking for?
 
Thanks. I had seen those parts but was not 100% sure they were what I was looking for. I wanted the part # to reference through Summit. They have several different calipers that look very similar and say they are for this or that application. I even called but the guy on the phone was not terribly helpful.

So, would you actually need that hose bracket thing with those calipers?
 
rmchrgr said:
Thanks. I had seen those parts but was not 100% sure they were what I was looking for. I wanted the part # to reference through Summit. They have several different calipers that look very similar and say they are for this or that application. I even called but the guy on the phone was not terribly helpful.

So, would you actually need that hose bracket thing with those calipers?
Click to expand...

I can't help you there. The Mustangs in that era also used the Kelsey Hayes 4 piston set up but they won't work on our a bodies. Again that was the cast iron so maybe SSBC made something universal to both. I guess if you look up their Mustang calipers and see if they have the same part number.
 
The only thing different between a Mopar, Kelsey Hayes, 4 piston disc brake caliper, and Ford Mustang, Kelsey Hayes, caliper is the way the rubber brake hose is atached to it.
Mustangs have the hose screwed directly into the bottom of the caliper.
65-66 Mustangs used a 3/8 hose fitting, and the 67 Mustangs use a 7/16 fitting.
That's the only difference between a Mopar caliper, and a Mustang caliper.
The way the rubber hose is used on the caliper.
In my opinion, if you don't have the caliper hose brackets for a Mopar application, and can't get them, or don't want to fabricate something up, a Mustang caliper would work just as well now-a-days, with the proper brake hose.
Each manufacturers caliper will bolt onto each others spindle, or mounting bracket.
There is no problem in doing that.
 
hemi71x said:
The only thing different between a Mopar, Kelsey Hayes, 4 piston disc brake caliper, and Ford Mustang, Kelsey Hayes, caliper is the way the rubber brake hose is atached to it.
Mustangs have the hose screwed directly into the bottom of the caliper.
65-66 Mustangs used a 3/8 hose fitting, and the 67 Mustangs use a 7/16 fitting.
That's the only difference between a Mopar caliper, and a Mustang caliper.
The way the rubber hose is used on the caliper.
In my opinion, if you don't have the caliper hose brackets for a Mopar application, and can't get them, or don't want to fabricate something up, a Mustang caliper would work just as well now-a-days, with the proper brake hose.
Each manufacturers caliper will bolt onto each others spindle, or mounting bracket.
There is no problem in doing that.
Click to expand...

Cool. I do know the Mopar and the Mustang share the same brake pads. I checked SSBC's website and the Mustang ones have a different part number the the Mopar ones. The Mustang ones list a 15 inch wheel as the miminum.
 
Got lots of Kelsey Hayes, 4 piston calipers.
Both Mopar, and Mustang.
It's my side line business, rebuilding Mopar front suspension parts, and brake parts.
Jim V.
 

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  • Kelsey Hayes #28 Sparks 020 (Small).JPG
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hemi71x said:
Got lots of Kelsey Hayes, 4 piston calipers.
Both Mopar, and Mustang.
It's my side line business, rebuilding Mopar front suspension parts, and brake parts.
Jim V.
Click to expand...
Hello, Mr. V,
First, I want to thank you for your service. I did not and I wished I had. My father did in SAC.
Second, I'm admittedly an ex-smarty pants when it comes to cars, humbled by the mistakes I've made trying to keep an old boat safe for today's roads. Third, I'm a C-body cousin. My boss told me I should get the Dart, but, my dad had the '300. With that I tell anyone that I have no pride is asking for help. I searched and saw your postings. Your pic of the KHs got me.
'Just starting out, I bought an SSBC kit (4-disc) in 2006. Installed it all by their book and brakes worked, I thought. When I called them back then, explaining I couldn't get the beast to stop on a dime as expected, much less lock a wheel, they told me I had air here and there. 'Nope. I bench bled twice and had both two-man and vacuum bleed. 3 yrs driving like my mom, I put her on blocks to work (long story)... Last year, everything working under hood and elect - in the garage, getting ready to ride. I flush all, new ss lines, hoses, etc. On stands, the wheels stop when in gear. Drive way OK. But, 20-30 MPH, still cannot emergency stop. 2020. Called the "new" SSBC. Much better CS attitude. Man admitted someone should have explained that my booster (Midland-Ross single) may not be enough. Booster Steve got me going on a dual. (I like Steve and Audrey!). Pedal stronger, stopping better, but, not like my drums did. No lock. So, I inspected all the parts I first put in. Rears are Lincoln '88-'91 floats. Fronts are 'Stang '65-'67 KH , but aluminum. However, mine have these pad covers all the across and not like the two clips that I see all over. What went wrong? You can see practically new pads (less than 2k miles ten yrs, ago) and the divits of the steel pad backing into the aluminum? These pads won't slide very well, seems to me. [Oh! I am totally thinking that my MC is and has been at fault from the beginning.]
If you have any comments or suggestions, please fire away. (I can take it, Sir!)
Thank you, humbly,
Leonard

20200725_201735.jpg


20200725_201820.jpg
 
First of all you brought an 8 year old posting back up from the dead.
I pretty much have stopped doing any more brake and suspension rebuilding of parts anymore, due to them being very hard to come across in this day and age, and have also developed lots of health issues in my old age that prevent me from doing things without a lot of grief, and aches and pains, afterwords.

Well, after saying all that, your calipers in the pictures are junk, without getting those divots aluminum welded up, and then flat filed, so the pads can set down, and then slide on the ways, when the brakes are applied, and released.
That is a "BIG" problem with those aftermarket aluminum calipers.
They cannot withstand regular, daily driving, and will get those divots very quickly, in regular driving.

Stock, factory, iron ones, wear in those locations too, but it takes decades of driving for divots to show up.
When rebuilding time comes around, a file is used to file down the divots in the ways, and then the calipers are good to go again for another lifetime.
I have had a few calipers, that needed the divots welded up, as they were pretty deep, but it's an easy job for the welder to do his thing with them.

I completely forgot that i had that many calipers at one time back then.
That's never going to happen again.
Those came from a guy that that sold them to me, from a collection of parts he got from the estate of a Mopar enthusiast that died.
I rebuilt them, and long ago, sold them all off.

KH Calipers 6 Sets.JPG
 
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hemi71x said:
First of all you brought an 8 year old posting back up from the dead.
I pretty much have stopped doing any more brake and suspension rebuilding of parts anymore, due to them being very hard to come across in this day and age, and have also developed lots of health issues in my old age that prevent me from doing things without a lot of grief, and aches and pains, afterwords.

Well, after saying all that, your calipers in the pictures are junk, without getting those divots aluminum welded up, and then flat filed, so the pads can set down, and then slide on the ways, when the brakes are applied, and released.
That is a "BIG" problem with those aftermarket aluminum calipers.
They cannot withstand regular, daily driving, and will get those divots very quickly, in regular driving.

Stock, factory, iron ones, wear in those locations too, but it takes decades of driving for divots to show up.
When rebuilding time comes around, a file is used to file down the divots in the ways, and then the calipers are good to go again for another lifetime.
I have had a few calipers, that needed the divots welded up, as they were pretty deep, but it's an easy job for the welder to do his thing with them.

I completely forgot that i had that many calipers at one time back then.
That's never going to happen again.
Those came from a guy that that sold them to me, from a collection of parts he got from the estate of a Mopar enthusiast that died.

View attachment 1715567990
Click to expand...
Thank you, Sir! You confirmed my concern. Best wishes for your health.
 
C-440-300 said:
Thank you, Sir! You confirmed my concern. Best wishes for your health.
Click to expand...
good luck in finding a (pair) as I wasn't/how ever,, if you have cores (lh/rh) I just had one rebuilt by

Calipers Online - Contact Us
shout out to "MARK" did a "rebuild and replace " on a core //good turn around time even with covid !!! good price !!! if you followed my previous posts//I had an impossible time finding a passenger side caliper
 
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