hello, I am converting my 65 barracuda to a v8. I purchased the k member for a v8. But since I have it tore down , I want to put disc brakes on it. My question is what other cars will work?
Cautions:
- 65-72 A-bodies used LH thread lug studs on the driver's side of the car. The lug stud will have a L stamped into the end of it. A lot of these have been broken off and replaced with RH thread pieces. Paying attention can keep the knurled area of the stud from getting wallowed out by trying to over-tighten the lug.
- The 65 Barracuda originally came with 13 inch wheels, except the Formula S which had 14s. These will not fit disk brakes. It takes at least a 14 inch wheel to clear the caliper.
- The upper ball joint threads into upper control arm. (Haynes manual lies on this one.) Once the spindle is separated, the ball joint is removed with a special socket (and a LOT of effort). Suggest that the ball joint be removed with the upper control arm mounted in the car.
- There are three different sizes for the ball joint socket. The smallest socket is used on A-bodies up to the end of the 72 model year. The middle socket is used on 73 and later A-bodies as well as just about everything else Mopar made. The largest socket was used for body-on-frame Imperials and trucks.
The easiest swap is to find a 65-72 A-body with disk brakes from a salvage yard. These are a four piston, fixed caliper design that were made by Kelsey-Hayes. Besides the spindle with every thing attached, you'll need the master cylinder and the proportioning valve from the donor car. I recommend a 67 and later setup as it has a dual master cylinder. This is easier because the hub on this swap uses the same 4-inch 5 bolt pattern that the car has on it. It seems that 14 inch wheels are more common on 69-72 cars.
The more difficult swap is to use disk brakes from a 73 and later A-body. These brakes are a single piston, floating caliper design. For this swap, you'll need all the above plus the upper control arm. What makes this more difficult is that the hub uses a 4½-inch 5 bolt pattern.
The advantage is that this opens up a lot more options for aftermarket wheels as the pattern is shared with Ford and AMC. The disadvantage is that after completing this swap, the car will have two different bolt patterns for wheel, 4½" front, 4" rear. This can cause you to: a. Carry two spare tires, one on each type of wheel. b. Gamble that you'll have the correct bolt-pattern wheel as a spare if you have a flat and are only carrying one spare. c. Swap the rear axle to the 4½" bolt pattern.
The 68-70 B-body is also a big bolt pattern disk brake source, too. However, the upper control arm will need to come from a 73 or later A-body. The B-body spindle is a little taller than the A-body, but it fits. There are some front tire camber change issues but not significant unless the car is really pushed. Some who have followed this path report that the camber change characteristic is not noticeable.
While the front end is apart, it is a great time to replace the bushings. Unless the car is going to be used for Autocross or road racing, I recommend rubber replacement bushings. They provide a more pleasant ride and don't squeak like some polyurethane bushings do.
