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AAJ brakes - Opinions?


Barsteel

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Hello!

 

This is my first post.  Last week, I was lucky enough to work a trade on Craigs List for a 52 Plymouth coupe with 29,000 original miles and the most rust free body I've ever seen on a car of that age.  It does need some love, interior, brakes, gas tank, etc, but it's all there except for the hubcaps.  The plan is to get it to start, run, and stop reliably, then upgrade the transmission and/or rear end so that it can cruise on the highway.

 

First job is a 12V conversion, then the brakes.  With my other old cars (mostly Chevys), I'd swap out the rear for more favorable gearing and better bendix brakes, and back the engine up with a T5.  For the Pllymouth, I plan on using Scarebird's conversion to get discs on the front, but I'm not sure as to what I should do for the rear.  I'm not sure because I found a company that makes disc conversions for '35 and up Chrysler cars, including my '52 Plymouth.  It's at www.tsmmfg.com.  If I can retain the original rear, convert it to discs, and swap in a T5 for the 3 speed, is there ANY reason I should NOT use the original rear?  My understanding is that it's got a 3.9 ratio, which will work well with the OD on a T5.  I have ZERO experience with Chrysler products from the 50s, so I don't know if there are any inherent weaknesses or drawbacks in the original rear end.

 

Are there?

 

I hope not, because if I can get away with a brake swap on the original axle and use a T5 to make the car highway-worthy, it will save me a ton of work.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

Chris
Monroe, CT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hello!

 

Posted this in error in the tech archives section...sorry 'bout that...noob mistake...Anyway...

 

This is my first post. Last week, I was lucky enough to work a trade on Craigs List for a 52 Plymouth coupe with 29,000 original miles and the most rust free body I've ever seen on a car of that age. It does need some love, interior, brakes, gas tank, etc, but it's all there except for the hubcaps. The plan is to get it to start, run, and stop reliably, then upgrade the transmission and/or rear end so that it can cruise on the highway.

 

First job is a 12V conversion, then the brakes. With my other old cars (mostly Chevys), I'd swap out the rear for more favorable gearing and better bendix brakes, and back the engine up with a T5. For the Pllymouth, I plan on using Scarebird's conversion to get discs on the front, but I'm not sure as to what I should do for the rear. I'm not sure because I found a company that makes disc conversions for '35 and up Chrysler cars, including my '52 Plymouth. It's at www.tsmmfg.com. If I can retain the original rear, convert it to discs, and swap in a T5 for the 3 speed, is there ANY reason I should NOT use the original rear? My understanding is that it's got a 3.9 ratio, which will work well with the OD on a T5. I have ZERO experience with Chrysler products from the 50s, so I don't know if there are any inherent weaknesses or drawbacks in the original rear end.

 

Are there?

 

I hope not, because if I can get away with a brake swap on the original axle and use a T5 to make the car highway-worthy, it will save me a ton of work.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

Chris
Monroe, CT

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did not say it did not work..was only saying simplicity at its best it is not...as we all know we work with thing available and the fact that these are so plentiful in the junkyards says scores..personally with the advance made over the years I would look at a bit more modern shoe in the hat setup..

Edited by Plymouthy Adams
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello!

 

I'm planning a disc brake upgrade to my '52 Plymouth coupe.  I'm going to keep the original rear end and convert it to disc brakes along with discs in the front and a dual pot MC.

 

I've done some digging, and found that several companies make the disc brake conversion kits, namely Scarebird (fronts), AAJ (front, rear, and MC), ECI (front and MC), and the Street Rod Manufacturing Company (front and rear).

 

I've heard a lot of good things about Scarebird, so I've decided to use their kit for the front discs.  For the MC, I've read here that the ECI kit requires some tweaking, and that the lines are difficult to route because the exit on the driver's side of the MC as used in the bracket.  AAJ offers a MC kit that appears to be well engineered, but has anyone here used their kit?  Any watch-outs for their MC kit, or anything else I should know about either one?

 

As far as the rears go, same questions about AAJ and Street Rod Manufacturing.  I used SRM's kit on my '64 Galaxie, and it works well...like most of these kits, it uses the early 80s Eldorado calipers so that you can have parking brakes.

 

Anyone have input on either of their kits for the rears?

 

Thanks...

 

Chris

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Chris,

I installed the AAJ kits on both the front and rear of my '41 Plymouth and was pleased with both.

The rear uses the original brake drum hub so there is no parking brake other than what is at the rear of the transmission.

I have since replaced my rear end with one out of an Explorer and I am using the disc brakes that came with it.

If you would be interested in my AAJ rear brake parts plus the rear hubs just send me a PM.

Jim Yergin

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Jim -

 

Thank you for input and the offer.

 

My understanding of AAJ brakes was that you could order them with a provision for rear parking brakes using Eldorado calipers.  Can I assume that your kit did not use those calipers?  Also, would you know if the rear end from a '41 is the same as a '52?

 

Again, thanks, as this is my first '50s Mopar.

 

Chris

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Jim -

 

Thank you for input and the offer.

 

My understanding of AAJ brakes was that you could order them with a provision for rear parking brakes using Eldorado calipers.  Can I assume that your kit did not use those calipers?  Also, would you know if the rear end from a '41 is the same as a '52?

 

Again, thanks, as this is my first '50s Mopar.

 

Chris

Chris,

That is correct, my kit did not use Eldorado calipers. I believe the rear end is the same but I do not know that for a fact.

Jim

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I am using AAJbrakes for both the front and rear of my 50 Desoto.  I am completely done with the rears and still working on the fronts.  I was very happy with the way the rears came together and his customer service.  Very nice guy and quality parts (brackets, bolts, etc).  Here are a few pictures of the rears.  The fronts take a little more work as you have to thread the spindle holes and do a bit of grinding. 

 

Matt

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AAJ makes first class products, so you should not have issues with whatever they supply.  IMHO however, I would be swapping the rear for either an Exploder or Cherokee, either disc or drum. The single important advantage is simply that parts for a 2000 (or whatever) axle will be around for a very long time.  Eldorado parts? iffy....

Also, be sure to check out Robert Horne's 5-speed swap: 5 speed not t5

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AAJ makes first class products, so you should not have issues with whatever they supply.  IMHO however, I would be swapping the rear for either an Exploder or Cherokee, either disc or drum. The single important advantage is simply that parts for a 2000 (or whatever) axle will be around for a very long time.  Eldorado parts? iffy....

Also, be sure to check out Robert Horne's 5-speed swap: 5 speed not t5

I am real happy with the TK5 Ranger trans.

The 3.9 rear was lower than I liked, and with the Ranger 3.7 gear, my Coupe is better.

I put a 100 mile ride on it last month. Did very good.

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The TSM rear kit does not work on the late 1940's early 1950's MOPARS.  They have not provision for holding the seal.

 

I designed and made a plate and used the part of their kit from that plate to the calipers.  I am using the eldo calipers with the mechanical built in parking brake.

 

I had a set of cables made up by Control Cables in LA, using their junction plate between the single cable and the two cables to the wheels.

 

I also had my machine shop do the following WHICH IS NECESSARY if you want the rears to work correctly: You need to take the rear hub (without the drum) and the axle and put it into a lathe.  The nut needs to be tight and torqued.  Then the face of the hub needs to be turned to be a parpendicular to the axle as possible.  Then bolt on the rotor and make sure it is perpendicular as well.

 

I also had my guy make two "rivet alingment bolts".  What this part does is replace the alightment stud with a new stude with a small hole across it for screwing into and holding the rotor in place.  It also allows you to hang the wheel until you get the bolts in.

 

On my Desoto's the rear fenders hang down so low that with studs getting a wheel and tire on would be a pain unless the body is lifted up a long way.  With the original bolts there is a bunch more clearance.

 

The reason for the machine work is that the tapper on the axle makes getting the rotor to spin true an issue.  If it has any runout left to right the brakes will pulse.  I know of several shops that will not build kits to do rear conversions on these due to this issue.  Once done, you have to keep the rotor and axle as a matched set.  New rotor and you may have to do it again.

 

One last thing.  The mechanical advantage on the 1949 Desoto parking brake handle is not enough to lock the eldo calipers.  I have power brakes on this car and I need to press the brake down and then pull the handle to get it to lock.  Keep in mind I am in San Franisco and test this on a VERY steep hill.  I am planning on making a bell-crank to increase the mechanical advantage.  I just have not gotten around to it yet.

 

My machinist may still have the rear plates in his computer.  He jet cut them.

 

Best, James

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  • 3 months later...

resurrection.  I have a question. I will ask the folks at AAJ if no one here has an answer.  I have an AAJ rear disc kit. Everything bolts right on like it's suppose to. But, when I try and put the caliper on with the brake discs the front disc is too thick to go over and still have the caliper bolt on in the back.  I can think of three possibilities, 1. the spacers on the back bracket are too long, 2. the pads are too thick or 3.  the rotor isn't going on deep enough.  Has anyone had this problem?

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