Brakes and Suspension?

[Shawn F.]

I have a 46 Chrysler Windsor (3 window business coupe) and I am wanting to do the disk brake swap front and back on this thing. Some tell me not to do it and others say yes. I think I've made my mind up and am going to just go ahead and do it to be on the safe side. What I am wondering though is this...

Which brand should I go with? I know there is Jim Wilson that sells a kit (but not for the 3 window coupe which is supposedly different), AAJ brakes said they dont but Roger from there said to call him (which I haven't done yet) because he might be able to make me up something, Rusty Hope but I hear that you have to drill your steering knuckles and once you do that you can't go back to drums. What I want to do is keep this car where I can put it all back to original since I hear that it is very rare and everyone tells me to keep it as original as possible. I plan to change a few things like brakes, tranny, lower it a little but nothing permanent, I want to be able to put it back to stock if I ever have to.

There is also Scarebird, SS brakes, MP brakes, ECI, and maybe one other I can't think of. Anyway's I'd really appreciate any information from those of you that have installed one of these kits and what you like about it, how easy it was to instal, etc. I will have 1000 bucks soon and as of right now I have NO brakes on the car since it's been sitting for 10 years so if I can do a disk brake system front and back and have a dual master cylinder then that would be great!

Thanks in advance!

Shawn-

[PatS....]

"Rusty Hope but I hear that you have to drill your steering knuckles and once you do that you can't go back to drums. What I want to do is keep this car where I can put it all back to original"

Going back to original with Charlie's kit is simple because you will be using Plymouth spindles for his kit. That leaves your original Chrysler spindles untouched.

I have a '49 Chrysler and am using Charlies kit. He supplied the Plymouth spindles to which his kit bolts. And they were already drilled and tapped. Talk about service

[Shawn F.]

Does he make a rear end disk brake kit as well? What I want to do is get fat man's dropped uprights (I want to lower this car 3-4 inches all the way around), get all new brake lines and hoses, disk brakes up front and out back, dual MC, and a complete front end rebuild kit.

I am hoping to be able to do everything there besides the dropped uprights, front end rebuild and brake lines for around 1200 bucks if possible. Think that it's possible for that price range to do the disk up front and back with the hoses and dual MC?

Also, where is the best place to get a COMPLETE front end rebuild kit? Do they make polyurethane ones for this or anything like that? I figured that since I will be under the car doing this I might as well go all the way and paint it and rebuild it all, run new brake lines and DOT 5 fluid.

Thanks again!

[Shawn F.]

Oh also, will doing the disk brake upgrade allow me to keep my stock wheels and bolt pattern?

[knuckleharley]

Oh also, will doing the disk brake upgrade allow me to keep my stock wheels and bolt pattern?

You won't be able to keep your stock wheels because of clearance problems with the calipers.

You can use modern 15 inch radials with modern Mopar wheels as long as you make sure you specify a 4.5 inch bolt pattern when you order the rotors.

[Jeff.P_46]

Hi Shawn,

I'm also working on a '46 3-window, just ordered a front-end rebuild kit from Kantor and a dual mc with booster and pedal kit from piratejack.net ($169 and it is MB). I'm going to order the dropped uprights from Fatmans and the disc brake kit from ECI.

Jeff

[Rodger S-11]

Shawn

If you have an wooden framed tube radio, would you tear off the wood to have plastic side since it takes a beatting much better than wood. Or change the tubes since it takes a moment to warm up ???

Do not tailgate and drive like it is an older vehicle and the need for disc brakes does not compute.

Rodger & Gabby

COS

[PatS....]

Shawn

If you have an wooden framed tube radio, would you tear off the wood to have plastic side since it takes a beatting much better than wood. Or change the tubes since it takes a moment to warm up ???

Do not tailgate and drive like it is an older vehicle and the need for disc brakes does not compute.

Rodger & Gabby

COS

What about the MORONS who cut in front of you in the area you leave for the extra following distance and then the a$$hole slams on his brakes? The disc's sure as he!! compute THEN!!!!!!

If the roads were empty or full of professional drivers, then maybe the disc's are not needed. Cell-phone yakking daydreaming MORONS are a fact of life and to me the disc's will give me the extra bit of safety that I need these days sharing the road with MORONS.

[Shawn F.]

Again, sorry for late response guys. I don't get email notifications through this forum for some reason even though I have it checked to get instant ones. Anyways, that is the exact reason I want them. I have a 66 F100 with manual brakes, drums out back and disk conversion up front and that isn't enough still. I put a new motor in it and just got it going about 2 months ago and right when I was driving it home from the new exhaust shop a ricer slammed on it's brakes to make a turn and I didn't see it because there was a big rig and trailor in front of me. He slammed his on and I slammed mine. I was 3 or more car lengths behind the big rig and I went into a skid and it was loud and the truck driver let off the brakes for a few feet and then stopped completely. If he didn't let up for those few feet I would have been in his back end. So for that vehicle I will go ahead and add power brakes now as well. I will check out those sites and look into this. I have a dirtbike I need to sell and will have about 1500 bucks to spend on this car and I would like to get all new brakes, brake lines, MC and fuel lines for it and get this thing going with about that amount of money if POSSIBLE...???

Thanks for all the information guys! I will actually put a link in the other forum section to here so that way I get more responses.

Shawn-

[builtfercomfort]

I don't know of any disc brake swap with that vintage rear end. Check out Scarebird and plan on getting some machining done, at least, if you want to keep the rear end.

There are a number of complete rear end swaps you can do - I've bought a complete Ford Explorer disc brake (Ford 8.8) rear end that I'm planning on installing. Other people have had good luck with Chrysler 8.75 of the right width (out of old Dusters? not sure), and (I believe) Ford Maverick V8 (Ford 9 inch). All these options keep your 5-on-4.5 rear lug pattern. You probably need one about 60 inches at the wheel mounting surface - measure it yourself before buying anything.

If you do a rear end swap you will need a new driveline - I don't know much about that yet, a future project for me.

I've heard Plydo sells disc brake fronts that let you run GM pattern wheels, so you could use a GM rear with that kit. Charlie's (rustyhope.com) set lets you keep the stock wheels. Other folks can chime in on ECI and others.

Some of the stopping problems are tire related - if you use the widest tire you can fit your stopping will improve - as will running radials.

[Shawn F.]

I dont know what to do about the rear end yet. I am totally up for anything. As for the tires, I will run wide whites in radials and wider than what is stock and on there for sure. I'd like to keep the wheels or at least be able to keep the stock like hub caps on it.

What would be the advantages of keeping the stock unit over a later model rear end besides all the work that would be needed? Right now the thing doesn't have ANY brakes. I added new fluid, and bled, etc but the wheel cylinders are old, the lines are rusty and the hoses are not going to last with any pressure put on them so everything needs to be changed.