'69 Charger - Caliper Options

[is_it_EVER_done?]

Ghoste:  The problem I have always found to be universal with the OEM 4 piston calipers (Bendix, Kelsey-Hayes, Budd), is very poor casting quality, meaning very porous, and uneven density. Personally, I would never consider an OEM 4 piston setup regardless of new or rebuilt, but that's just me. If I WAS to use one, I would definitely go with a rebuilt (w/stainless liners) OEM 4 piston caliper over a NOS one (if NOS units even exists nowdays).

All you need to do is look at the SSBC systems that are available. They are also 4 piston units (iron on the base models), yet give excellent, trouble free performance. This shows that the OEM stuff was poorly manufactured, not inherently bad, and if one piece rotors are now available for the OEM system, it should (with rebuilt/re-lined calipers) perform just as well as the SSBC stuff if decent brake pads are available for the OEM calipers. Personally I am not a fan of any of the opposed piston systems (iron or aluminum) as I don't like the pedal pulsation that they give when driven hard (heated), but they still stop quite well.

Though this is off topic of your question and not directed at you, or anybody in particular, I have used, and/or adapted most (if not every) disk system available at one time or another, but I only use (4th gen) single piston sliding calipers w/phenolic pistons, HD 12 inch rotors, and tall (F,M,J type) spindles, on my own cars. However I probably drive my cars far more than anyone else, and beat the hell out of them frequently, and for performance street use I have found the stated set-up to be superior (due to experementation, not prejudice), However, even small drum systems can be suitable if your use/driving style and environment will safely allow it, BUT I believe that antique brakes should never be considered for high performance, or even general driving. In my opinion ancient brakes that have not been upgraded/maximized, and are only being used because they were "original" and are just as dangerous to others as driving drunk!

[Ghoste]

Well, I'm only considering oem because it's what my car came with.  Even at 200 bucks a pop for rotors and whatever it takes to get my calipers rebuilt, I'm many many dollars ahead of converting to a completely different setup.  Since the car doesn't get driven hard and frequently anymore it's a right choice in my case.

[resq302]

ghoste,

The parts for the 4 piston brakes are pretty expensive which is why most people switch to the single large piston slider type.  Rebuilt single piston sliders are relatively cheap and readily available.  The same goes for the same set up rotors.  The 4 piston calipers I have heard can cost like $200 a side to rebuild them and more if you get the stainless sleeves.  Your typical single piston slider type caliper (which I have on my charger now and converting back for originality purposes) can be got at most any auto parts store and might cost you $35 for a reman'd one. 

Granted, the later style single large piston slider caliper set up seems to be better not only in cost, but in performance also.  However, when originality counts........stock it is.

If you are not going for an original look (and chances are unless they know your specific car, they wont be able to tell) the later caliper set up should work fine.

Here is just a quick breakdown of what I had to pay for my set up to revert it back to stock:

Pair of 4 piston reman'd calipers -       $400
Pair of Rotors -                                $400
Machine cost to get hub cut down for
   calipers to clear repro rotors            $75
Brake Pads                                       $46
Bearings-Inner & Outer with seals        $65
Pair of Rubber flex brake line               $44
Used spindles and backing plates        $125
Steel brake line from caliper to
  flex brake hose                               $16
                                                 --------------
TOTAL                                          $1171

(getting your car back to factory specs....... PRICELESS)

Seriously though, if you are going back to the factory set up because of the cost factor, I would seriously weigh your options as the above price it cost me and what a later, better set up would be is basically the same, if not cheaper if you get it used.  Remember, the parts for the later set ups cost a lot less than what the original factory set up does.  With that being said, the repro rotors that I got (and from what I have heard is only available from one person now) had to be machined so the hub section would clear where the rotor mounts.  I have also heard, depending on the rim you are using, additional machining may be required on the snout part of the hub, however, with my stock magnum 500's, this extra machining was not needed.

Again, I am not trying to persuade you one way or the other but I just wanted to show you what you would be up against.  Oh, yeah, the 4 piston caliper set ups are also getting extremely hard to locate.

[Ghoste]

The four piston setup is already on my car though.  I am looking at the cost to replace rotors (the existing set are too thin to cut again) and calipers and pads.  I would get a rebuild kit for the existing rotors and do it myself and the rest of the brakes on my car are fairly new, so in my case, the cost factor goes in favor of the 4 piston.
Although if my intent were to keep the car forever or make a real driver out of it, I would likely switch over.