WILL 79 NEW YORKER DISC BRAKES WORK ON A 70 B-BODY

[daytonalo]

I HAVE ACCESS TO A 79 NEW YORKER AND NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO MAKE THE DISC BRAKE SWAP TO A 70 B-BODY .   LARRY

[andyf]

Yeah it will kind of fit.  A '79 NY is an R body car which is basically a B body.  The disc setup will bolt onto any '62 to '72 B body but the brake hoses will be an issue.  You can run the hard line up to the front of the suspension and duplicate the '79 NY brake hose or you could swap calipers to a late model FMJ caliper and then use an aftermarket hose.

[bull]

They will fit but the spindle center point will be taller than stock, which, according to hundreds of people who have apparently done this swap, doesn't hurt anything. There's many theories out there on why it works or doesn't work but the fact is many people have made it work without any serious issues. I went the more popular route by using Dart spindles and the larger, late '70s B-body rotors.

The 2nd link below is what I went by and what is considered by many to be the most authoritative article on Mopar disc brake swaps, but it warns against using the F- and R-body spindles: "Do not succumb to the temptation to use "lookalike" knuckles from later Mopars, such as 73-up B/R-bodies, F/J/M bodies, etc. These parts, while visually very similar, are taller, altering suspension geometry (camber change, bump steer, etc.), and possibly forcing the ball joints beyond their designed range, a/k/a "over angling"." But people still do it without any problems. The article also warns against swapping sides with the spindles but people routinely do that too. Anyway, Here's some reading to help you make an informed decision:

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2098376&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1&nt=3
http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/archive/disc-main.html

[bull]

By the way, here's a list of all the items I used on mine:

2 Spindles: 1974 Dart (used) $90
2 Caliper adapters: 1977 Fury pin style (used) $36 incl. shipping
2 Rotors: 1977 Fury (new) $91.21
2 Calipers: 1973 Challenger (rebuilt) Loaded with new semi-metallic pads, pin fastener set, etc. $129.98
1 Disc Brake Master cylinder: 1973-1980s Dodge truck (rebuilt) $28.76 (I wouldn't use this part if I could do it over. Read this: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,2518.0.html)
2 Hoses: 1980 St. Regis (new) $30.98
2 Oil seals: 1977 Fury (new) $3.49
2 Outer wheel bearings: 1977 Fury (new) $8.50
2 Inner wheel bearings: 1977 Fury (new) $11.18
1 Wilwood Proportioning Valve: $42.50
1 Wilwood Residual Pressure Valve: $16.46
Misc.: $15

Total: $504.06

[andyf]

The spindle center is located in the same location for the late A or late B knuckle but the upper ball joint position is changed.  On the late B knuckle it is moved up about 3/8 of an inch.

If you're worried about over angle on the ball joints then you can solve that by using aftermarket A arms.  The arms that Firm Feel makes are designed to work with the taller knuckles.  That is what I used on this B body with the big brake conversion.  I use the taller knuckles these days since they are lighter and they are easier to find.  The late A body stuff is getting a little tough to find.

[bull]

The aftermarket upper control arms are also mentioned as a fix in that moparts link I provided.

[Lightning]

do you think those A-arms would work on a M-body since the spindles interchange?

[daytonalo]

SO THE SHORT OF IT IS , WILL IT BOLT RIGHT IN OR NOT ?

[Troy]

Yes, physically they will bolt in. As Andy said, you'll need to do something about the brake lines.

Troy