Re: Kelsey-Hayes disk brakes

[farna@xxxxxxx]

Well, it's actually AMC's idea, not mine. The 2.0L four used a solid rotor but the same caliper with thick backing plates. Since you had good rotors the $20-25 rebuilt calipers was a bargain, for now. I was thinking equal size spacers on each side would do the trick. Since it's a floating caliper it should, but it really depends if both rotors have the same centerline once installed. One more thing -- check the bearing sets. The big cars with K-H and Big Bendix brakes used a bigger bearing and spindle as well. Not sure if the small cars with K-H used the same spindle as the big cars or the more normal small car spindle. That's the only thing that could throw a monkey wrench at this idea! If you have to change spindles you're back to a full conversion -- may as well change the caliper mount as well. BUT -- you could use the drum brake spindles. Just get longer mount bolts and some graded washers to use as spacers. Graded washers (grade 5) are uniform in thickness, plain ones !
 MIGHT be...


On May 9, 2005 Tom Jennings wrote:

> On Mon, 9 May 2005 farna@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> > That's why I always recommend using 79-83 Concord/Spirit brakes
> > instead of the thicker K-H!
> 
> The 72 Hornet came with the KHs, so at repair time you gotta do
> the math; conversion to modern vs. repair what's there. Since I
> just had a leaking caliper, replacements were cheap, and the
> rotors were good, the answer was obvious.
> 
> > Now if you could get a brake relining
> > shop to put extra thick material on you could run the
> > Concord/Spirit rotors (~0.82" thick vs. 1.0" on the K-H and Big
> > Bendix used on the big cars). Hmmm... you could always make a
> > metal spacer that mounts behind the brake pad. I wonder if a worn
> > down set of backing plates with all material removed would be to
> > thick?
> 
> Wow -- never considered this! Never had a KH braked car before,
> but you can bet I will look at this. The KH calipers are more or
> less identical to the Bendix in overall design (one piston,
> floating caliper, etc).  Even shimmed, I'd want the Bendix rotor
> centerline to be very close to the KH... you don't want the
> caliper up against the side of the guide pins.
> 
> Great idea though! Believe me, I will look at this when the time
> comes. It's trivial to determine if this is practical with both
> systems around to measure!
> 


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