Re: [AMC-list] rosie went for a drive

[tom jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 05:49, Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Tom also used larger front drums. You can take them off a Gremlin or just
> about any other AMC though. Still 9", but 1/2" wider than yours.



On the early americans the old wheels have gotta go if you want to do
*anything* with brakes. Those wheels are downright *peculiar*.

Almost no one will want to drill brake drums, and without the vents, they're
as bad as ever with water. You could not drill the backing plates and just
drill the 12 holes in the drum itself and eliminate or vastly reduce the
water problem. With both mods, 50 - 60 mph for 20 minutes down a steep
twisty mountain road (speed limit: 20), No engine braking, the 9 x 2.5's
lost no braking power.


> I'd think seriously about a Scarebird kit unless you find a good set of
> 79-83 AMC brakes. Those are hard to find in salvage yards, especially with
> good turnable rotors.
>

For a driver, I think scarebird is now the overall best choice -- though I
have not used them yet. The AMC parts are getting hard to find and
expensive. Rotors for my 63 Classic, which has a '79 AMC disc setup, will
cost more than half of the entire set of stuff needed for a Scarebird
conversion. The NEWEST AMC disc brakes are 20 years old.

My wagon needs rotors; I bought them new who knows when, and there's not
enough metal left for another turn-down. I'm right on the fence right now
about just switching to the scarebird setup instead of paying $200+ for
rotors. The calipers are a decade old and won't last much longer. In August
I did the dreaded "pad slap", just slapped on some eBay pads I had onto the
old rotors. I guess that was a decision by default, new brake setup in the
spring.

Plus with Scarebird you get a new grease seal surface, all my old spindles
have grease seal journal wear.

(And I can sell the AMC brake kit of parts and recover some money :-)
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