72 Polara front disc calipers?

72polarbear

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Looking to replace my front caliper if possible. Not really sure on how to read for part numbers so I included photos of what I assume them to be.(first is passenger side and second is driver side. The rest are just photos of how it looks like with the two pins) I’ve seen a few of them online that look close enough. Would other body types be cross compatible? I just recently got pads and drums and don’t want to throw all the money spent on those either by doing a whole new system. Of course the alternative being just to get them rebuilt but I’m not sure if it’s the best considering the age.

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B bodys are close but no cigar! You are gonna have to get it rebuilt,hopefully by someone local to you so you get the same one back
 
Yup.
Did the ones on my son's car.main issue is whether you can get the bleeders loose. They are available, so don't worry too much about if removal means resorting to vise grips
 
Rebuild.
Or change the brackets ($30) and go with the later 3-inch piston slider calipers ($20) that are at every parts store in the land.
 
Yup.
Did the ones on my son's car.main issue is whether you can get the bleeders loose. They are available, so don't worry too much about if removal means resorting to vise grips
Changed out my bleeders right before this photo, resorted to channel locks and vice grips
 
Rebuild.
Or change the brackets ($30) and go with the later 3-inch piston slider calipers ($20) that are at every parts store in the land.
I’d like to know more regarding this as it seems to be nice just to make my life better in the future.
 
I’d like to know more regarding this as it seems to be nice just to make my life better in the future.



-----------------CLARIFITAION AND VERIFICATION NEEDED FROM OTHERS ON THIS--------------

Check on all of this. But I believe this is what you will find out.

The key is the interchangeable caliper mounting bracket that attaches the caliper to the spindle/knuckle. All these 74 and later caliper pistons are 3 inches, I think. Your caliper pistons are 2-5/16 inch, I think. The used brackets are going for $30 a pair.

One "bracket" is for the 11.0 disk, the other is for the 11.75 disk that I believe you have. The sliding calipers fit both sliding brackets. The 11.75 comes in thin and thick. Get the matching 74 and later slider mount air gap caliper that matches your disc thickness.
After 73 uses the easy-to-get sliding $20 caliper with no pins. You would need the after 73 sliding bracket to go with that caliper. The bracket fits your spindle/knuckle. And uses your rotors, I think.

For an example.
To put the disc brakes on my drum 64 New Yorker, I used the spindles from a 76 Cordoba that fit straight to the 64 because the ball joints, tie rod ends, and steering geometry are the same.
This gave me a choice of using the matching brackets and 11-inch disc from the 76 Cordoba and earlier or the matching brackets and 11.75 disc from a 77 Cordoba and later. Both calipers are the after 73 sliding types.

I think these brackets, calipers and rotors are common across a lot of years. You are not limited to say, just New Yorker or Cordoba or whatever.

You are probably looking for brackets and calipers from a 78 New Yorker or Cordoba for example, maybe.

But with new steel $20 pistons available for your pin style calipers and your pads having a larger surface area than the later sliding calipers, a caliper rebuild is an appealing option.
Since the brand-new piston slides in and out and seals on the stationary rubber seal. Unlike the rear cylinders where the pistons ride and seal on the old, pitted cylinder surface.
 
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Rebuilding them isn't all that hard. If the caliper isn't rebuildable for whatever reason and you need to find a replacement. The same caliper is used from '69-73 in a C-body, and also the '72 D100 pickup as well as the '71-2 B van.
 
Rebuilding them isn't all that hard. If the caliper isn't rebuildable for whatever reason and you need to find a replacement. The same caliper is used from '69-73 in a C-body, and also the '72 D100 pickup as well as the '71-2 B van.

And that's the ones what's not at the cheap store no more.
 
-----------------CLARIFITAION AND VERIFICATION NEEDED FROM OTHERS ON THIS--------------

Check on all of this. But I believe this is what you will find out.

The key is the interchangeable caliper mounting bracket that attaches the caliper to the spindle/knuckle.
None of the later floating-caliper brackets will bolt on directly.

1st link below has sketches showing 74-78 are different bolt spacing than 69-73.
I have personally tried F-M-J brackets (not in the sketches) and they are a no-go also. And F-M-J have the same bolt spacing as the later B and R-bodies.
You might be able to machine the 3.797" of 74-78 into the 3.505" of 69-73. That would entail slotting the bolt holes approx .15" closer together (each one), into the meat of the bracket.
Whether the caliper then falls into the same location, to meet the rotor and still have travel distance, would need to be verified.
And the 2.433" vs 2.656" needs reviewed for whether the pad hits the rotor properly at the OD. So that might change how the slotting is done, also.

sketches and discussion:
caliper retrofit for 69-73 spindles?

Post on some interchange and fitment problems:
One more time disc brakes
 
None of the later floating-caliper brackets will bolt on directly.

1st link below has sketches showing 74-78 are different bolt spacing than 69-73.
I have personally tried F-M-J brackets (not in the sketches) and they are a no-go also. And F-M-J have the same bolt spacing as the later B and R-bodies.
You might be able to machine the 3.797" of 74-78 into the 3.505" of 69-73. That would entail slotting the bolt holes approx .15" closer together (each one), into the meat of the bracket.
Whether the caliper then falls into the same location, to meet the rotor and still have travel distance, would need to be verified.
And the 2.433" vs 2.656" needs reviewed for whether the pad hits the rotor properly at the OD. So that might change how the slotting is done, also.

sketches and discussion:
caliper retrofit for 69-73 spindles?

Post on some interchange and fitment problems:
One more time disc brakes

Bummer.
So, apparently that's why my friend used spindles, brackets, rotors and calipers from a 78 Cordoba when he changed to after 73 calipers on his 72 Newport. When he got the Newport, it was minus spindles, brackets, rotors and calipers.

These may be the ones to look at.
  • 1973-'76 Coronet.
  • 1973-'78 Charger.
  • 1975- '77 Fury.
  • 1975-'83 Cordoba.
  • 1976-'80 Aspen, Volare.
  • 1979- '89 Chrysler full-size.
  • 1977 Monaco.
  • 1977- '89 Diplomat.
  • 1977-'81 Lebaron.
  • 1978- '89 Plymouth full size.
  • 1978-'79 Magnum
  • 1978- '81 Dodge full size
  • 1980- '83 Mirada
  • 1981-'83 Imperial
 
There are some edits in here based on somethign I learned.

I don't know how your friend could've fitted 78 Cordoba spindles on a C-body without a lot of mods. Perhaps it is possible, but spindle height and other geometry can't be evaluated thru part#s.
I would believe it if I saw it, I suppose, but on paper the parts don't fit. The LBJ fit is not verifiable on paper/part #s.

Cordoba uses a screw-in lower balljoint and I believe a separate bolt-on steering arm.
{The upper balljoint is a screw-in (like the C-bodies), but is a smaller size than the 69-73 model.} WRONG. Learned 1 day after this that the UBJ is the same.
I think the likelihood of the lower BJ being the same size as C-body, and fitting into the C-body LCA, without disturbing any steering/suspension geometry is very slim. This is still a valid question in spite of the correction on the UBJ.
And on top of that, alignment specs must be met afterward. still true

Rock Auto is showing this interchange for the UBJ, which is practically every mid/full size car ever made (+ some A-bodies).
While far from an expert, I have an ancient NAPA B-body UBJ I bought years ago to investigate this, and it is smaller, so I conclude the RA list is wrong to include the 65-78 C-bodies.
Correction - the NAPA part I was thinking of is the control arm bushings, and those are correct to not be shared between B&C.

Correction: This list is more correct than I thought it was, but still has some errors.
Dart should include the 60-62 and 73-newer models, but not between (biggest error, it was the one that made me question the whole list)
Aspen/Volare should go up to 1980. (being picky, but true)
Dart/Valiant should include 1976 also. (being picky, but true)
The GTX and Roadrunner offerings should include some later years, but that might be the difference between being a car model vs being an option package. Can't expect RA to know those.
CHRYSLER3001962-1971
CHRYSLERCORDOBA1975-1981
CHRYSLERFIFTH AVENUE1983-1989
CHRYSLERIMPERIAL1983
CHRYSLERLEBARON1977-1980
CHRYSLERNEW YORKER1963-1982
CHRYSLERNEWPORT1961-1980
CHRYSLERTOWN & COUNTRY1961-1981
CHRYSLERWINDSOR1958-1961
DODGE3301963-1964
DODGE4401964
DODGE8801963-1964
DODGEASPEN1976-1979
DODGECHALLENGER1970-1974
DODGECHARGER1967-1978
DODGECORONET1958-1976
DODGECUSTOM1957-1962
DODGEDART1960-1975
DODGEDIPLOMAT1977-1989
DODGELANCER1957-1958
DODGEMAGNUM1978-1979
DODGEMATADOR1960
DODGEMIRADA1980-1982
DODGEMONACO1965-1978
DODGEPOLARA1961-1973
DODGESIERRA1959
DODGEST. REGIS1979-1980
DODGESUBURBAN1957-1958
FARGOA100 VAN1964
PLYMOUTHBARRACUDA1970-1974
PLYMOUTHBELVEDERE1957-1970
PLYMOUTHBELVEDERE II1965-1967
PLYMOUTHCARAVELLE1978-1989
PLYMOUTHCUDA1970-1973
PLYMOUTHDUSTER1973-1976
PLYMOUTHFLEET SPECIAL1962-1963
PLYMOUTHFURY1957-1978
PLYMOUTHGRAN FURY1972-1987
PLYMOUTHGTX1967-1971
PLYMOUTHPLAZA1957-1958
PLYMOUTHROADRUNNER1969-1975
PLYMOUTHSATELLITE1965-1974
PLYMOUTHSAVOY1957-1964
PLYMOUTHSCAMP1973-1976
PLYMOUTHSUBURBAN1957-1961
PLYMOUTHSUPERBIRD1970
PLYMOUTHVALIANT1973-1975
PLYMOUTHVOLARE1976-1979
 
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