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Member
Posts: 41
Location: USA - IL | I have a 59 suburban station wagon and was wondering if anyone knows of a good disc brake conversion kit? I'd like to update the front drums to disc. Thanks, Brian |
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Expert
Posts: 1571
 
Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | Try AAJ brakes. This what I am going with. You buy the brackets from them, then go to your auto parts store and get new or rebuilt parts off of their list!. Marc.
http://www.aajbrakes.com/rproductinfo.html |
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Expert
Posts: 1485
Location: NorCal |
The Scarebird is about a hundred bucks less.
http://www.scarebird.com/index.php?id=28 |
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Expert
Posts: 1571
Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth) | Just make sure they fit with your 14" wheels! |
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Expert
Posts: 1690
Location: N.W. Fla. | mstrug - 2012-05-06 4:35 PM
Just make sure they fit with your 14" wheels! or get 70s steel wheels off a disc brake car. |
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Member
Posts: 41
Location: USA - IL | Thanks for the advice, I'll have to contact them |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 355
Location: Harrison, NY | I agree Marc, AAJ Brake's all the way. I bought the entire disc brake(4 wheels) and no one will give you the Tech service that Roger at AAJ will give you. Trust me call AAJ, you will not regret it. |
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Member
Posts: 41
Location: USA - IL | thanks for the input. We have an old camper I want to pull with this when we go camping and want to be able to stop. The old drums I'm afraid won't work |
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Expert
Posts: 4379
Location: Berlin, WI | The one thing I have found with AAJ over the years though is that any griping people do with them are typically due to a master cylinder/booster arrangement that doesn't work well. |
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Expert
Posts: 2329
Location: Chestertown, NY ( near Lake George) | Agreed, under sized m/c bore size is an issue as well as not having the proper proportioning valve. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 355
Location: Harrison, NY | I agree Guy's however Roger has nailed it for the 57-59 Ply&Dodge's. The Master and "SSBC Brake's" Prop. Valve is perfect. If anyone has these type's of Car's, let me know and I will give you the part number's. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 646
Location: Hay Lakes, Alberta, Canada | I am planning to add discs to my 57 Chrysler... do you know which master cylinder and prop valve I should use? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 646
Location: Hay Lakes, Alberta, Canada | I talked with Roger at AAJ today- very helpful! I am going to stay with the 14" wheels, so I will be using the 11" rotor. Any other fit issues I should be worried about? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 355
Location: Harrison, NY | If the 57 Chrysler is the same as the 58 Ply I have all the part number's. You should ask Roger first and let me know. No problem.
Joe C NY |
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Expert
Posts: 1412
Location: McComb, Mississippi | I love the AAJ brake conversion. It was very easy to install and the car stops great. Im not even running a prop. valve... |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 337
Location: Alaska | Plymouth, you should run a proportioning valve. right now, your rear brakes are getting too much pressure and working too hard. If you ever have to make a hard stop on a wet or slippery surface, the car could swap ends and be uncontrollable. |
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Expert
Posts: 2329
Location: Chestertown, NY ( near Lake George) | 58coupe - 2012-05-15 9:48 AM
Plymouth, you should run a proportioning valve. right now, your rear brakes are getting too much pressure and working too hard. If you ever have to make a hard stop on a wet or slippery surface, the car could swap ends and be uncontrollable. Agreed, all disc drum/ brake set ups use a prop valve. |
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Expert
Posts: 1412
Location: McComb, Mississippi | Okay, I sure will get one..Where can I get one? |
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Expert
Posts: 1254
Location: little rock, AR | I just ordered the AAJ set up for my '57 2dr Sub. |
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Expert
Posts: 2609
| plymouth - 2012-05-15 2:20 PM
Okay, I sure will get one..Where can I get one?
Im not running a prop valve either and have been fine for the last 3 years. My brakes are 50/50.
No nose diving or front end locking up. I know everyone will think im crazy but I like it like that and
they work fine. |
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Expert
Posts: 3225
Location: Blythewood, SC | I've looked at the AAJ and Scarebird sites. The brackets are nearly identical, although the AAJ appears to mount behind the steering arm. I could be wrong, it's hard to tell.
The AAJ kit is more complete, but the Scarebird is much cheaper. Roger seems to have it all sorted and will happily help you get your car right, but that road has been traveled here so often that it seems hard to mess up if you use the right Dart master cyl. Is there a big difference in the AAJ and Scarebird that I'm missing?
Also, Summit has drilled and slotted 5th Ave. rotors on sale right now. For those that want Wilwood calipers, Wilwood makes a bolt on aluminum caliper that fits a GM caliper mount perfectly. Direct bolt on, and cheaper than Wilwood's mounts and rotors. |
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Veteran
Posts: 174
Location: Hebron, IN | I am thinking of going the Scarebird route just because I too fail to see a $100 difference in the brackets-
Still need calipers and rotors either way... I just need to get the $$ together to upgrade to the 17" wheels and tires I want to do at the same time as the disk brakes.
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Expert
Posts: 3865
Location: Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo Dat! | So both kits have the spacer for the bearings. AAJ is some kind of adapter and scarebird is a bushing, correct? Also AAJ supplies the longer bolts and nuts?
$95 extra for nuts and bolts or is the adapter better than a bushing/spacer?
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Expert
Posts: 3225
Location: Blythewood, SC | lawrence - 2012-06-11 6:56 PM
So both kits have the spacer for the bearings. AAJ is some kind of adapter and scarebird is a bushing, correct? Also AAJ supplies the longer bolts and nuts?
$95 extra for nuts and bolts or is the adapter better than a bushing/spacer?
That's the question. I can buy grade 8 hardware locally, and I'm sure it's not $95. If the Scarebird kit has the bearing spacer, what's the difference? |
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Expert
Posts: 3225
Location: Blythewood, SC | Anyone have any idea on the difference with the AAJ and Scarebird kits? |
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Veteran
Posts: 174
Location: Hebron, IN | No but I just sold some stuff (extra Jeep wheels and tires) so the "NYer fund" has been stocked with enough cash to do the front brakes. I will be ordering the Scarebird kit as soon as I verify the 20" wire wheels I got last night fit. I have the wheels "on trial" so if they don't fit I can return them.
20x8 wire wheels with zero offset (4.25" of backspacing with the wheel adapter)- I believe they will work if I wrap the fronts in 235/35/20 and rears in 255/35/20s - the fronts will be a hair smaller than the stock tire diameter and only a touch wider- rears are within 1% diameter of stock and about an inch wider. They currently all four have the 255/35/20 tires but two need to be replaced.
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Veteran
Posts: 110
Location: SD |
Im not running a prop valve either and have been fine for the last 3 years. My brakes are 50/50.
No nose diving or front end locking up. I know everyone will think im crazy but I like it like that and
they work fine.
Same here. Actually, I bought and installed an adjustable prop valve in the rear line, because everyone said I'd need it. After the conversion, I left it wide open, and planned to dial it in from there. In many stops over several years, on pavement and gravel, I've never had the rear brakes lock. I would therefore advise people to try their new setup first, and only install a valve if your rear brakes lock on gravel or wet pavement. |
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Member
Posts: 27
Location: Northern Ireland | I got brackets plasma cut for £5 or $8 at an enginering shop might be worth spending
a little time with a piece of cereal box.
http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=40274&... |
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Expert
Posts: 3225
Location: Blythewood, SC | 57plymouth - 2012-06-13 11:09 PM
Anyone have any idea on the difference with the AAJ and Scarebird kits?
Reading some old posts here, it appears that the Scarebird kit MAY reduce steering clearance lock to lock. I don't see anything about that mentioned on their site, but the tie rods have to be adjusted in since the steering arm is relocated.
Can anyone confirm that? Does the AAJ kit have the same effect? |
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Veteran
Posts: 110
Location: SD | Does the AAJ kit have the same effect?
No, I don't believe so. It's been since 8 or 9 years since I installed mine, but I sure don't remember anything like that. |
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Veteran
Posts: 174
Location: Hebron, IN | The AAJ and Scarebird both attach the same way and the AAJ instructions do call for shortening of the tie rod as well. Both kits install the caliper bracket between the hub and steering arm.
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Expert
Posts: 2609
| Destr0 - 2012-06-25 11:47 PM
The AAJ and Scarebird both attach the same way and the AAJ instructions do call for shortening of the tie rod as well. Both kits install the caliper bracket between the hub and steering arm.
I put AAJ on my car a year ago, a 59 and you do not shorten or cut anything. Bolt on and go kit. |
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Veteran
Posts: 174
Location: Hebron, IN | 59CRL - 2012-06-27 5:54 PM
Destr0 - 2012-06-25 11:47 PM
The AAJ and Scarebird both attach the same way and the AAJ instructions do call for shortening of the tie rod as well. Both kits install the caliper bracket between the hub and steering arm.
I put AAJ on my car a year ago, a 59 and you do not shorten or cut anything. Bolt on and go kit.
By shorten I mean you need to adjust the tie rods in 1.5 turns to correct the alignment issues (or take car in to have professional alignment done) because the brake caliper bracket bolts between the hub and steering arm. In this respect the AAJ and Scarebird are identical. It is bolt on and go if you don't mind an extra bit of toe in and horrible tire wear...
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 395
Location: Netherlands | Destr0 - 2012-06-29 11:43 PM
59CRL - 2012-06-27 5:54 PM
Destr0 - 2012-06-25 11:47 PM
The AAJ and Scarebird both attach the same way and the AAJ instructions do call for shortening of the tie rod as well. Both kits install the caliper bracket between the hub and steering arm.
I put AAJ on my car a year ago, a 59 and you do not shorten or cut anything. Bolt on and go kit.
By shorten I mean you need to adjust the tie rods in 1.5 turns to correct the alignment issues (or take car in to have professional alignment done ) because the brake caliper bracket bolts between the hub and steering arm. In this respect the AAJ and Scarebird are identical. It is bolt on and go if you don't mind an extra bit of toe in and horrible tire wear...
Not sure Kev, on the AAJ's you may be right for the '57/'59 kits but definitely not correct for the '61 kit.
There's a cut out for the steering arm in the mounting bracket and the arm remains bolted to the spindle in the stock manner...
In fact the steering arm and/or bracket can both be removed individually without disturbing one or the other.
So no need to adjust anything as nothing is upset, the steering geometry remains stock...
Edited by Windsor Wendy 2012-06-29 6:50 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2609
| Destr0 - 2012-06-29 5:43 PM
59CRL - 2012-06-27 5:54 PM
Destr0 - 2012-06-25 11:47 PM
The AAJ and Scarebird both attach the same way and the AAJ instructions do call for shortening of the tie rod as well. Both kits install the caliper bracket between the hub and steering arm.
I put AAJ on my car a year ago, a 59 and you do not shorten or cut anything. Bolt on and go kit.
By shorten I mean you need to adjust the tie rods in 1.5 turns to correct the alignment issues (or take car in to have professional alignment done ) because the brake caliper bracket bolts between the hub and steering arm. In this respect the AAJ and Scarebird are identical. It is bolt on and go if you don't mind an extra bit of toe in and horrible tire wear...
Well not to argue, but you dont have to cut or adjust anything. No tire wear or toe in either. Believe me I did the conversion and everything is fine.  |
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Expert
Posts: 3225
Location: Blythewood, SC | Aligning the car isn't an issue. I have an old Hunter alignment machine that a buddy gave me when he closed his garage.
Destr0, are you implying that even AFTER an alignment that the AAJ kit affects tire wear? Or are you implying that failure to align the front will cause tire wear? Just looking for clarity.
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Veteran
Posts: 174
Location: Hebron, IN | Well I could be wrong (I often am, just ask my wife)- I have no first hand experience with the AAJ kit but when looking at the kit and talking to them on the phone I could swear they said it would need an alignment afterwards. The Scarebird kit recommends an alignment but gives you intstructions on how to adjust the toe in to compensate for bracket thickness. Without an alignment would be the only issue with tire wear- the bracket for the Scarebird kit is 1/4" thick on each side- adjusting your tie rod length on the back 1/2" without adjusting it seems like a bad idea to me.
The pics above does look like the AAJ kit would not need any adjustment or alignment, if the brackets are the same (and I don't see why they wouldn't be). I will be heading in for an alignment anyway, this car needs some ball joints and will need one anyway. :-)
Again- I have no experience with the AAJ kit but from looking at it does it not attach between the steering arm and hub? The Scarebird bracket uses three of the four holes for the old backing plate. Got my calipers and soft lines mounted up today- still fighting with the master cylinder that refuses to let go of the brake pedal even after four days of PB Blaster... 
Edited by Destr0 2012-07-01 12:15 AM
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Disc brake conversion
