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Wide Mouth Calipers

Steve340

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Hi all.
I read on another post about the desirability of the wide mouth pin style brake callipers.
Can anyone clue me in to what makes them desirable.

Do they work better?
Were only made for a short time?
Just curious.
Thanks Steve
 

MoparCarGuy

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Hi all.
I read on another post about the desirability of the wide mouth pin style brake callipers.
Can anyone clue me in to what makes them desirable.

Do they work better?
Were only made for a short time?
Just curious.
Thanks Steve
1970 and possibly part of 1971 production, so rarity is what makes them desirable.
 

Steve340

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From the pics in the other post the more common calliper appears to be a much stronger casting.
Maybe Chrysler/Kelsey Hayes had a failure or two and decided to re-engineer.
 

hemi71x

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1970 and possibly part of 1971 production, so rarity is what makes them desirable.
That's correct.
One year only design, and possibly a few 1971 cars, until the supply of them were used up, on the assembly lines.
To a guy restoring a car to numbers matching, or correct parts, then those calipers will mean a lot to that owner.

In all my years of rebuilding Mopar brake and suspension components for resale, i have only come across two pairs of the wide mouth calipers.

Very rare items to come across, now a days in the 2022's.

How many cars were built back in 1970 the dinosaur days, with disc brakes?
Not that many, out of total productions.

The wide mouth design started out on the 1969 "C" body line of cars.
They are a bigger, wider, caliper to fit over a 1.250 inch width rotor.
So, when the E body cars came along, and 1970 and up, B bodies, the design was adapted to those calipers.
I have NEVER come across a pair of wide mouth, C body calipers.

Wide Mouth Calipers 001 (Small).JPG
 
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hemi71x

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From the pics in the other post the more common calliper appears to be a much stronger casting.
Maybe Chrysler/Kelsey Hayes had a failure or two and decided to re-engineer.
That's a good question.
Why did some brake designer, engineer, that was in charge back in the day, decide to do a change on the calipers?
 

Steve340

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Must have been a good reason - especially considering a manager/accountant would have been involved somewhere in the process to OK the budget for the design change.
 

hemi71x

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Must have been a good reason - especially considering a manager/accountant would have been involved somewhere in the process to OK the budget for the design change.
Ya, most often it boils down to money.
Probably was cheaper to cast, and then machine, the 71 up style calipers.
 
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