Not amusing anymore.

[Challenger RTA]

Not amusing anymore. Once you experience a MOPAR. There nothing else like it. Musk needs to take a ride in one day. So many people are missing out! His reaction to the ride is called MOPAR COOL.

 

[Xcudame]

There was a post in FCBO were they were talking about drum brakes were fine for a 60s Imperial. I'm putting disc brakes on the front of mine! A 5000 pound nearly indestructible vehicle with drum brakes on all for corners doesn't sound like a fun ride to me! Drum brakes work, so do cable brakes before hydraulic brakes came out. But disc brakes work the best! That's why in 1964 the California Highway Patrol tested the four piston Bufd disc brakes and an aftermarket single piston disc brake. In 1965 the CHP had "500 patrol cars converted to single piston disc brakes" because of their superiority over drum. Yes owners of Hemi cars with four drum brakes were either crazy or fearless!

 

[terrywalker]

@ Xcudame. I apologize for not knowing what car you are switching from drum brakes to disc brakes. I assume a Cuda. Is it a restoration or are you building it how you want it? I converted a Challenger to front disc brakes from drums over 20 years ago before there were conversion kits - just wrecking yard parts. Yes, it was a significant improvement. The car belongs to my son who was able to drive it his senior year in high school in 2005. I considered years ago swapping my 71 Challenger convertible (which I've owned since 1972 and have driven it cross country 3 times) from its stock 11-inch brakes on all 4 corners to disc brakes but since it's an original numbers matching shaker convertible, it was strongly suggested that I not change it. It's driven only to local shows, less than 25 miles. I'm with you in that I think disc brakes are the way to go. Enjoy.
Terry W.

 

[Xcudame]

My 70 Challenger was originally power drum brakes all around. I converted it to disc brakes using factory parts when Rick at Mopar Action first published the Disc-o-tech article. The 64 Imperial is what I'm converting now from drum to disc on the front. My 71 Barracuda came factory with disc brakes.
Regarding your 71 Challenger convertible. I would use one of the aftermarket disc brakes kits that uses your original spindles and keep your original drum hardware in a box in the corner of the garage. Really, disc in the rear don't do much. I have a 98 Dakota with disc in front and 10" drums in the rear. It has 200,080 miles on it as of the past weekend and I've one replaced the rear shoes once!! Same with my 70 Challenger, the front disc pads wear out about four times faster than the rear brake shoes!