brake job from hades

[72bluNblu]

Ok, so I'm in the middle of the brake job from hades. As part of a complete front end rebuild I bought new rotors for my '72 Challenger. Thats pretty much where the problems started. I also bought new wheel bearings and seals. After getting finished with the front end and moving to the brakes, I first ran into problems with the backing plate for the disks, the inside of the hub on the rotor hit the backing plate (I noticed this after a trip around the block, which ground material off both the backing plate and the hub part of the rotor  ) So I pulled everything apart again and pulled the backing plates, then cleaned the bearings (metal dust ) and repacked them. Now the rotor goes on, but after reinstalling everything else again it just interferes with the inside of the caliper  .

So, before I throw the rotors through the manufacturers window, is there anyway I could have installed the wrong rotors? I bought the rotors from Summit, which lists the same part number for all 4 years of e-body (now I did the research and realized there was a difference). But is there any way I could have installed later model rotors (72-74? I know, mines a '72, but who knows at this point) on early model spindles? I didn't use any spacers, and the bearings fit the spindle (and the races pressed into the rotor!), but obviously the rotor didn't end up in the right place. One of my original rotors was the 2-piece kind, the other was unicast (spindles are the same, both sides interfere)

Anybody help? 

[72bluNblu]

Ok, so I checked further on Summit's website, looks like the rotors I bought are indeed supposed to be for a 1970-1972 challenger. I'd still like to know if anyone thinks I got the wrong parts here, but its looking more like the parts just don't fit...

[Chryco Psycho]

the 2 piece rotor uses a smaller diameter inner brg so it may be going too far onto the spindlle if the brgs are too big or reverse if the inner brg si too small

[autoxcuda]

Sound like you got the 73-74 rotors with the larger inner bearing. And the rotor got too far pulled in. BTW, the repro 70-72 rotors I don't think are two piece.  When you adjusted the bearings didn't it feel wierd?

How did your old bearings compare to your new ones. Do they fit in the race in both disks the same way and depth? Start flip floping parts to check any difference. But mark and keep track of what is new and used.

Check the numbers on the package. The repro 70-72 rotors should be much more expensive than the 73-74. Where they?? Like maybe triple the price.

[Bullitt-]

These are the only rotor only items I see at Summit for 70-72's . Are these the part #s?   

  SSB-23109AA3L   Stainless Steel Brakes Big Bite Cross-Drilled Brake Rotors
Brake Rotor, Big Bite, Cross-Drilled, Steel, Zinc Plated, Driver Side, Front, Chrysler/ Dodge/ Plymouth, Each
 12/7/08 $125.95 
     SSB-23109AA3R  Stainless Steel Brakes Big Bite Cross-Drilled Brake Rotors
Brake Rotor, Big Bite, Cross-Drilled, Steel, Zinc Plated, Passenger Side, Front, Chrysler/ Dodge/ Plymouth, Ea...
 12/7/08 $125.95

[72bluNblu]

Yes, those are the brakes. They list for 70-72's. I checked the bearings, they looked like the right size. Strangely enough, when I adjusted the bearings they did almost everything like normal. I tightened them down, backed them off, and they spun fine. The only thing was when they were tightened down they didn't spin at all, which should have told be something wasn't right (when they hit the backing plates the first time.) The second time around everything was fine, adjusted the bearings (this time no issues), everything spun freely. But when turning to the left the left inside of the rotor hits the inside of the caliper (just barely, its not scoring the rotor, but it definitely hitsd).

When I pull them off again I'll recheck the bearings, but like I said everything seemed to be the same size when I compared them. The bearings were tight on the spindle, and fit the races for the rotors. How different are the 70-72 spindles from the 73-74?

[wally426ci]

This may not be any help, but I just put new rotors on from Autozone. They were $77 a piece & fit great. The races are already pressed in and everything. My car had one 2 piece and 1 unicast rotor as well.  Anyway, I think they are a decent product. Tom (72challorange) has them as well....

I just figured Id put it out there in case you wanna play Frisbee with the ones you bought, theres an alternative out there. 

[Bullitt-]

If you don't have get a dial claiper & start measuing old VS new...You will find the problem.

[72bluNblu]

Update!

So I went down to Autozone and bought the $77 rotors. Turns out they fit just fine!  This is using the same bearings as with the other rotors, so it really is just that the SSBC rotors don't fit, seems like they just sat about 1/8" too close to the spindle. I'll be calling Summit on Monday to have a chat with the service department. Its too bad the rotors were damaged by the backing plates, it would probably be a lot easier to return them otherwise. If I knew they fit a '73-74 I could try getting ahold of some later spindles, but at this point I really don't know if they're for a later model or just flat out don't fit. SSBC's website doesn't turn up anything with that part number yet either, supposedly they're newly designed rotors. Guess its time to make some phone calls, hopefully I don't have a $250 dollar pair of frisbees...

[wally426ci]

Glad it worked out!!