Sizing up a brake upgrade for a 55 widsor/300 clone.

Mike McGuire

Mike McGuire

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Hello Fellow mopar Forward Look enthusiasts.

We have a 55 windsor that has 14" wheels (fairly certain) \, & am intending to upgrade to 15" rims as well as discs in the front. Admitted it is a not so clone like upgrade, but I'd rather have better brakes than original.

Thinking something like wilwood will work (or who ever, that is if someone makes them), but looking for that classic, ' Use a system out of a 93-98 blah blah, will swap right in. bit' for the 1955 model at hand, provided that exists as well.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike
 
Mike McGuire said:
Hello Fellow mopar Forward Look enthusiasts.

We have a 55 windsor that has 14" wheels (fairly certain) \, & am intending to upgrade to 15" rims as well as discs in the front. Admitted it is a not so clone like upgrade, but I'd rather have better brakes than original.

Thinking something like wilwood will work (or who ever, that is if someone makes them), but looking for that classic, ' Use a system out of a 93-98 blah blah, will swap right in. bit' for the 1955 model at hand, provided that exists as well.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...

Try www.oldmoparts.com They show a kit for '55-'56 Mopars, but I am not sure what that kit fits. You will need to call them 1-617-244-1118.

Dave
 
Thanks Appreciate that. These folks sold me some suspension springs, earlier. I'll give them a try.
Thanks,
Mike
 
Give Ralph a call at ECI. His kits are well engineered and use readily available components.

Engineered Components, Inc. - Your One Stop Brake Shop!

What size are the brakes on the car?
He doesn't list a kit for a 55 Chrysler but he does for a 55 Dodge with 11" brakes but specifically NOT for 12". If the Windsor being a lesser model has 11" brakes like the Dodge, it might be an option. Ralph is pretty knowledgeable. If he has the shaft length and the inner and outer bearing numbers, he should be able to tell you if his kit will work.

Kevin
 
Assuming a 55 Windsor is equipped with the Lockheed type "Center Plane Brake" system I have a suggestion. You may want to consider swapping to the larger 12" center plane brakes from a New Yorker, Imperial, DeSoto Adventurer.

For example, 1956 Dodge D500 cars were equipped with a New Yorker Chrysler frame, suspension and brakes — the shoes/drum are 12 inches in diameter. Moreover, the D500 brake shoes used an aggressive shoe compound that contained impregnated metal (no idea of the formula). I am guessing that your Windsor weighs about the same as my D500 Dodge. After trying four different shoe compounds I had the 12 inch brake shoes relined with Porterfield, R4-S High Performance Street Shoes
[ https://www.porterfield-brakes.com/images/portstrt2008_11_06_02_45_30.pdf ].

The Porterfield shoes are remarkable in every respect: better/cleaner initial bite, not much dust, and more fade resistant that any other compound I have ever tried (The exception being the old Velvetouch metallic shoes I put on my father's 1964 426 Dodge Street Version Polara 500; the bad news was that the metallic shoes ate the drums pretty fast.).

I hasten to point out that 1956 D500 Dodges were selected by the California Highway Patrol due mostly to the outstanding brake performance of the car; and also, perhaps, due to the HiPo 315 Hemi.

My personal D500 has excellent braking for a 50s car; more or less equivalent to a modern standard passenger sedan. Disk brakes have more favorable fade resistance at the limit, but I am guessing you will not be doing numerous high-speed full-on stops while driving your Windsor. I am also guessing that the 12 inch Chrysler front brakes assemblies will bolt on to your 55 king pin front spindles (but that's just a guess). Easy upgrade and fairly cheap.
 
trakrodstr said:
Assuming a 55 Windsor is equipped with the Lockheed type "Center Plane Brake" system I have a suggestion. You may want to consider swapping to the larger 12" center plane brakes from a New Yorker, Imperial, DeSoto Adventurer.

For example, 1956 Dodge D500 cars were equipped with a New Yorker Chrysler frame, suspension and brakes — the shoes/drum are 12 inches in diameter. Moreover, the D500 brake shoes used an aggressive shoe compound that contained impregnated metal (no idea of the formula). I am guessing that your Windsor weighs about the same as my D500 Dodge. After trying four different shoe compounds I had the 12 inch brake shoes relined with Porterfield, R4-S High Performance Street Shoes
[ https://www.porterfield-brakes.com/images/portstrt2008_11_06_02_45_30.pdf ].

The Porterfield shoes are remarkable in every respect: better/cleaner initial bite, not much dust, and more fade resistant that any other compound I have ever tried (The exception being the old Velvetouch metallic shoes I put on my father's 1964 426 Dodge Street Version Polara 500; the bad news was that the metallic shoes ate the drums pretty fast.).

I hasten to point out that 1956 D500 Dodges were selected by the California Highway Patrol due mostly to the outstanding brake performance of the car; and also, perhaps, due to the HiPo 315 Hemi.

My personal D500 has excellent braking for a 50s car; more or less equivalent to a modern standard passenger sedan. Disk brakes have more favorable fade resistance at the limit, but I am guessing you will not be doing numerous high-speed full-on stops while driving your Windsor. I am also guessing that the 12 inch Chrysler front brakes assemblies will bolt on to your 55 king pin front spindles (but that's just a guess). Easy upgrade and fairly cheap.
Click to expand...


Great ideas, thanks. I disc-covered that 55 windsors and 300's had 15 rims only, so no worried on the 14" rims, this time.
I'm in the process of trying to make a 300 from a windsor, and am using a 55 - chrysler 331 in place of the polysphere in the car when received. changing from 2 speed auto to 4 speed manual, and 6V to 12V.
Although this will not be an over-the-top 600hp machine, I'm hoping for ~400 or so after some engine mods.
Spirited driving around a track on old-timers day is not out of the question, at least in my fantasy world.
The rules on racing are completely foreign to me at this time, but the desire stays in the back of my mind and motivates me to get this project done. Pretty sure I want to over-kill the brakes.

thanks again,
Mike
 
Mike McGuire said:
Great ideas, thanks. I disc-covered that 55 windsors and 300's had 15 rims only, so no worried on the 14" rims, this time.
I'm in the process of trying to make a 300 from a windsor, and am using a 55 - chrysler 331 in place of the polysphere in the car when received. changing from 2 speed auto to 4 speed manual, and 6V to 12V.
Although this will not be an over-the-top 600hp machine, I'm hoping for ~400 or so after some engine mods.
Spirited driving around a track on old-timers day is not out of the question, at least in my fantasy world.
The rules on racing are completely foreign to me at this time, but the desire stays in the back of my mind and motivates me to get this project done. Pretty sure I want to over-kill the brakes.

thanks again,
Mike
Click to expand...

Good luck with your project Mike,

For the record here is Richard Petty's father, Lee, beside his 1956 Dodge D500 at Dayton Beach equipped with 12 inch center-plane "metallic" brakes. The same brakes were used on on the Mercury Marine Chrysler 300 cars that dominated Nascar in that era. Note the hubcaps.

lee petty.jpg
petty2.jpg
On the beach, without hubcaps — catch a wave with your Ford (?).
 
Thanks !

Do you know what sort of brakes these are , shown at about 25 seconds in...



They certainly look like special drums...
 

The drums look like cut-down (trimmed) Buick alum drums (cast iron liner).

There is also a so-called "Alfin" drum used by road racers in the 50s that is similar to the Buick drum, but I don't believe the Alfin was made in the 12 inch diameter.

I designed a set of drums for my KD500 powered track roadster and had them built by a company in the UK [ Typecast Ltd Alfin Brakedrums | Bespoke Vintage/Classic Aluminium Brakedrums ]

My track roadster is equipped with mopar center plane brakes just like the Chrysler in the video. If you want info about the brakes on my track roadster...go to the "H.A.M.B. hot rod forum/site" and search for this term: Maserodi. The "project" blog is quite long so you may want to search for the terms "Lockheed" or "center plane".

Interestingly the 12 inch center plane brakes were used by the GM Factory Corvette racing team (with non-mopar drums). I used to have a photo of a 60s Corvette on jack stands showing the mopar brake system...mopar engineering!

charlie
 
trakrodstr said:
The drums look like cut-down (trimmed) Buick alum drums (cast iron liner).

There is also a so-called "Alfin" drum used by road racers in the 50s that is similar to the Buick drum, but I don't believe the Alfin was made in the 12 inch diameter.

I designed a set of drums for my KD500 powered track roadster and had them built by a company in the UK [ Typecast Ltd Alfin Brakedrums | Bespoke Vintage/Classic Aluminium Brakedrums ]

My track roadster is equipped with mopar center plane brakes just like the Chrysler in the video. If you want info about the brakes on my track roadster...go to the "H.A.M.B. hot rod forum/site" and search for this term: Maserodi. The "project" blog is quite long so you may want to search for the terms "Lockheed" or "center plane".

Interestingly the 12 inch center plane brakes were used by the GM Factory Corvette racing team (with non-mopar drums). I used to have a photo of a 60s Corvette on jack stands showing the mopar brake system...mopar engineering!

charlie
Click to expand...


Yeah, A friend of mine thought they were Buick-ish. They certainly look impressive. (actually that whole video above is one of my all time favorites) I was on that site HAMB, randomly, today as a matter of fact. I think I was looking up rear end swapability ideas on if I can sneak a 68 newport rear axel over to my 55 Windsor/300 project. Fuel for another thread.
 
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