IML: Budd - wiser, heh heh

["Pete Engel" <peter.engel@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

It is true that only Imperials got the Budd system for 1969.  Why that
system was retained for a brand new body I can't imagine.  The 69s turned
out to be the most popular Imperial in many years and the brake problems
must have irritated many owners.

I have heard it said that late 69s got the Kelsey Hayes brakes.  I have also
heard that early 1970 Imperials got the Budd brakes.  I've never seen an
example of either situation.  My 70 is a very early car, built in mid-August
of 69, and it has Kelsey Hayes brakes.  How much earlier could a 70 be?
<answer -- not much>.  Has anyone ever seen a 69 with Kelsey Hayes brakes?
The 10k mile example I photographed was built in late November of 1968 so
that's not a good test case.

The Kelsey Hayes system used on 1970 Imperials (also 71 and 72 IIRC) is
completely different than the 69 Budd system.  The 70 system uses a
one-piston sliding caliper that moves on threaded pins screwed into the
knuckle.  The rotor is held to the hub by the wheel studs and those studs
are swaged to make a strong connection.  The assembly is NOT meant tobe take
apart.

AFAIK no parts interchange between the Budd and Kelsey Hayes systems.  The
spindle, caliper, rotor, and pads area all different.

It is certainly possible to swap the WHOLE Kelsey Hayes setup from a 70 to a
69 Imperial but even the 70 parts are now hard to find in good condition.  A
complete car/system would be a real find.

Pete in PA

From: "Frederick Joslin" <fljoslin@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:37:50 -0500
Subject: Re: IML: Budd rotors

Thanks for the info. Very informative as always.

I originally suggested that few C body cars had front discs because I
had seen so few. I have looked at many Chrysler C body cars at car shows,
at wrecking yards and cars for sale. The only ones that I recall with
front discs from 1966 to 1972 (where discs were optional) was a very
rusty 1969 Fury convertible in St. Louis and a 1972 Fury III in Spokane.

It looks as if about 5% or 1 in 20 of the 1967 and 1968 cars had them. I
would not have thought that it was that high.

Imperial content:

Further review of the 1969 Chrysler/Imperial service manual implies that
the Budd brakes for 1969 were exclusive to Imperial and that Chryslers
only got the Kelsey Hayes system. At some point the during the model year
Imperial switched over to Kelsey Hayes.

What were the differences between the Imperial and Chrysler Kelsey Hayes
set-ups in 1969?  Were the rotors the same? How about the hubs and
calipers.

Were the spindles actually different? Could you retro-fit a 1969 Kelsey
Hayes set-up onto a 1969 Budd spindle?




-----------------  http://www.imperialclub.com  -----------------
This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please
reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be
shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the
Administrators should be sent to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm