Hot Rods Speedway brake kit question

I have a Speedway brake kit that utilizes GM rotors and metric calipers and parts. I am wanting to install this on an original front axle in a willys. Doing it the way they specify will not allow me to install a steering arm on the upper right spindle bolts as I would like to do. It would hit the caliper. My question is, can the bracket and caliper be reversed side to side to allow the mounting to be towards the front of the car, not the back. Does it make any difference?

This is on the right side

the first pic shows how it is supposed to be
next is the right bracket repositioned to the front and using the left caliper, don't like the looks of that
next are the same parts but moved up a bolt hole
last 2 are the left caliper bracket and the left spindle and that actually looks ok, but will it work, and if not why not?

 

From what I can see all you're doing is changing the clocking of the caliper , I don't see why it wouldn't work ??
dave

 

I have seen cars with the caliper clocked toward the front, I doubt it would make a noticeable difference.

 

You may have brake bleeding problems if the bleeder is not at the top. At least that is what I have been told. So the last choice may work better.

Bill

 

It will work fine. If the bleeder is at the top, perfect, if it isnt, bleed it first with it pointed up then move it.

 

Bleader has to be on the top or you will not get all the air out if it is than will work

 

I have seen road race formula cars with brake calipers on the bottom to reduce the center of gravity.


Ago

 

It will work as long as all air is bleed from the system . If your brake pedal feels strange in any way, you will have to evaluate the set up!

 

What he said. That's how I did mine.

 

If the bleeders are on bottom, switch sides.

 

Space out the steering arm. I made 1 ' o.d.-1/2" i.d. -1-1/4" spacers on the lathe, and welded them on. Everything clears, and my bump-steer is O. can't get pictures to load, will work on it.

 

well, gosh you guys have made me feel better about placing them like this. I can't see where it would matter. I knew about the bleeder being at the top, that is why I would have to switch sides like I did there. Bugsy I was hoping I may find a steering arm that would work without modifying it. you had to make some pretty long spacers. I would like to see yours or any other guys that have steering arms on their 37-41 spindles, especially using a cross steer off the top of the right hand spindle. I thought also it shouldn't make any difference where the caliper is at the front or back. My plan was to use a left lower bolt on arm and flip it over for use on the right spindle top. Kind of hard to tell if it needs to be straight or some drop (which would point up then) and whether 34 ford or 48 ford or etc... whichever would work the best ..be nice to have a pile of them to try !!!..also unfortunately both arms are sold as a pair left and right.

 

I swapped mine side to side for the very same reason. I used an f1 axle and a disc brake kit. My car is rear steer gearbox and no room for the calipers on the back. I made my own right hand steering arm for crossteer. I made it from a piece of 4 X 4 square tubing 3/8 thick. I'm not real fast but have went 108 at the strip and slowed down fine with manual disc brakes.

It was easier for me to make a flat arm and got the hiem joint drag link from speedway. I also figured in about 7 degrees into the mounting part of the arm for caster so it sits level once installed. I had to trim some for the brake hose also. I made the length same as the factory arm to the mounting point for the draglink.

 

Just in case the above suggestions don't work for you, there are metric calipers where the threading for the bleeder & inlet are the same, so you could just swap bleeder to inlet.

 

Doesn't matter if it's front, back, top, bottom, as long as the bleeder is the highest point. Might be concerns with physical harm if it was too low, but wont affect how it brakes. You can also flip the brackets over to get different angles to the caliper, regardless of whether it's front or rear. In the first picture the bleed screw is located perfectly, but in the other pics the bleed screw is slightly lower than the high point of the caliper's bore. The bracket needs to be flipped top to bottom so it positions the bleed screw like it was in pic #2, but still on the front side of the axle.