I’ve been eyeing a local ’74 Imperial for its drivetrain (because otherwise it’s a rusty
ruined brown pile). Now it is for sale for $800. In checking it out today, I found no 8¾˝ rear axle,
but a 9¼˝ with disc brakes. My question is: Will the front disc equipment all bolt onto my ’67 New Yorker? My friend says there should be no reason the 9¼˝ rear disc equipment wouldn’t work on the ’67’s 8¾˝. Love the mag, please help!
Two words: No, no.
The C‑body’s front suspension changed totally for ’74. Nothing fits pre‑’74 cars.
The rear disc brakes, which are, basically, late A‑body front brakes with hat‑style (mini-drum) parking brakes, mount to the axle housing with adapters (brackets) which are much thicker than drum supports (“backing plates”). The upshot: You’d have huge wheel bearing end play. The only fixes are:Narrow the housing slightly, or… Have longer axles made (Moser), or… Use Green non-adjustable ball‑type wheel bearings (absolutely for drag cars only, not streetable). I have also seen guys mount the adapter, with some mods, to the INSIDE of the housing flange, then use a cut‑down drum brake support, or something similar, as a spacer. This can actually work, but the rotor is then no longer centered in the caliper. Plus, with those rotors being made of 100% pure unobtainium, why bother?
But if the rotors are OK, how about using the entire 9.25˝ axle? Super easy to work on, readily available parts, etc.