Rebuilding some Disc Brake Calipers

[moonshine_mike]

I am going to rebuild some disc brake calipers for my 70 Cuda.
I used Raybestos DPS85016 pistons for the KH80012 caliper in past rebuilds.
I can't seem to find them now.
Can anyone help me by recommending what aftermarket piston I should use?

[pschlosser]

Have you tried Rock Auto? They come through for me often when other sites do not.

imo, Raybestos brake products are among the best (DIY repair/aftermarket products) you can buy, these days, considering their low cost.  But they ran into litigation trouble over Asbestos and hype, and people suing them, so they are more or less gone bye-bye.

That said, the parts you seek, the piston, is not easy to screw up or produce in an inferior way.  So have you tried your local auto parts stores for this part?  Even if it IS made in China, Antarctica or Timbuktu, it will likely outlive the life of your muscle car.

Come to think of it, what is wrong with your current pistons?  They gotta be in REALLY BAD shape if you think they need replacement.

[mtull]

Maybe this will work: Caliper rebuild kit

[moonshine_mike]

Come to think of it, what is wrong with your current pistons?  They gotta be in REALLY BAD shape if you think they need replacement.

Calipers are not on the car presently. They are very rusty and sitting for years. Hoping to rebuild and use them for disc brake conversion.

[Katfish]

Most all the rebuilds (and new) now have the phenolic pistons.
I looked into rebuilding mine, but ended up buying the whole rebuilt calipers with metal pistons for only $35 from RockAuto.
If you're trying to save a numbers caliper, maybe buy the rebuilt and pull the piston?

[mtull]

Most all the rebuilds (and new) now have the phenolic pistons.

Hey @Katfish, after seeing your comment I wanted to find out what the differences are between steel and phenolic pistons.  According to what I read, "phenolic pistons can swell and stick over time, especially in vehicles with infrequent use".  Is that the primary reason you prefer to stay away phenolic pistons?

It looks like Rock Auto has vendors for both steel and phenolic pistons.
Better Brake Parts
Raybestos

[Katfish]

The phenolic pistons are mainly a cost reduction for the vendors compared to steel.
Cheaper to make a plastic part compared to steel.
From what I read the steel just seem to be a better choice.

[JH27N0B]

Have you tried Rock Auto? They come through for me often when other sites do not.

imo, Raybestos brake products are among the best (DIY repair/aftermarket products) you can buy, these days, considering their low cost.  But they ran into litigation trouble over Asbestos and hype, and people suing them, so they are more or less gone bye-bye.

I'm not sure where you got your information on Raybestos.  I was an engineer at Brake Parts Inc from '90 through 2005, who makes Raybestos brakes.  Raybestos was in financial troubles in the 80s, I'm not sure if asbestos litigation was really in gear by then, but whatever the case they sold out their business then, the trade name Raybestos was actually sold to two companies, Brake Parts Inc got it to sell the brake products and another different company got it to sell the clutches.  So two separate companies sell Raybestos products.
But they didn't take on any asbestos liability by just acquiring the brand names.
When I started at Brake Parts it was owned by Echlin.  Echlin got bought by Dana in the late 90s. All was good until the early 2000s when Dana ran into difficulties due to being locked into contracts with the big 3 that ended up driving the company into the red when commodity prices skyrocketed and they were stuck selling items like frame rails and axles to them at big losses.
Dana sold off the aftermarket business to private equity shortly before they went bankrupt.
That's when I got laid off, the plants got closed and production moved to Asia.
The company has got sold a few times since and eventually ended up with First Brands, which recently has made headlines in business news in a large financial scandal.
So that is the tale of  Raybestos brakes, not asbestos litigation.