Quote from HURSTSSAMX69 on 03/05/10 at 18:56:51:

For once I am going to agree with you, there is nothing wrong with drum brakes. There are several places that put much better lining on them and they will work great. You won't be able to get them with the better linings at your local parts store but you will be able to get them and if you check every so often on the condition you can order a new set ahead enough to not worry about wearing them out.  
 
We have run drums on our road racing Corvette and Corvair with metalic lining with great success, no fade and great stopping. They do take some time to heat up enough to work their best but there are linings that work from the begining. I can't rember the name of the company but Google drum brakes you will find them. Hot Rod did a comparo some years ago and the heavy old Malibu stopped the shortest, it was the only one with drum brakes just had good linings. Just an idea for you. GL

The 1965 to 1970 Bendix 4 piston brakes that AMC used are just awful !!! The Chebby  Corvette had similar Delco brakes and Stainless Steel Brakes made a small fortune repairing all of these brakes. The original Bendix 4 piston brakes are expense, complex and very prone to leaking. The irony is SSBC makes another fortune making the small type of multi-piston brakes out of no rust aluminum instead of the cast iron, which are lighter and with stainless steel type pistons , and synthetic brakes fluid and now last for ever. GM made it's own Delco brakes , the rest of the US Auto manufacturers bought brakes from Bendix or Wagner or Kelsey-Hayes during the period.  The best factory AMC brakes are the Kelsey-Hayes full floating disk brakes used around 1970/71 to 1974/75. Mopars used the same setup as AMC , in fact the calipers will interchange. But those are very hard to find these days and the parts are expensive. The next best brakes are the 1975 and Wagner disk brakes used by AMC and Ford until the late 80 or early 90s. They have a sliding key way that tends to freeze up , but if maintained they are too bad and if you can find any factory type brakes it will probably be these. They were very widely used for a long time. The only other draw back is they are very heavy. There are survivors out west here , both in and out of the junk yards, but even here they are getting fewer and fewer. The license and laws out here , particularly in Nevada strongly encourage the maintenance of older vehicles. There is a circa 1960 2 tone Ford COE truck in Pahrump here that is stilled used daily by a local plumbing company and tons of in particular old 60s/70s pickup truck here still in daily use. But as noted AMC parts vehicles are getting very thin on the ground. That why I've been trying to get SSBC or bear brakes to do an AMC kit. About the only part they don't have on the shelf is the bolt on axle for an AMC. I can for see that soon to get an old factory set up repairded is going to cost the same  as a SSBC type kit. Right now the best alternative is probably the Scarebird setup , back yard engineered as it , for any thing with a reasonable cost and an up grade to the stock type factory brakes. LRDaum

Mike you must have some deep pockets to want to run the 65-70 4 piston junk.
Your car will never know what you are using to stop it and it will be on the road a lot faster if you use the “cobbled junk”.
It is your car do as you wish. Good luck
Dave ----

HurstssAMx--what ever you do--make it your decision and just do it!  Keep the reciepts from the parts stores in you glove box that way you have the supplier and part number at all times.  if you choose the "cobbled" brakes--you can find them at parts stores all over the country or wherever you choose to drive if the cost of gas is not too high for you.  If you choose original and have a roadside issue--make sure you have AAA or a tow truck at your disposal as it may be weeks before you can get the original parts. Getting advise on the forum is fine--take it for what it is--Free information.  Some of it is great and there are some very knowledgeable people that have experience here.  IMO, figure out which members you can trust and listen to them.  They know more than me and maybe more than you (no disrespect).

Think this is as close to a compleat set you will ever find.
http://theamcforum.com/forum/69-amx-brakes-spindles_topic17233.html
As you will read they where pulled because they leaked
Dave ----

I've had the stock 4-piston setup on the 70 Jav for about 15-20 years without any issues or leaks.  Then again, when
I had them done years ago at a local brake shop they setup the calipers with all stainless.
 
I setup the 69 AMX with a stock Bendix system after removing the front drums.  One of the calipers had to be returned
as it leaked.  Guess as the years go by, getting good piston cores is getting tougher not to have corrosion on them
which causes leaks.  Dunno if they make stainless piston or just sleeves these days.
 
From what I remember, the spindle need to be replaced, can't recall if the knuckle did as well.  The
backing plates, the booster and master, vacuum hose to the manifold, brake lines, but most importantly, the  
tough part to find was an original proportioning valve.  That one piece cost me something like $150 used.
 
The cars aren't driven much so wear on the rotors aren't a factor.  If the car will be driven, make sure you've got
a good set of rotors.....
 
Also, for some reason, I don't seem to have the same braking/stopping power that I do in the Javelin.  Not that the
brake pedal is hard or anything, it just seems like the Javelin want's to put you through the windshield if you're not careful
with the brakes, the AMX seems to take a little more effort on the pedal.
 
 
Steve

I just want the correct AMC 4 piston disc brakes   . . . Sorry i'm being stubborn, but i want what i want  
 
  they are better and safer then the Front drum's i have now, and i would be "updating" yet staying 69' AMC correct  
 
Mike