This How-To assumes you have basic tools to work on neon brake system.

Scope: To achieve Stage I level performance for budget minded racer. It is composed of mostly off the shelf parts for ease of service and low cost.

Here are the parts you will need:

1. Left & Right 2000+ PT cruiser knuckles. Knuckes from a manual transmission, steel wheel combo is desired as they have tie rod holes in most desirable location. As you move up in wheel size and go to turbo, the tie rod location is further out, increasing the turning circle to 41 feet, whereas the MTX/Steel wheel is in 36 foot range.

• If you can only find turbo knuckles, then you will need to have a machine shop relocate both tie rod holes as your neon tie rods will bottom out. This is no small feat as the holes are tapered and the angle is quite obscure and sourcing tooling for it can take a while.

2. Donor set of brake lines. New is prefered, but your curent lines will do. They will need to be modified. Approx 1/16" will have to be machined off to clear the anti-rotation lug on the srt-4 caliper. Another option is to machine the lug off the caliper.

3. Stage 3 DSS axles or Turbo Shadow/PT-Magnum axle upgrade with outboard 26 spline tripod. It might be possible to swap 26 spline tripod onto stock axle, but I don't know anyone running that set up as center shaft is still weak point.

• All 150hp magnum (ACr & R/t) equiped 2nd gens will have the right length and spline for passenger side. Axle from PT cruiser with manual transmission and 4 spd automatic will also fit.
• All 2nd gen neons with 4 spd transmission also make capable donors for the passenger side axle. There have been stories of the driver side axle being to large and bottoming out on hi-camber vehicles. I never tested this and just accepted it
• I run a turbo shadow axle I purchased new from: http://www.automotive-axles.com/ Part # CH-8007. These are OEM GKN axles at a fraction of the cost of buying them from a dealer. Don't trust autozone/china made remanufactured axles. Many times they dont fit and aren't built to exacting tolerances leading to premature failure.
  • Update: Turbo Axle died after about 3 years of autox abuse! I am now running late 2002+ OE Mopar axles. No issues with bottoming out even at -2 to -3 degrees of camber.

4. Provided you have MTX/steel wheel knuckles, you only need to contact a machine shop to mill the clevice to same thickness as your neon knuckle.

• If you could not locate the desirable knuckles, then you will need to have your shop precisely drill, ream and taper the new tie rod location. There are no commercially available tapers to match the taper of the neon OE tie rod, so a custom tool wil need to be fabricated.

5. Go to your friendly dodge dealer and order yourself a set of: Front turbo PT cruiser calipers(or pick up set of used srt-4 calipers n mount brackets), brake pads and rotors, copper crush washers and banjo bolts.

• In regards to brake calipers and using 1st gen brake lines, you have 2 options
  • 1. Drill & tap caliper to match 1st gen caliper banjo bolt (7/16-20 is the thread size)
  • 2. Use smaller banjo bolt supplied from srt-4/turbo pt and pray n hope it doesn't leak
    • ALWAYS USE NEW CRUSH WASHERS!

     

Here are illustrations showing the Turbo and non-turbo knuckles

_-| Neon Big Brake Kit |-_

Turbo_Knuckle_Dimensions.gif Turbo_vs_MTX.gif