Dark Side Mustang II Rear Disc Brake Swap

[daniel luna]

Gentleman this is Addressed to: For Those who can't leave well enough alone
I have A SSII V6 2.8 - T5 - 8" rear end with Jose conversion Kit
the rear end has old drum brake set up that I think it is difficult and hard to
find replacement parts because they are getting old in years for inventory
reasons, as well not easy to work with when changing the brake pads
my question is what kind of a donor car can help do a conversion to disc brake
set up with out changing the 4 bolt Ford Mustang II & SSII front spindle disc
brake.
now if not possible, what other choise of 5 bolt pattern set up for the rear end?
so after all the BIG QUESTION IS what will fit for the front spindle to mesh with the whole conversion making all work with the same rims and what size will they
be? I hope some one has done some thing like this before after all,
I don't think is something new that has not been addressed before

Thank you in advance for all you're Support, Knowledge.

Sincerely Dan N Luna

 

[Bill Blue]

There were a couple of years (mid to late 80's), when the T'bird used 4 bolt rear disc's that I've read will bolt onto the 8". They require 14" rims.

Next question: How does the parking brake actuate? I don't know.

Bill

 

[61Alpine]

I have a Ford 8" rear end in my current project that I had narrowed and I have converted over to disc brakes, using the 4X4.25 bolt pattern so I can use the same wheels front and rear.

They also have the built in E brake.

 

[socorob]

Did you use something like the wilwood kit or get parts from a donor car?

 

[V6 JOSE]

Hi Dan,

If you want to go with a five bolt pattern, all you´d need to do is have the rear axles and front hubs welded and re-drilled with the Ford 5X4.5" bolt pattern. Some guys buy after market axles and order them with the five bolt pattern, then just have the front hubs welded and re-drilled to match.

Jose

 

[MikeH]

Rather than finding an old donor that you will eventually end up in the same situation parts wise, I would look into after market disk brake converstions. Pick up a copy of any classic Ford or Mustang magazine and check the adds. Other sources would be National Parts Depot, Year One, or The Paddock. Stainless Steel Brake Company (SSBC) probably has what you need.

 

[PROCRAFT]

brakes

You only have to fill one hole to redrill the Alpine hubs to the 5x4 1/2" pattern

Joel

 

[Suta M]

I have an 8" narrowed ford differential for my project, and I found out that the 1996 Mercury Mystique w/rear disk brake would work. I don’t have the calipers yet and the disk just needs a very simple modification to fit, which is to enlarge the center hole.
The bolt pattern is the same as the alpine 4x4.25. The rear calipers on the Mystique have an arm for the parking brake cable. I believe there is not a cheaper way to do the conversion.

 

[Jim E]

When I did disc on the Tiger rear end usd Alfa rotors, same pattern but had to enlarge the center hole and reduce the outside diameter. Used those because I had a set, made weld on brackets and used calipers from a Mercur Scorpion becuase they are the right size piston and have the pul cable arm for the park brake. While you can get stuff for this collection of parts would be better to go with something a bit newer, that the local parts house has everyday.

 

[socorob]

Let us know how easily the mystique brakes go on. Some photos would be nice too.

 

[Suta M]

The diameter of the disk is 9 15/16â€. I have a set of rear calipers from a
91’ Mazda RX 7, but to be able to use them, I will have to reduce the thicknees of the Mistique disk which is 0.800â€. By 0.040†or so, or grab a set of barely use pads.
I still have to do the brackets etc, I’ll be back on that part of the project as soon as I finish the passenger side header…

 

[MikeH]

Be carefull that you don't go beyond the minimum thickness for the rotors. The minimum thickness should be embossed on the rotor.

Searching the web I found on autozone.com that the minimum is .709

 

[Suta M]

Thank you Mike, that give me plenty of room + or – 0.100†but if you see the pictures again you will notice that the pads are in the calipers. They are barely used but still in very good condition. I just don’t remember the thickness of the RX 7 rear disks. But I remember that they are thinner..

more pictures..

 

[Ken Ellis]

Could you mill off a little from each backing plate of the pads? That way, pad life and disk life would be unaltered.

Ken

 

[V6 JOSE]

I would take off .020 off of each pad face, rather than off of either the disc or the pad backing. You want that disc as big as you can, so you don´t need to change it sooner, than if you left it the stock thickness.

Jose

 

[Bill Blue]

Dan, a couple of other options, but they are far from bolts ons.

For the front, I used Pontiac Grand Prix 10.5" rotors with GM Metric calipers. They will fit inside of 13" wheels, but require much fabrication. I also turned the Alpine hub to fit the I.D. of the rotors.

In the rear, I used Saturn disc's with the Ford 8". Once again, considerable modification and fabrication, but it allows use of the Alpine parking brake mechanism. The combination gives powerful, well balanced front to rear braking, and works well with the 3/4" Nissan F10 master cylinder.

Bill

 

[bashby]

Wilwood on Ford 8"

The shop that narrowed my Ford 8" is also a Wilwood dealer, they installed discs with "tophat" parking brakes. For the fronts I have Wilwood (by Procraft) 11" discs.

 

[Suta M]

I Just came back from Auto Zone, and I discover that the 1991 Mazda RX 7 Convertible
Came from factory with two different rear disk brake system one which solid rotors and other which vented rotors, the pads are the same en both system but the calipers are different. One is Auto Zone part# C8193 this one, use rotors 0.398†thick, the other one
Is part# C8195 this one, use rotors 0.748â€thick.
I compare the used pads I have, with a new one, and there is almost no difference in thickness, also I found out that the piston wasen’t all the way in. Now it fit whit out any modification to the rotor. I didn’t pay attention before.

 

[MikeH]

....One is Auto Zone part# C8193 this one, use rotors 0.398†thick, the other one
Is part# C8195 this one, use rotors 0.748â€thick.

I thought you were using the Mystique rotors, which were listed as the same minimum for the 4 banger and the V6.

 

[Suta M]

Mike, yes I’m using the Mystique rotors. What I am trying to figure out is which caliper I have, since the 91’ RX 7 Convertible that is the car that I get the calipers from. Come with two different rear disk brake systems (one with solid rotors and one with vented rotors). My calipers have embossed the numbers 1313, but Auto Zone only uses their part# s. C8195 and C8193 . If you see the pictures at autozone.com there is a difference in the width where the pads sit to compensate for the difference in thickness of the disk.
I just want to be sure that I provide a correct parts # if someone decides to go this way.