True Ford Disc brake conversion?
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 149
Likes: 1
Is it possible that a ford with rear disc brakes would have a caliper bracket that would bolt to the axle flange with minimum mods bolt to the front spindle of 53-56 F-100? 3 7/16 by 3 7/16
Last edited by boss66; Feb 5, 2011 at 05:51 PM. Reason: grammer
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,293
Likes: 47
From: South central, Minnesota
Very unlikely. And most of the Ford rear disc brake use a drum Emergency brake assembly that's part of the caliper bracket. Trying to use the rear bracket would just make more work over just making a new bracket.
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 615
Likes: 6
From: Tucson, AZ
tazcliff,
Check here at ECI for part of what you are looking to use.
ECI Early Disc Brake Conversion Kits
Their kit for the 48-52 Ford pickup uses the later Ford pickup 5 on 5.5 rotors and large GM calipers. It appears to be a flat plate bracket to bolt to the spindle. You could buy the bracket/bearing kit without the rotors and calipers and then cut a new bracket for whatever Ford rotor you can find to work with the late for rotors. This will involve more work on your part to engineer the all-Ford brakes.
Phil
Check here at ECI for part of what you are looking to use.
ECI Early Disc Brake Conversion Kits
Their kit for the 48-52 Ford pickup uses the later Ford pickup 5 on 5.5 rotors and large GM calipers. It appears to be a flat plate bracket to bolt to the spindle. You could buy the bracket/bearing kit without the rotors and calipers and then cut a new bracket for whatever Ford rotor you can find to work with the late for rotors. This will involve more work on your part to engineer the all-Ford brakes.
Phil
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,293
Likes: 47
From: South central, Minnesota
tazcliff,
Check here at ECI for part of what you are looking to use.
ECI Early Disc Brake Conversion Kits
Their kit for the 48-52 Ford pickup uses the later Ford pickup 5 on 5.5 rotors and large GM calipers. It appears to be a flat plate bracket to bolt to the spindle. You could buy the bracket/bearing kit without the rotors and calipers and then cut a new bracket for whatever Ford rotor you can find to work with the late for rotors. This will involve more work on your part to engineer the all-Ford brakes.
Phil
Check here at ECI for part of what you are looking to use.
ECI Early Disc Brake Conversion Kits
Their kit for the 48-52 Ford pickup uses the later Ford pickup 5 on 5.5 rotors and large GM calipers. It appears to be a flat plate bracket to bolt to the spindle. You could buy the bracket/bearing kit without the rotors and calipers and then cut a new bracket for whatever Ford rotor you can find to work with the late for rotors. This will involve more work on your part to engineer the all-Ford brakes.
Phil
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 615
Likes: 6
From: Tucson, AZ
What I meant to say was you could buy the bracket/bearing kit and cut a new flat plate bracket to use whatever Ford CALIPER you wanted to use with the late Ford ROTORS. The kit contains bearings and spacers to use with the 48-56 spindles and the late Ford rotors. You need those items to use the rotors with your spindles. You could then plasma cut new flat plate brackets to use with your selection of Ford calipers. It can be done with a little thinking, parts chasing and engineering.
Phil
Phil
Elder User
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 729
Likes: 0
From: Peoria, Arizona
hey AZ what local in the desert are you in? and what year truck do you have?
I've said it before. If someone on here were to make that bracket I would buy it from them very quickly and put it on my truck...
I've said it before. If someone on here were to make that bracket I would buy it from them very quickly and put it on my truck...
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,293
Likes: 47
From: South central, Minnesota
What I meant to say was you could buy the bracket/bearing kit and cut a new flat plate bracket to use whatever Ford CALIPER you wanted to use with the late Ford ROTORS. The kit contains bearings and spacers to use with the 48-56 spindles and the late Ford rotors. You need those items to use the rotors with your spindles. You could then plasma cut new flat plate brackets to use with your selection of Ford calipers. It can be done with a little thinking, parts chasing and engineering.
Phil
Phil
The problem with making and selling kits is the liability. If for some reason there is a parts failure the person selling the kits could be sued. And for me I don't have a plasma cutter or any other fancy tools. So there would be a lot more time required to make the brackets. By the time you figure in the material cost and time invested there is very little profit to be made. If you had a way to mass produce them then it would be worth considering.
Thread Starter
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Cross-Country
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 88
Likes: 1
From: Central Valley, CA
Yes I know, the rotor adapters are the only reason to buy the kits.
The problem with making and selling kits is the liability. If for some reason there is a parts failure the person selling the kits could be sued. And for me I don't have a plasma cutter or any other fancy tools. So there would be a lot more time required to make the brackets. By the time you figure in the material cost and time invested there is very little profit to be made. If you had a way to mass produce them then it would be worth considering.
The problem with making and selling kits is the liability. If for some reason there is a parts failure the person selling the kits could be sued. And for me I don't have a plasma cutter or any other fancy tools. So there would be a lot more time required to make the brackets. By the time you figure in the material cost and time invested there is very little profit to be made. If you had a way to mass produce them then it would be worth considering.
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Posting Guru
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,068
Likes: 7
From: Moyie, BC Canada
That is a business waiting to happen! If you decided to persue this idea, I for one would surely be interested in the final product.
Elder User
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 729
Likes: 0
From: Peoria, Arizona
The problem with making and selling kits is the liability. If for some reason there is a parts failure the person selling the kits could be sued. And for me I don't have a plasma cutter or any other fancy tools. So there would be a lot more time required to make the brackets. By the time you figure in the material cost and time invested there is very little profit to be made. If you had a way to mass produce them then it would be worth considering.
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 615
Likes: 6
From: Tucson, AZ
For the bracket talk to Steve at Industrial Chassis. He has the experience and the computer controlled 2-axis plasma cutter to cut them out. He may be able to help you out. Phone 602-278-6800.
Phil
Elder User
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 728
Likes: 2
From: North Idaho
I have a big bearing 9 inch that I want to convert to disk. Just by chance I got next to a late model 8.8 with disk brakes today (mustang GT) and took some measurements.
The axel to flange offset is the same between the two.
The caliper mount plate is flat stock.
And of course the bolt pattern matches my 9 inch (5x4.5)
Even the rotor inside diameter is large enough to slip over the 31 spline axel flange.
The only problem area I noted was the flange bolt pattern on the mount plate, the 8.8 has a 3.4 x 1.6 bolt pattern and the 9 inch has a 3.56 x 2.0.
So it looks like by having two new mounting plates made to match the 9 inch flange pattern, the mustang GT rear brake should bolt right up, they even have manual E brake (cable), not drum.
This may help the guys like me who are converting to the narrow lug pattern but for those of you who want to keep the wide lugs all I can say is see if the rotors can be re-drilled to match.
The axel to flange offset is the same between the two.
The caliper mount plate is flat stock.
And of course the bolt pattern matches my 9 inch (5x4.5)
Even the rotor inside diameter is large enough to slip over the 31 spline axel flange.
The only problem area I noted was the flange bolt pattern on the mount plate, the 8.8 has a 3.4 x 1.6 bolt pattern and the 9 inch has a 3.56 x 2.0.
So it looks like by having two new mounting plates made to match the 9 inch flange pattern, the mustang GT rear brake should bolt right up, they even have manual E brake (cable), not drum.
This may help the guys like me who are converting to the narrow lug pattern but for those of you who want to keep the wide lugs all I can say is see if the rotors can be re-drilled to match.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 6,293
Likes: 47
From: South central, Minnesota
I believe the Explorer is a simpler swap for rear disc brakes. It just requires a spacer on the axle shaft. Other wise it's a bolt on swap. But I pretty sure this thread was dealing with front brakes not the rear.
Elder User
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 728
Likes: 2
From: North Idaho
Gary