Julie, I think I have bad news for you?

booster.jpg

 

Disc Brake & Brake Conversion Kits, Suspension Kits: Master Brakes.

 

OLD!!!!

You're driving me to the POOR HOUSE!



I guess since the Chargers are playing Monday night this week, I can spend Sunday looking for Disc Brake conversion kits.

That is a good point on the PB/master cylinder...I noticed the conversion kits don't have those.

Thanks again guys.

 

[quote=Julies Cool F1;8044393]OLD!!!!

You're driving me to the POOR HOUSE!

Don't forget the proportioning valve, I like the Mustang type so you can adjust the bias.

 

Julie, if the mounting is the same I have an underfloor mount, pedal, dual chamber MC and proportioning valve for disk/drum for a 56 I am not using. It is manual not power, but a power booster could easily be added. By the way MP brakes have the complete conversion kits with everything but the hard lines in power or manual as well as the basic kit without MC etc.

 

I haven't read every word of every post, so excuse me if I missed something. Just a couple of random comments. I've done two disc conversion with the under floor 7 inch booster. Both are slightly marginal. Brakes work very good until the last 1/2 inch of pedal. Right at the lock up point. Near as I can tell, the boosters volume is just a hair short. Stock would be a 9 or 10 inch booster. I've heard the 7 inch dual diaphram model gets it done. [discs with the 7 in. booster are way better than drums, just not quite up to your daily driver].
The other tidbit is caster. Personally I have been unable to find shims greater than 4 degrees. With a little rake, I've got about 3 degrees of caster. Way better than it was, but I too would like about 5 if I could get it. Let me know if you figure out how.
Lastly, I don't like caster shims. They have a horseshoe slot that makes them easy to install, but that uses up some of the head of the spring bolt.
I've seen them move out of the pocket.
So, if you are using shims, get extra long heads on your spring bolts, or, I used pinion shims. They just have a center hole and have to be installed when the spring is assembled. More hassle, but they aren't coming loose and the full head sits in the spring pocket.
In my opinion, nothing you can do to your truck will bring as much joy as getting the steering/suspension/brakes right. You will not regret spending the money. good luck.

 

Jules,

I don't have the links with me but a quickie google search for either Master Power Brakes or Engineered Components Inc should turn up their websites pretty easily. They are probably also listed on the big long list of links I posted awhile back for a newbie

Just because you go disc doesn't mean you have to go power. You will need to change to a dual champer master cylinder though.

...its only money.....

Nothing wrong with the stock brakes. A new set of shoes isn't to prices. Check out your rears and make sure they are working and you are getting a good response all around.

Bobby

 

Thanks Bobby, I'll take a look. Yeah, I have no complaints about the stopping power of the stock brakes at this point. But in all fairness you bring up a valid point - the 9 3/8 rear end I have out of the 65 "Big Ford" may be helping a bit with the stock fronts.

I have plenty of stopping power. As a matter of fact I can get to a point with these brakes where the wheels will lock and the truck just slides - there's not enough weight to keep the tires on the pavement - so no problems with brake performance.

Point of that is I don't see why I would need power front discs. I would think that with the increased performance "everyone says" come from the discs, I would have even MORE than too much brake!

Hey AX I'll have to check on those pedals. Thanks for the offer. The Pedal arrangement between the Bonus Builts and the Effies is fairly substantial. That's one reason we seem to have so much trouble helping out the guys who want to put overdrive transmissions on Bonus Built - bell housing and clutch pedal arrangement. If I can use it, I'll get back with you, and if you want to sell it, we can hook up.

I have a couple answers for Oldguy829 too and thanks for the tips on the MC and boosters. But because of what I explained above, I think I'm going to stick with non power brakes. And I invite thoughts/comments on that theory too.

The Castor angle is a problem because as you mentioned getting shims for the 1 3/4 springs to set them above (say 6-61/2 degrees) the stock max angle (of 4 1/2) degrees is almost impossible-my spring guy mentioned this to me when I took the truck up ther last week. So, in the course of respringing (and in conjunction with reinforcing the passenger side spring to compensate for the high engine torque I have) he is going to MAKE new springs with a reverse eye configuration on one end that developes a castor angle at 6 degrees without shims. If I need more, then we can put in the short shims, but I don't see a need to go over 6 degrees.

I had the truck up to 75 on a grooved California highway a couple of days ago after setting the toe with a stick and ruler, having a new axel with no alignment of the Camber or King pin Inclination, and NO shims (Castor angle 0) and it was very smooth - much more than I imagined it would be. It just pulls to the right.

That's gotta be my loose spring bolt or eye bushings/springs (being replaced) , KP Inclination or camber (being corrected after new springs), or wheel bearings. Bearings are good and just repacked (and with disc conversion I will have new anyway). I also noticed withthe wider tires on the front (wider than stock) they need a few miles to "wear to fit." and I would imagine right now they are readjusting from bad to better.

So, what I am thinking is after getting the springs in, (setting the castor up to 6 degrees) getting the axel bent to the correct camber and king pin inclination, and getting the toe reset, this thing is going to FLOAT at 75!

And there's one thing that that is going to cause. That is, I'll be driving faster. Currently, the bad ride limits (or rather limited) speed, but with that elliminated, and the lack of "sensation of speed" from sitting up so high, I expect to be driving faster ("Honest Your Honor - it's the absolute truth! It was the truck!")

So, 75! Another reason I'm thinking about discs, I'm starting to listen to you guys about that in the safety department. I have no hard evidence if shortfalls as it currently is, but that's a hard place to discover the brakes aren't as good- at 75 - as they are at 55. Better to have too much than not enough I guess. Lots of thoughts.

It's going in tuesday to North County Spring - I'll take lots of pictures of the new arrangement!

 

i have manual disc on my panel and they stop just fine. i put on a mustang master, prop valve/res valve on mine and used the bracket from CPP. ran new brake lines (below radiator), uses stock pedal, i got the brakeline shield coil stuff from classic industries (none of the ford repo places had it, so i went gm) and i had to hunt down 1 "T" fitting to make what i wanted. i also went away from the hyd brake light switch and put a lever type on the firewall. the hydro flare kit is my friend..........you can also but a kit of hose nuts from CPP so you don't need to run adapters at the master.

Classic Ford Truck Parts-1948-1964 Parts. The Finest in Suspension, Brakes, Steering and Accessories.





don't mind the wiring, that's next .

 

I like that T fitting. Where did you find it?

 

I can't remember, but it's just a block with 3 ports and a through hole......kinda like a brake line tee for a rear end.

EDIT: it was earls and I think I bought it from jegs.

http://www.holley.com/data/Catalogs/Adapters.pdf

they're on the last page.

 

A very nice - clean installation! Impressive!

 

Thanks! I like those Y fittings.

 

I looked a parts truck recently that had an after market steering dampener installed on it. That was the POs answer to unruly steering. Not that I am recommending that, just that I would never have thought of that.

 

There was a kit that was made for that. I have one up in the parts bin and never put it on. Basically, it's a shock absorber that bolts to the axel and the tie rod. I'm not sure I will need it. I am also looking into sway bars. We'll see how it works after springs. I had to delay that for a week or two - I have (or rather DON'T have) 650 reasons!