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Cheapest and Best Disc Conversion

  • Thread starter Thread starter nugget68
  • Start date Start date Jan 29, 2007
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nugget68

Member
Sep 26, 2005
362
3
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Jan 29, 2007
#1
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #1
What is the cheapest and best disc conversion for my 68 coupe. I want to stay all ford so Scarebird is out...
 

dodgestang

Active Member
Dec 15, 2003
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37
Cecil County, MD
Jan 29, 2007
#2
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #2
You can't have both unless cheap = best for you.
 

Pbum5

Member
Oct 27, 2004
515
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17
Minneapolis, MN
Jan 29, 2007
#3
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #3
I went with Factory 68 discs on my 67.
Upgraded the rotors and pads, very happy with the results.
 

LMan

Founding Member
Aug 10, 2002
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Mom's basement
Jan 29, 2007
#4
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #4
www.discbrakeswap.com


(76th time )
 

2bav8

Founding Member
Nov 30, 1998
2,511
1
47
Mesa, AZ
Jan 29, 2007
#5
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #5
I'd go with www.discbrakeswap.com as well.
 

GoinBroke

New Member
Jul 13, 2006
109
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Joliet, Il
Jan 29, 2007
#6
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #6
I have a 69 with a 4 drum setup and dual res master cylinder which is a new reman. If I were to go with the www.discbrakeswap.com install could I keep the master cylinder I have??
 
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bnickel

Founding Member
Aug 21, 2002
5,640
3
77
lubbock, texas
Jan 29, 2007
#7
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #7
GoinBroke said:
I have a 69 with a 4 drum setup and dual res master cylinder which is a new reman. If I were to go with the www.discbrakeswap.com install could I keep the master cylinder I have??
Click to expand...


no, well actually it depends on the MC. some drum masters will work but most won't.
 

ratio411

Founding Member
Apr 21, 2002
3,870
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109
Pensacola FL
Jan 29, 2007
#8
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #8
Just get donor spindles/brakes off of:
69-73 Stang/Cougar
68-69 Fairlane/Torino/Montego/Cyclone
74-77 Maverick/Comet
75-80 Granada/Monarch/Versillies

These get bid up HIGH on eBay, but they are still common and dirt cheap in the junkyards.

Edit: I should note that the Granada/Maverick sets are the easiest to work with. The parts are cheaper and still available at the corner parts store. They also don't require any cores on rotors and calipers.
 
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nugget68

Member
Sep 26, 2005
362
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Jan 29, 2007
#9
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #9
thanks guys...i probably will go with discbrakeswap.com...just wanted to see my options...
 

ratio411

Founding Member
Apr 21, 2002
3,870
73
109
Pensacola FL
Jan 29, 2007
#10
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #10
nugget68 said:
thanks guys...i probably will go with discbrakeswap.com...just wanted to see my options...
Click to expand...
Those are just repopped Granada/Maverick spindles and brackets.
Easy to find used.
Even if you just get the spindles/plates/brackets, the rest of the stuff is cheap at AZ or the like. No core charges as I posted earlier.
 
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bnickel

Founding Member
Aug 21, 2002
5,640
3
77
lubbock, texas
Jan 29, 2007
#11
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #11
ratio411 said:
Those are just repopped Granada/Maverick spindles and brackets.
Easy to find used.
Even if you just get the spindles/plates/brackets, the rest of the stuff is cheap at AZ or the like. No core charges as I posted earlier.
Click to expand...


Dave, have you looked at everything that comes with this kit? it would be hard to rebuild a used system with all the NEW parts included in that kit for less, not impossible but definitely hard to do and you'd have to do a bunch of searching to get under that price.

for $545 you get: This kit includes everything needed to swap out your front drum brakes for OEM style disc brakes. All new parts including a spindles kit, refurbed cardone calipers, Raybestos made semi-metallic pads, brake hoses, adjustable proportioning valve, major brand refurb master cylinder, bearings, seals, a 22 piece small parts kit, and performance slotted rotors.

it also has new dust shields and other stuff as well. good kit for a very nice price.
 

geostang351

Member
Mar 30, 2005
946
0
17
Danb., CT
Jan 29, 2007
#12
  • Jan 29, 2007
  • #12
ratio411 said:
Just get donor spindles/brakes off of:
69-73 Stang/Cougar
68-69 Fairlane/Torino/Montego/Cyclone
74-77 Maverick/Comet
75-80 Granada/Monarch/Versillies

These get bid up HIGH on eBay, but they are still common and dirt cheap in the junkyards.

Edit: I should note that the Granada/Maverick sets are the easiest to work with. The parts are cheaper and still available at the corner parts store. They also don't require any cores on rotors and calipers.
Click to expand...

I just changed out my Granada calipers and the core charge was $9 each, so times are a changin'.
 

yeloxr7

Member
Apr 18, 2005
429
0
16
Jan 30, 2007
#13
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #13
ratio411 said:
Those are just repopped Granada/Maverick spindles and brackets.
Easy to find used.
Even if you just get the spindles/plates/brackets, the rest of the stuff is cheap at AZ or the like. No core charges as I posted earlier.
Click to expand...

A few years back there were a lot of Granada/Monarchs and Maverick/Comets in the local pick-yer-part yards and the brake parts were usually there. Now they are harder to find, and when they are in the yards, the control arms have been torched to remove the spindles etc. making the brake parts harder to find that way.

The diskbrakeswap.com kit is probably the cheapest/easiest way to get all the parts you need for the conversion. I recently purchased calipers and hoses from Dennis and the total price including shipping was less than the local retail cost of the calipers alone. No core charge.
 

LMan

Founding Member
Aug 10, 2002
1,246
0
0
Mom's basement
Jan 30, 2007
#14
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #14
ratio411 said:
Those are just repopped Granada/Maverick spindles and brackets.
Easy to find used.
Even if you just get the spindles/plates/brackets, the rest of the stuff is cheap at AZ or the like. No core charges as I posted earlier.
Click to expand...


Wrong. As I understand it, the DBS kit spindles have revised geometry that addresses the bumpsteer issue so common to the typical Grenada-swap in early Mustangs. That won't be solved with junkyard spindles.
 

enferno

Member
Jun 20, 2006
418
2
16
Jan 30, 2007
#15
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #15
i have a dual master cylinder that i haven't put in my car yet . . i have drums all around and the single master cylinder. can i use the dual that i have instead of the one included in the kit?
 

ratio411

Founding Member
Apr 21, 2002
3,870
73
109
Pensacola FL
Jan 30, 2007
#16
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #16
yeloxr7 said:
A few years back there were a lot of Granada/Monarchs and Maverick/Comets in the local pick-yer-part yards and the brake parts were usually there. Now they are harder to find, and when they are in the yards, the control arms have been torched to remove the spindles etc. making the brake parts harder to find that way.

The diskbrakeswap.com kit is probably the cheapest/easiest way to get all the parts you need for the conversion. I recently purchased calipers and hoses from Dennis and the total price including shipping was less than the local retail cost of the calipers alone. No core charge.
Click to expand...
Must be where you are...
I know where several sets are.
When I can afford, I grab them up. I have several sets.
I have paid as little as 20 bux, as much as 100 bux for a TOP NOTCH set.
50 bux would be a fair average.
The earlier Stang/Fairlane versions I have gotten dirt cheap too.
However, after rebuilding them, I find them expensive to get the calipers and rotors, etc...
The Granda/Maverick setups are cheap and the calipers and such are dirt cheap here too. Calipers are roughly 20 bux each, rotors just under 40.
The hoses are the most expensive part.
I bought my last set of calipers/rotors/pads/hardware last year, so things may have changed, but they didn't want a core for any part at that time.
Dave
 
D

Dazecars

Member
Jun 20, 2005
84
1
9
Jan 30, 2007
#17
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #17
There is another option

There is not a thing wrong with the set up you have already been shown infact those are good quality parts at a good price, however you said you wanted all of the "all ford parts" options and there are a few that have been missed. There are setups that uses newer parts for beter performance and less drag. MustangSteve of www.MustangSteve.com sell 13" cobra front disc brake brackets and which utilize the original spindles with the newer parts.
http://www.mustangsteve.com/cobrabrake_left_close.JPG
Ultrastang of www.ultrastang.com sell rear Cobra disc brake brackets as well as SN95 rear GT disc brak brackets that will bolt up to an original 8" or 9" rear end

and I DazeCars of www.dazecars.com sell Ford SN95 dual piston aluminum caliper GT disc brake brackets that use 99-04 calipers and 94-04 11"rotors and your cars original spindle and hub.
 
B

bnickel

Founding Member
Aug 21, 2002
5,640
3
77
lubbock, texas
Jan 30, 2007
#18
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #18
LMan said:
Wrong. As I understand it, the DBS kit spindles have revised geometry that addresses the bumpsteer issue so common to the typical Grenada-swap in early Mustangs. That won't be solved with junkyard spindles.
Click to expand...



Lman, Degins does have a 65-66 specific spindle to address the bump steer and other geometry issues but for 67-up the mustang spindle geometry is the same as the granada spindle. so that wouldn't apply for 67-up cars.

Dave, even here in good ol' west texas we don't have any wrecking yards with granada/monarchs or maverick/comets anymore.
 

ratio411

Founding Member
Apr 21, 2002
3,870
73
109
Pensacola FL
Jan 30, 2007
#19
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #19
Dazecars said:
There is not a thing wrong with the set up you have already been shown infact those are good quality parts at a good price, however you said you wanted all of the "all ford parts" options and there are a few that have been missed.
Click to expand...
I forgot about those...
If I was going to spend a bunch of money on a set of brakes, the new technology is the way to go rather than repopped 30 year old tech.

These are some great brakes IMO, more like aftermarket than anything else besides pure aftermarket. Better tech too.

You just have to be careful, some of these new tech adapters require larger diameter rims, depending on which you get.

Dave
 

ultrastang

Founding Member
Feb 26, 2002
1,092
2
37
Arkansas
Jan 30, 2007
#20
  • Jan 30, 2007
  • #20
ratio411 said:
I forgot about those...
If I was going to spend a bunch of money on a set of brakes, the new technology is the way to go rather than repopped 30 year old tech.

These are some great brakes IMO, more like aftermarket than anything else besides pure aftermarket. Better tech too.

You just have to be careful, some of these new tech adapters require larger diameter rims, depending on which you get.

Dave
Click to expand...

If you are planning to run something like the Cobra setups, then you will have to move up to at least a 17" diameter wheel. Otherwise, for the mostpart, the brake systems will work with 15" wheels, --or in some cases a 16" diameter max. depending on what brake system you will be using. --some will even work with 14" wheels.

I guess you would say that Mustang Steve, Daze Cars and me (Ultrastang) are "grass-roots" brake suppliers in that we mainly offer the bracket means to mount a modern brake system on an older Mustang/Ford body. I don't fool with selling the rotors, calipers, etc., because most people can get the parts at or less than what I could sell them for.

Many people don't like to "scrounge" for parts to put a brake system (or whatever) together. However, there are plenty of others that don't mind this at all. The good thing in piecing a system togther is you don't have to have ALL the money right now to get what you want, like you would with Baer, Willwood, etc. You can spread the cost of putting a brake system together over time, which is exactly what I did when I was developing and putting together the SN-95 setup for my own '68.

I didn't have a lump of cash to buy the rotors, calipers, hubs, etc. all at the same time. I bought the rotors one month, the next month I bought the calipers, then the hubs, brake hoses and hardlines/fittings until I had everything I needed without putting a major strain on my pocketbook.

However, eventhough I pieced the system together, the only parts I had to "scroung" for was the caliper's flexible hoses and the hard brake lines, which I got in one trip to O'Reilly's. The rest of the parts (rotors, calipers hubs) I bought from the comfort of my home while online, and the parts arrived a few days later right to my door.

www.ultrastang.com
 
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