Fitting issues with Wilwood brakes and Magnums

[Mike1972Mustang]

HELP!!!Huh

I have a problem. I bought and installed a Wilwood 6 piston caliper disc brake system replacing the manual drums in the front. Wilwood part # 140-12945-DR. I knew from the statement on CJ Pony that I needed to go to 15" rims so I bought a set of 4 - 15" Magnum 500's and put a set of TA radials on them. Now after installing the new brakes I find the wheels won't fit.

Does anybody know what wheels will fit? I'm looking to stay period correct and go with something like the 5 spoke Cragar or American Racing style rims.

Mike

 

[Mister 4x4]

Mike, relax - someone will be along to answer your questions. If you post out to too many threads, your answers and discussion will be spread out everywhere and hard to keep straight.

I don't have any experience with Wilwoods, but I'm pretty sure any disc brake set-up with rotors much bigger than 10" isn't going to work with 14" rims.

One of the guys with Magnums and Wilwoods should be able to answer your questions shortly.

 

[Mister 4x4]

HELP!!!:huh:

I have a problem. I bought and installed a Wilwood 6 piston caliper disc brake system replacing the manual drums in the front. Wilwood part # 140-12945-DR. I knew from the statement on CJ Pony that I needed to go to 15" rims so I bought a set of 4 - 15" Magnum 500's and put a set of TA radials on them. Now after installing the new brakes I find the wheels won't fit.

Does anybody know what wheels will fit? I'm looking to stay period correct and go with something like the 5 spoke Cragar or American Racing style rims.

Mike

I don't have any experience with Wilwoods, but I'm pretty sure any disc brake set-up with rotors much bigger than 10" isn't going to work with 14" rims.

Where is the rim contacting the caliper? On the outer-most edge, one of the front edges catching on one of the 'ribs' in the middle of the rim?

One of the guys with Magnums and Wilwoods should be able to answer your questions shortly.

 

[Mister 4x4]

No worries - it's cool. We had a guy awhile back that flooded about a dozen threads with the same question, and got mad when he hadn't received the answer he wanted within a few minutes.

I hope you get your answer soon - Thanks for understanding. ::thumb::

 

[Mike1972Mustang]

I did get 15" Mag 500's but there his a hump inside the rim that hit the caliper. If the rim portion didn't have that hump before getting to the inner part of the wheel all would be fine. So to answer your question that hump hits the outside surface of the caliper.

I'll obviously have to get another set of rims. I'll take the 15" 500's and put them on my 79 Ranchero so they won't go to waste. So what if the Ranchero has a pony centerpiece in the rim. It can run with the big dogs (ponies) too!

Mike

 

[luxstang]

Could a small spacer (think 5 mm) put your rims out far enough so that they would clear the calipers?

Friend of mine had a Curry rear axle with discs and he had exactly the same issue. A 5 mm spacer solved it for good.

How wide are your rims and what size are your tires?

If they are too wide, a spacer will make them rub the fenders.

Or is the diameter of the calipers so that the rims will just not go over them at all?

 

[Mike1972Mustang]

Could a small spacer (think 5 mm) put your rims out far enough so that they would clear the calipers?

Friend of mine had a Curry rear axle with discs and he had exactly the same issue. A 5 mm spacer solved it for good.

How wide are your rims and what size are your tires?

If they are too wide, a spacer will make them rub the fenders.

Or is the diameter of the calipers so that the rims will just not go over them at all?

I just went out and checked. It's more like 3/8" so I would have to space 1/2" to give enough clearance. I think that would be too much, don't you?

Mike

 

[jbojo]

+1

I have the Wilwood brakes and 15" rims though not magnums and the fitment was good. If I remember correctly the kit comes with a set of spacers for rim issues so just give them a try. I wound up needing them on the rear brakes on my car.

 

[luxstang]

Try and use washers on the wheel studs. Add until they fit over the calipers then see if they fit under the wheel wells. DON't DRIVE IT!

Measure the height of the stack of washers.

Then you know exactly how much spacer you need and whether it works in the first place.

It depends on the width of your rims and tires.

 

[Mike1972Mustang]

Try and use washers on the wheel studs. Add until they fit over the calipers then see if they fit under the wheel wells. DON't DRIVE IT!

Measure the height of the stack of washers.

Then you know exactly how much spacer you need and whether it works in the first place.

It depends on the width of your rims and tires.

Thanks Mike,

I'll give that a try today.

Mike

 

[jbojo]

Mike,

I just checked mine. I thought that I had 6 piston but they are actually 4. At one time I was looking at the 6 piston ones but went to 4 because of fitment issues as I didn't want to go larger than 15" rims as I wanted to stay with TA Radials. I bought these brakes 3 yrs ago when I was accumulating parts so I forgot about the change I made. Rotor size is on mine is 11.3" so there is a quite amount of difference in rotor size with the 12.19 that you have. I checked the WilWood site and they say that Min wheel diameter for those rotors you have is 16". Unfortunately they will not work with the 15" Magnums.

-john

 

[Mike1972Mustang]

Try and use washers on the wheel studs. Add until they fit over the calipers then see if they fit under the wheel wells. DON't DRIVE IT!

Measure the height of the stack of washers.

Then you know exactly how much spacer you need and whether it works in the first place.

It depends on the width of your rims and tires.

I went out and got a bunch of washers and it took 6 washers which turned out to be 5/8" thick to get the wheels to clear the calipers. Everything else will clear (tires to wheel well) but not much thread left on the lug studs. I guess I could get longer studs somewhere, I'm afraid that's going to put too much extra stress on the bearings.

What do you guys think?

Mike

 

[luxstang]

Either use longer screws or adapters that come with their own screws.

It will put more stress on the hearings but you should be ok.

I have 40mm (1.5 inches) adapters behind my rims and they have modern 18 inch high performance tires on them which have tremendous grip and no bearing has ever given in although we have mostly very curvy roads and I drive like a maniac.

 

[droptop73]

I used some Allstar Products studs and 1/2" spacers to fit my 18" wheels. They are P/N 44112 1/2-20 thread 2-1/2" long with a .619 dia knurl. Those were plenty long to use with the spacers and aluminum wheels.

http://www.jegs.com/p/Allstar-Performance/Allstar-Wheel-Studs/1941115/10002/-1

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

How about getting or having some front rims made with the proper backspace?

 

[mavgoustis]

Try and use washers on the wheel studs. Add until they fit over the calipers then see if they fit under the wheel wells. DON't DRIVE IT!

Measure the height of the stack of washers.

Then you know exactly how much spacer you need and whether it works in the first place.

It depends on the width of your rims and tires.

Thanks Mike,

I'll give that a try today.

Mike

Hey Mike,

I have the exact same issue... did this work for you? How did you solve it