From drum to disk

[Manu Mach1]

Hello,

Have you ever seen a 73 Mach 1 with front drum brakes? No of course, they never came with. But mine is in this case, probably this Mach 1 before been sent across the Atlantic, has been "optionned" with front drums

Well, I am lookinf for a pair of spindles to give her back the disc brakes.

So if you have some for sell, please PM me.

Thank you,

Manu

 

[Stanglover]

Some brands of conversion front disc brakes use the drum brake spindles, so whether you need spindles for discs may depend on what you decide to buy for brakes. Do some research before buying and swapping spindles.

When I did mine on my 71, I decided to go with SSBC's Kelsey-Hayes style 4 piston kit from NPD (and others) mainly because I did NOT have to piss around changing spindles. They are heavier, but they do work very well. You will also need to change your M/C to disc drum and maybe need to add the adjustable rear brake bias control valve, which came with the kit. This give the advantage of isolated back and front brakes. Add to that, change all your brake lines as a precaution. New steel lines will be okay, SS are available, but harder to work with.

 

[Don C]

According to the 1973 Mustang Facts Books the only ‘73 that came with disc brakes was the convertible, all others came with drum brakes (page D-9):

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-1973-mustang-facts-book-revised-1-73

 

[OMS]

I have some... do you just want spindles

 

[Stanglover]

Just to be a bit off topic here, but for me coming from the UK, it blew me away that most American cars back in the early 70's still did not have radial tires, rack and pinion steering and front wheel disc brakes. Now, don't get me wrong, not all European cars had all of that stuff, but most did. It was for sure a time of change over, but it seemed the US were way behind in those areas.  

Now, that was NOT meant to start a war, just a comment.

 

[midlife]

We like our cars fast, cheap, and easy to work on without all of that new-fangled stuff.

 

[Don C]

Steering boxes were good enough for the Model A, should be good enough for Mustangs . At least we finally got independent front suspension in 1949

 

[Stanglover]

Okay, just to wrap up this little off-track diversion, for the first 7 years of my driving life, I rode bone jarring motorcycles, couldn't afford a car. When I did get a car it had all that "new fangled stuff" midlife reffered to, I was used to driving on radial tyres, so when I moved to Canada and bought my first N American car, a 302 Mustang Fastback, which had cross-ply tires, crappy steering and drum front brakes, I thought I had gone back to the stone age.

OK enough, back to our friend wanting to buy spindles and DISC BRAKES!!! Sorry for the "excursion"

Geoff.

 

[Manu Mach1]

Well, my car came with front discs, I know that because I have already booster brake and MC and proportionnal valve. Also when I checked the brake hoses, I saw that they drilled a second hole to fix the hoses, discs hoses need only one hole to attach it to the wall.

I was luck to find under the front carpet the factory paper, and it says about brakes:

Option: P

Lining: A

MC: A

Don, do you have second hand spindles or they are new?

If it's possible to use the drum spindles, I guess I can't use original disc brakes? My configuration will stay like original.

Manu

 

[Stanglover]

Well, my car came with front discs, I know that because I have already booster brake and MC and proportionnal valve. Also when I checked the brake hoses, I saw that they drilled a second hole to fix the hoses, discs hoses need only one hole to attach it to the wall.

I was luck to find under the front carpet the factory paper, and it says about brakes:

Option:  P

Lining:    A

MC:        A

Don, do you have second hand spindles or they are new?

If it's possible to use the drum spindles, I guess I can't use original disc brakes? My configuration will stay like original.

Manu

 Are you saying that someone swapped it from discs back to drums? That makes no sense at all.

 

[Manu Mach1]

That's what happend, the car was sent from US to France, and probably just before, someone needed them. The drums, pads and hoses are new...

 

[Hemikiller]

There are disc retrofit kits for the drum spindles. Wilwood has a range of options.

https://www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/BrakeKitSearch?year=1971&make=Ford&model=Mustang&option=Drum+Brake+Front+Spindle&axle=Front+Kit

 

[Stanglover]

That's what happend, the car was sent from US to France, and probably just before, someone needed them. The drums, pads and hoses are new...

 That's weird! Why would anyone do that! I wonder if it was a dealer change when the car was sold new and the (dumb) buyer wanted drum brakes. 

 Hemikiller linked you to Wilwood brakes that fit drum spindles, so there are options without having to buy and change spindles.

 

[red351]

Nothing really wrong with drums. Disc are dummies that don't know how to stop safely when it rains.

 

[Manu Mach1]

I didn't know that drum spindles could be used with dics Willwood kit, that's good to know, I found a kit for §640, I will check how much with shipping and taxes.

 

[Motorcity Mustang]

That's what happend, the car was sent from US to France, and probably just before, someone needed them. The drums, pads and hoses are new...

 That's weird! Why would anyone do that! I wonder if it was a dealer change when the car was sold new and the (dumb) buyer wanted drum brakes. 

 Hemikiller linked you to Wilwood brakes that fit drum spindles, so there are options without having to buy and change spindles.

Most drag racers switched from Disc to Drum on the old school cars because they have four attaching points to the spindle instead of three.  Quite a bit stronger than the disc.  We also remove the power steering and go back to manual steering.

 

[Stanglover]

That's what happend, the car was sent from US to France, and probably just before, someone needed them. The drums, pads and hoses are new...

 That's weird! Why would anyone do that! I wonder if it was a dealer change when the car was sold new and the (dumb) buyer wanted drum brakes. 

 Hemikiller linked you to Wilwood brakes that fit drum spindles, so there are options without having to buy and change spindles.

Most drag racers switched from Disc to Drum on the old school cars because they have four attaching points to the spindle instead of three.  Quite a bit stronger than the disc.  We also remove the power steering and go back to manual steering.

 That's interesting, but nothing I would be familiar with. There wasn't too much Drag Racing in the UK in my time living there.

 

[Manu Mach1]

Job is done, just need to connect the brake hoses. What torque should I put ?