Vintage Rear Disc Brake Upgrade with Modern Mustang Discs

[ultrastang]

Very few early ['65-'73] Mustangs came with front disc brakes, but NONE of them came from the factory with rear discs.

Fortunately, the '94-'04 SN95 V6/GT & Cobra Mustangs share the same 5-on-4½" lug pattern as the early models.

The SN95 V6/GT models have 10½" diameter solid rear rotors while the Cobras have 11.65" ventilated rotors --both, however share the same Varga single-piston rear calipers. --Only the brake pads and caliper mounting brackets are different.

4 years ago, a friend of mine agreed to let me borrow his '65 fastback, as a test mule, to try out some prototype brackets I had designed to adapt some SN95 rear discs I had taken from a wrecking yard donor '95 V6 Mustang.

Here are some links to photos I had taken of the rear disc brake conversion I had done on the '65 fastback with these later model Mustang rear discs back in 2004:

1965 Mustang fastback.
1. http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 001sc1.jpg (http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65001sc1.jpg)

2. http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 004pc0.jpg (http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65004pc0.jpg)


Run-of-the-mill early Mustang 10" x 1¾" rear drum brake.
1. http://img238.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 011ru4.jpg (http://img238.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65011ru4.jpg)


Beginning of drum and axle removal process.
1. http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 014if1.jpg (http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65014if1.jpg)

2. http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 015lk5.jpg (http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65015lk5.jpg)

Main adapter bracket, end flange spacer, parking brake cable anchor bracket [experimental piece --ended up not using it], machined aluminum rotor centering ring.
http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 017yp5.jpg (http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65017yp5.jpg)

Main adapter bracket put into place to adapt caliper anchor bracket and caliper.
http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 039jb9.jpg (http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65039jb9.jpg)

Axle and end flange spacer installed [end flange spacer takes up the thickness the old drum backing plate used to occupy.
http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 040ik6.jpg (http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65040ik6.jpg)

Aluminum rotor centering ring installed on center register of axle flange.
http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 041xq2.jpg (http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65041xq2.jpg)

Rotor installed.
http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 023nh1.jpg (http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65023nh1.jpg)

Factory SN95 V6/GT caliper anchor bracket bolted to main adapter bracket with pads installed.
http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 028uw4.jpg (http://img522.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65028uw4.jpg)

Caliper installed and SN95 splash shield bolted on.
1. http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 046wy0.jpg (http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65046wy0.jpg)

2. http://img505.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 056uu4.jpg (http://img505.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65056uu4.jpg)

View through the spokes of the 16" Torque Thrust IIs.
http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 057qq8.jpg (http://img263.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65057qq8.jpg)


This '65 originally came with Kelsey/Hayes 4-piston factory front disc brakes and a single reservoir master cylinder [commonly called a 'jelly jar']. Starting in 1967, Ford discontinued the use of single resevoir MCs due to the fact if there was a failure anywhere in the brake system, ALL brakes would be lost! From 1967-up, Mustangs/Fords came with dual reservoir [split sytem] MCs.
Factory '65 single pot brake MC.
http://img368.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 007xu7.jpg (http://img368.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65007xu7.jpg)

I removed the single reservoir (suicide) MC and adapted a power brake booster from an '87-'93 2.3L Fox Mustang and used a 'modern' dual MC from a '99-'04 SN95 V6 Mustang [for 4-wheel disc brakes].
1. http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 049oh1.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65049oh1.jpg)

2. http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 053vx9.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65053vx9.jpg)

Stops much better now! :mrgreen:
http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 060br6.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kieths65060br6.jpg)

[oxman]

wow, sir your car is awesome! I hope you come to our track day, I'd love to see it!

[Bigjht]

Very nice. Does it still have the 4 piston front calipers? When I had my 65 coupe I was contemplating trying to retrofit a SN95 front hub to the front to use the front calipers, actually used that as a college project and got an A. I ended up selling the car before I really got past the idea stage though, don't even know how possible or cost effective it would've been.

[ultrastang]

Thanks.

However, the '65 fastback doesn't belong to me. It was owned by a friend of mine from Warren, AR. The car was loaned to me back in 2004 to experiemnt with it, so I could see if I could adapt the SN95 rear discs onto the Ford 8-inch rear end under it. --obviously, my experiment worked! :mrgreen:

The '94-'04 SN95 V6/GT rear discs are smaller than the '94-'04 Cobra discs --10½" diameter solid discs vs. 11.65" ventilated rear discs. For my own '68 Mustang, I have a 1980 Mercury Monarch [Mercury version of the '75-'80 Ford Granada], 9-inch rear end. --as it looked when I bought the Monarch 9-inch rear from the wrecking yard:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7886/sn95discsglenhakanmonarfq8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

After I cleaned the 9-inch rear end up, installed the adapter brackets and bolted the Cobra rear discs/calipers on:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6590/antimoanbracketmods3eq7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/9641/cobrabracketultrastang0hj0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/1460/cobrareardiscsultrastanyi5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


For the front of my '68 Mustang, I had a set of [one-off] 6061-T6 aluminum brackets machined to adapt 13" Cobra rotors and Bullitt calipers:
1. http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/3377/cobrafrontbrakesdg3.png (http://imageshack.us)

Borrowed the 17" wheel off my '03 Mach 1 to see how the front Cobra brakes on the '68 Mustang would look:
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5154/mach1wheel001ep5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

My '68 ought to have plenty of whoa-power if/when I ever get the Mustang all put back together --considering my '68 weighs ~2700 lbs, compared to an SN95's weight of ~3500 lbs.

[Bigjht]

Nice choice. The brakes for the Monarch/Versailles rearends are way over priced for what you get. I found a 79 9" Versailles rearend and spent more on replacing the brakes than any other part on it except for the differential. That will be an awesome setup.

[ultrastang]

Nice choice. The brakes for the Monarch/Versailles rearends are way over priced for what you get. I found a 79 9" Versailles rearend and spent more on replacing the brakes than any other part on it except for the differential. That will be an awesome setup.


Yep. I have a '79 Versailles 9-inch disc brake rear end as well I had put under my '68 back in the '90s. Aside form the Versailles brake components being much heavier than the SN95 V6/GT or Cobra rear brake parts, parts for the Versailles can be expensive as well as hard to find.

My '68 originally came with an 8-inch rear end with a single track differential and 2.79:1 gears. The '80 Monarch rear end pictured in my previous post is a 9-inch [drum brake] rear end that came with a single track 2.50:1 ring & pinion. I replaced the 3rd member with a 9-inch Ford N-case with a 31-spline, 4-pinion, Traction-lok differential and 3.89:1 gears. That ought to wake things up! ;)

[oxman]

Hey bravo! You do very nice work! Those are really good pics!

[1low03gt]

That is awesome!!!I love seeing old school modern'd up like this.When is a modular crate going in with a six gear. :twisted: J/K LOL!

[ultrastang]

That is awesome!!!I love seeing old school modern'd up like this.When is a modular crate going in with a six gear. :twisted: J/K LOL!

I have a 5.0L fuel injected engine and T-5 I pulled from a totalled out 1990 Mustang GT several years ago. The plan is to make the 5.0L [302 cubic inches] into a 331 stroker [5.4L]. I haven't made a definite descision on which way I will go, but plan to either install turbo or supercharging on the 331 stroker as well.

If the Z-spec Cobra T-5 won't hold up it may be time, at that point, to consider swapping in a Tremec T-56 six-speed.

[1low03gt]

Sick.I love resto mod!Sometimes i wish i had the never to do it,but i love my GT to much LOL!