A heads up on aftermarket disc kits.

[TrailBeast]

You probably saw my posts about assembling and installing two rear ends an 8.25 and a 8.75.
Well the guy that owns the 8.75 ordered a "new" disc kit for it and I assembled the whole thing for him.
Well, yesterday we put the rear end in his car and proceeded to bleed the rear disc brakes.
Fluid started pouring out of the passenger side caliper and dripping off the inner pad.
This is what we found when disassembling the caliper.
The guy called the company and they are sending out new calipers as well as a return shipping label, but how can we not disassemble the new ones and trust them.
This is brakes man, WTF?
If we have any problems with the company in CA over it I'll post the name of the place they came from.

Even if everything turns out fine in the end, the pins for the caliper bottom on each side are blocked by the leaf springs, so in order to ever change the pads he will have to loosen all 8 of his U bolts at least one inch before he can get the calipers off.

 

[toolmanmike]

Nice! Not........ Damn.

 

[65 Dartman]

I bought an LBP 8.75 rear disc bracket kit from @dodgedifferent2 that you, the end user, buy the readily available 94/04 Mustang rear calipers and rotors. Great service and price for the brackets and provided hardware. I gave less the $500 for all the parts for the complete conversion (conversion brackets, calipers, rotors, brake hoses and e brake hoses).

 

[Dragonsteel]

Not sure why the lower pin would be blocked? Arch of the springs? This is photo of my rear disc same caliper as yours.

 

[plumkrazee70]

I got my rear disc kit from Dr. Diff. His stuff is nice!

My guess, is the reman calipers they sent were just the cheapest brand.

 

[dodgedifferent2]

Also some kits require you to switch to green bearings.
Mine will work for either stock bearing or green bearing.
Providing your own rotors, pads and stock calipers saves alot on shipping plus you can choose what rotors and pads you want to use. From drilled and slotted to the stock mustang rotors.

 

[70chall440]

Also some kits require you to switch to green bearings.
Mine will work for either stock bearing or green bearing.
Providing your own rotors, pads and stock calipers saves alot on shipping plus you can choose what rotors and pads you want to use. From drilled and slotted to the stock mustang rotors.

I know this is an old thread, but doesn't your kit require different axles?

 

[dodgedifferent2]

I know this is an old thread, but doesn't your kit require different axles?

No. Mine only has you open up the mustang rotors .04 of an inch. Or you can turn the center register of the axle down .04 of an inch. Depends how you want to skin the cat.

Either pay big bucks and be dedicated to a company when brakes need replacing or do it yourself and open up options

 

[TrailBeast]

I know this is an old thread, but doesn't your kit require different axles?

No. Mine only has you open up the mustang rotors .04 of an inch. Or you can turn the center register of the axle down .04 of an inch. Depends how you want to skin the cat.

Either pay big bucks and be dedicated to a company when brakes need replacing or do it yourself and open up options

On both our setups (one with the kit I posted about above) and my setup being Jeep Cherokee brakes, we had to open the stud holes in the rotors a tiny bit to fit over the large shouldered studs or the rotor wouldn't sit flat on the axle flange.
It was such a small amount a person could miss it.
A sanding drum on a moto tool did the job easily, as like I mentioned it wasn't much.

Depending on the caliper types a person may have to switch bearings to the green style (for non floating calipers.)
Floating calipers can run stock bearings and C clip axles because the caliper moves with the disc.
Those kits where the calipers have to be centered on the rotor are not the floating style.

I can tell you the Jeep floating style work great on my 8.25 with C clip axles and I noticed it takes a lighter pressure on the pedal to stop than it did with the drums on the back.
I used the stock disc/drum power brake master cylinder with no other changes in the brake system, and I have layed into the brakes pretty hard a few times without one end locking up tires faster than the other.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I just love my rear drum brakes.

 

[70chall440]

Thanks for the information and I completely understand the situation with the floating v fixed calipers. On my 73 Cuda, I used Mustang rear calipers with Wilwood rotors and hats. In this case, I welded the bracket to the rearend housing. I am building a 69 Ply wagon for a friend and he bought a kit from Summit but it requires Green bearings which he doesn't want, so I have been exploring bolt on kits that do not require Green bearings and there isn't a lot out there, Dr Diff has probably the best kit but he is out of stock, I believe I will manufacture new brackets and weld them to the housing, not a big deal.

 

[TrailBeast]

I just love my rear drum brakes.

I was fine with drum brakes until I drove my 66 Ranchero with 4 wheel drums through a creek in a headlights off getaway one night and had ZERO brakes for the upcoming corner.
Discs work when wet where drums ain't worth spit wet.

 

[70chall440]

I just love my rear drum brakes.

I am not a drum brake hater per se, but I do prefer rear discs when possible. I have drums on my 52 B3B pickup and my 70 Challenger and they work.