New here don't tear me up. FIRST POST
Got a 57 rear housing big bearing. Is there a disk rear that will bolt up? I have in the past put a 1/8 inch spacer behind the axle bearing then used later backing plates and drums. That gets the back space problem out of the way. It does pull the splines out of the spider gears by the 1/8 inch but has not been a problem. Does the Explorer disk rear work on this early rear?
Thanks Larry
Some posts were made awhile back about explorer stuff working, and they said it was lighter than the linclon Versalle stuff. I have a Versalle rear end in mine. If you go back a month or two and look at the brake posts, you should get the facts. I'm sure you can get a bracket kit, or a complete setup. Kind of depends on your budget, Mark
So new here don't know how to go back or anywhere... I'll figure it out I'm sure. Have had Versaille rears and really don't care for them. But thanks for the reply.
Larry
Tough call as we don't know if you want to add the discs with salvage yard stough or all new.
Try MasterPower brakes they make 9" Ford rear brake disc conversions for both small and large bearing
rears. Here's the URL:
http://www.mpbrakes.com/
BuBBa
Guess I should have clarified that. I definately want to use rebuildable parts from a salvage yard. I will measure up an explorer this weekend
Larry
http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/766752-few-pics-my-explorer-rear-disc-brake-setup.html (http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/766752-few-pics-my-explorer-rear-disc-brake-setup.html)
This should help.
The 57 9" is 57.25" drum face to drum face, the 95 - 01 explorer is 59.5" face to face. It is the best rear as it is 8.8, comes in three ratios, 3:55, 3:73 and 4:11. Many have T-lock in them. There is room for the extra inch & 1/8 on each side of the car. It has the simplest e-brake set up, little drum inside the rotor hat and all the parts are available!
Sorry for the confusion on my part. I know the width of a 57- 59 rear I have had a few. There is an off set on that rear that is different of most other nine inch rears. Again sorry Have heard that the explorer rear disk brake set up fits the large bearing nine inch but for the mid seventys. That is a different back space than the 57-59. I will hit the salvage yards around Denver tomorrow and do some measuring
Thanks Larry
I read where the offset of the pinion is so much that it interferes with the drive shaft tunnel, maybe someone has tried this. Mark
If you narrow the long side of the Exploder rear end, and use two short side axles, it will center the pinion, and be either 1.5 or 2.5 inches narrower than stock. I had planned on doing this to one for my car, but changed my mind and decided to build mine the old way. It really is a good setup.
Hey guys, I'm asking if the "rear disk brake set up" from an Explorer will bolt up to a 57 to 59 Ford rear end. Not the the entire rear end from an explorer. Or how to narrow an Explorer rear end. Or the width of a 57 to 59 rear end.
Thanks Larry
I don't think the explorer brakes will, but I have a set from a Crown Vic that do. Try `94-98 or so CV, they do bolt up, already had them on my housing once, didnt try the axles though, so as you say, there probably is some issue with offset. I am pretty sure the bolt pattern on the Explorer caliper mounts is different.
The explorer brakes are a direct bolt on to the 57 Ford. I have them on both of my 57's. They fit both the big and the small bearing rearends by redrilling the holes in the mounting plates.
They share the same flange bolt pattern as a torino style big bearing rearend which is only a little different than either 57 Ford housing end. You have to enlarge/slot the holes on the backing plate to bolt directly to the 57 housing.
The emergency brakes also work with 57 ford cables and work way better then the lincoln style brakes. They require no return spring or anything like that since they use the drum style emergency brakes.
The kit the master power sells and wilwood are both explorer brakes.
:004:
WOW, Thanks Iamflashman, I guess patience is a virtue. My post was from October. Thanks alot!!!! Just what I needed. I have a 57 housing and axles and I know it has a weird offset that does not allow other easily accessible backing plates and drums to work.. GREAT GREAT
Larry
I will be doing a set tomorrow or Thursday. I will be sure to take some pictures as I do it.
One trick is to use two passenger side hoses from the explorer. This will make sense if you see the drivers side hose. You use those two hoses and the existing y-fitting and original rear brake hose.
If you want, I actually have some pictures of the hoses from under my ragtop. I just got under their and snapped a couple.
imaflashman, just two passenger side hoses, or brake assemblies? I noticed that Crown Vic rear brakes use the same ass'y for both sides, with one caliper in front, the other in rear. Are the Explorer parts both in front or both in rear, or are they like the CV parts? I havent really paid that much attention to the Explorer parts, since I didnt thnk the bolt pattern would work. Armed with this new information, I may raid my local pull-a-part...
Quote from: JPotter57 on 2011-01-26 21:41
imaflashman, just two passenger side hoses, or brake assemblies? I noticed that Crown Vic rear brakes use the same ass'y for both sides, with one caliper in front, the other in rear. Are the Explorer parts both in front or both in rear, or are they like the CV parts? I havent really paid that much attention to the Explorer parts, since I didnt thnk the bolt pattern would work. Armed with this new information, I may raid my local pull-a-part...
Just two passenger side hoses. Get both the LH and RH assemblies.
I installed a set yesterday (I will post some pictures hopefully next week)
I had forgotten that the wheel studs will be too short once you put the rotor on the axle. You need longer wheel studs. My brother gave me the part # Dorman 610-379 for the correct wheel studs.
The steps I did yesterday:
1. Take off old drum stuff including hard lines.
2. Slot the explorer backing plates to bolt onto the rearend housing. Mine is a big bearing housing so I had to first drill out the holes to 1/2" and then slot them with a die grinder.
3. For big bearing only: You have to cut the axle bearing retainer plate flat across the bottom to fit inside the emergency brake. This is no big deal since you have the axle out already. Just make the bottom match the top.
4. You will need longer axle bolts. I just get new bolt 1 3/4" inch 1/2" bolts (for big bearing) and then ground one side flat to match the originals and used lock washers and nuts. I use the grade 8 stuff just to be safe.
5. Bolt the axles back in
6. Put the rotors and calipers on .
7. Put the brake hoses on
8. Dril and tap holes to bolt down the brake hoses.
9. make hard lines from the original y
10. Bleed the brakes
11. Put wheels back and enjoy!
Also, for emergency brakes, you can either use the explorer ends and clamp them to the 57 brake cables or...
I just make new ones by buying a 3" u-joint from home depot, drilling a hole in the middle, and folding it over the 57 ford cable ends.
What kind of master cylinder do you use for 4 wheel disks, and which side do the lines come out on? Good info here..I love it...
Here are a couple of pictures of a 57 Ford housing with explorer brakes installed. These particular set is installed on a small bearing rearend but they fit equally well on a big bearing one.
Notice the two passenger side hoses used with original y-block.
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5405360907_475dc6b298.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/97922647@N00/5405360907/)
1957 Ford - Explorer Brakes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/97922647@N00/5405360907/) by iamflashman (http://www.flickr.com/people/97922647@N00/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5405360361_ea09a67c3e.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/97922647@N00/5405360361/)
1957 Ford - Explorer Brakes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/97922647@N00/5405360361/) by iamflashman (http://www.flickr.com/people/97922647@N00/), on Flickr
Quote from: JPotter57 on 2011-01-31 14:29
What kind of master cylinder do you use for 4 wheel disks, and which side do the lines come out on? Good info here..I love it...
The regular granada 2 wheel disc one works fine with an adjustable proportioner valve.
I get mine from Dennis at www.discbrakeswap.com (http://www.discbrakeswap.com). He sells them at a good price. If you get one from him, make sure to mention this site and that James sent you.
The ports exit the LH side of the master cylinder.
great info...what year explorers are we talking about?
To be honest, not really sure the exact year range. I usually look for ones that are in that circa '96 body style. You can tell by looking at the brakes if they are the ones because the ones from earlier years don't look the same.
I believe those to be 95 - 01. Might be newer years will work as well but the 95 - 01 have all the correct stuff....
Will this setup work with 14 inch rims?
Cheers,John :canada:
I believe they, or any disc conversion, will not work with our oem 14 wheels. I understand however, if you can find Ford 14" rims that were on a car that had oem disc brakes, those wheels MAY work on SOME disc brakes. My guess is they would not work on the explorer
discs though, and I've read they are almost imposible to find anyways since very few factory cars had 14" wheels and disc brakes.
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2019-02-02 21:53
I believe they, or any disc conversion, will not work with our oem 14 wheels. I understand however, if you can find Ford 14" rims that were on a car that had oem disc brakes, those wheels MAY work on SOME disc brakes. My guess is they would not work on the explorer
discs though, and I've read they are almost imposible to find anyways since very few factory cars had 14" wheels and disc brakes.
I kinda figured that,I really don't want to 15 in as I bought new tires last August and I really like the chrome reverse rims I have on the car now,ah well such is life!
John :canada:
Chrome reversed are not oem, so maybe you have a chance, except in my old age I don't remember if the reversed rims moved the wheel in or out. If out, then a better chance they'll work, if moved in, most certainly won't work as one of the clearance issues with the small rims is clearing the caliper.
I have 14" Ford rim (not a '57) for the spare tire, I wanted a Firestone bias ply original type tire for the look. My wheel fits the Wilwood disc brakes I have on the front.
The chrome reverse rims I have, 14", clear the Maverick spindles and calipers on my 57.
Quote from: terry_208 on 2019-02-04 13:17
The chrome reverse rims I have, 14", clear the Maverick spindles and calipers on my 57.
That's good news
Thanks