brake swap from 77 t-bird/cougar

[Marc]

For those of you that have installed this setup on your car:

Is it a bolt in proposition?
Does it change the ride height?
Can you use the 77 bird master cylinder?
What proportioning valve, if any, did you use?
It looks like all the bearings, hardware, hoses, rotors, & calipers are available from napa, & the spindles are a junkyard acquisition.

thanks,
Marc

[custom300fe]

Is it a bolt in proposition? YES

Does it change the ride height? NO

Can you use the 77 bird master cylinder? YES, But I used a Mustang MC. Only because the brake lines come out the drivers side. More clearance for the Valve covers.

What proportioning valve, if any, did you use? I used the original at first but 30 years had taken it's toll on it. I have since gone with an adjustable.

The only problem I had was the arm on the spindle were the tie rod bolts in is thicker on the 77 spindles than the 57's This would not let the castle nuts go on far enough to put the cotter key in. I just ground a bit off the bottom of the nut so it went on far enough.

Gerry

[shopratwoody]

I had to go with a new porportion vqlve stock type as the adjustabe didn't work in my case.Brakes were
like crap with the Wilwood. Maybe if you use residual valves to hold line pressure, but the stock type does
that for you. I used early 70's Torino spindles and it definetly changed ride height and alignment. It lowered
it more, but once I remove the a frame shims for the camber it was fine.
Same deal as Gerry with the tie rod ends... I just deepened the groove in the castle in the spot the carter
key goes. Good luck, Ron

[Marc]

Thanks guys. I was considering a combo valve from master power brakes, but I haven't settled on a m/c yet. I was leaning toward the  15/16"" bore Granada m/c since I'm not going to use a power booster. I hadn't given any thought to the position of the outlets until you brought it up.   

[F570RD]

You may see a problem with camber.....I did.You may find your camber at a loss of caster.I had to remove approx. .150" off of my control arm bushing axle.Then again all this depends on ride hight.

[292dual4s]

For you folks that installed the 77 T-bird brakes, are you running power or non-power for your master cylinder. And how are the brakes either way?
I ask because I have a set of 75 Torino brakes spindles out (same a 77 T-bird), that I plan to install pretty soon, and I think I'm going to run the 74 Maverick master cylinder, no power. Anybody running this setup or similar, how do you like it?

[custom300fe]

I was running '77 LTD II discs and used the '77 master with a booster. They work great but I hd two things that made me switch, one is the lines exit on the engine side of the master and don't leave much room and it looks bad, two I have very little room between the booster 7" and the valve covers. I changed to a 70's Mustang non-power disc master which is bolt on and solves both my problems.

Gerry

[292dual4s]

I was running '77 LTD II discs and used the '77 master with a booster. They work great but I hd two things that made me switch, one is the lines exit on the engine side of the master and don't leave much room and it looks bad, two I have very little room between the booster 7" and the valve covers. I changed to a 70's Mustang non-power disc master which is bolt on and solves both my problems.

Gerry

So are you still running a booster? or is it manual brakes now. And how do the brakes feel?

[custom300fe]

No booster just manual brakes.
Honestly I don't find it that much different.

Gerry

[292dual4s]

It feels better then the 4 wheel drums... I hope!   

[Marc]

I'm using a Granada 15/16" manual m/c. I'm still putting it together (disc brake swap turned into a front end rebuild & hey why not install that new engine while I'm at it) but I'll let you know how it works when I'm done.

[custom300fe]

It feels better then the 4 wheel drums... I hope!   

Very funny!  LOL
What I meant was there isn't that much difference between the power & non power disc setup.

[292dual4s]

Very funny!  LOL
What I meant was there isn't that much difference between the power & non power disc setup.

Cool, that's good to know. Thanks!

I'm using a Granada 15/16" manual m/c. I'm still putting it together (disc brake swap turned into a front end rebuild & hey why not install that new engine while I'm at it) but I'll let you know how it works when I'm done.

That's the same master cylinder I was thinking about using. I used a 74 Maverick manual disc master cyl. for my early Mustang when I added discs on the front of it. I think it's the same as the Granada at 15/16".

[Marc]

Okay gang. I've been a little busy, so if anyone's been waiting to hear what Dick said at drop n' stop, sorry to make you wait. Anyway, he said he couldn't get the caster or camber right using t-bird spindles. Now, I know some of you guys have had no problem using them as well. It looks like a crap shoot. They're on the car, and once I get everything else done, I'll see how the alignment goes.

Next thing: I picked up '77 t-bird brake hoses, but they seem like they're going to be short, especially when the wheel is cranked all the way over. You guys that have done this, did you use different hoses, or did you move the hose mounting bracket forward on the frame? I've thought of longer hoses, but I don't like the way the longer hose will be shoved in close to where the spring sits. Just curious what worked best.

[57chero]

I used the granada discs and didnt like the way the hoses looked either, so I moved mine in front of the a-arms now there away from the coils and have plenty of slack to turn.