Didn't want to hijack 62bigwindow thread and some (ok all) of what GREENBIRD56 had to say got me thinking.

First is there any benefit to multiple piston calipers compared to the single piston floating/sliding calipers on a street car?

I have a set of Granada front spindles, but not sure if I want to use then. In the past always found a set of drums all around to be fine, as long as they were properly adjusted. So...,

I see Wilwood offers their Classic series 4 piston bolt on kits for both the OE 1960 Ford drum brake spindle and also the 1970-73 Mustang with OE disc spindles, but not the Granada. Would the Mustang kit possibly work on the Granada spindles? I know should ask wilwood.

I'd like to go without a booster and have over the years dealt with frozen caliper slides. So that is what prompted the multi piston caliper question.

Thank, Dave

Of course I'm a bone head can't figure out how to correct the spelling in the topic. Sorry, Dave

No worries about high jacking thread. I like to see all opinions and views. As far as the multiple piston calipers they exert more clamping force over a larger area which to the best of my knowledge means better stopping power. I would like to know also if there are better opions with the spindles.

Durham Missouri

Don't they use Grenada setups on Mustangs?



Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Chuck, 

Not sure if they use them on Granada's, but as another option, my friend Alex used Torino spindles on his latest 56 Victoria. Not sure what year they are and if he had to modify them or not. I can find out if anyone is interested. However, I know that most brake conversion kits (i.e.Drop-N-Stop, Fat Man & Stainless Steel Brakes)  copy the Granada set up though. 

I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!

I have read that the Granada spindles are popular with the early Mustang/Falcon guys. Plus they don't need the reaming to fit the ball joints like the full size Fords do.
-Dave

This photo shows a set of '70 Mustang drum brake spindles I gathered up in order to put Wilwood aftermarket discs (for a Mustang) on the Greenbird (12.19 dia.). They passed Magniflux - no problem - and they turned out to be an exact perfect match to a Granada drum spindle I already owned (very cheap these days due to popularity of the disc parts). I prefer the 4 hole bolting mount to the 3 hole used on the disc knuckle, for no good reason...... engineers disease most likely. They still need to be reamed out for the "big pin" lower ball joints on the 'bird. The spindles are the same strength and take the same big outer bearing as the disc parts. These are brutes compared to the fifties parts I have to compare them with. 


Notice the "Brinell hardness" test scar between the bolts at left above. Ford had physically tested every OEM spindle I found from this era.

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Thanks to all for responding. Steve your comment about 3 vs 4 mounting bolts sent me to the net to look at spindle photos. I see what your talking about, as I'd forgot what my Granada disc spindles looked like. It's been awhile.

I can now better visualize how the Wilwood kit goes together. I like the idea of a mild drop from these spindles plus much better stopping with a set of 4 piston calipers. At least I would expect better stopping with the Wilwood calipers compared to the OE Granada calipers.

One last thing. Am I correct in thinking that a fixed mount multi piston caliper would have more consistent and even pad wear, compared to a floating (which they don't always do) single piston caliper.

Thanks. -Dave

I believe the multi-piston calipers are probably a better choice for "performance" reasons (meaning consistent braking) - they work well and wear evenly. But ...... when building a zillion cars and trucks, the floaters have got to be cheaper to build. Many decisions get made at the auto-makers, based on bucks.  There is a Wilwood (public release) document you can (or used to be able to) access through their site - it is a PDF ..... ds719 that is "approved for external distribution". It has the critical mounting dimensions for all of their hubs, bearings, and seals which turned out to be pretty interesting data. If you can't find it - send me a PM with an email address.

The Shelby Mustang - TransAm Series, brakes for the racers - are big multi-piston Kelsey Hayes parts from a 60's Lincoln. They are massive calipers and mounted in the "forward" position. Initially,they could easily "out-brake" the Camaros and Javelins - I but believe the SCCA later let the others "catch up". Ford's answer to that little concession was to cast the "replacement" KH calipers in aluminum to cut the "unsprung weight". Probably a rare part these days....... the ones in this picture are either original iron parts - or cleverly painted......
 
The caliper brackets that mount the Lincoln brakes are like the Wilwood parts - notice the nifty "bump steer" adjustment spacer on the tie rod. I'm not so certain that forward mounting is the way to go on my '56 "Rally Car", there may be issues with the turning radius due to interference out front. The Wilwood caliper brackets have a double set of holes to facilitate use on the 3 bolt disc knuckle or the four bolt drum knuckle - either one. That makes me think they could come up with one to fit the caliper up at the rear............ 

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Thank you Steve. I'll go see if I can find that document at Wilwood you speak of.

-Dave