I am anal about doing a "half" job so I am looking for a kit for 4 wheel disc conversion.  Any info would be helpful.  Its a casual w/e driver.....but I want discs.  Two wheel is available but I want 4.  Conventional brakes, not power brakes.Thanks

Front is avallabel from sevral sources. Same for rear if you have a 9" reare end. Not sure if it it not a 9".

I’m assuming you’ve got the original Dana rear end in a 55 bird. I’ve run two sets of rear disc. The first set was early GM calipers with the “ratcheting” handbrake arm. The brakes worked, the hand brake never did. Everyone I talked to that worked on those new hated them, so don’t go that route.

The set on the back now is a later model Mustang caliper, and the parking brake does work. They don’t show them on the web site (or they didn’t then),but if you call them they can provide them. The front disc on my car are from one of the ‘bird suppliers, and use a turned down hub on a Granada disc with an early Fairlane caliper.

https://www.superiormustangparts.com/contact.asp

FWIW, I’d never do the rear disc again, I’d just install good shoes and the later self adjusting mechanism in the drums. Unless you’re autocrossing or canyon racing you’ll probably never fade the rear drums.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Some of the kits that are offered for Tbirds also have different cylinders for the rear so you don't need a proportioning valve.


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Get some quality brake pads.  I finally wore out the pads that came with my front disc kit a couple months ago.  Rather than getting what they have at the local parts store, I got a set of Hawk HPS pads and those are freaking awesome.  It's almost like having power brakes.  They don't grab and seem to work better the hotter they get.  It's been so long since I swapped to disks but from what I can remember, this brake pad change alone is better than I experienced with the conversion to discs.

As far as sizing wheel cylinders so that a proportioning valve is not required, I'd rather be able to tune that than be stuck with a certain bias.  Case and point, I have been thinking for years about upgrading the brakes on my '88 Firebird.  One thing I've read is that the pressure to the rear drums is so low that they would not even lock up if they were off the ground.  I was thinking "yeah, right" so the next time I had it on stands, I tried it.  Just letting it idle, in gear, slamming on the brakes, or a gradual application of pressure until just about standing on the pedal, sure enough, the rear wheels still turned.  The explanation I found is that the OEMs really don't want the rear to lock up in any instance because of the loss of control that will occur afterwards so they made sure that it would not.  And what a lot of people do is to swap a different spring into the combination valve to allow more pressure so the rear brakes can contribute more to the effort.

The kits may be a little more "daring" than the OEMs and it may not quite be the same result.

Of course, if you do set it up so that an adjustable valve is required, then ensuring that it is safe is on you.


Lawrenceville, GA

I had the same experience as Charlie with the front pads. I also run an adjustable valve to the back, and did even when they were drums. Same with my OT car with the Wilwoods on the front and the 12x3” drums on the back. Both my cars run larger rear tires and you really need to tune that.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Did SUMMIT mention the vendor of this "kit"?

I would love to read their TECH SHEET... :

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When You convert to front Disc Brakes its very important to keep the rear Drum Brakes properly adjusted. I added self Adjusters to mine using Adjuster Kits from later Ford with same size Brakes. Disc Brakes do a very high % of the Braking but if the rears are not properly adjusted it can cause the back of the Car to "fishtail" for want of a better Description when the Brakes are applied in a hard Stop.