If you have read some previous posts I have made about keeping your Fords drum brakes due to the large contact area they have which made these era Fords have some of the shortest stopping distances back in the day in the Motor Trend tests,from 60 MPH to zero in 183 ft with skinny bias ply tires and a single master cylinder,asbestos linings and no power brakes.Go online and check out the stopping distances for cars weighing around 3300 lbs like a 90's Taurus or Chevy Celebrity and compare.So lets say you spend $700-$900 putting disc brakes on your 52-56 and if you have read much of what has been posted here things haven't always turned out well as far as fit and the mods required to make them work,then folks find out that their vintage wheels don't fit anymore and cleaning off the constant brake dust gets to be a pain,is there a cure for the madness? Yes.Check out this link http://www.musclecarbrakes.com/stage16473mustang.html and read the advantages of using ceramic shoes,cost about $100 per axle and add the dual diaphram power brake and dual master conversion for $200 and you will have a great stopping Ford and more money left for goodies.Now you won't see our Fords listed but they are there 52-56 Front brakes are 10X2 1/4 part# 154 ('64-68 Mustang) rears came in two sizes 10 X 1 3/4" (less common)part# 151 and 11X 1 3/4" part# 55 also used on 67-68 Mustangs with 390's.
The main reason I was thinking about going to disc was because of brake fade. I don't drive any of my old stuff aggressively, plus I really don't want to spend the amount of $$$ for the disc conversion or have any of the h***les some have had. I think I'll check into these. Thanks for the link Jeff.
Yea, fade is my main motivation for changing, but I'll probably just do front disks and keep the rears. I live in a pretty hilly area and there have been a couple times coming down the mountain that the brakes have started to fade and it's pretty darn scary, especially when you're bearing down on a red light. If I only drove on flat roads, I'd keep the drums for sure, she stops on a dime on the flat stuff.
I think Jeff is making a very valid point here: Our Fords and Mercs already have very modern and efficient brakes, so why not do an upgrade instead of a swap-out? I'd be very interested in seeing honest street test comparisons of modern rebonded brake shoes vs ceramic brake shoes. I'm sure one or another enthusiast mags has done this. I'm glad he's also included the recommendation to boost the stock system with an aftermarket dual reservoir master and large vacuum booster. This is as important - if not more so - than the upgrade to improved linings. Hopefully one of the guys in this social group will take Jeff's suggestion and perform this upgrade, taking good notes on before/after performance as well as how everything went together.
Thanks to Jeff's advice last week I have the 67-68 Mustang adjusting brake conversion kit but I have regular Duralast shoes. Right now I'm waiting on MAC's to get me the new drums and then I will swap everything out. Once I get them on I will let you know the difference from the original set up.
One of the big advantages of a Ceramic or Kevlar brake pad or shoe is the resistance to fading which is 25%-35% and also that drum and rotor wear becomes minimal.In the long haul not only do you have added safety you have less upkeep and more $$ in your jeans.Disc brake performance with drum brakes and no cleaning that nasty brake dust with drums just has to make one
i would be intrested in doing this instead of disc brakes but one of the reasons i was looking at dropnstop setup was for the 2 1/2 drop spindels and using aerostar springs to get a 4 1/2 drop with out doing the spindle swap and using the drums there is no way of getting the drop i want is there? besides cut coils that i have that i want to get away from.
54HotRod, Where did you get the self adjusting kit and how much $$$ were they if you don't mind me asking?
Chalupa55 here is the link on self adjusting brakes:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=20141
JeffB2 do you have a copy of this article? I did a quick search for Crown Vic braking distance and they stop around 150' or less. I figured that is a huge boat and should easily put the 56 at an advantage but I'll take 33' extra stopping feet any day of the week. I ran into this same mentality on the Falcon site I used to go to. There is a reason manufacturers switched to disc brakes and it sure wasn't because they are inferior to drum brakes.For comparison a new 4000# Mustang stops in around 117'. Sorry but preaching 185' as a great number is misleading to people that don't know better.
well, i work on cars everyday. and i myself will always take disk over drum on the front. its a far superior brake system. worth every penny and less maintenance. id like to do the stop test with my 55 and a drum equiped 55 however they want to set it up . id be willing to put a little money mine will stop alot shorter then the drum car.
fordsbyjay,I guess you stopped reading after the 183ft,that the 1954-55 Ford used narrow bias ply tires,asbestos linings and had no power brakes.The curb weight for a 1954 Ford Customline 2 door is 3180 lbs so here is a good camparison link for all the "Doubting Thomas's" out there since the most common disc upgrade is using Granada parts,read the curb weight of the Granada and the 60 to zero stopping distance posted in the test,also note the Granada has larger footprint radial tires and power brakes.http://books.google.com/books?id=mi324OOv7VkC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=Ford+Granada+stopping+distance&source=bl&ots=3yAcB0j4LJ&sig=bhat2Jlog0UvJTiypvvtx0kSLa0&hl=en&ei=s_LdTcTIL46asAP_0vSWBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Ford%20Granada%20stopping%20distance&f=false and as far as "preaching" that 183 ft is a great number that was the distance in 1954-55 equipted as above,the main point is that with power brakes and todays improved linings as well as more tire grip that distance would be much shorter,the new Mustang is not even a close comparison with rotors much larger than a Granada and a tire footprint at least twice the width of the old 670 X 15 used in 1955,apples to oranges??
I don't think there's much doubt that properly operating disc brakes are more efficient than drums, but I don't think that was Jeff's point. As I read it, his main focus was on the need to update to discs and suggesting one way to avoid doing so if one is so inclined. I drive a '64 El Camino with boosted drum brakes every day. The drum brakes are kept in good condition and I drive in a sane manner. I can drag all four tires if I want to. This is as good as it gets on this car. A change to disc brakes would not cause this car to stop in a shorter distance in the hands of a skilled driver. If I used the El Camino on the track (other than drag racing), in the mountains or drove like a fool a change to fade-resistant discs would certianly be a good move. But I don't...so I won't.
I was considering disc only because of brake fade and I was thinking of doing drop spindles while I was at it. I don't drive aggressively and don't tailgate. I will be converting to power brakes and with the ceramic pads I believe the car will stop more than adequatley since I could lock up the fronts with the stock master and shoes. My only concern will be that with the cam I'm using it may not pull enough vacuum, so I may need a vacuum canister.
hey jeff, do you have a link or part number to the mc you mentioned above. i was thinking about going with the disk conversion, but you convinced me to rebuild my drum system instead.
I have often said that when I was a kid and had a 55 Customline, all stock suspension and brakes, I drove it like it was stolen, and somehow always got it stopped before hitting something. Now that I'm an old fart, drive like a granny, and install disc brakes, power and all the other stuff. Does this make sense?? Didn't think so.
Jeff- I realize this is an old post but I just found it. What master cylinder and booster were you referring to in the orig. post? I found this while looking for info to power boost my drums. Thanks!
bondojunkie,info is top post here:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?do=discuss&discussionid=18186&pp=20&page=3
cool-thanks again Jeff! I can live without discs but no sense living in the 21st century with manual brakes.
It seems Old Irish Dave has closed his eBay store and is selling out of his kits - since April. He can still be reached on his mobile - apparently he is now in Alaska.
First year I had my 55 I had a good friend install a dual master cylinder on it. He used a 68 to 69 GTO master cylinder and works great. This year I had my friend do a brake job for me and had bought some asbestos free brake shoes and it stops even better than before. But, I still drive at least two cars ahead of me all the time. I guess it was from driving semi's all those years.
Bummer about Old Irish Dave as shipping from Alaska ****s.This Vendor on ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?item....l.streetrods&_nkw=Ford&_pgn=7&_skc=300&rt=nc Has a kit however it states 1957 up and will not clear Y-Block manifolds or FE's,we know that the same kits Dave had were for 1952-59 which used the same OEM single pot masters so if you have done a SBF 302/5.0 swap this kit will work.I noticed some gas tanks are priced good also they show the Mustang tank conversion listed if you have a rotted trunk floor you can kill two birds with one stone.
This unit has the bracket for Y-blocks,read down in the text this does fit earlier 50's Fords http://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-1955-1...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35b371cfa8
This is a different setup than Dave sold. This setup has a fulcrum with the brake pedal connector below the center line of the master cylinder. Daves system was much simpler and probably gave more feel. The brackets that Dave used were from a 58 to 64 Chev and these are available from www.show-cars.com Part Number 8479 $12ea (you need two). This bracket set the booster (7" diam.) upwards away from the rocker covers on Yblocks and allowed connection directly from the booster to the pedal. These people also do a 7" booster kit with a slight offset bracket. Speedway Motors also offer a kit at a reasonable price.
I kept the drum brakes on the back of my 54 cussy, but do have disc brakes on the front. An odd mixture of parts though, XB Ford Falcon rotors, WB Holden Calipers all hooked up to a HQ Holden master cylinder!
rick55,Are you running a booster from Dave? Or something different,if so I am sure the members would like to see some pictures of the installed unit.
I have a unit from Dave but have not fitted it yet. A couple of friends have his setup. I will get photos this weekend and post them. They were all real happy with the fit and performance. The biggest problem with pedal vac systems and yblocks is that you can fit a booster but if you don't have it kicked up it won't clear the valve covers and you will need to remove the booster to get the engine in or out. My Mainline has a brake setup which I have been using for about 20 years. It is a bracket from a 69 Oz Valiant V8 which kicks upward and leans out, with a late 70's booster and master cylinder. Works great, but it has the fulcrum arm similar to what is available on eBay now. It basically multiplies the travel of the pushrods to pedal travel about 2:1 which means that the pedal only travels about an inch for full application of the brakes. This is why Daves system seems to me to be much better. I will post some pictures of this setup as well. This was done before we in Oz had access to the Internet and what is available nowadays.
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