Hello all, first time questioner here. I have a 1950 Mercury Meteor 2 dr. businessman's coupe, '76 Mustang II clip, 9 inch disc brakes that ****, and I want to switch up to a Wilwood 140-9917-D rotor and 4 pot caliper kit, with a 2" drop spindle. My question is, I have stock period steel 15" steel rims, and I can't say the new Wilwood caliper will clear the inside. They say I need 12.88 inches and measuring with the only means I have, a tape measure, sure looks close to that. I have checked their site and saw the schematic showing a cross-section of the rotor/caliper inside a wheel. Anybody gone this route already and found they do/don't fit? Be a lot of money spent to find out they don't. If they are too close, can I realistically add a thin wheel spacer to move the rims out without changing the geometry of the steering? Thanks. Norm.
The old steel wheels that were made for drum brakes only (before the mid 60s generally) won't clear the calipers. If you reverse the hoops on the centers, they will. at least that's been my experience. If you can post a picture of the back side of the wheel (picture taken at an angle, not straight on), maybe we could get a better idea of what your wheels look like...because right now, we kind of have to guess.
Most Wilwoods require 16" and above wheels. I'd suggest you see what is making the existing brakes "****". Proportioning valve set properly? Residual valves? ETC. Just slapping on some new rotors and calipers may not be the answer.
First thing I did. They were the ones who told me I needed 12.88 inches. The rims are in two pieces, inner hub riveted to the outer ring, and the distance between those rivets at their closest point is just 12.75", less than I need. But what is hard to measure is where the caliper will sit in relation to the inner rim and those rivets. Even after cranking her up in the air and slithering under I can't tell clearly. That is my dilemma.
take a wheel off, take a picture of it... I have Wilwood disc brakes on two of my old Chevys, they clear newer 15" wheels just fine. But not the early steel wheels. The problem is not where the center is attached to the hoop, it's next to that, the hoop needs to get bigger right away, instead of a gradual taper.
Good question, new brakes all around but she takes a long time to come down from hwy speed and I need to know she can stop quicker than she is. I'll have my master (old-timer) mechanic look things over, but the swept area of the 9" rotors with one pot vs. the Wilwood 11.5's with 4 pots, sure make for a compelling argument.
The area where the arrow points, is where they usually hit. Notice the rim is tapered gradually there, modern wheels have an abrupt corner.
It reads like you don't have the brakes yet and want to know if they'll fit. Well, you've got a 1/8" to play around with, so IF they fit, it's going to be really close. Get 'em and see what happens. Or, save yourself some money and get 11" rotors for that Mustang clip. At least you'll be able to get replacement parts just about anywhere. IMO, Wilwoods are awesome brakes, but unless you're doing some high dollar cruising or just want to get bragging rights, stick to the practical setup.
The second set of numbers from the bottom right, 5.08" is where the clearance issue lies, where the rivets are. I'm pretty certain I don't have the room but wanted to know if anyone had already gone to the trouble of fitting them to see if they fit/don't fit. If the caliper was inward of these rivets I'd be fine, have the minimum 1/8" clearance...but that is where my dilemma lies.
Haven't bought them yet, local Ford dealer does not have a parts book pre-dating 1990 or a compe***ion catalogue. Still searching internet to see if there are stock items I can use, no question they are cheaper. With solid steel rims blocking the new brakes, bragging rights isn't an issue. Stopping power is.
there are lots of aftermarket brakes available, http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Musta...ake-Kit-Ford-5-x-4-1-2-Bolt-Pattern,2008.html but they all need room for the caliper.
But seriously, the issue of wheels clearing brake calipers is an old one, we've been through it many times. At the junkyard I worked at 35 years ago, I got real good at spotting "disc brake wheels" from normal drum brake wheels.
Regrettably, Speedway says I need a minimum of 13 &3/4" across the inside of the rim and all I have is 12 & 3/4", one inch too small. If I want to switch up to these brakes, or the Wilwoods, I'll need to swap out the rims for newer ones, and new tires, and that will add a sizeable chunk o'cash to the build. Still searching...thanks for the help though.
Yes but in our shop experience sometimes its not the rotors and calipers but other parts of the system that make it fail. We had a 37 Ford gl*** car in here that was a nightmare...whole set up new, still had the problem. My own personal car did not have a proportioning valve and residual valves on it for years...found out one pad change, I was stopping only on the rear drums not the front disks. Now I have 4 wheel disk and proper valves and she stops beautiful.
9" disc brakes are pretty darn small! Without seeing the back side of your wheels, it's pretty hard to say whether you'd need new ones with either disc brake setup. And without seeing the front side, we can't make any recommendations. Might be that the wheels you want are not that hard to find, or they might be. It's all a mystery right now...pictures...pictures...pictures...
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