Speedway disc brakes for 1934 Ford.

I have a 1934 two door sedan that has been a hot rod for a long time. Speedway Motors shows a disc brake kit for 37-48 spindles. Kit part number is 910-31909. I have a stock 1934 front axle. Do I have to change the spindles to 37-48 spindles? They say the wheels have to have a 3-7/16 center hole. I want to run 1935 wire wheels. The center hole is 3-5/8. What problem will the larger center hole create? Will the wheel need a special ring to be supported by the hub.

I called Speedway and did not get to talked to a knowledgeable person.

I want to use the old Ford master cylinder from a 1939 Ford and probably some kind of residual brake valve. I plan on using drum hydraulic brakes on the back. They are mechanical brakes now.

 

Cant do it, At the present time no one makes a disc brake kit to fit early spindles.

Second No, if you change to the later 37 & up spindles it requires you to use a bolt on upper LH steering arm to maintain your stock LH steering and it does not locate the drag link correctly as well as using these spindles may require the steering arms to be modified to get proper tie rod clearance on the wishbone plus these spindles make the car steer hard.

Third No is, at the present time there are no design disc brake hubs that correctly support the early Ford style wire wheels.

 

Thanks for the reply ****. I thought this would be a cheap way to go. I have some old hydraulic backing plates and drums. These will be expensive to rehabilitate because they are old and rusty. The brake shoes were rusted to the drums.

Thanks again

 

****, I understand the drag link issue, and the steering arm/tie rod clearance issue, but why do the '37 and up spindles make the car "steer hard"?
(I'm close to doing a hydraulic brake conversion myself)
Thanks.

 

For those of you considering a hydraulic brake upgrade to a Model 40, here's a useful link....

www.earlyv8garage.qpg.com

 

some of the ford axles are not as tall in the kingpin area, and will not accept the 37-41 spindles. There is a plate out there that has a rib like the ford drums had to center the wheel. Speedway used to sell the plate, and they used to have info about which axles would accept 37-41 spindles. Check out their catalog

 

The kingpin bosses are the same on all Ford p***enger and light truck axles from '28-'48.

Any spindle will fit any axle using the proper kingpin; but it is usually just the '37-'41 and '42-'48 spindles that are retrofitted to earlier axles.

 

Von Dago, I know people think I'm nuts when I say this but every car I have built using stock LH side steer, later spindles and sling shot arm steered very hard or had no return. Put the stock spindles to match the axle back on, steers like power steering. I think that this is due to the angle or ratio of the upper steering arm conversion. If you notice that a stock upper steering arm is slightly positioned ahead of the axle, where as replacement upper steering arms are usually on center of the axle which alters the geometry of the steering.

In any case can you swap spindles with success? Yes to a degree, but they seem to work better with side steer applications or where the steering box and drag link are more parallel in operation.

 

****

I had a 34 coupe in high school. The steering arm was kind of a tubular chrome piece. That coupe steered real hard. I just tried to find it in the Speedway catalog but I could not find it. The one I have now has kind of a flat plate and the drag link connects in beyond of the king pins. I think my set up is stock.

 

Stock 32-4 spindles are the same unit, the upper steering arm on the left side is forged in the spindle. If you have anything bolted to the spindle to make it steer its an add-on.

 

"Cant do it, At the present time no one makes a disc brake kit to fit early spindles."

The speed way 37-48 kit can be modified to fit on earlier spindles, attached are pictures of mounting the speedway disc kit on a 1935 spindle.

 

Just run drum brakes and be done with it. Trust me anything old and ford will out perform anything that speedway imported from China.

Don't cheap out, if it takes an extra paycheck it is worth the wait.

 

A four year old thread.

 

May be an old thread but the updates may still help those googling solutions for early spindles.

 

Ian, nothing to do with the brakes; but it looks (the one picture not very clear) like you have the thrust bearing on top of spindle running against a current style kingpin with the peened over washer on top. Others have found that the load will dislodge the washer letting the spindle run on the bottom of the axle.

 

No sir the thrust washers are in the correct position on the lower side what you are seeing on top is the fiber grease seal installed between the kingpin top and the spindle, appreciate the concern and information.

 

Oops! the stuff under the spindle didn't look thick enough for a Torrington bearing and two races.

 

I have to agree and I've used and I'm going to use that brake kit on my T Bucket. It's a good kit and works very well, but I read the parts you have and IMO, I think putting a modern disc brake set up, with all those gennie parts, would look awkward. I have no idea how well the old Henry stuff would compare in performance.

 

I was glad to see some of ****'s posts brought back up. What a wealth of knowledge he had. RIP

 

What was done to make that speedway kit fit those 35 spindles?

 

The pictures tell the story. Ian used a vice to "squeeze" the caliper bracket moving the bolt holes closer together to match the earlier bolt pattern.