How do I improve the stopping ability of my Mustang II?
The Mustang II was blessed with highly efficient brakes from the factory. It was the first Mustang to come standard with front disc brakes on all models. Also, most models of the Mustang II will be found to have power assisted brakes. However, the Mustang II line was not originally intended to have the 302 c.i. V-8 as an option. As a result, the brakes that were originally sized to stop the more modest mass of a Mustang II equipped with a 2.3L four cylinder engine or a 2.8L V-6 engine, are marginal for any type of spirited driving in a V-8 equipped Mustang II.
For all but racing duties, most owners of 2.3L four cylinder and 2.8L V-6 equipped Mustang II's will find the 9.3 inch diameter power front disc brakes and 9 inch diameter rear drum brakes to be satisfactory. Those that desire better stopping power short of an all out brake system upgrade, can switch to semi-metallic front pads and rear shoes. Also, the stock V-8 brake pads were manufactured of a more heat-resistant material and may be used. Since there is only one part number for Mustang II brake pads now, I would hazzard a guess that the heavier material is now being used across the board.
Owners of V-8 equipped Mustang II's that drive their cars in a spirited fashion will at some time wish for more stopping ability than the stock brake system can deliver. There are several routes to brake system upgrades in the Mustang II, choose one according to your needs (and budget). A decision you have to make early is whether to change your 4-lug hubs to a 5-lug hubs. The obvious disadvantage is that you have to buy new wheels. An advantage is that high performance wheels are more popular in 5 lug versions.
Upgrade 1: Stock front brakes with four lug rear disc brakes from the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.
Upgrade 2: Upgrade to late seventies Granada 11 inch diameter 5 lug front rotors and 10 inch diameter rear drums from an earlier Ford 8 inch 5 lug rear like those under the Mustang, Fairlane or the late seventies Granada.
Upgrade 2a: Upgrade to late seventies Granada 11 inch diameter 5 lug front rotors and rear discs from an SVO Mustang or Lincoln LSC with 5 lug hubs. If you want a 9 inch ring gear rearend also, look for the late seventies Lincoln Versailes, Mercury Monarch, or Ford Granada rear with disc brakes. This axle can be adapted to the Mustang II by simply swapping spring perches. The 8 inch rear used in the '65-'66 Mustang will swap without increasing the track width. The Granada series and '67-'73 Mustang 8 inch rears are 1/2 inch wider total.
Upgrade 3: Upgrade using salvage-yard parts from other disc-brake equipped cars.
Upgrade 4: Upgrade to a custom four wheel disc brake system from a company like Baer or Wilwood. This is the preferred setup for racing, but can have a major negative effect on your budget.
Joe Morgan (e-mail: morgaj01@student.ucr.edu, webpage: http://dragon.moorhead.msus.edu/~ericksco/joe.html) has utilized mainly Ford parts in his upgrade. His automobile is a '76 Pinto which is used primarily for drag racing (10.94 sec. 1/4 mile). It has been upgraded with the Mustang II 8 inch rear and a modified 2.3L Turbo engine. He retained his 4-lug front hubs and modified only the rear brakes, adding rear discs from a 1988 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. His rear brake modifications would also work with Lincoln or SVO 5-lug rear rotors and would be a good complement to a Granada 5-lug hub front rotor upgrade. Following is his report:
"It's pretty close to a bolt on -- the tricky part is attaching the one part to bolt it all to. ;)
"Basically, the whole deal is to mount the brackets -- there are two ways to do it (now).
"Currie now sells some brackets to bolt-on either the 4 or 5 lug rear discs to a small bearing 8" or 9" Ford axle. They don't look really whammy to me -- especially for $150. My method (since Currie wouldn't sell me the brackets separately at the time...) requires the services of a decent machine shop (a "real" one with a mill, not an automotive one) and a little time.
"The stock bracket from the TC has the same bolt pattern as the 8" flange pattern, but the 8" has the wrong spacing between the axle flange (the part that turns) and the axle housing flange (where the brakes bolt on) -- it's too close.
"I took the stock caliper bracket and had a machinist friend mill out the hole in the bracket so that it was the same diameter as the outer diameter of the bearing pocket on the axle (right behind the flange), then cut it in half. After I had the brackets that were the right size to install on the housing, I dragged the housing (3rd member and all...grunt) and brackets to another friend's shop that has a big-ol' wire feed welder.
"We installed the rotors on the axles and secured them with washers and lugnuts, then bolted the caliper slide brakets to the finished (half) mouting brackets and put them in position on the end of the housing, roughly in the middle of the bearing (~1/2" back from the flange). Then we shimmed them away from the rotor so that we had an equal amount of space on either side between the rotor and the slide bracket. I forget the thickness of the shim stock we used, but as I recall, it was a fairly common size.
"Next, we aligned the two remaining holes on the (half) mounting bracket with the rear two holes on the axle housing flange (remember, they have the same pattern) and clamped it all in place securely with many pairs of Vise-Grip welding pliers.
"Then comes the big-ol', toothpaste weld job. (No...the welding didn't hurt the bearings one bit.)
"[Personal Note: Welding on the brackets sounded kind of cheesy to me at the time, but it turns out that most of the GM rear disc setups (more common than on Fords) are done exactly like this -- with thinner brackets -- and they seem to work well.]
"From there, I took it home and tapped the holes in the axle flange to accept some socket-head cap screws (SHCS). In the front, they just secure the bearing retainer plate, in the rear, they secure the plate and go all the way through to the caliper mounting bracket.
"Since the bearing retainer plate is just a little piece of stamped metal and the housing flange is pretty beefy, once I tapped it, it held the retainer plenty tight, so I didn't use backing nuts. It's been about two years since I did it, but I think I used either 7/16" or 1/2" coarse thread SHCS's to secure the plate -- plenty of beef there.
"The calipers just bolt on now (see...that was easy, eh? :)
"The lines are pretty easy -- just go to a speed shop that carries braided brake line stuff and get a couple of banjo fittings and line. On the LH side, just run the line to the distribution block (~10-12 inches total).
"On the RH side, you can get a little adaptor that goes from -3 AN to inverted flare, then you can either re-bend, cut and re-flare your existing line or make another (easier).
"(IMPORTANT NOTE: You can't use the stock hose/bracket assemblies on a Pinto/MII. I found this out AFTER I made some nifty little brackets to mount them, welded them in their proper place THEN promptly sheared off the hoses as I went over my first real "bump in the road" -- lots of brake fluid everywhere and a white-knuckle ride getting it stopped -- BOTTOM LINE = the framerail is much closer [...and evidently, much sharper] to the axle on the leaf-sprung MII than it is on the 'Bird or the rest of the coil-sprung, Fox-chassis cars.)
"The parking brake deal is a little bit trickier. I don't know if the MII uses the same type of cable as the Pinto (1-piece, center-pull), but I'll tell you how I did mine. The cables that came with the brakes I got were thrashed (like the whole deal...). I basically just used the inner wires from both sides, along with the outer cable ends (where the cable mounts to the caliper).
"I got a couple of new full-size Ford (i.e., F-150, etc.) truck brake cables (fairly cheap, ~$20 and long enough to play around with) for housing donors. I cut the inners out, then used the ends from the TC cables on the caliper end and the existing ends on the other (nearest the PB handle) and cut the outers to length. Make sure to leave enough slack so that you can remove the caliper if need be.
"Since the cable in mine is a "one-piece", I ran the inner cables through the calipers and one of them around the little "saddle" thing at the end of the PB handle. After a little trial-and-error fitting, I clamped them together securely with two cable clamps. Cable clamps are like little "U" bolts with a little cast base piece and two nuts that pinches two cables together -- they cost about $.50 apiece.
"Make sure that you get the inners short enough so that you have sufficient adjustment range with the adjustment screw on the handle. It'll be shorter than you think it will be. When I finally got the length figured out, I had to loosen the adjusting bolt all the way, so that it came out of the floor, hook the cable, then feed the bolt back through the floor to the handle. My adjustment nut is only about 1/3 of the way down, just like stock. Rembember the old saying in carpentry -- "measure twice -- cut once". In this case, "clamp once", because once you crimp those things down, there's not much of the inner left to try again.
"A few notes:
"1) I used 4-lug, 87-88 Turbocoupe brakes, or if you prefer "'93 Cobra" (hey, sometimes appearances are important...). If any of you're considering a 5-lug swap front and rear, you can use 82-90 Continental rear brakes (a.k.a. SVO rears). They bolt on almost the same.
"2) The TC brake rotors are EXPENSIVE!!! The cheapest that I found them aftermarket was a little over $100 each. From the dealer, they listed for around $200. Make sure that you get two good rotors! BTW -- on the TC discs they are interchangeable L&R, while in the SVO/Mark brakes, they're unique for each side. (but MUCH cheaper)
"3) The TC brakes also have a nasty habit of siezing the caliper pins in the bracket -- look at them closely, because, while you can get a pin kit pretty cheap, you can't buy a caliper slide bracket separately and a reman caliper is 150-200 bux.
"4) Unless you buy a Motorsport M-5300-C kit to start with (not a bad idea, pretty cheap and all new parts...), buy a couple of caliper pin kits (E7SZ-2B296-A, if I recall correctly). They're only 10-15 bux each and they come with all kinds of good stuff, new loc-tited bolts, new pins, dustboots and the proper grease that everybody forgets when they do a rear brake job on these. Hmmm...stuck caliper pins...I wonder..."
Sorry, Not ready yet.
Sorry, Not ready yet.
Dave Wilson (e-mail: cobra_2_76@YAHOO.COM, webpage: http://kitten.ndscs.nodak.edu/~polk/mii/ [Under Reader's Rides]) took the pioneer approach (since when he performed his upgrade, there weren't many kits). His upgrade consists of aftermarket rear caliper brackets, GM rear calipers, Lincoln rear rotors, aftermarket front caliper brackets, Granada front rotors, and GM (replacement) front calipers. Dave's automobile is a Mustang II highly modified for SCCA Autocrossing.
"Here's my conversion in outline form. The "see ref" notes refer to copies of invoices, instructions I have saved for future repairs or modifications."
Rob Weeks (e-mail: MIIMAN@WEBTV.NET, webpage: http://hudson.idt.net/~johnle79/rob.htm) went the custom Baer Racing Disc Brake Upgrade route. Rob's Mustang II is a probable "Handler" model (as modified by Hot Rod Magazine, Monroe Shocks, and Kar Kraft). It has been treated to the best of everything, including a late-model 5.0L F.I. engine, T-5 five speed transmission, custom interior, and killer sound system. It was important that the brakes get the same level of upgrade as the rest of the car. His custom brake system consists of Baer 12" discs and calipers on all corners, with the stock 4 on 4.25" wheel lug pattern. Following is his description. Check back later for pics.
"Baer doesnt exactly have part #'s per se. They go by description and model applications. For the Mustang II they have a specific application in their catalog for the front only. This is solely for the benefit of the street rod market. Now their description is for a 5 lug on 4.5" typical Ford pattern. So mine, 4-lug was a special order situation involving me waiting for the next producation run of hubs so that they could special drill the MII hubs on the Late Fox 4 on 4.25 pattern. Let me head off one question: "why not use the Late 4 on 4.25 hub on the MII and save the hassel?" Well, the late MIII hub uses a unique bearing/race combo that is totally different than on our beloved MII. Since Baer sources the hubs from an outside fabricator on an order basis, they have to have lead time to request the special request."
"Back to the Front section installation. This section is an easy, 30 minute routine not counting bleeding. Completely bolt on and a perfect fit. After removing the factory hub, caliper, all brackets etc, there should be a bare (pun?) spindle facing you. The special Baer bracket installs with a spacer in the lower 7 o'clock position on the pass side and in the 5 o'clock position on the drivers side. The bracket simply bolts in place of the factory bracket. The hub goes on just like your factory rotor does. The caliper is a full floating design. Without lugs on the rotor, the caliper seems loose. No sweat. Install the rotor and hand tighten 2 lugs on to position the rotor. Now slip the caliper on to its bracket. Hand tighten the caliper slider cradle retainer bolts to the bracket. Spin the rotor to check for bind. Install the optional stainless steel adapter/hose combination and bleed after completing both front sides."
"The rear may seem confusing but is actually quite easy to understand and a drop dead gorgeous install."
"Ford has 3 versions of the 9" rear end. I know we dont have the 9", Baer with me (hehehe). The most common is the "small bearing 9". This has been used since Henry Ford was nearly in puberty in just about every car line, except the MII of course. The second most prevelant is the "big bearing 9". Identifiable by the nearly 3" outside diameter axle bearing flanges on the outer edges of the axle tubes. This is your Cobra Jet, Boss, Super Heavy Duty application CAR axle. Station wagons included. Lastly is the "Truck 9" and the "Truck 8.8" these are basically larger bearing 9" or 8.8 housings with reinforced axle tubes and reinforced inner structures. Why all this 9" stuff. Simple, our stock 8" uses the same axle tubes and bearings as the "small bearing 9". And for those who have already converted to 9" (or my personal preference the 8.8), they know what the differences are. When you order you need to specify which bearing style you want."
"On the topic of lugs for the rear, dont sweat this at all. Baer's rotors for the rear are pre-drilled for all 5 and 4 lug applications on the same rotor."
"Rear install is nearly as easy. Remove the axles, drum brakes and all the associated stuff. Save the backing plate "T" bolts and nuts (8 of each total, 4 per side). Now the trickiest art of the hole deal. The caliper bracket and axle retainer relationship will give you headaches if you aren't careful. Slide the axles into position as if you were done. Use a brass hammer to drive them to the fully seated position. Now take the caliper bracket and look at it; there is a groove in it. The groove is your new axle retainer/thrust surface. The relative location of the bracket will depend on wheel and brake rotor size, but I am confident that the only place to install the caliper is in the 10 o'clock driver and 2 o'clock pass positions. NOTE the emergency brake brackets on the calipers go pointing toward the floor/ground. You can install the calipers and brackets on either side depending on application so this section is critical to saving time and your sanity. Now your factory axle retainer plate bolts on the caliper bracket. So, to recap. Looking at the axle flange as if you were changing brake shoes. The order is as follows:"
"All but the axles themselves have 4 holes one in each corner line them all up in each corner and reinstall the "t" bolts and nuts. BE CAREFULL not to bind the factory retaining plates as they bend easily. Torque to 50-70 ft/#. Now position the rotor on and retain with 2 lugs. There are 2 spacers that go between the caliper and the bracket for alignment. Install the caliper as we did on the front. Tighten everything and spin the rotor/axle to check for bind. Repeat for the other side paying attention to the position of the bracket and caliper (10 o'clock driver 2 o'clock pass). Now install the stainless hose/adapter combo you had to pay extra for (I'm not bitter)."
"Begin the bleeding process at the pass rear. FOLLOW BAER's INSTUCTIONS EXPLICTLY on the BLEEDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"These instructions are unique to the caliper used on this kit."
"Now you are done installing them. Now you have to drive the car EASY!!!!!! for 10 days to season the rotors with the carbon metalic pad material. Then you have to "Bed" the pads and final season the rotors for 'nose bleed' quality stops. Again FOLLOW BAER's INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER on this TO!!"
"Actual part # list:"
"Requirements: These are 12" front & Rear Rotors Requiring:"
Standard disclaimer: The brake system is the most important safety system on your car. Do not attempt to repair or modify the brake system without expert knowledge or supervision. I will not take any responsibility for damages that may occur due to any person using the information contained on this webpage.