Disc Brake Setup for Mustang II Front End

Mike_I · #1 (**permalink**) 11-19-2003, 07:24 PM

Hello, I have an old Mid-States kit that uses the Mustang II front end and Unfortunately the Pinto Brakes. I am looking to replace the brakes with something that actually stops. Any suggestions? I would like the new brakes to work really well since I plan on doing track day's with the car pretty often. In addition I have a ford 9" rear in the car and would like to go with a disc setup in the rear as well. Thanks!

Jack21 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-19-2003, 07:55 PM

For 15" wheels, Stainless Steel Brakes offers what they call their "Force 10", which is a 4 piston caliper on an 11" Grenada rotor. Made specificlly for MII front end guys with street rods and Cobras. It will stop the car! Have these on my front.

FMS a few years back offered a Mustang rear disk brake conversion kit M-2300-C. This essentially was a '87 - '89 T-Bird Turbo Coupe rear disk brake setup with caliper adapters for the Mustang 8.8 diff. With the kit came 10" rotors, single piston calipers, master cylinder, proportioning valve modification kit, and an adjustable proportioning valve.

The supplied master cylinder fits the MII brake booster without modificAtion as the Vette MC's do, and the outlets for the brake lines come out on the engine side of the MC so install is a snap.

Have this setup on mine, and with the SSB semi metallic pads front and rear, stopping is about as good as it gets for a 15" wheeled car.

That being said, with 17" wheels, other options appear. Go over to Baer brakes for 13" front, and 12" rear setups. Their fronts are made for MII's as well.

Bethania Garage makes an upper control arm adapter that is a must have on MII front ends. The bracket mounts to the frame, and rotates the control arm shaft 90 deg so it can now be aligned with shims like normal cars. And the alignement stays put, like normal cars too. Best $100 you'll ever spend on a MII front end Cobra.

Ken Oikawa · #3 (**permalink**) 11-19-2003, 08:24 PM

Wilwood sells Dynalite disc brakes for Mustang II spindles.

Summit sells them; heavy duty kit for Mustang II part #
WIL-140-2129B price $612.95.

Janusz · #4 (**permalink**) 11-19-2003, 08:56 PM

I have the Ford Motor Sport M-2300-G rear drum to disc conversion on my SV. Installs on either a 8.8" or 9 " rearend and uses 96 Explorer components with 11" discs. Nice kit but you'll still need to purchase hoses, etc.

misfit41 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 08:52 AM

I am gettign ready to remover the entire must II set up from the front of my shell valley ,I will sell it to you if you want to go with something reasonable,,Tk

my427cobra · #6 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 09:28 AM

Hey Jack21. I can't find any reference to the upper control arm adapter on the Bethania Garage website. Do you have more details?
Finishline has a similar (?) adjuster on their website. Anyone had experience with it?
Also looking for some opinions on the following :
I would like to drop my front end (Mustang II with tubular arms and coilovers) another inch to make the stance right, but I do not have any coil adjustment left. So , should I go for a shorter spring/shock setup , or should I use 2" dropped spindles and my current coilovers adjusted up an inch to get my net result, 1" lower.
And :
In order to get the Sunburst wheels to fit properly inside my front wheel lip, I need to narrow my track by 1" on each side. I am thinking of using the 1" narrower upper and lower arms from Speedway.
Any help/advice is appreciated.
Greg

flipper35 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 12:33 PM

Master Power Brakes also makes a larger rotor conversion. Bear also has some kits.

B L & sons · #8 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 02:05 PM

Greg
I have bought a lot from Tom at Bethania Garage,Thay are good people,there phone # 336-922-3018
Could you give me some info about the 1" narrower upper and lower arms from speedway I have the same problem trying to get my wheels to clear the inside lip.
do thay have a web site or if you have a ph#
Help and advice always appreciated
Thanks
Bill

my427cobra · #9 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 05:10 PM

Hi BL & sons. Speedway is one of the largest (maybe THE largest) streetrod and circle track racing supplier in the nation. Great products at good prices.
Try www.speedwaymotors.com and navigate to the streetrod section, look for mustang II front suspension items and then upper/lower control arms.
Greg

kountzecobra · #10 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 05:30 PM

Speedway Motors is one of my favorites. I use their 11" brake kit and tube a-arms too. Great stuff and lots you won't find at Summit or Jegs.

G.R. · #11 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 05:56 PM

David
You have e-mail
Gary

Jack21 · #12 (**permalink**) 11-20-2003, 08:50 PM

Don't know if Bethania has these upper control arm adapters on his webswite, or not. I learned about them from Ed Combs (DV), and called Tom Beroth about them direct. 336-922-3018. I think he makes them up special, rather than keeping them in stock. Had to replace the bolts sent with the bracket kit for my setup, shorter for the frame bolts, longer for the arm bolts. Tell you what, though; after setting the front end alignment the Ford way before installing these brackets, only to have me bring it back every coupla weeks 'cause I went over a bump too hard and the suspension collapsed again (inner upper control arm "T" bolts move to the inside end of the slot), he all but kissed me after I installed these brackets. The car took 1/2 hour, instead of 2 1/2 hours to align with shims (like normal cars), and it hasn't collapsed since. All for a hundred bucks.

Lowering front end with coil overs? Something doesn't sound right if you've got the spring adjusted all the way down, and car still sits too high (or you've got the spring adjusted all the way UP and the car still sits too low). Sounds like you're using the wrong spring. Big blocks use the 500#/" spring, and small blocks use the 350#/" spring. I've got a 351W w/ aluminum heads, intake, water pump, radiator, steering rack; use the 350#/" springs and adjustment is about 1/3 up the spring perch on the shock, and ride height is fine.

Advise some caution on shortening front track on MII suspension. Read the rather detailed treatise on Heidts website on modifying MII front suspensions.

That being said, the Classic Roadsters has the builder remove 7/8" from each outer tie rod on the rack (as opposed to making the rack 7/8" shorter on each end), the upper and lower control arm inner pivot points and inner rack pivot point do NOT form a exact straight line as Heidts article would indicate, and the car (nor any other CR that I've heard of) exhibits any bumpsteer.

Roscoe · #13 (**permalink**) 11-21-2003, 07:44 AM

My A&C came with the GM big piston caliper and mounts for an 11" Grenada vented rotor to a Mustang II spindle. I've since upgraded to Wilwood so if you are interested in the setup it is available and complete. If interested email me.

Roscoe

sharpe 1 · #14 (**permalink**) 11-21-2003, 10:36 AM

I have the speedway set up on my midstates and it works great.I used their adaptor brackets and my own grenada rotors and montecarlo calipers. The rotors use the same bearings and seals as the Mustang II
sharpe 1

sharpe 1 · #15 (**permalink**) 11-21-2003, 10:43 AM

More from sharpe 1. I also used a power brake master cylinder from a merc. tracer. Bob can explain this to you. He is at midstates classic cars and parts.

sharpe 1 · #16 (**permalink**) 11-21-2003, 11:18 AM

Rear brake system from a lincoln mark VII will fit and it uses 4 1/2 on five bolt pattern on the 9" rear end.

ByronRACE · #17 (**permalink**) 11-26-2003, 05:49 PM

If you want to do something unusual, I've designed bracketry to adapt C5 Vette rotors and 4-piston Dodge Viper (brembo) calipers to the front of my M-II spindled cobra.

You end up with 13" rotors that are easily replaced for $60-80 a throw, and a 4-piston caliper that is bomb proof.

I also designed bracketry for the 9" small bearing rear in my car to use the same rotors and calipers. I have 4-piston viper calipers and 13" vette rotors on all 4. I can rotate pads and rotors.

I had these parts cut from 316 stainless on a CNC mill; but you could just as easily have them laser cut or waterjet cut from plate for far less.

http://www.racesystems.com/cobra/bracket.jpg
http://www.racesystems.com/cobra/complete.jpg

I'm running a chevy bolt pattern (5x4.75) so I didn't have to redrill the rotors, but you could easily do that.

The hubs I'm using are billet aluminum hot-rod stuff; about $200 a pair. They come drilled for both chevy and ford pattern and accept all standard m2 bearings and all.

Of course, this all started because I ended up with free Viper calipers from a friend. However, I've seen these calipers go on ebay for a song; so it may be something to think about. I don't think I've ever seen more brake on a MII spindle.

Byron

cobrashoch · #18 (**permalink**) 11-27-2003, 12:47 AM

I think if you can afford it the Wilwood kit conversion is by far the simplest way to go. I just went that way and it was a direct bolt up on the front MustangII spindles. I went with the 6 piston, 12 inch rotor setup but of course the 4 piston setups are less expensive. I'd talk with Roscoe if I were you. I went with a hub floater 12 inch setup on the rear and Howe calipers.
Some words of advice to head off future problems though.
MustangII spindles come from the factory in both forged steel and cast iron versions dependent on the year of your doner. Needless to say on a Cobra you will want a forged hub to start with. If you go with a floating hub setup in the rear have your axles checked for straightness and have the ends of the axles machined flat. Of course that means pulling the rear axles out. It's truly amazing how many rear brake rotors wobble because someone thought all you have to do is just put the hub over those lugs and bolt it up.
cobrashock