Informal poll - 1948-52 F-1 Front Disc Kit

[1948F-1Pickup]

I'm looking for feedback as I've developed the setup in the photos.
I'm trying to get some idea of interest/demand. My estimation on
selling price is $750-850. (The detail of the wheel lugs is not set in stone as
the ones pictured are obsolete Dorman and I'm talking to ARP about something
as an alternate, hence the price guesstimate)

You'd receive what's in the 1st photo, less the hub, which I've shown
only for illustration that you'd use your original drum hubs.

Front disc brake kit, 1948-52 Ford F-1 pickup
Features four-piston fixed calipers and 11” diameter 0.88” thick rotors. Retains the factory 5x5.5 bolt pattern and utilizes the original drum brake hubs. Wheelsmith 15” rims work fine and I suspect that the OE 15” rim will also work. Vehicle total front track width comes out at 1/4” less than factory specification. Steering wheel lock to lock turn specification is the same as factory.
Calipers are a tried & true Kelsey Hayes design. Caliper attachment bolts, rotors and wheel studs are all OE application items.

[KiWinUS]

All new parts? What master cylinder & other components is required or do you recommend.

[TJ]

Just curious why you would not use a rotor with integral hub assembly from a later Ford pickup and use bearings that will work on the early spindle. It would eliminate using the original hub? Not being critical of all your work, but just curious.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

All new parts? What master cylinder & other components is required or do you recommend.

Parts are new.

I've had a '68 Mustang dual chamber master on my truck for awhile, so I'll be
using that when I start trialing the kit. Those are a 1" bore.

I've looked at the original master and the way it's designed and plumbed.
I have no way to test it, but my kit may work ok with it as well. Those are 1 1/16" bore. There's always a chance the A0A-2178-A residual check valve
inside the factory master cylinder may cause too much line pressure (and make disc calipers drag too much) as it's intended for drum brakes..... but I have no way to verify.

Excepting the master cylinder itself, what you see in the photo is everything you would need to run to get from front drum to front disc.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by TJ

Just curious why you would not use a rotor with integral hub assembly from a later Ford pickup and use bearings that will work on the early spindle. It would eliminate using the original hub? Not being critical of all your work, but just curious.

Only so many rotors use that bolt pattern. The odds of any integral hat &
rotor assembly having the correct bearing spacing and running the correct bearings that dimensionally also fit those spindles is probably a pretty long
shot. (let alone all the other specs to use a 4 piston caliper, etc.)

Wilwood side-steps the issue by using a custom hub....

[JHFORD51]

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Talk to us about that unique sway bar and linkage peeking though the installation photo! At least I assume that's what it is...

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by JHFORD51

Talk to us about that unique sway bar and linkage peeking though the installation photo! At least I assume that's what it is...

There really isn't anything available on the market if you want a front sway bar so I had one bent up by a bar manufacturer and I built the sliding hardware and mounting plates.

[Mart]

Looks like a neat setup. Just a detail but the factory bolt pattern is 5 on 5-1/2". I know it's only a typo but people will expect no errors in that area.
I like the fact that there is no increase in track width.

Mart.

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

Only so many rotors use that bolt pattern. The odds of any integral hat &
rotor assembly having the correct bearing spacing and running the correct bearings that dimensionally also fit those spindles is probably a pretty long
shot. (let alone all the other specs to use a 4 piston caliper, etc.)

Wilwood side-steps the issue by using a custom hub....

Perhaps you should do a search to see what is available that use the original spindle that is adapted to an integral hat & rotor assembly with 5x5-1/2 bolt spacing. Also available at appox. 1/2 your estimated price.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by 51 MERC-CT

Perhaps you should do a search to see what is available that use the original spindle that is adapted to an integral hat & rotor assembly with 5x5-1/2 bolt spacing. Also available at appox. 1/2 your estimated price.

You're probably alluding to that Speedway kit....
Kind of an apples to oranges comparison. Just looking casually-
Fixed calipers always outshine sliding calipers in terms of performance and pad longevity.
Use of bearing adapters displays a lack of technical expertise akin to trying to cram round pegs into square holes. And rubber brake hoses..... we're not even going there.
And where the "rubber meets the road," I've heard from a user of that kit
that after replacing the cheap bearings provided, he was up $100. He also
had to chuck his spindles in the lathe and knurl them and "glue" the bearing adapters into place as well.
Speedway's kit might appear more economical, but what's the real price of
installation?

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by Mart

Looks like a neat setup. Just a detail but the factory bolt pattern is 5 on 5-1/2". I know it's only a typo but people will expect no errors in that area.
I like the fact that there is no increase in track width.

Mart.

Fixed.

[GB SISSON]

Will the 1" bore MC provide good braking power without a booster? It is my understanding that a 7/8" will give an easier pedal effort, but require more travel. Also, have you determined if the residual valve will keep pressure on the rotors? In other words is this mustang MC for a model with non-boosted discs up front? Sounds like keeping Henry's hub is a good way to go without a glued on adapter.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Will the 1" bore MC provide good braking power without a booster? It is my understanding that a 7/8" will give an easier pedal effort, but require more travel. Also, have you determined if the residual valve will keep pressure on the rotors? In other words is this mustang MC for a model with non-boosted discs up front? Sounds like keeping Henry's hub is a good way to go without a glued on adapter.

I've been using the 1" master with the drums for 5 years and it's good...
I would say the increase in pedal movement toward the floor is very slight
when compared to the pedal you experience with the original 1 1/16" bore master. Personally, I wouldn't go down further in bore size to a 7/8" though.

The 1" Mustang master I'm using is for 4 wheel drum manual brake application. It has the residual valves in both ports. There's a chance it will operate and do the job just fine with the residual valve in place. The height of the master and the height of the caliper are pretty close.... close enough that you probably want some residual fluid control in the line to the front brakes. Whether the 1" master's residual valve provides too much pressure on the calipers is the question. That I will determine.

[Ross F-1]

Have you driven your F-1 with this setup on the front, and the stock drums on the rear? How is the F/R balance? I would think with 4 pistons the front might give much more squeeze than the rears at any given pedal pressure.

[V8 Bob]

Originally Posted by 1948F-1Pickup

I've been using the 1" master with the drums for 5 years and it's good...
I would say the increase in pedal movement toward the floor is very slight
when compared to the pedal you experience with the original 1 1/16" bore master. Personally, I wouldn't go down further in bore size to a 7/8" though.

The 1" Mustang master I'm using is for 4 wheel drum manual brake application. It has the residual valves in both ports. There's a chance it will operate and do the job just fine with the residual valve in place. The height of the master and the height of the caliper are pretty close.... close enough that you probably want some residual fluid control in the line to the front brakes. Whether the 1" master's residual valve provides too much pressure on the calipers is the question. That I will determine.

The early style K/H calipers will work OK, but modern aluminum 4-piston designs would be a better choice, imo.

I agree with not going any smaller than a 1" master, but simply using a disc/drum master cylinder would solve the residual issue, and provide safer and correct disc fluid reservoir volume.

If you are "intent" on using the drum drum master, use an easy-out to pull the disc axle tube seat, remove the residual assembly and reinstall the seat. The drum brake residuals should not be used on disc brakes!

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by Ross F-1

Have you driven your F-1 with this setup on the front, and the stock drums on the rear? How is the F/R balance? I would think with 4 pistons the front might give much more squeeze than the rears at any given pedal pressure.

Not yet. That is the $10,000 question. Had planned on installing this weekend but we're apparently in for a rain storm of biblical proportions, so doing the swap might be delayed slightly.

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by V8 Bob

The early style K/H calipers will work OK, but modern aluminum 4-piston designs would be a better choice, imo.

I agree with not going any smaller than a 1" master, but simply using a disc/drum master cylinder would solve the residual issue, and provide safer and correct disc fluid reservoir volume.

If you are "intent" on using the drum drum master, use an easy-out to pull the disc axle tube seat, remove the residual assembly and reinstall the seat. The drum brake residuals should not be used on disc brakes!

Had the cast K/H calipers on the shelf, so I used them. Wilwood already has
a nice front disc kit out with humongous aluminum calipers, (and huge rotors), that not only needs careful measuring to make sure they clear wheels, but looks fairly out of place and is wretched overkill in my opinion. The lack of something sensible, that fit my new Wheelsmith rims is what started this odyssey.

I'll try the drum/drum master as it is, since it's already on the truck. If I need to pull the one residual valve out of the port. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
I may be able to go with no residual or a 2# unit..... we shall see.

Thank you for your comments.

[JHFORD51]

Maybe you could market your anti- sway bar deal. As you noted, no coverage in the aftermarket for 42 to 52 half ton to three quarter ton commercials. Rears yes, fronts no. Just saying...

[1948F-1Pickup]

Originally Posted by JHFORD51

Maybe you could market your anti- sway bar deal. As you noted, no coverage in the aftermarket for 42 to 52 half ton to three quarter ton commercials. Rears yes, fronts no. Just saying...

That's always a possibility....

[1948F-1Pickup]

'48-52 Ford F-1 front disc kit completed. It was a "wash" AFA weight difference between 11" drum & 11" disc,
(38# a side for the drum setup I took off and 40# for the disc I installed.... 2# weight penalty goes to the disc, roughly the weight of the pads)

Stops like a big dog now, no pulling and no squealing. Pads are EBC red. Front to rear bias required a slight adjustment of my Speedway compact proportioning valve; which wouldn't have been necessary with less aggressive front pads.
I'm probably not going to market this kit; my market survey results didn't support going that way.