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Old 01-17-2020, 04:37 PM   #1
LEAZER48
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Default disc brakes & distributor

I have a couple of questions: 1. can disk brakes be adapted to front & rear axles on 48 coupe chassis, if so what is a good set-up?
2. can the 8ab distributor be used on a 59ab motor
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Old 01-17-2020, 04:49 PM   #2
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

Yes and Yes. You can do about anything if you want to spend the money. A lot of venders sell front disc conversion kits, I think Hot Rod Works has the rear stuff. The distributor change takes a new front cover and cam gear change to do it correctly.
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Old 01-17-2020, 06:13 PM   #3
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

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Originally Posted by LEAZER48 View Post
I have a couple of questions: 1. can disk brakes be adapted to front & rear axles on 48 coupe chassis, if so what is a good set-up?
2. can the 8ab distributor be used on a 59ab motor





Hey LEAZER...I'm NOT going to try to poo-poo your idea about discs all the way around your '48, but...……! Have you really thought-out the necessity for all that? Please allow me to back that question with some facts.


Let's start with the rear because it is the simplest to justify, or UN-justify, if that can be called an actual word. Firstly, the Ford rear ends through '48 (called BANJOs because of the shape of the center section) are not very receptive to disc brake adaptations. Those floating axle ends will still require some sort of hub affair to fit on the tapered axles, and some sort of disc with an inside, flat diameter large enough to sit flush on the hub's flange (that won't be easy to find) is going to have to be adapted to the hub. The disc will also need to be spaced properly (inboard/outboard) such that it lines-up in the proper relationship with whatever caliper you decide to use. Oh yeah, you'll have to design and manufacture some sort of caliper mounting plate that bolts to the axle bell flange. The design and spacing of the axle bell flange as compared to the fixed location of the hub flange could make this adaptation kind of tricky at best. I know of nobody making a disc brake kit for an old Ford banjo rear, and for good reason.


The biggest reason is that the rear, Lockheed-type brakes on a '39-'48 Ford are actually quite adequate. The REARS are adequate because they are capable of locking-up the REAR tires. Lockheed drum brakes locking-up the rear tires vs. disc brakes locking-up the rear tires ain't gonna make the car stop one foot shorter. The vehicle will actually stop in a shorter distance if the rear (or ANY) wheels DON'T lock-up. Rear brakes on a vehicle do a relatively small portion of the braking because of weight transfer. Much of the rear vehicle weight actually transfers toward the front axle of the vehicle during a hard stop. That is why you see disc brakes (for the last 55 years or so) mainly on the front of vehicles, with drums on the rears. The front brakes on a vehicle usually do something like 70-80% of the braking during a panic stop.


OK, front brakes....Yup, guys (including myself) have been adapting disc brakes to the front spindles on old Fords for better than 50 years now. There are scads of kits out there from dozens of dealers. Some are fairly-well designed while others are rather cheezy, if not totally questionable. No doubt though, discs CAN be made to work well. Trouble with discs though is that they require a lot of input pressure (heavy pushing on pedal) to grab the disc effectively. On a very light car like a T-bucket, you may get away without a power booster, but not on a '48 Ford-sized car. You'll need a booster, most guys refuse to plan that into the build (because of cost, lack of space, and general hard-headedness), and you end-up having to push the pedal ridiculously hard and STILL have a hard time getting the rig stopped....scary stuff!


The "hot tip" today for a street-driven car like you have is to spend either $400 or roughly $1,000 to put a set of MT PRODUCTS Bendix-type, self-energizing brakes on the front of that car. These are a modern re-creation of the '39 Lincoln brakes that hot rodders scoured the junk yards for until they became a very rare and expensive commodity. They worked! Those early Lincoln brakes in the front, along with the stock Ford brakes in the rear will STOP that car, no BS. The two types work very well together on one vehicle. Discs will not stop you any shorter, plus you don't need a booster.


Why the difference in cost above? Because there are a couple of ways to do this, although I would suggest the $1K way. The less-costly way is to purchase (from MT PRODUCTS) two fully loaded Lincoln backing plates. They come with all brand new shoes, wheel cylinders, springs and bits and pieces ready to bolt-on to your Ford spindle. You will only need to grind lightly on the top of each spindle for some slight wheel cylinder clearancing. You would have to stipulate the 1-3/4" shoes to run with your old Ford front drums, IF they are not worn-out. A complete front package (which is well worth springing for) consists of two additional brand new hubs and two beautiful, brand new ribbed brake drums, sized for the 2" shoes that you'll stipulate when you order the backing plates. There are quite a few guys on the forum here running this combination and every one of them seems to be happy as can be. Forget those disc brakes. They ain't all that they're cracked-up to be. Click on the link below to snoop around the MT PRODUCTS site. It's an extensive site....make sure you check it out thoroughly. DD


http://www.mtcarproducts.com/productsgrid.html
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Last edited by V8COOPMAN; 01-17-2020 at 07:04 PM.
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Old 01-17-2020, 06:27 PM   #4
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

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I think Hot Rod Works has the rear stuff.

JSeery….Hot Rod Works does NOT show any disc brakes on their site that I could find. Link below! Even THEY realize that discs on a banjo rear are about as useless as chicken lips. DD


https://www.hotrodworks.com/product-category/brakes/
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Old 01-17-2020, 06:52 PM   #5
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

Great post above. I am running the Bendix setup in front and stock Lockheed on the rear as you mention. I am not totally happy with the Lockheeds though because I could never figure out how to adjust them. They don't adjust like all the directions in the manuals I have read. The problem is they tend to drag on my 40 Wagon. I just adjust them for minimum drag and that's it. I have new drums on the rear and had the NOS linings arced to the drums but they still don't adjust the way the book says. I guess they work ok, I really don't know. I am thinking about going to the Bendix brake in the rear too but they are pretty pricey. I sure like the design of the Bendix brakes. Hate those Lockheeds though, even on the rear.
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Old 01-17-2020, 07:01 PM   #6
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

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Great post above. I am thinking about going to the Bendix brake in the rear too but they are pretty pricey. I sure like the design of the Bendix brakes. Hate those Lockheeds though, even on the rear.

If a guy can afford the Bendix brakes all around, I say go for it! You'll probably NEVER have to put brakes on that car again. I'll mention to ANYBODY...DON'T let yourself be talked into the similar brakes at Speedway, for instance. There have been troubles reported with those drums. Stay with the "MT" brand brakes. DD
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Old 01-17-2020, 08:31 PM   #7
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

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Originally Posted by V8COOPMAN View Post
JSeery….Hot Rod Works does NOT show any disc brakes on their site that I could find. Link below! Even THEY realize that discs on a banjo rear are about as useless as chicken lips. DD
https://www.hotrodworks.com/product-category/brakes/
Ya, should have expanded that. I was thinking the 9 inch axle conversions then to disc. I run the 9 inch axles and was answering too quickly without really going into it. Thanks for pointing that out.

Agree the best setup is disc on the front and drums on the rear.

Last edited by JSeery; 01-17-2020 at 09:00 PM.
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Old 01-17-2020, 09:03 PM   #8
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

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If a guy can afford the Bendix brakes all around, I say go for it! You'll probably NEVER have to put brakes on that car again. I'll mention to ANYBODY...DON'T let yourself be talked into the similar brakes at Speedway, for instance. There have been troubles reported with those drums. Stay with the "MT" brand brakes. DD
Too late. I got all my brakes and drums from Speedway over a year ago. No problem except those old Lockheed ones on the back.
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Old 01-17-2020, 11:07 PM   #9
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

I went with the MT brakes front and rear. I’ve only driven the 40 about a 1/4 mile so far but they feel real nice
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Old 01-18-2020, 08:14 AM   #10
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

Great write up V8Coopman!


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Old 01-18-2020, 10:15 AM   #11
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

I have Bendix/Lincoln style brakes and new MT drums front and rear on my 32 - they work really well and the conversion "kit" I bought from the Early V8 Garage (Dennis Lacy) was one of the best engineered, documented and produced quality products I've ever bought.

The whole setup was surely NOT cheap, but I had the money to spend and it was worth every penny. If anybody needs quality Early Ford brake setups - talk to Dennis!
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Old 01-18-2020, 10:23 AM   #12
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

I guess I need to do some homework and thinking, thanks for the education.
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Old 01-18-2020, 04:05 PM   #13
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

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Originally Posted by V8COOPMAN View Post
JSeery….Hot Rod Works does NOT show any disc brakes on their site that I could find. Link below! Even THEY realize that discs on a banjo rear are about as useless as chicken lips. DD


https://www.hotrodworks.com/product-category/brakes/
Hot Rod Works can put rear discs. You have to send them parts of your rear end and they will convert to modern style hubs for $800. Then you can supply rear disc setup. They don't know what will work so it is up to you. Don't know what rear disc setup works, maybe someone has done it before? After finding this out I put MT products bendix backing plates on my 41 instead. Thinking I will send them my rear end to get the modern style hubs installed but haven't yet.
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Old 01-19-2020, 12:02 PM   #14
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

[QUOTE=V8COOPMAN;DON'T let yourself be talked into the similar brakes at Speedway, for instance. DD[/QUOTE]

Speedway is selling MT brake kits for the front. Only difference is free postage with Speedway.
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Old 01-19-2020, 02:28 PM   #15
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

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Speedway is selling MT brake kits for the front. Only difference is free postage with Speedway.

Philip....As I noted in my previous reference, they appear SIMILAR, but the pictures below that I took directly off of the respective Speedway and MT sites show two different (although SIMILAR-shaped) brake drums. The MT's do, in fact, look more refined and finished to my eye. Speedway's ad still makes reference to occasionally needing to trim a lip on their drums to prevent rubbing on a backing plate. And the Speedy drums are $38 bucks cheaper than the MTs. I'll only repeat that I have read of several instances of guys having problems of one sort or another with the Speedy-brand drums. I don't remember EVER hearing one complaint about the MT brakes. They are obviously two different castings, and the machining on the MTs is much more refined than on the Speedys. I have no idea what the maximum LEGAL diameter is on the Speedway drums, but the MTs have 12.090" cast right into their drum. If you're happy with your Speedy-brand brakes, well that's all that counts! DD


MT PRODUCTS Drum





Speedway Drum



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Old 01-19-2020, 03:16 PM   #16
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

V8 Coopman..a very informative write up. This is why I love The Ford Barn. We can get answers to everything to questions about our old Fords.
Not to belittle the other replies either. Good info. Thanks to all.
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Old 01-19-2020, 03:28 PM   #17
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

I have had zero problems with my Speedway drums. No rubbing or anything . Those MT drums are pretty though. How about the Buick finned ones from Speedway? The backing plates and brake linings appear to be the same as MT which are actually cheaper not counting shipping.

Last edited by philipswanson; 01-19-2020 at 04:10 PM.
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Old 01-19-2020, 04:42 PM   #18
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

I used a 96 or later, spicer 44 rear from a jeep grand cherokee , $Price 150. Bolt pattern is 41/2 on 5 so you need an adapter $50. You get disk brakes a posi and axles you can't brake. Can't see putting money in a 75 year old drive line. But, I like to drive them and can't afford to fix the old stuff.
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Old 01-19-2020, 06:09 PM   #19
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I used a 96 or later, spicer 44 rear from a jeep grand cherokee , $Price 150. Bolt pattern is 41/2 on 5 so you need an adapter $50. You get disk brakes a posi and axles you can't brake. Can't see putting money in a 75 year old drive line. But, I like to drive them and can't afford to fix the old stuff.
Yea but what do you do for rear springs and driveshaft ? Looks like a can of worms.
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Old 01-20-2020, 05:47 PM   #20
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Default Re: disc brakes & distributor

If you want to save a few bucks, buy your backing plates at Speedway and if you want the fancy drums, get those from MT but the cheaper Speedway drums are fine too. Made offshore however like 95% of other drums these days. Speedway is a supplier for MT backing plates so they are exactly the same. You'll save $25 on shipping and more if you get the cheaper drums from Speedway. Speedway ships for free and their drums are fine. When I bought mine from Speedway a year ago, I saved CA state taxes too but no more.

Last edited by philipswanson; 01-21-2020 at 12:17 PM.
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