Rear drum to disc brake upgrade

[BadBird]

I currently have disc brakes on the front and drums on the rear and would like to change to discs in the back. I can't seem to find much on how to do that except if I purchase a kit. I also am using a proportioning valve that I assume would be removed if I make the upgrade and I also have power assist brakes.

Does anyone have or know of a link or something that can show me comprehensive directions on what parts I would need, where to get those parts and how to perform this task?

I did see some kits for the rear around $700 to do this but that seems pretty high especially if there are donor cars that I can use???

Thanks as always and being gone to Tucson for 3 1/2 months is making me freeze up here. Nice to be back home and hope to make some shows real soon. Badbird AKA Larry

[pbrown]

Finding a compatible rear disk brake setup will depend on what rear end you have and which bolt pattern the bearing flanges have. Are you running an 8" or 9" or other?

A popular stock setup would be the Lincoln Versailles rear brakes. Good luck finding them. They are getting a little hard to find. Here is a tech article.

http://www.mustangsplus.com/tech/versaill/index.htm

Many of the aftermarket brake kits resemble the Ford Explorer design in which the parking brake is actually a mini-drum within the rotor.

Regarding your plumbing. I'm assuming that you have the proper disk/drum master cylinder. You need to do one of two things. Replace it with a disk/disk unit or remove the built in residual pressure valve from the rear circuit of the old one.

You will still need a proportioning valve. If that is really what you have you can keep it. What you probably have is a combination valve which contains a proportioning valve AND a metering valve. You do not want a metering valve in a disk/disk system.

[BadBird]

Sounds quite expensive.

Pat, I was reading on the internet that one of the problems might be that I am not getting enough vacuum at the booster since the engine is a higher performance?

Do you know what the pressure should be at the booster end of the hose? How do I measure that pressure? While the engine is idling? If that is the problem they mentioned adding a vacuum canister? Have you heard of doing that or?? Where/what is that?

Sorry, I haven't a clue about this issue. Thanks

[pbrown]

It's not pressure but vacuum. It's measured with a simple vacuum gauge somewhere on the intake or carb while idling. Hot cams will drop your idle vacuum and make brake boosters less effective. You can add an electric vacuum pump to compensate.

[Nathan289]

Use crown vic or ford explorer rear disc brakes.

The cv fits most 8" rears and the explorer fits most big bearing 9" rears.

You'll have to trim the axle tubes a little but its all a simple bolt on. Everything can be found at the junkyard for less $100.

I did the swap on a 61 falcon i had using a maverick 8" rear.

Nathan