One of our good friends has a '68 Mustang coupe that he's been driving using the original-equipment four-wheel drum brakes. While the drums were standard equipment for their day, front-disc brakes were available as an option on the Mustang even in 1965. Most Mustangs were delivered with drum brakes, however. We don't envy our friend when he has to drive on a rainy day, because wet drums can be a real bear to wrestle with when one side grabs and the other side doesn't. And this '68's drums are without power assist as well.
Don't bother dismantling the...
Don't bother dismantling the brake mechanism. Grab the T-bolts with a 5/8-inch wrench, and remove the retaining nuts from the backside of the plate.
When the chance came along for our friend to have his car utilized in a power disc-brake upgrade story, he was more than interested. The package was to include not only a conversion from drum to front disc brakes, but a power assist upgrade as well. These two improvements will bring his car out of the braking Stone Age in terms of both stopping performance and the effort required to operate the car's braking system.
We begin by removing the original-equipment...
We begin by removing the original-equipment drums. These drums are larger than those found on '65-'68 straight-six-powered Mustangs.
The Master Power Brakes power front disc brake kit (PN DB1521PANS) includes 11 1/4-inch vented rotors, loaded calipers with pads, caliper brackets, and a 9-inch-diameter power-brake booster with a dual-reservoir master cylinder. Also included is a combination valve kit, hoses, bearings, seals, and dust caps, as well as a replacement brake pedal and hardware. The kit has a list price of $849-not a terrible sum for braking peace of mind with all-new components. Performing the conversion isn't too difficult; we were able to install it over one weekend.
Join us as we walk you through the installation procedure for both the front disc brakes as well as a new master cylinder and power-brake vacuum booster.
Disconnect the brake hose...
Disconnect the brake hose from the hard line at the framerail and the whole drum backing plate will come free of the spindle.
With the old drum-brake hardware...
With the old drum-brake hardware out of the way, we can begin the Master Power front disc-brake installation. Begin by adding the caliper mounting-bracket retainer onto the bare spindle using the new hardware supplied.
Since it's possible to install...
Since it's possible to install the caliper mounting bracket reversed, pay close attention to orienting the bracket correctly. When the bracket is installed, the notch seen here must be at the top.
Install the caliper mounting...
Install the caliper mounting bracket onto the car using the supplied hardware. It's a straightforward and sturdy arrangement.
Brand-new bearings are included...
Brand-new bearings are included in the kit, and the races come already installed into the rotors. Here, each new bearing is packed with a fresh load of grease. Force the grease into the crack between the bearing shells until grease emerges from around the rollers and out the top of the bearing. The kit includes two different-sized bearings due to spindle options, so be sure to dry fit the bearings to your spindles first to determine which bearings to use.
The inner grease seal must...
The inner grease seal must be installed carefully. In order to function properly, the seal must be completely seated as shown here. If it's installed with a slant, it will wobble during rotation, causing the seal to fail. The use of a seal installer, or in a pinch a block of wood, will help it install straight.