FORD 8.8" or 9" REAR DISC BRAKE INSTALL

Submitted by Craig Fletcher, AKA: W2zero

Pic's to follow soon.

So you want rear disc brakes? This plan assumes you are using either an 8.8" Explorer or truck rear axle, or a 9" rear axle, either of which would have the 2.5" brake gap (measured from housing flange to axle flange) and 3.15" O.D. axle bearings and housing ends with 2" x 3.56" bolt pattern. Also known as large bearing Torino ends. The Ford Motor-sport, FRPP, M-2300-G rear disc setup will outfit you with an emergency brake inside the rotor without the fussy levers and brackets of the early model units.

  M-2300-G includes all fasteners for the 8'8" axles and has a bearing retainer and spacer for the 9" axles. ( Note: The spacer should have a section cut out that corresponds to the gap in the retainer and tack welded to the retainer. Do it, you will thank me.) You will have to purchase the two banjo bolts for the brake lines from Ford. The rubber brake lines are available at your parts store. The Auto Specialty / TRW numbers are:  HB-85340 and HB-85339. They are all you need since one includes the axle to body line too.

  Your existing emergency brake cable from the equalizer back to the rear wheels can be tossed. Remove the emergency brake housing brackets from the underbody beneath the rear seat and move them 7" forward. That will locate the front of the new e-brake housings. You will need to savage a wrecked land yacht of mid seventies vintage Ford for a pair of cable clips. They are a small rectangular stamped steel box that ties the front cable to the rear cable on the old car. The cable end slips into a large slot and then the cable passes through a smaller slot in service. They are one per land yacht and you need two. 

  Once you have the two clips and hang them on the new cable ends under the car, you can pull a wire tight on one, pass around the radiused part of the adjuster under the transmission tail-shaft and back to the other clip. Be sure that the adjuster has room to adjust when you get the new cable made up. I had a local rigging and wire rope company make up my new cable. The master cylinder I am using is disc/disc and generic to many cars in manual and power configurations. Mine came from a 66 FIA Cobra replica and was originally for a Corvette but was a direct bolt in.

  The only part that was semi-difficult to deal with was the brake master cylinder pushrod.  The one I used for the Granada manual disc/drum master cylinder was too long by about 3/8" and I couldn't find one the right length.  I eventually cut a spacer from some aluminum  and placed it between the M/C and firewall.  With black paint nobody will ever know. The M-2300-G rear disc brake kit is available from Summit, Jeg's, your local Ford dealership by special order or from http://www.gefracing.com for $299.00 before shipping.