Converting a 9 inch to disc brakes???

[gibbons]

I have been jumping around this site for awhile now and realize there is some serious talent on here. Guys if you could i am in the middle of a 48 AD truck restoration and have a ford 9'' that needs to be converted over to disc brakes. If you know of a way that it can be done using doner parts it would be much appreciated.

[pgf545]

I am not sure about donor parts but we went with the Wilwood setup. I think I have some pictures on my build thread. You might look into something like a Mercury Zephyr I think they had disc brakes but I am not sure if it was 9 inch or something smaller. Maybe a truck? Mustang? T-Bird? I am not very familiar with the factory setups.

Bernie

[cap n crunch]

If you want donor parts you could use Lincoln Versailles parts they had a 9" with factory disc brakes

[fishingjred73]

I was told if you have the big axle bearing housing then the set up off of a 99-04 explorer will fit. There is a spacer that has to be made or bought though. And I think Currie has it.

[gibbons]

hey thanks for the feedback. Now i just need to look into exactly what size the bearing is in mine. I just picked this truck up and it came with the nine inch. I've got a 8.8 out of an explorer and was thinking about just putting it in but ive always heard good things about the nine inch rear.

[Big Port Jimmy 6]

Unless you are making serious HP and torque 8.8 is the way to go. A lot of the explorer rears are posi 3.73 geared and have the discs you want already. It is gonna be a grand or better to duplicate that in a nine inch unless you are real lucky at the junkyard. Jay

[gibbons]

yeah i dont have a problem with the 8.8!! I need to do some measuring to see how it will fit. Have you guys heard any problems with the offset of the 8.8. It is offset 4 inches to the right and i worry that will cause some issues later like bad vibrations. I really wish i could just put the 8.8 disc brakes on the 9 but i have heard yes it works and no it doesn't. Is it hard to narrow the 8.8?

[nebdrummer]

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/9-Inch...-Kit,5336.html

bolt on kits, with and without E-brake.

ive used 3 of these kits already, one for an 80 vette, one for a 67 nova, and my pickup... easy to install, and everything is new. cant beat it IMO

[nebdrummer]

and also, about the 8.8... i made one fit in a 51 ford pickup. it did not need narrowed, so i also was stuck with the offset. just make sure you do your measuring with your pinion angles. aka, if your trans is sitting at -2*, then your pinion should be +2*. there was no bad vibrations with it when i was done.

it will be just as easy or hard to narrot the 8.8 as it would the 9". you could probably get away with cutting off just one side, but im not sure if you can respline the stock axle or not.

[63chevyll]

i had whats called "big bearing ends" from mark williams i think. they were welded on mine when i narrowed it and ran all factory explorer stuff and drilled the rotors to fit GM car

[jw4580]

The explorer stuff will work if you have the big bearing ends on your 9 in. I dont know of anything cheap that will fit on the small ends.