Granada Disc Brakes for a Mercury?


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By oldcarmark - 16 Years Ago
I was telling a Mercury owner about the Granada disc brakes that can be adapted to our 54-56 Fords.He asked if that would also work on his 54 Mercury SunValley?Does anyone know the answer?
By MoonShadow - 16 Years Ago
I thought they had the same spindles. If you can find a set up from a Lincoln Versailles its a direct bolt up for the Fords (at least). You don't have to re drill the ball joint taper. Chuck in NH
By oldcarmark - 16 Years Ago
Hello Chuck!I thought they were the same too but just trying to make sure sure about it before he buys the required parts and then finds out the spindles are not the same.I also ran accross a couple of blogs on the internet that the versailles spindles still needed the lower holes opened up to fit the 55-56 Ford.Can anyone tell me if this info is correct?Why hunt for those and find out they still need modification.
By junkyardjeff - 16 Years Ago
I have fatmans dropped spindles on my 55 sunliner and a friend has the same spindles on his 56 merc.
By GREENBIRD56 - 16 Years Ago
If you have a real set of Versailles spindles - then they will have the lower tapers sized for the "large" pin size. If someone shows up with some sized for the small pins - they didn't come from a Lincoln. The '54 Merc you described will have have had large pin lower ball joints.

These Ford ball joint taper pins are machined with a 1-1/2 inches per foot taper (near 7°) - both sizes. If you have an upright (spindle) sized for the small pins, it can be machined to fit the larger pins using a tapered reamer. "Do it yourselfers" can get them from Speedway Motors - or at their local machine tool supply. 

The distance from the lower pin seat to the spindle centerline differs from the early upright - it is raised about an inch on these later models. This serves to lower the ride height of the vehicle and also lowers the upper ball joint position relative to the wheel rim. It also made more room for large diameter rotors.

Uprights from some of the sixties big cars and wagons are a direct swap - with disc brakes. These units are usually heavier and the rotors more expensive to replace - but they result in standard ride heights. 

By oldcarmark - 16 Years Ago
Thanks for clarifying that Steve.Something else I read that I have never seen mentioed on this site.Unless you use the Ford factory brake line junction/equalizer valve when you go to dual master cylinder the safety factor of using the DMC is negated.The factory block used on all DMC has an integral diaphragm which closes off the line when pressure is lost in either the front or rear circuit when you depress the brakes.This also activates the brake warning light on the dash.Without this junction block the DMC will act like a single master and you still have no brakes in the event of a leak in the system.In regards to this Granada swap the early Mustang crowd uses the same parts to upgrade from drums except they are told not to use the Versailles spindles because of the lower pin size.Also 74 and up Maverick/Comet with disc brake spindles can be used-so there is another source to use on ours.The site I found this info on was jamesmustangsite.com and click on Granada brakes at top right corner.Good info even for our vehicles.I also spoke to a mechanic tonite who has done this type of modification and he uses the juction/equalizer from Chev S-10 pickups and tells me that without this valve the front brakes will lock regardless of whether drum/drum or disc/drum is used.