MP Brakes in Mooresville NC has direct bolt on disc brakes for the bird too.

55Birdman  Hickory NC

Heere's another to look at.

http://hotrodsandbrakes.com/fordbrakekits.aspx

You gotta have the right tools and know how to use 'em.

TC - Austin, Texas

I like this idea. I don't suppose you have any pictures?

Doing Fords for 45 years. '56 Customline Victoria

E.J. in Havana FL

I will have a some pictures within the next few days. I am kinda busy at the shop at this time, but I will pull the wheel off and give you a shot of the disc brakes and other shots as well. I have to pull the picture of the sleeve off my other computor, but I will have that as well.

Jeff Leydig
Stallions Auto Interiors
Stearns, Ky. USA

I like the idea of the 75 cougar brakes as I am not all that impressed with the stopping with the granada as it does not seem much better then the original drums.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

Junkyard,

I find that hard to believe? I went the Granada route and couldn't believe how easy and cheap it was! I used 77 Granada spindles from a bone yard, $20.00 to have them reamed 7 deg. and the rest came brand new from Napa, off the shelf! Everything bolted in, including the standard (non-power) master cylinder and now my 56 stops on a dime!

Total investment was under $300.00 and conversion took me a weekend. I was amased that when I went to bolt up my tie rod ends, they required very little adjustment to get my toe in correct. Only adustment from the alignment shop was camber.

This was also with the front end lowered. Granada spindles dropped me 1 inch, lowering blocks on my lower control arms dropped me another 3 inches.   

I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!

I'll be converting to front discs on my 55 vickey this winter. ECI has a complete conversion kit that will mount onto my original spindles, with no machine work required for $450. I'd also like to lower the front end, with the best ride in mind....dropped spindles or Aerostar coils? I've heard the coils give a nice ride, just need a little help on this one? Thanx, Gary

       

Gary, 55 Vicky, St. Germain, Wisconsin

 

Folks, it is cheaper to do a '55 or later Ford/Mercury. The 1954 is all to it's own when it comes to adding disc brakes. The kit alone will cost $1,200.00 and up. I found it easy to add Cougar spindles.



Spindles with calipers and new drakes from the bone yard cost me $15.00, new brake lines for the front $18.00. Brake booster and master cylinder $10.00 from the bone yard. Sleeve for the ball joint - free, I made them.



Here are the pictures to show what I did.

Here are the sleeves that fit over the lower ball joint.









I am not sure if the 55 and up cars use the same lower ball joint. If they use the bigger one, this becomes a bolt-on unit.



Can somebody explain to me why everyone uses Granada spindles instead of Cougar spindles for these heavier cars? I'm not trying to be a smart #@#*^, but to stop a big truck they use big brakes. These are big cars and they require more stopping power. My Mercury stops with such ease now and it is not a chore to slow it down in the mountains of southern Ky.



I hope this will help someone in their quest for better brakes.







Here is the brake booster and master cylinder









here is the brake rotor and caliper






Jeff Leydig
Stallions Auto Interiors
Stearns, Ky. USA

Jeff;

I put a pair of 2&1/2" drop Granada spindles with 11" disk brakes on my'56 Customline from a company called "Drop and Stop". They advertise in a couple of the Y-Block magazines and elsewhere. I'm pretty happy with them although I did have to cut my springs down some.

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Hello Jeff! According to my interchange book 54 Merc uses same spindles as 55-56 Ford.Looks like you came up with a nice set of brakes on yours.Another possibility for someone doing a 55-56 Ford.Nice job!