Hi all,

I've researched a little bit about converting the current Explorer big drum brakes I got with my Moser rear to a disc setup. I believe I have what they call "Torino" ends which I think is just another way to say it has later big Ford ends.

From what I have read so far, the cheapest route is to go with a Ford M-2300-G kit. They certainly seem cheap enough. I noticed since the rotors that come in the kit are Ford, they are drilled with the standard 5x4.50" bolt pattern, so it looks like I'll need to run Ford pattern rear rims if I get this kit.

Are there any other kits out there that roughly compare in cost but are more complete and adaptable to my Thirdgen than the kit I posted above? Thanks in advance!

 

Well, I have a couple months before I make any purchase, just wanted to get everyone's take on this.....

Honestly, the big explorer drums stop really nice, but I plan to put bigger 17" 5 spoke wheels on and a big drum showing behind the wheels might be ugly...but I guess I can paint them flat black and maybe get away with it.

I've been searching, and maybe I'm not using the right "key words"...I'm sure I'm not the first that is converting to disc on a Moser rear. If someone can just point me in the right direction so I know if there are any more options, I'd really appreciate it!!

Thanks in advance for any help with this!

EDIT: Wow...35 people looked at the post, yet not one response. Guess If you search and don't find out what you need, you're kinda out of luck here...guess I'll give Moser a call and try searching other forums and sites then to see what my options are...

 

I heard the Ford rear disk kit is good. I wanted to use this kit on my Moser 9" but my axles didn't have the access hole in them to bolt the backing plate on. I went with a rear disk kit from Right Stuff Detailing instead.

 

That mounting hardware looks almost identical to the stuff I made for my own disk brake conversion but I don't use that style of GM sliding calipers. Look at my sticky about putting disk brakes on any differential. If you don't need or want a parking brake, the conversion isn't hard and is very inexpensive. Redesigning to use some sort of park brake system is up to you. My race car doesn't need a park brake so I wasn't worried about it.

I have 99 Jimmy rear disk brakes on my 9". They slow the car down far better than the old Ford 11" drum brakes ever did. They have a vented rotor, aluminum PBR calipers and fit inside a 15" rim.

You can buy a kit in whatever configuration that you want. You just need to know what style ends are on the diff (Torino etc) and what bolt pattern the wheel studs are in. Many times the aftermarket rotors will have a dual bolt pattern to use on GM or Ford.

 

Thanks a lot for the replies!

AlkyIROC - I read your post on how you fit yours up, and it's impressive. But I'm looking for more of a bolt on and go type setup with a parking brake since I mostly drive on the streets. I don't know why I stupidly said I'd have to run Ford wheels...my axles are drilled in a Chevy 4.75 pattern... But - you're absolutley right, my drums are drilled with more than 5 holes to fit something else too.

red406 - That's a nice looking kit you have! Looks like it has parking brake provisions and everything. Is it a straight bolt on proposition, or is there some mods that need to be done for that kit to fit?? And where's the best place to get it? - Thanks in advance!

 

Thanks! They do have a built in parking brake.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Right+Stuff/965/ZDCRD01/10002/-1

I had to make some changes to get it to work. I have 5/8" wheel studs, so the bolt holes needed opened up. (the rotors are dual pattern)

The big hole in the rotor hat didn't fit my Moser 35 spline axles. I took them to work and bored them out to fit.

For some reason my axle bearings didn't sit flush with the housing ends. The bearing hangs out about 1/8". I took the brackets from the kit to work and counterbored them to fit.

 

i have a 1991 camaro rs, that has drum breaks. what would i need in order to have disc brakes? i need to change my rear end so might as well take care of it all.

 

So you want to convert from drum to disk brakes and you currently have a Moser rear in your car with Ford drums? If not, you might want to start another post of your own, or follow this one - whichever applies.

red406 - Now that you've shown me you're whole setup, you have me drooling! You've obviously put a lot of time, money and effort into what you've done and I have a lot of respect for that - NICE!

I'll look and see how well that kit will adapt to my setup - yours is a lot more of a drag setup than mine, and in a different league all together. I don't have a fabricated 9" like that, mine is a standard housing with 31 spline axles and standard studs, so I might get lucky and not have to enlarge the center hole in the rotor or anything. I don't think I have any hole in the axle hub, so I'm not sure if that'll cause a problem mounting a backing plate - but as I look at yours, it really doesn't have a backing plate per se... I'll need to get some measurements of my hub and other things to see how well that kit will adapt. As I said, it's a project and I'm researching what setup would best work for me without a lot of mods.

 

AlkyIROC - Not doubting what you're saying...maybe a little, but I've always heard only around 30% of your total stopping power is supplied by the rear brakes...so it really makes that big of a difference? As I said, I also have the same drums you had and they seem to do better than the stock aluminum drums I had on my original 10 bolt rear...

Also I would assume if I go to rear disc, I'd need to switch to an adjustable proportioning valve, or can I retain my stock one??

 

With this kit you won't need an access hole in the axle flange.

 

I run Areospace front drag brakes. They're small and light and don't have the same stopping power as big street style aftermarket brakes. They use a skinny non vented rotor with a dual piston aluminum caliper. Each pad only has about 6 square inches of surface area which isn't very much on each side of the rotor. OEM brakes have more surface area but are much heavier.

I have an adjustable proportioning valve mounted beside my seat to control how much brake pressure goes to the rear. I can't remember what I have it set at but it works fine.

For a drag car, big heavy front brakes are not wanted or required. You're not on and off the brakes constantly like street driving, autocross, oval etc which can create huge amounts of heat. The lifespan of drag front brakes is very short because they're so small. If you have a track with a real short shut down area then bigger front brakes could be used to apply more stopping force but you should never have to be on the brakes hard enough that they need to lock up to slow you down. The more force applied, the hotter the brakes get. Drag front brakes don't like all that extra heat. It's easy to warp a rotor. Installing large rear brakes greatly improves the stopping time of a drag car without overheating the front brakes. There are dragsters which don't have any front brakes and use a dual brake system in the rear. They normally have them set up as a dual system. A foot pedal applies one set of calipers while a hand brake applies the second set. Some cars also use a dual brake rear setup but also still have front brakes.

Think of brakes as reverse HP. You need a certain amount of HP to accelerate to the 1/4 mile. You need the same amount of HP to stop in a 1/4 mile. The friction created with brakes is actually a HP factor. Not enough friction means not enough braking HP. The faster you go, the more power is required to accelerate and decelerate. The sanctioning bodies have determined that at 150 MPH, a parachute is required and at 180 MPH, a second chute is required. Without parachutes, normal brakes would have a hard time slowing a car down within the normal shut down areas although brake technology has greatly improved over the years.

I normally decelerate down to the end of the track with normal braking. If I pull the chute just before I cross the finish line so that it deploys fast enough after I cross the finish, I can take the first turnoff with only moderate braking. When I went to Edmonton a few years ago, I didn't slow down fast enough to take the first turn then had to speed back up to make it down to the end of the track. They have a very long shutdown area. After the first run, I knew how hard I had to be on the brakes to take the first turn and not overheat the brakes.

 

AlkyIROC - Thanks for the explanation! But both you and red406 have cars that are 99 if not 100% drag cars. I'm in the opposite catagory...my car will see 90% street use and 10% on the track if that. -And it'll be a drag strip, no autocrossing type driving for that 10%.

Although I've yet to try my car on the drag strip, I don't anticipate trapping at near the speed and times you guys are pulling! 150-180 MPH trap speeds are in a different league all together from my cars capability I believe- unless I decide to throw in a mountian motor or run twins....and weld in a roll cage, etc...

But since you've explained drag car brakes, I can see where you'd have maybe more control trying to slow down using a bit more rear brake force than front on an all out drag car. -And I guess the weight and the natural parasitic drag you would get from a standard set of front street brakes wouldn't be a plus on the drag strip.

So I'm looking at trying to acheive the best of both worlds as I can and not excell in either I guess! lol

I'm going to get working on the car as soon as the temps up here get halfway reasonable - at least out of the single digits...costs too much to heat the garage in this kinda weather!! I can't burn enough wood!

I'm gonna take a close look at my hubs, etc. and look real hard look at the kit red406 posted...it looks like it'll fit the bill nicely!

 

My car is going to be mostly street driven for now. I plan on building a BBC to go fast.

It's not ready to drive yet, although I can start it and move it in and out of the garage. It seems like it will stop fine though. I have a Strange master cylinder, stock front brakes, and no prop. valve.

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to label your car as only for drag racing...but it sounds like it'll be headin that way in the future! Looks like you're doing it right too.