Rather than start another thread, I might as well ask in this one. I currently have what I believe to be Granada spindles. What do I need to purchase in order to convert my current drum brakes to Discs? My current drums did not come on this car (5 lugs were later years - not sure which). Here is a picture of my driver side spindle (please save the laughter until all jokes have been posted): When I bought the car, these disc brakes/spindles were in the trunk. I was told they are from a Granada. As you can see, only one spindle has the caliper on it. I have no idea where the other went nor do I care much. I think I'd prefer new ones anyway. What would I need to purchase in order to convert my current drum brakes to Discs (assuming the manual Master Cylinder is okay to use with disc brakes)? Can I use these spindles? I really appreciate the input. This stuff gets confusing after a while (I used the Site Search feature).
Your disc brake spindles are 68-69 or 70-73 Mustang type. They will work well with your car. They are somewhat more expensive to build up as compared to Granada type. The difference between 68-69 and 70-73 is the size of the spindle pin and the outer tie rod mount hole. The 70-73 type have a larger spindle pin than the 65-69 types. The rotors, calipers, pads, hoses, bearings, seals probably need replacement. You need to use outer tie rods correct for the donor car.
I understand doing things on the cheap, I started a family during the 70's when mortage rates were 18%. I know about living from paycheck to paycheck. I've also always understood that things are never as simple as imagined, and that doing something is always harder than thinking about doing it. That's why there are still people employed as expert craftsman and mechanics, doctors and lawyers. As to Granada spindles, About 20% of the MANY sets I got from junkjards had a major defect. So, If you can find a good set and are mechanically inclined, and are willing to employ used parts, and have the time and knowledge, then you can probably save $200. But you take the risk of using used parts, need to make about 42 trips to the parts store, and will risk the scorn of your wife when you track onto the carpet some of that 10 lbs of grease you scraped off the old spindles. The junkyard source has essentially dried up. These factors, and the fact that I couldn't find used parts in commercial quantity, led me to undertake their reproduction. Thanks for the interest.
As Degins mentioned, you have a setup from a '68-'73 model Mustang (or related Ford). If it's a setup from a '70 through '73, then you have the better spindles. If it's a setup from a '68/'69 model, then you have the thinner (weaker) spindle pin design. An easy way to tell what you have is to remove the dust cap from the hub and look at the threads on the spindle pin. If the threads are coarse, you have the '68/'69 spindles. If the threads are fine, then you have the stronger '70-'73 spindles. www.ultrastang.com
