I have recently swapped out the front drum breaks of my 71 Comet for the 11” disks off a 74 Maverick. The swap went unbelievably well but what I failed to realize at the time is that the bolt pattern on the disks is larger then that of my stock drums. This only becomes an issue with the rear axel. Can anyone tell me the stock length of the 71 Comets rear axel? Would the axel out of the 74 Mav work, and did they also have 9” drums in back or do I have to change the whole rear end?
Not sure what your talking about. Both are 5 lug 4 1/2 bolt circle. Even the 4 lug are 4 1/2" bolt circle. THe center hub is a tad larger in diameter. Is that what your referring to? If you already have a 5 lug rear, you dont have to swap out anything.
The center hole is smaller on his rims, if he is using stock, so he will have to get later rims. Or aftermarket... Same on the rear end if he swaps to the 74 rear. If I was wanting to keep stock rims, I would get the 4 stocker rims off the 74 and make it a complete swap over. Edit: :doh: He shouldn't have to swap the rear. IIRC all Comets came 5 lug, correct... ???
The 4-lug is measured differently though. It is 4-1/2" from center-to-center of the holes. The 4-lug is 4-1/2" from center-to-outside of the holes. This probably has nothing to do with the original question though...
i think his problem is that since swapping to disk brakes he now has 5 lug rims in the front and 4 lug rims on his original rear axle?
Hey guys thanks, both the original and the ones off the 74 are 5 lug, and from everything I had read they should have been the same size. I feel really dumb, I tried fitting the old rim on the disk break hub and it would not fit over the center but I never tried the new rim on the stock rear end. .......hangs head in shame and walks away.
ok so it is the center hole in the rim that is diffent NOT the bolt pattern??? sounds to me like the Disk break setup that you got off the 74 may have not been stock. I know the center hole on a 5 lug 14 and 15 inch Ford truck rim is bogger that that of a 5 lug 14 or 15 inch car rim?? Sounds to me from what somebody above posted that the center hole for the hub may have been bigger on the newer years also ???
The center hub (bearing area for the center hole on the rim) on the disk brakes is larger than the one on the drum brakes.