Brakes

[37 Cab]

Thinking about doing front disc brakes on my 37. Anyone recommend a kit? I have read most make the track width wider but can`t find info on how much. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Bursonaw]

I liked the kits from ECI.

https://www.ecihotrodbrakes.com/early_ford_discbrake_conversions.html




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[Tinker]

If you have a drop axle making the track width wider would be a good for looks but bad for fender clearances.

 

[nickthebandit]

X2 for ECI. They make excellent products and have been around for a log time. Why would using disc brakes on a dropped front make the track wider. When the axle is dropped the king-pin to king-pin measurement becomes narrower.

 

[19Fordy]

It is possible to reduce the width of an axle when it is being dropped.
I used a MAGNUM 4 in. dropped axle that is made 3/4 inch narrower than stock. This helps fender clearance. The MAGNUM axle is cast but the same can be done using a stock forged axle.
My brakes are from MT Products and are Bendix style, not disc.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

Thinking about doing front disc brakes on my 37. Anyone recommend a kit? I have read most make the track width wider but can`t find info on how much. Any advice would be appreciated.

Tommy .....IF you're still in the "Thinking About It" stage concerning the use of disc brakes, can we ask WHY?

I'm guessing that the short answer to that is going to be ...."Because my vehicle doesn't stop as well as I would like". Fair answer!! Can we assume that your Cabriolet probably has '40 through '48 Ford hydraulic drum brakes on the front? If so, yup....it could surely stop better than it does now. But DISC BRAKES?

Yup, we've all heard that disc brakes stop a car much better than drums. We need go no farther than our current DAILY drivers to qualify that idea. In fact, SOME sporty cars like Camaros will flat make a believer out of you....they STOP! But, understand that there is a whole lot more to an efficient and effective disc brake SYSTEM than just magically bolting-on an adapted Camaro rotor and caliper. Sure, the ads make it sound easy, making one think that all of the adaptive hydraulic fittings can be sourced to making the hook-up to your existing master cylinder a walk in the park. You finish bolting those parts on, bleed the system, go for a test drive, and chances are that you're going to be very, VERY disappointed. You're likely going to have to STAND ON (push extremely hard) the pedal for the brakes to be effective at all. This is because of a list of probable factors that MOST disc systems have engineered into the package.

You must remember that disc brake calipers usually require more pressure to work properly than drum brake wheel cylinders do. And, unlike modern-day Bendix-type brakes, your disc brakes do NOT have a "SELF-ENERGIZING" feature by the very nature of their design. And ya know what .....the stock old Ford Lockheed brakes on the front of your car right now don't employ that feature, either. One thing you forget about is that MOST disc brake systems employ a power brake booster. Those really help you PUSH that brake pedal for some of that much-needed effort to make discs STOP you. One more really important factor when it comes to upgrading with discs is the proper sizing and properly matching of master cylinder bore DIAMETERS with the caliper bore diameters. Master cylinder bores generally have to reduce in diameter to afford the pressure increase required for discs. On top of that, reduced master cylinder bore diameters MAY require an increase in the BRAKE PEDAL STROKE length....does your pedal mounting afford the room for additional stroke length, if necessary? There is a lot more to making a disc system WORK as expected than just bolting-on the discs and calipers.

So, what do ya do? The really smart thing to do this past few years is like what "19Fordy" did above (as well as many others here on The 'Barn have done). Get your hands on a set of the reproduction Lincoln/Bendix "self-energizing" brakes that will absolutely bolt-on to your front end with only a few minutes grinding required on the top portion of each spindle. These Bendix-type brakes on front work very well in conjunction with the stock old Ford Lockheed brakes on the rear. Rears actually do much less to stop a vehicle than fronts.

The Bowling Brothers supply beautifully engineered and manufactured components for fronts & rears if you so desire. They have the ONLY replacement brake drums for 1940 & '41 Ford front hubs that are worth bringing home. And beware....Speedway offers look-alike drums that have had many problems with out-of-roundness and out of balance. Stick with the REAL Boling Bros. drums, also referred to as MT Car Products....they are the SAME folks! And on these old Fords, they STOP! Check the extensive web site below. And for what it's worth, Gary ("Krylon32") is a Boling Bros dealer, and offers a 10% discount to Ford Barn members. You don't really want DISC brakes in front. See link BELOW! DD


https://www.bolingbrothers.com/front-brake-kit-for-1937-1948-spindles/

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[19Fordy]

I am biased but, what V8 Coopman says about "out of roundness" is true.
My MT Products drums only had a run out of less than.001 in. I think that was due to my set up by just bolting the drums onto the spindles backwards and using a dial indicator. Chucking drum up in a lathe would be more accurate.

 

[37 Cab]

Thanks for the input guys. At this stage I am still in the planning stages so either disc or self energizing drum brakes are on the table. My M/C is a dual reservoir type and 1 1/16 bore, so should be fine either way. also have an adjustable porportioning valve installed. The brakes currently are the old lockeed style and don`t stop as well as I would like. I do like the idea of the bendix brakes but the horror stories of aftermarket drums have steered me away. Going to look into the Boling brothers now. Thank You!!

 

[19Fordy]

37Cab: Bolling Bros. drums are the best. They have extra "meat" and can be turned .090 oversize instead of the usual .060 in.

 

[Zax40]

I plan to remove the front disc brake conversion on my '40 this winter and go back to drums. It does not perform as well as I would like and i'm tired of messing with it. It was a lot of work for very little, if any, improvement. Just my experience, your mileage may vary.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

I do like the idea of the bendix brakes but the horror stories of aftermarket drums have steered me away. Going to look into the Boling brothers now. Thank You!!

Replacement drums for Lockheed-type brakes has been a crap shoot since real drums have become so scarce. Long story short, Boling Bros/MT Parts sure have been a blessing for folks like us. Even if you don't purchase their entire packages, these are the first drums to come-along of any quality that actually work, either with their proprietary hubs, or by properly preparing 1940-'41 (ONLY) Ford hubs to accept their drums. It's a process that MOST guys with any experience can handle in the garage. It involves the careful removal of the original five swaged studs with a 5/8" hole saw, reaming the five remaining holes to 0.600", and pressing-in five Dorman 610-234 studs.

Speedy Bill's offers the MT/Boling Bros BACKING PLATES (this from one of their own employees), but a very similar appearing drum to the Boling Bros drum, but it AIN'T a Boling Bros drum. There have been many reported problems with the Speedy drums. I personally have not heard of one problem with the Boling/MT drums, and the cost is more than appropriate for quality and fit. A quick glance at the two drums, and they LOOK the same. Plus, the Speedy drums are about $18 bucks cheaper. There's a reason for the similarities in appearance, I guess. DD

Boling Bros Drum

Speedy Drum Below
Notice NO cast-in writing, sharper edges.

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[37 Cab]

Thanks guys. I`ll get them coming.