Let me explane. The TC rear in the parts car is pretty much toast o the disk brake side. The rotors are rusted, I assume the calipers are dead, and I don't wana fight with a new MC and lines ect. to get the disk brake setup in the car, let alone the cost to fix/replace everything just to get it working again. I ask if you can convert a TC rear end to a drum setup. Either 9" or 10". And if so how do you go about this run little project?
The best way is to get a rear out of a Mustang GT. You could also get a 7.5 mustang rear for all the parts you need.
The housing is the same as the Mustang but the axles are too long for drum brakes.
Can be done but I think it would be better to just fine a whole rear and bolt it in. The Mustang would be a bit on the narrow side but would work.
Otherwise you can use the Mustang rear for the brakes and axles.
I think the early T-bird rear axles and brakes are different and will not work. My memory may not be the best here.
TED
I only want to use teh TC rear for a few simple reasons:
1. It's an 8.8 over the 7.5 I have now
2. It's a 3.55 over the 3.08 I have now
3. It's avalable now
4. It came with the parts car
Now since I've heard that alot of parts from the 8.8 and the 7.5 interchance, can I use the axels, backing plate and drums from my 7.5?
All good points.
I think you have an 84 and this housing is wider than the TC, don't think any of it will work.
But the best way to prove me wrong is to try it and then post the answer.
Keep up the good work.
TED
Thanks Ted. I was going to make up for the difference in width's by using my axels and drums from my 7.5 I have all new brake stuff for the rear too like springs, wheel cylinders, shoe's and brake lines. I just need to know if it will phisicaly allow me to adapt my stuff to it. Or even if I can use mustang 8.8 drum brake stuff on the TC rear, since both are 8.8's
Christ....how many times has this been covered??
You have an 84 7.5 Tbird housing. It is the narrower housing. Use the brakes/axles from it in the TC 8.8. Done.
Cool, thanks Chuck
OK ChuckW refresh my memory or give me a link, what years had the wider housing?
TED
Here's the one I remember, Look at the last post he said he tried it with a 85 and it did not work but in the early posts it said that up to 85.5 did, so he must of have a later 85?
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=9276&page=2&highlight=housing+width
TED
83-4 I belive had the same width as a mustang. 85-up had different widths but they made up the difference withe different drum setup
86-88 7.5's are the wider housing.
Whether or not the 85.5's got the wider housing is up for questioning.
There is a nice chart listed somewhere on the site that JeremyB put together. It covers it.
Stop debating it and put the 84 brakes/axles in the 8.8.
I'm not debating it Chuck. I was just asking as I was unsure. I still have to get the TC rear out of the car, use a junk 7.5 for the parts, the switch my brakes over to it.
Well as much as you're on the site, you'd think that you would have stumbled across the multiple threads on the subject.
(sorry but this is the one subject that gets my ire up every time it gets posted again and again and again and again.....)
If you're still "unsure", take a tape measure and measure the housings from to .
Id just try to use the disc brakes, rotors can be turned, calipers can be rebuilt.... and theyre much easier to work on imo.
but his car is set up for drum rears, so his mc cant do disc rears. be cheaper for him to just us his drums
Those rotors can NOT be turned.
Just save up and fix the TC discs the right way. Your car doesn't make enough power, nor will it in the foreseeable future to break a 7.5.
Because I have better then whats in it now for free. And If I an convert it over for the price od one new rotor, I see no reason not to.
I see plenty of reasons not too.. #1 being disc brakes. Do you even have 10" drums?? Probably not. They are much better than 9" drums. Its not hard at all and you don't have to use any of the TC M/C stuff to convert to discs.. There are many threads here about it.
I don't wana use disks though. Thats a bit over kill for a street car. The up keep on them is more then I can afford. And I have a complete 9" drum setup on my car. All is new ( springs, shoe's, wheels cylinders, drums, self adjusters) on both sides. Not even 30 miles on them yet. Not think of what it will cost for me to get new rotors, new calipers, new pads.... thats a hell of alot of money for something I can do with what I got. I'm not even swapping because it's a TC rear. It's an 8.8 with 3.55's that I have here, now for free.
Mike, if your existing 9" drums work fine...reuse them. Nothing wrong with that; it's more efficient for what you want to do. No extra plumbing, no messing with the prop valve, no new master cylinder needed.
Brian, I should clarify that quote..."those rotors can NOT be turned" applies to the OEM Turbo Coupe rotors. From what I understand, most aftermarket TC rear rotors are not organic and can be turned as usual. But really, if a rear rotor is warped or grooved so badly that it needs turned, then it should be replaced anyway.
This thread makes me LOLZ.
I agree,just pull the brakes,backing plates and axle shafts from your current 7.5 and install it all in the 8.8 and call it good.When you change the differential fluid,make sure you have the additive for the Traction Lock in there.
I can care less which setup you use. Never say "overkill" and "disk brakes" again.
Yes, you can never have too many brakes :hick:
Volvo declares otherwise! :hick:
i would not call that too much brake :evilgrin:
Agreed...that is a "need more wheel for more brake" situation...
Seriously just fix up the disc brakes and use them. Theres no such thing as overkill.
id call it a "need more tire to utilize all this brake" situation!
I'm going to re-use the drum brakes I have on my 7.5 setup I have now. Not because I have to or because I don't like disk brakes. But because the setup doesn't even have 30 miles on it. I know it works. More to come when I actually start this wonderful project
Just do it! I just put Mustang 9" drum brakes on my TC with a manual M/C. Maybe I'll fab the brackets to use the discs at a later date, but for now that was the easiest way to install c-clip eliminator axles. I used Mustang (79-93) sized axles so it tucked the wheels in a little farther. Hope to drive it today and see how they feel.