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Topic: Disc rear conversion....... (Read 3964 times) previous topic - next topic

Disc rear conversion.......

I read the Cool Cats article on this. I made a list of small parts I may need.....

Swapping the rear into a 5.0 car (88 Sport), can some of you give me a simple basic summary of the swap from your own experience? Looking for tips and hints. Thanks
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #1 –
When I did my swap I used Lincoln Mark VII rear cables with the stock T-Bird front cable. Much, much easier than using Turbo Coupe stuff
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #2 –
Thanks Chicken. I'm getting everything from the Turbo Coupe, cables, spindles, rear, everything. Taking in all the tips I can on installing this equipment on the Bird.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #3 –
here is our recent 5lug swap all the way around....

http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?39635-5-lug-converstion-complete

lots of good info in there

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #4 –
Vinnie,

Are you staying four lug?  For some reason I am betting you are which will narrow the info you get here.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #5 –
Yes Sir, staying with 4 lug. I can't justify going to 5 lug since I like my wheels. I appreciate the post.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #6 –
Are the hard brake lines on the TC 8.8 routed like the Fox Mustang 8.8?  The Fox Mustang 8.8 left and right hard lines go to a fitting just above the pinion and then a flex line goes from this fitting over to the hard line on the body of the car.  My T-Bird had the fitting over on the passenger axle tube and the soft line that went to the hard line on the body was integrated into the fitting on the axle tube.  I changed mine over to the fitting over the pinion as it aided in the dual exhaust as well as allowed the use of the SS braided line from the body hard line over to the axle.

So this is what I basically used but I got mine with the 8.8 out of the donor Mustang.

https://lmr.com/item/JM-22515R/Mustang-V8-J-M-Rear-Stainless-Steel-Teflon-Brake-Hose?year=1989&gclid=CJHszLKWvdACFdgKgQodhXgD6g

I just made a line to go from the body hard line over to this fitting and it worked really well.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #7 –
You know, another option could be to use the TC axles, SN95 brakes, and redrill the SN95 rotors to 4 lug. Honestly, I'm not sure if it would work, but it could be a idea for if our source for rear rotors and calipers dry up.

Hell, maybe could do something similar up front. SN95 spindles, weld the wheel stud holes in the hubs and have them redrilled 4 lug, and drill the rotors for 4 lug. Could open up the option for 4 lug cobra brakes.

Don't mind me, just brain storming.
It's Gumby's fault.

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #8 –
Just a FYI:

87-88 Turbo Coupe 8.8, 88 XR7 8.8, 87-88 Thunderbird/Cougar 7.5, and 93 Cobra 8.8 rear axle housings use the same length axle shafts.

86-93 5.0 Mustang 8.8 rear axle housings are the same width as the housing used in 87-88 Turbo Coupes and 93 Cobras. The disc brake backing plates make the disc brake rear wider.

88 XR7 rear axle housings are the same width as 87-88 Thunderbird/Cougar axle housings as they have drum brakes. They are the only 8.8 axle housing the same width as the 87-88 Thunderbird/Cougar 7.5.

So what this means Vinnie is you should be able to bolt the Turbo Coupe backing plates to the 86-93 Mustang housing in your car, install the Turbo Coupe axle shafts, install the Turbo Coupe brakes, and enjoy. That way you don't have to drop the housing out of the car.

I did it the easy way and just swapped an 88 XR7 drum brake 8.8 into my Thunderbird ;)
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #9 –
Not discounting what is said above but to clarify I would say that due to the geometry of the disc brake package the 87-88 TC and 93 Mustang Cobra rears require longer axles to accommodate for the disc brake package. This also happens to be the same length axle as the SN95 V6/GT axle from 94-98 however these are five lug axles.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #10 –
I'm swapping the whole rear, housing, axles, disc brakes and all. Also, the front spindles, calipers, and so on, then new struts. I have a friend in Texas stripping a Turbo Coupe and I'm getting all of the suspension parts and brake cables and proportioning valve.

I currently have an 8.8 with 3.55's. Going to 3.73's. Hope I like them.

I have no desire at this time to go 5 lug. My wheels are still like new, tires are great. No need for it. Mainly looking for the hints of simply swapping those parts into the car from those here who have done it.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #11 –
Aerocoupe....how did you modify the hard line from the body to accept a different fitting for a different flex line?
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #12 –
Vinnie,
The parts will go in just like the old stuff coming out. I am assuming you are going to disassemble the rear and detail it? If so may I suggest that you replace the axle bearings and axle seals. Also, pull the limited slip and rebuild that while you have it out of the car. Several videos on how to do this on YouTube and worth the money 10x when doing out from under the car. I would also replace the UCA bushings on the rear end.

I have had 3.73's in my Coupe for 15 years and every once in a while I wish I had 3.55's but it's always on the highway.

Body brake line to rear end. If the TC rear is like the Mustang 8.8 the two hard lines on the rear end will meet at a fitting just over the top of the pinion. My Bird was a 7.5 rear so it had the fitting on the passenger axle tube that also had the flex line molded to it. When I swapped over to the 8.8 out of the Mustang I utilized the Mustang fitting over the pinion. This required extending the body hard line over to the new fitting with a brake line union and a new piece of brake line. You will need to be able to make a double flare but the tool is realitively cheap at Sears or a parts store may have on as a loaner tool. The fitting over the pinion has a bracket the you pop rivit to the body of the car right over the pinion. Lots of images of this online for the Fox Mustangs.

The brake line mod was probably the hardest part of the whole deal. Hope that helps.

83 351W TKO'd T-Bird on the bottle


93 331 Mustang Coupe - 368 rwhp

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #13 –
Yes, I am going to clean it up and detail it a bit. I have planned on new bearings and seals, too. I was going to install my traction lock from my current rear, as it is brand new (maybe 1000 miles on it at this point), and install my differential girdle. Had also thought about poly bushings, but undecided at this time. My tubular controls have the poly bushings.

The flex line on my Bird is located to the line on the body where you described. My flex line clips to the bracket, then the hard line screws into the flex line, then, the flex line screws into the junction block mounted on the side of the pumpkin where the hardlines to the wheels mount. That's the setup my car currently has.I swapped the Master Cylinder last Sunday. It was for the 5.0 Bird, basically a stock style replacement. Unsure if I'll need to swap it for the disc rear and bigger front brakes. I have heard it both ways. Some say it'll work, others say swap it. I do know I'll be swapping the proportioning valve with the one from the Turbo Coupe.

Had planned on drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic style pads. Still educating myself. I'm also planning to use poly bushings in the front control arms alomg with new ball joints. Control arms are from the TC as well. Same as mine that I have. I'm reading on the pros and cons of poly bushings.

I want to rebuild the assemblies in the garage, so when the time comes to install the parts, they are ready to go. I also understand I'll need adapter fitting for my front metal brake lines to adapt the TC flex lines to them.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Disc rear conversion.......

Reply #14 –
I notice the Turbo Coupe proportioning valve looks the same as the one on my 5.0 except for the sensor on the front. On my car, do I just simply ignore it? Remove it?
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..