Explorer Rear Brake Brackets

Russ, I've used 4 metric GM front calipers on my last 5 circle track cars that I built. We carried almost 500 horsepower going into the turns with no problems running 10 inch wide Hoosier slicks. We used 2 Tilton 1 inch master cylinders and a Wilwood bias valve to kill some of the rear brake. I have a billet master cylinder made for 4 wheel disc brakes for my Maverick but I also have another bias brake valve I may plumb into the rear brake line - just in case

 

Uh Oh! Different spacing? Maybe you could tell me if what I'm trying to do will work? I can delete this if the OP want's but it may be of use here for others. I have a set of strange axles made for a lincoln versailles rear. I no longer have the rear end but I have the axles. I was going to use them in a standard 9" housing I'm having narrowed to fit the car. I can pick whatever housing ends I need. But with the different bearing to flange spacing you mentioned will these axles work with the stock drum brakes or with an explorer disc swap?

 

Hey Bob,

I just ordered a QuickPerformance 9" housing and axles for my Rambler (which comes with late model large bearing ends). Is this what you have on your car? What's the part number on that Speedway kit? I have a pair of 2.375" bore metric calipers left over from upgrading the Mav to larger pistons. This alternative looks like a cheaper option than the Explorer.

Oops! Does it have the internal E-brake? I might need that with a stick...

 

Russ, here is the link to the disc bracket kit that I bought. Be careful to double check the "old" big bearing rear vs. the "late" big bearing rear. I have no idea of the difference. I sent off a bunch of email questions to Speedway before I bought the kit and they were real fast on giving me answers. Good to deal with. There is also a link, on the Speedway site, to the full instruction sheet for assembling this kit complete with photos


http://www.speedwaymotors.com/GM-Metric-Disc-Brake-to-9-Inch-Ford-Bracket-Set,27031.html

 

you can use the late model big bearing housing ends. the explorer disk brakes will bolt on to these ends. you then will need to put an 1/8" inch spacer on the axle between the bearing and its land. this will create the proper back spacing for the explorer brakes. when doing the explorer brakes you also need a spacer that goes between the bearing and the axle retainer. currie sells these spacers and they sell a complete explorer disk brake kit that will have every thing you need except the 1/8" spacer for the axle.

 

Thanks, it doesn't appear to have an internal E-brake though. I prolly don't need one, as my car isn't subject to inspections, but with a stick I'd prefer to have one...

 

The Speedway instructions note the 2 different calipers that you can use for this set up - One is an E-Brake type

Copy/pasted from instructions:

(2) 1978-83 Chevelle, MonteCarlo, ElCamino, Malibu,Tempest,Cutlass,F-85,Pontiac Grand Prix, LeMans, GTO, Grand Am, Bonneville front calipers(no parking brake)with pads and mounting screws.

(2) 1979-85 ElDorado,Riviera,Toronado,1980-85 Seville with emergency brakes on the calipers. Rear calipers with parking brakes, pads and mounting screws.

 

If you don't have the gm type kit yet I would suggest looking at curries brake kits. They have a kit based on the mustang cobra brakes. Its a much lighter calliper. Its very affordable too.

 

May go with this anyways, as I already have the calipers...

Yeah, but will it fit under a 15" wheel? I'd love to save a bit more weight.

 

That is the same reason the I went with the bolt on Speedway brackets because I already had new Metric GM front calipers laying around- I was originally using a set of weld on brackets but, once I began working on places to mount my coil overs, 4 link brackets and a Watts set up, I really didn't need to weld anymore things to this rear. My weld on set took Jeep Cherokee front rotors that slip over the wheel studs. Speedway told me that their bolt on bracket set takes a rotor (that they sell of course) with a 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inch backspace. My Cherokee rotor has a 2 3/4 offset but I'm going to try to use them with another 1/4 inch spacer

 

this kit http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/productsRE.aspx?id=3597 uses 11 5/8s rotors. have fit 12 inch disk kits in 15" wheels with no problems. i would feel confident of 15s clearing these brakes. its the cobra front kits with 13" rotors that wont fit 15" wheels.

now that i look at the price you can get a willwood kit for close to that price.

 

I got a pair of explorer brackets and e-brake cable today from a junk yard for $20. I got them home and as expected found the bolt pattern is different than the versailles housing ends. So I partially inserted an axle bearing in the housing end and rotated the backing plate until two holes "almost" lined up. Then I filed those two holes very slightly and bolted the bracket to the housing. Next I marked the two holes that didn't line up and drilled two new holes in each backing plate. Then I bolted the backing plates on with all four bolts and everything lined up perfectly. Now I have to get new rotors, pads, shoes, and calipers. I have to say it was pretty easy. The e-brake cable is going to be awesome because of the two-into-one design. I will be able to run the cable just inside the frame rail (subframe connector) and bolt or weld the brake cable bracket to the inside of the subframe connector. The cable will have nearly a straight shot to the brake lever and will not have to cross over the exhaust or driveshaft.

 

I'm using these brakes currently on my 8". I had to file the holes slightly as well but they line up and are centered. I did this conversion before I was an active member on this forum and before I was aware of the ease of installing the Crown Vic brackets. I decided to give them a try since I had a brand new full set of these brakes that I obtained for free.