The first generation Mustang, specifically the 1964-1/2 to 1969 model years, are extremely popular rides. From basic cruisers to major pro touring style or restomod builds, these vintage Mustangs are sought out by many enthusiasts. Be it a hardtop, fastback, or convertible, there is a fan somewhere handing over their hard earned cash for those Mustang car keys only to have their bubble burst on that first drive home. Yes, these early Mustangs are popular, but their handling, braking, and comfort have not aged as well as the Mustang’s overall exterior looks have.
The Mustang came from the factory with manual drum brakes at all four corners. There was an option for power drum brakes, which helped with pedal feel a bit, and there also was an option for manual-only disc brakes, but very few Mustangs saw these options. So, many of the Mustangs out there you’ll find are still running the factory manual drum brakes. There are several problems with front drum brakes. While some will argue that a drum brake will have more surface area than a disc brake (which is indeed often true), the drum brake is much more susceptible to water intrusion. This can create a severe brake pull when the brakes are applied after driving through standing water or in hard rain. There’s no worse feeling than stepping on the brake pedal and your vintage Mustang changes lanes for you!
Drum brakes also do not shed heat efficiently. The large cast iron drum stores the heat energy given off the brake shoes when the car is slowed since there is no air circulation to speak of inside the drum. This means drum brakes for any sort of performance driving will overheat and fade quickly. Of course, we’d be remiss in mentioning that drum brakes have more moving parts and are more complicated than a simple floating caliper disc brake setup. Many a weekend wrench have tried to rebuild their drum brakes only to get the shoes on backwards (yes, there is a primary and secondary shoe), install the shoe return springs improperly, and several other things to watch out for when rebuilding drum brakes. Upgrading to the best Mustang disc brake conversion kit you’ll find for the money eliminates all these problems while saving you money.
Many front drum to disc brake conversions require a specific disc brake spindle or they make you grind/modify your factory spindle in some way. Our Mustang drum to disc brake conversion kit uses adapter brackets made from 1/4-inch A36 steel plate we’ve designed in-house and then zinc plated for corrosion resistance to create a true bolt-on disc brake solution using your original V8 Mustang’s drum brake spindles. There is nothing to grind, notch, drill out, or otherwise modify on your OEM V8 spindles. As a matter of fact, you don’t need to remove the spindles or touch any of your Mustang’s front suspension for this disc brake upgrade. Installation is basic ratchet and wrench work that can be completed in an hour or so. The only tough part, if you want to call it that, is adapting your factory brake lines to the kit’s brake hoses, as you may need to relocate or shorten the brake hard lines depending on how you route and mount your front brake hoses and brackets included in the kit.
Once you’ve installed our caliper adapter brackets to your stock spindles it is simply a matter of packing wheel bearings and installing the rotor onto the spindle pin, followed by mounting the calipers onto the caliper brackets. Finish the job with a Dual Reservoir Ford Master Cylinder and an adjustable Ford Manual Brake Pedal Pushrod. Or upgrade to power brakes while you’ve got the toolbox open by using either our 1964-1/2-1966 Ford Mustang Power Brake Booster Kit or 1967-1970 Ford Mustang Power Brake Booster Kit power brake conversion kits that include power booster, master cylinder, and proportioning valve with pre-bent brake lines.
If you start adding up everything you would need to fully rebuild your Mustang’s stock front drum brakes from the backing plates out (shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders, bearings, seals, brake drum, and new brake hoses) you’re not that far off from the cost of this 11-inch vented disc brake conversion with single piston caliper. It’s a great disc brake conversion kit for street use. The vented cast iron rotors easily shed heat generated under heavy braking. Meanwhile, the GM “Metric” caliper has become so popular in street and motorsports use we’ve cast our own version and made minor changes for strength and fitment. Plus, the industry standard Shop D154 Disc Brake Pad Options these calipers use allow you to easily upgrade to more aggressive brake compounds if you wish to do so.
While a great value that will provide ample stopping power for your V8 Mustang, this kit does require Shop 15"-17" Ford 5x4.5" Wheels for adequate clearance of the caliper’s mounting position. Most likely you have a nice set of wheels in mind for an upgrade or your Mustang is already running 15-inch or larger wheels so this requirement shouldn’t pose a problem unless you’re wishing to stick with the factory 14-inch wheels. If you’re looking for a more “correct” drum to disc brake conversion for your vintage Mustang we do offer the traditional Original Style 1965-1966 Ford Mustang 4-Piston Disc Brake Kit that was the factory option on 1965-1966 Mustangs.
A drum to disc brake conversion kit that dramatically upgrades your vintage Mustang’s braking abilities while leaving your wallet intact for other upgrades or repairs on your Mustang. Isn’t that what we all want? A great product at a great price that takes our project car budget further. Upgrade your Mustang’s brakes today and know you’ll be safer on the road no matter what the traffic or weather conditions throw at you.
Summary: Kit fit as needed. Relatively easy to install.
Yes, I recommend this product.
Summary: Bolted on fast and easy
Summary: I bought this kit because Speedway makes great disc brake kits. Not only do they work but are reasonably priced. The instructions were very clear and everything was assembled correctly. The only problem I had was the spindle nuts were wrong. I used the old ones with no problems.
Yes, I recommend this product.
Summary: This kit was fairly easy to install, wish some of the diagrams in the instructions were better and drawn differently. Some tight squeezes to get the spacers in but I got them. Had to add a wheel spacer after installation due to clearance issues. Be weary of the brake lines and making sure they don't pinch on lower control arm. Castle nuts didn't fit on my spindles so I used the original ones. Haven't tested it yet waiting to install booster and master cylinder.
Yes, I recommend this product.
Summary: Unable to fully install at present time. Have bench assembled one side. All appeared to fit properly. Did have issue with spindle nut size, but was corrected.
Yes, I recommend this product.