Ford 9 inch disk brakes?

I'm in the very early stages of an SAS here and I'm just curious if anyone has used the explorers rear brakes on their 9 inch. I've seen the kits referring to using explorer brakes, but they're kinda vague. Also what would it take to keep the 5x5.5 bolt pattern of the 9 inch if I could use my rear brakes? I've done a couple of searches, but am coming up empty. If the info is already on here a link is all I need, thanks.

 

[94 Crawler]

I saw a thread on here just yesterday. I think it was sammy rotors and cant remember which calipers. My brake setup will probably one day be like full float using front hubs and spindles stock 44 brake brackets and 79" mark V callipers. They allow for cables to be used for the parking brake. Some eldorado calipers also had the parking brake attached to the calliper . So front d44 rotors 5 on 5.5 ( I havent tried it but i think they will fit without modification on the rear) check the speed shop for weld on caliper brackets and eldo callipers. There is plenty of info out there it is challenging to find. Check pirate, BillaVista has a write up on the 14 bolt. That would be simmiler.
maby someone will chime in who has done it. It would make a great how to thread.

Here is the link.http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212307

 

[AMMO_HOOAH]

It's not all that. I actually already know that the caliper bracket/ p-brake will bolt on it's keeping the 5x5.5 bolt pattern that I'm having trouble figuring out. Most of the kits switch or are made for a ford 9 with a 5x4.5 pattern, that way even the stock rotors are directly usable.

 

[mechanix]

When I did mine I used a Dodge 1500 front rotors and a 78 Chevy 2500 caliper. I bought weld on caliper brackets from Speedway Motors, they where like $10 bucks each. I don't have a parking brake, but I never used it any who. Only problem I had was the rotor was slightly bigger than the axle and there is no way of centering it, I put the rotor on and put three lug nuts on the studs to center it and tack welded it for now on the axle. I plan on making a spacer to take of the slack and to center the rotor. I can get more pictures if you like.

 

[94 Crawler]

can you re drill the rotors. They center on the axle center you know.

 

[AMMO_HOOAH]

Actually I just got a response from Currie. They said that they just re-drill the X's rotors to 5x5.5 and use them. He also said that the '79 f150 9 inch axles wont work cause the offset is 2.37 and needs to be 2.5. Now I'm curious where to get some 2.5 axles. Does anyone know if that length came stock on anything or am I looking at custom lengths here?

 

[CodePoet]

I saw a thread on here just yesterday. I think it was sammy rotors and cant remember which calipers. My brake setup will probably one day be like full float using front hubs and spindles stock 44 brake brackets and 79" mark V callipers. They allow for cables to be used for the parking brake. Some eldorado calipers also had the parking brake attached to the calliper . So front d44 rotors 5 on 5.5 ( I havent tried it but i think they will fit without modification on the rear) check the speed shop for weld on caliper brackets and eldo callipers. There is plenty of info out there it is challenging to find. Check pirate, BillaVista has a write up on the 14 bolt. That would be simmiler.
maby someone will chime in who has done it. It would make a great how to thread.

Here is the link.http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212307

That's my conversion

I used sammi front rotors, and oldsmobile bravada calipers with a custom bracket I made and had cut out. It's all together, but hasn't been tested yet.

D44 front rotors will fit...however you'll need to grind down the flange to make them work.

Also, you may want to check out the axle flange bolt patterns. My old drum 8.8 backing plates would not bolt up to my 9" (78 bb). The drum backing plates would have the same pattern as the disk backing plates. I wanted to know for sure since I had heard that they would, but they did not. Now I know that i'm going to get some bs about it not being a 78 bb, but it is. People HAVE setup 8.8 brakes on a 9" but it's more than a bolt up job. Check out the pattern chart in the link above.

 

[AMMO_HOOAH]

Not if you have the late model bb axle. The backing plate is supposed to (again supposed to) bolt right up. The rotors would have to be re drilled to the 5x5.5 pattern. As for the axles I'm not referring to explorer axles I'm actually talking about the 9 inch's axles. I wondering what had which brake offset.

 

[94 Crawler]

You could get the axle out of a 79 Lincoln mark5 9" disc brakes from the factory. Down side 28 spline axles. I dont know if the calliper mounts will bolt to the big berring axle or not. This is the set up I have in the Chevy c10. But i got the whole axle and upgraded it to 31 spline detroit and mosier axles.

 

[CodePoet]

Not if you have the late model bb axle. The backing plate is supposed to (again supposed to) bolt right up. The rotors would have to be re drilled to the 5x5.5 pattern. As for the axles I'm not referring to explorer axles I'm actually talking about the 9 inch's axles. I wondering what had which brake offset.

I have a 78 31 spline big bearing 9". I searched for a few days trying to find straight answers about this very question. I ran in to a lot of threads that talked about it but no one who actually did it (successfully). I did find a jeep guy cussing about it though haha.

 

[AMMO_HOOAH]

Haha, hopefully I'll get a response from Currie Tuesday, and I'll be able to go from there.

 

[CodePoet]

Does currie use a stock ford backing plate or one that they have stamped using the correct pattern? The explorer setup is nice since you have the internal parking brake. I wanted to run it in mine but it was so easy just to cut out a few brackets and bolt gm calipers on.

I don't have a parking brake with my setup, going to use line locks. They'll ONLY be used though for a short period of time, i know they bleed off over time so they can't be used as a parking brake.

 

[CDW6212R]

Be careful with long term use of line locks. I installed one from a fork lift as a safety locking device when I parked with the engine running. After about two years the pressure eventually caused a leak in one of two lines that I used, a proper pre-made brake line. I'm just suggesting that you inspect the joints regularly. Regards,

 

[CodePoet]

Be careful with long term use of line locks. I installed one from a fork lift as a safety locking device when I parked with the engine running. After about two years the pressure eventually caused a leak in one of two lines that I used, a proper pre-made brake line. I'm just suggesting that you inspect the joints regularly. Regards,

They'll ONLY be used though for a short period of time, i know they bleed off over time so they can't be used as a parking brake.

Yeah...i know.

 

[AMMO_HOOAH]

From what they said they use the entire explorer rear brake setup. Backing plate and all. The only difference it the brake offset (on mine anyway) and the rotor has to be drilled for whatever bolt pattern you want.

 

[CodePoet]

I picked up some spare shafts yesterday and the retaining plat on them look like they will ALMOST fit an 8.8 pattern, in comparison to a set of 8.8 disk brackets I have. I'm not sure what year they are out of. Do you have your 9"? The retaining plate on these are rectangular except one long side has a hump (not both). Also, whereas my 9" requires 1/2 bolts, these are more like 3/8" (i haven't measured so not sure if that's the size but definitively smaller). The axle flange looks to be "new style big ford" like mine, however the bolt holes are closer together and smaller. From the marks in the crud on the back of one of these old brake brackets it didn't look like they were very centered on the flange. The hole where the shaft goes through overshot the top (or bottom which ever) by a decent bit?? Weird

Currie may be referring to these...perhaps the "new style" big ford had a couple of variations and mine may be older than I was told .

 

[AMMO_HOOAH]

Thanks for the info. I do have my 9, but it's still under the donor truck atm lol. I just happened across something that mentioned "explorer disk brake kit" for it, and figured I'd try and get some info nailed down. I'm still waiting for a response from Currie about the brake offset.