Can you swap '01 Explorer rear disc brakes to a Sport Trac?

[Adreenaleen]

I need to know if the '01 Explorer rear disc brake assembly (rotor, caliper etc.) will bolt onto the 2001 Sport Trac. I am planning a rear disc conversion and wanted to try OEM first. Thanks for any replies.


Adreenaleen

 

[Texan01]

I imagine you can do it, I don't see why not, since the SportTrac is essentially a stretched 4 door model. just be sure to get all the associated hosers and cables.

 

[becker69]

A; you might want to try searches on this subject, under the 'Modified Explorer's' or 'Projects' boards...

I think I posted to you about it before on the ST site; have you thought of an 8.8 swap? Probably $$, but worth a look; that way you can play with gears I would think that the ABS sensors would be a PIA... but I don't know much about the break assembly. Good luck, and welcome to the best Explorer site on the Web.

 

[gage]

Your telling me that it comes with Drums? is that factory on a 01 sport trac?

 

[becker69]

Yes they do come with drums in the rear... even on the 4x4. Kinda made me mad that it is the only Explorer in a 4x4 that still comes with drums. The front disc rotors are bigger than Ex- 4 doors though.

 

[Flounder]

I never knew that... Why would Ford do that? Or at least make 4W Discs an option...?

 

[gage]

Same reason ford don't put a real motor in the mustang. or "X" Lets go 5.4. The mustang hits the scales at 3800, ouch.

Banghead here sounds good! Man I am sorry but thanks for the info on the bigger rotor. I will be on the look out to get some of them and calipers.

 

[becker69]

I have no idea, but believe me; the Sport trac owners, feel a bit cheated. (I don't recall any discount from ford for it not having disc brakes in the rear Oh well, this way the wheels are easier to wash I guess.

 

[Adreenaleen]

Ford just doesn't listen

Have you noticed that ford is always behind the times just a little bit? (sarcasm intended) I mean they come out with this awesome concept truck in '96....the Adrenaline. This is what they should have built in the first place. Not some watered down version and call it the Sport Trac. Sometimes I think the engineers are smoking too much stuff. Had they built Adrenaline...
there would truly be NO BOUNDARIES!!!


All I wanted was 4 wheel disc brakes.



that's all for now,


Adreenaleen

 

[Jason_25]

Actually if you guys would use the TRUCK for what it was built for, the drum brakes would probably serve you well. It's likely that the explorer rear discs were not up to the task stopping the sport trac well with a heavy load in the bed, thus the drum brakes.

 

[bamacraig]

The bed is plastic, can't be too heavy of a load.

 

[Jason_25]

Originally posted by bamacraig
The bed is plastic, can't be too heavy of a load.

Maybe you don't understand. I'm talking about if the Trac is actually loaded down with cargo in the bed.

 

[gage]

Correct me if I am wrong but the f150 has disk on all four even with the supercrew. Bottom line is that they wanted to save money. drum breaks are not better than disk by any means. Semis use them just because they don't make or can't make disk big enough for that app.

not to mention but I think the sport trac has only a 500 lbs payload or something stupid like that. Its useless unless you use it for camping, food...

I think only the outside is plastic. the inside is tin or alu. the f150 supercrew is the same way.

 

[Texan01]

Actually given adequte shoe size a drum type brake is superior to a disc brake. Drums are also self-energizing, meaning it takes less pedal effort to get maximum braking power, which is exactly why 18 wheelers use drums.

BUT, and this is a big but, Drums suck on dissapating heat on multiple stops, this is where disc brakes put the hurt on drums, not to mention drums don't have as good of pedal feel, try driving a car with 4 wheel drums and you'll see (what's scarier is a manual 4 wheel drums at speed for the first time, you'll wonder if you need to throw out the anchor

 

[410Fortune]

OH goodness. The ol drum vs disc conversation.

One is not better then the other, they both have thier good points.
Drums stop weight better.
Discs shed water and heat better.

Drums are a PITA to replace, discs are a snap....it goes on and on.....

Ford used drums for a reason, who knows what the reason is, could be they had some left over, or they felt the drum was better suited for the Sport Trac, who cares why they did it, the new SC's come with discs.

Ditch the drums and install some discs. They will bolt on, you just need to get all the parts. Also the proportioning for drums is totally different then that of discs, so you need to also address this, usually it means you need a master cylinder from a disc brake truck, or your new disc calipers will drag all the time, wearing out your pads quickly.

You need to do a search, converting your SC to discs is exactly the same as converting a first generation Ex or Ranger to discs.

Good luck! I lvoe my 4 wheel discs and will never go back to drums, I use my BII for towing and for 4x4ing, the discs are FAR SUPERIOR compared tot eh old 10" drums.

OH and you cannot compare 18 wheeler drum brake systems to hydraulic drum brakes on our trucks....other then it being a drum with shoe's thats where the similarities end.

 

[becker69]

410Fortune; Adrenaleen does not have an SC; Supercrew? He has an ST or Sport Trac. No matter,
Having drums in the rear only saves me a little bit of $$ when changes go, and saves me the time of cleaning the Brake dust off of the rear wheels. THis way I can ignore the fact that I have chrome ones that are supposed to shine
On a different note; didn't they sell the Wrangler for years that if you got the D44 rear, you could not get discs or ABS... yet if you got the standard drums than you could get ABS? I could easily be wrong though

 

[james t]

Originally posted by becker69
The front disc rotors are bigger than Ex- 4 doors though.

is this really true? can someone out there get rotor diameter measurements? am i crazy or am i the only one thinking this could be a good "big brake" upgrade for an X? i know they make 2wd Sport Tracs, so i assume the rotor/caliper/caliper bracket would be a bolt on swap... hmmmm... think ill do some research...

 

[becker69]

I will do my best to dig up some tech stuff, to substanciate my assertion earlier with the brakes being larger on the ST. I hope for my sake that it is true I am positive that when I did research on the ST, that this fact was claimed, so I'll see.
I can't tell you what size my front rotors are till later tonight or tomorrow, but I will tell you; my 15" wheels that I put on to replace the stock 16's, From the backside (while under the truck) look like they barely clear the brake rotors....
but I also know that aftermarket front brake stuff (replace. rotors, cross-drilled, brake pads, etc) is not ever listed as being applicable between the X to the ST's front brakes.
I'll see what I can do.

 

[410Fortune]

Becker:

That was a typo SC should have been ST, Sport Trac.
I have rear discs, I also have chrome rims. Brake dust is only produced by cheap brake pads. If you are looking for a better braking systemm on your ex the last thing you should do is use cheap pads.

I did not know the ST front discs were larger then the 4 door Explorer of the same year? Why would they be? They both use the same front IFS.....

 

[james t]

fronts could be bigger for several reasons. 1- to compensate for drum rears 2- possibly bigger payload capacity than the X, thus requiring more braking 3- who knows, as Ford just does very strange things sometimes... maybe they got a bunch of F150 rotors with the wrong bolt pattern, and instead of eating the cost, they just slapped 'em on the 'trac...