Drum to Disc Brake Conversion - 1968 Cougar / Mustang

A majority of these classic 60's cars came with manual drum brakes from the factory, which was fine when most of the other cars on the road also had manual drums. But in today's world, stopping distances are much shorter, and antiquated drum brakes are a real safety hazard when driving alongside modern cars. That's why converting to power disc brakes is a no-brainer to us.
In this video, Andrew uses the factory power disc brake components from a 1970 Cougar to convert his 1968. The important thing to remember when doing this is to take the whole system in its entirety, and not to mix-and-match parts from different years. The 1970 brake pedal needs to be used with the 1970 booster, and so on.
The conversion shown in this video is just one of the possible routes you can take. We like using factory Ford parts when possible, rather than aftermarket kits, but that's our opinion.
Most of the parts used in this video can be found here: www2.cougarpartscatalog.com/po...

[@benjaminortiz8892]

Awesome. Video. I have a '69 cougar convertible and been wanting to work on. Your videos will hopefully help to get my lazy ass going. Thank you man!!

[@gene2200]

If I'm not mistaken you can use spindles with disc brakes off those style cars up to 73, even Granadas I believe, some had manual brakes, what I used, were on a wrecked car in my lot, free and easy is good.

[@MustangConnection1]

Great video

[@MickeyValentineA]

Awesome, great detail. Should make a playlist for Andrew so others can easily see how to restore/upgrade their cougar. Keep it up! :D

[@dufus2273]

converted my 70 mustang coupe to 4 wheel power disc brakes. what a difference that made.

[@josemedeiros007]

What vendor did you use for the rear brakes? Do you still have an emergency brake, and parking brake setup?

[@dufus2273]

@@josemedeiros007 A&B brake in orange county.

[@jamesguralski5156]

I can't stop watching this channel! Hi you can get pvc coated tye wire, no rust. Or use romex electrical wire. If thats important to the collector....

[@dufus2273]

you do good work great video. I always leave a very slight amount of slack in that wheel bearing . the grease must go/flow between the race and the cone. too tight= no grease. and use a high temp grease specific for disc brakes. IMHO

[@InkyOhnoe]

Do You Guys Sell A Kit Like This Complete Of All I Need? I Want TO Convert My 67 Cougar Drum To Disc Brakes?

[@troynov1965]

26:56 Awesome :)

[@hallandalecompleteauto2816]

its funny but before we had bearing packers we had to hand pack bearings that should be shown also.

[@jws1802]

Does all this fit a 1966 Fairlane?

[@JunkworksGarage]

would this work for a 65 mustang as well thanks for the vids

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Almost everything is different on early Mustangs. We're definitely not experts on those cars, so we recommend cruising the Vintage Mustang forums or elsewhere to see what others have done. Many of the concepts shown here probably apply, but we're not sure if the same components could be used.

[@JunkworksGarage]

thanks

[@jackmidst8304]

The springs you installed, are those the ones that lower the front end about a inch?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

I was not sure, so I messaged Andrew. He did indeed use the lower performance springs on Pearl: secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/c7zz-5310-p.html. He is very happy with the stance and ride of the performance springs.

[@CFDJohnnyE]

Don, Aside from the obvious reason, can you explain the reinfocrement plates welded into the bottom of the shock towers? are those areas prone to cracking? I have a 1970. Is this year a problem too? I redid my Cat back in 1986 but never touched the suspension. John

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

The 67-68 shock towers are very prone to cracking, so that's the primary reason for these. Starting in '69, they added reinforcing plates on the engine compartment side (if you look under the hood of your 70 you'll notice some beefy plates added to the shock towers). So, less of a concern for you, but there's still the benefit of added strength and rigidity, which certainly can't hurt handling. More info in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5jbfWeuo7mHkJY

[@CFDJohnnyE]

West Coast Classic Cougar Thnak you. I'm already checking out the link for the suspension upgrade.

[@CFDJohnnyE]

One more question...do you guys have a rear drum to disc conversion video?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

No, and we probably won't be making one. Most of your stopping power happens up front, and we feel that rear discs aren't really necessary (they're more for looks in some cases, if you have see-through wheels). Plus we like to focus on original equipment rather than modern upgrades.

[@TANOFTZ]

I found a 79 Granada and a 79 cougar. Witch would be best to get the breaks from? The Granada has a 250ci. I believe the cougar has a v8

[@paulkirkland1535]

TANOFTZ: the '79 Cougar is a completely different car from the '79 Granada. Therefore the parts are different. I'm not sure if this year Granadas parts will fit the late '60's and '70 Cougar. You can check with WCCC.

[@jonathananderson371]

I can't use the wider brake pedal from an automatic in my 4-speed can I? It seems like it would interfere with the clutch. If so, what's the solution? I'm not gonna find an early 70's granada with a manual transmission very easily.

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

+Jonathan Anderson Actually, you can use a pedal from an automatic power brake car (corresponding to the booster you used) and carefully cut the foot pad area down to size. You should be able to use your old pedal to make a template.

[@jonathananderson371]

Hey, thanks that's a great idea. I can see how a little creative thinking can go a long way in solving these kinds of problems.

[@juliusblair007]

What is that tool or bit your using to open up the hole for the brake booster?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

+Julius Blair That's called a burr, but there are probably easier ways to do it. It worked though.

[@juliusblair007]

So how much different would the install be if you're installing 70 Brakes on a 1969 Base Cougar. Is there a rebuild kit you sell for the 1970's brakes or is it best to take it in to be done? This would be my first big project for my 1969 Cougar and I wanted all the help I can get. Nice Video to get me started!

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Julius Blair It would probably be a little easier on a '69, if you're going to 1970 discs. The brake lines would fit better since it's the same body style. You'd still have to use the 1970 brake pedal and booster and stuff. Same overall concepts apply though!

[@juliusblair007]

West Coast Classic Cougar Thanks for the quick response. These videos are very helpful. Does your 70 brake kit come as is or is it rebuilt?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Julius Blair Almost everything is new/rebuilt, but the spindles dust shields and brake pedal are used. You can either get a used or new proportioning valve. www2.cougarpartscatalog.com/store/p/14812-Disc-Brake-Conversion-Complete-New-Used-1967-1970-Mercury-Cougar.html Basically what you should do is call us if you want a conversion package and we'll walk through your application and figure out the parts you need and don't need. 503-463-1130

[@cryptosully2357]

i need some help. been looking for a set of disk brakes (set of 4) without breaking the bank. not running 600+ hp co no need for the 4-6 piston stuff. how can I find what I'm looking for

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

The only conversion kits we have are for converting front drums to front disc brakes and those are currently running about $1700 (secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/discconversion.html). Here are a couple threads on the Cougar Forum that would be worth your read: classiccougarcommunity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=149550 classiccougarcommunity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=139894 classiccougarcommunity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=113326

[@Donny.C.wlWilliams]

When u were hooking up break booster under dash what is the wire with the inline fuse for

[@juniortanguma4177]

It goes to turn signal switch, orange/yellow wire, 15 amp.

[@Donny.C.wlWilliams]

@Junior Tanguma thanks just got my ride running every thing works I lost my dash blinker and I suspect breaks lights. I replace fuse today and turned everything on at once no issue. But is there more then 1 inline fuse factory because I do see two inline fuses in my harness? 😊 thanks in advance for your responses

[@juniortanguma4177]

@@Donny.C.wlWilliams Our electrical guy Richard is here on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you can call in and run it by him to see if he can help.

[@classicstangbrn8964]

You didn't do the Shelby drop.

[@mefadon459]

What's the latest year ford mustang you can swap the front disc brakes to put on a cougar?

[@donrush5690]

67-73 mustangs are identical year to year except for the brake line that runs down the tranny tunnel. Cougars have a longer wheel base.

[@mefadon459]

@@donrush5690 do you think I could put like a 2015-20 brembro mustang brakes or 14 cts-v brembro on the front. I understand I have to switch to steel brake lines and possibly go up to 18 rims, but the mount spacing look similar imo. I'm just trying to upgrade my brakes and not use wilwood

[@TheCrash8212]

@@donrush5690 not totally true. 67 Mustang came with a Kelsey Hayes 4 piston setup. 68+ was a large bore single piston. 67 is a much better setup

[@mbcb8476]

did he torque all the bolts? just asking.

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Yes, good point worth mentioning.

[@bernardde3971]

Do you sell this kit? Can I have a link to it on your website please?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

We do normally have these, but they are currently out of stock. You can use the notify feature to get notified when we get them back in stock: secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/store/Search.aspx?CatID=-999&SearchTerms=Brake%20Conversion&Type=EXACT

[@nasty2ndgenneon]

will the 1970 disk brake spindles work on a 73 maverick?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

+Mike Teets Yes, they should work! Many people also use Granada disc brake components, which may be easier to find.

[@clocinnorcal]

+West Coast Classic Cougar I have a set of Granada disc brake components that I got from the guy that sold me my '67 A code. Is there a reason to go with the Granada set over some aftermarket "bolt-on" kits?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

+Casey Bauguess Sure, one good reason is that you're more likely to find replacement parts for the Granada stuff, since it's Ford factory components, whereas aftermarket companies come and go and their setups may not be serviceable down the road.

[@bison9225]

This conversion brake it s gonna work for ,ford maverick 1975?

[@superhulker]

What type of spindles are those?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

1970 Cougar / Mustang disc brake spindles

[@jamesguralski5156]

Can the back drums be changed to disc breaks too?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Yes, but that was never a factory option, so you'd have to go with aftermarket components, a different master cylinder and proportioning valve, etc. Since most of the braking happens in front, we feel that the front power discs are plenty powerful. There are still a lot of modern cars that have discs in front and drums in back.

[@jamesguralski5156]

@@WestCoastClassicCougar OK thanks looking to get a 67 or 68!

[@jamesguralski5156]

@@WestCoastClassicCougar show the parts you used off a 70 car, you just sand blast and put them on the 67!

[@rmee5165]

how about a rear drum to disc conversion video ???

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

We do not currently offer a 4 disc conversion kit, we only offer kits to upgrade 4 wheel drum cars to the factory style front disc, rear drum.

[@jesusvazquez326]

This some good shitt lol

[@heyybaby707]

did he mention "bench bleeding" the master cylinder?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Didn't mention it, but good idea! We ended up bleeding it in the car, which was probably a little more awkward.

[@heyybaby707]

West Coast Classic Cougar i want to do a power disc conversion on my 70 xr7, still can't believe it came with manual drum brakes,maybe next winter , this winter i will just settle for a new master cylinder and i will bench bleed it lol

[@donrush5690]

tim w Keep in mind WCCC will give you a generous trade in value on good 1970-1973 drum brake spindles. Sorry, we do not need 67-69 drum brake spindles at present.

[@heyybaby707]

Don Rush i will don once i figure out completely everything i need to do the job, while i got your attention, were you the one that talked to my girlfriend around christmas? you would remember , i'm the guy that put a nickel over the screw holes on my window cranks lol

[@donrush5690]

tim w YES! I remember that call vividly! She really raked you over the coals on that one...

[@rizaldesantos2985]

about how much would a project like this cost

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

+Rizalde Santos We sell a complete conversion package with factory and new parts for this much: www2.cougarpartscatalog.com/discconversion.html

[@bigfilsing]

@ 9:38 surely the seal should go the other way round ????

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Those seals only intall one way, as shown. They have lip on one side that you tap down until the lip meets the backside of the rotor.

[@bigfilsing]

@@WestCoastClassicCougar Thanks for the reply . Only just discovered you channel Great video's Cheers

[@sixtninecat]

I think that was a 69 looking at the marker light?

[@WestCoastClassicCougar]

Good eye! The car was in fact a 70, but those are definitely 69 marker lights. Maybe the fenders were replaced at some point in the car's life.

[@classicstangbrn8964]

Just load the pads first so you don't do the job twice, also I've never seen a hanger you would have to drill for the power pedal.