[bossind]

Ok so here are a series of pics off addings rear discs from a ford Explorer to my 8.8 on my bronco. Almost a bolt on job other than planing down the axle flange and redrilling the rotors. A real worth upgrade, been driving it now for about a year.

because i did this a year ago I'll be better at answering your questions than just telling you step by step.

Because I was also doing a gear change from 3.55s to 4.11s and this was my daily driver I went to the junk yard and picked up another 8.8 from a 93 f150 to build on, once ready I swapped rear axles.

 

[bossind]

Guess you can only post 5 pics at a time. Anyway heres 3 more, fluid everywhere is the bleeding of the brakes.

 

[CrazyBRONCOguy]

what years of exploders had those.
And if i am understanding this right you have to trim the axle shaft, where the studs go in, and redrill the rotors?
Looks preety easy, does that have the e brake built into them?
Also was it woth it, are the brakes better. I know it was prob worth it just to get rid of drums becuase they don't mix with mud too well.

 

[bossind]

Hi

The explorer's with rear disc are all the same, I think these were off of a 2001 and they do have the ebrake installed. Gave me a really positive and firm feel in the brake pedal, well worth the upgrade.

 

[Tommy R]

I see them fine.

What did you do about the brake proportioning? All the times I did disc swaps on my Mustangs swapping the physical disc on was always the easy part. Getting the right master cylinder, prop. valve, and booster was the tough part. Typically swapping only the discs without adjusting the proportioning resulted in weaker brakes because the discs required more volume/pressure to work effectively compared to drums.

I'm interested in this, though. Can you share some more details?

Thanks!
Tommy

 

[Davids78Bronco]

What did you do, to mount the calipers? What did it take, to hook up the parking brakes? What did everything cost you?

 

[carlos_83]

if i remember right, exploders run 16" or bigger wheels...do these rear discs allow 15" wheels on the bronc?

 

[bossind]

Those are 15" wheels, I think your think of the Ford expedition.

 

[bossind]

What did you do, to mount the calipers? What did it take, to hook up the parking brakes? What did everything cost you?

Well I used the backing plates from the ford explorer, they have the emergency brake and calper mount bolted in.

 

[bossind]

I see them fine.

What did you do about the brake proportioning? All the times I did disc swaps on my Mustangs swapping the physical disc on was always the easy part. Getting the right master cylinder, prop. valve, and booster was the tough part. Typically swapping only the discs without adjusting the proportioning resulted in weaker brakes because the discs required more volume/pressure to work effectively compared to drums.

I'm interested in this, though. Can you share some more details?

Thanks!
Tommy

I to was really concerned about that as well for I live in the snow belt, but surprisingly I didn't have to do anything to the valve. Brakes straight and even, doesn't slid around. Even the ABS works when I put in the fuse... I hate abs and pulled the fuse years ago.

 

[bossind]

I since upgraded to hydroboost as well with out problems.

 

[taftmarley]

Which backing plate did you use, bko or x-plerer? I can see how you planned the axle flange but I don't see what you did to the rotor itself? The holes look the same to me but it might just be me. The last two wks I've been thinking of doing the samething. Did you have to change your brake lines also? It looks like you changed yor hard lines. What hydrobooest did you use and do you know to get one when you change to disc? Do you have a pic of the caliper braket itself?Thanks for the info.

 

[bossind]

Explorer backing plates of course, the secound pic shows the pilot holes of the larger 5.5 wheel bolt pattern. And you can see the old holes in the 4th pic. Sorry I should have taken more pics when I did this. Hydro Boost is off an f450, I posted some pics of it under another thread.

 

[Shadofax]

Good job Bossind!!:thumbup

What did you do about the brake proportioning? All the times I did disc swaps on my Mustangs swapping the physical disc on was always the easy part. Getting the right master cylinder, prop. valve, and booster was the tough part. Typically swapping only the discs without adjusting the proportioning resulted in weaker brakes because the discs required more volume/pressure to work effectively compared to drums.

I'm interested in this, though. Can you share some more details?

I thought I would have to get a wilwood adjustable for mine, but so far it does not seem so. The rears under hard braking will finally begin to be the first to lock up.

Plug, I would guess the rotors are no bigger than the standard bronco rotor, which is 11.75" x 1" thick. So it's substantially smaller than the chevy rotors, and any other rotor you might be looking for on the 10.25 disc you're working on. The chevy rotors are 12.5" x 1.25". Would be interested to hear what Bossind measures them at though.

 

[bigric]

would all that work on a 9 inch too?

Fireguy50 has another thread about putting discs on a 9". You lose the e-brake on that setup, and it requires a little bit of machining on the shafts, but he's really happy with the results. Do a search and I know it will come up.

 

[bossind]

would all that work on a 9 inch too?

It very well could, depends on the flange but that could be modified if need be.

 

[bossind]

Good job Bossind!!:thumbup

What did you do about the brake proportioning? All the times I did disc swaps on my Mustangs swapping the physical disc on was always the easy part. Getting the right master cylinder, prop. valve, and booster was the tough part. Typically swapping only the discs without adjusting the proportioning resulted in weaker brakes because the discs required more volume/pressure to work effectively compared to drums.

I'm interested in this, though. Can you share some more details?

I thought I would have to get a wilwood adjustable for mine, but so far it does not seem so. The rears under hard braking will finally begin to be the first to lock up.

Plug, I would guess the rotors are no bigger than the standard bronco rotor, which is 11.75" x 1" thick. So it's substantially smaller than the chevy rotors, and any other rotor you might be looking for on the 10.25 disc you're working on. The chevy rotors are 12.5" x 1.25". Would be interested to hear what Bossind measures them at though.

I'll measure them in a week or so, going to replace the studs with longer ones, lost about a 1/4" cause of the thickness on the rotors and noticed the studs are longer on the ford cars and trucks that had rear discs so I grabed a bunch the last time I was at the junk yard. Still lots of thread, but I like to be extra careful.

 

[bossind]

Ok the rotors are just a hair over 11.5" So I'd say they are 11.5" rotors. I had some from a 2001 ford f150 but they wouldn't fit under the rims I think they were 13.5" or 12.5". Oh I have a pic of those when I sold them on ebay think it shows the inner workings of the e barke as well, be right back.

 

[bossind]

Ok From a 2001 F150, the flange is larger so backing plates wouldn't mount on my 8.8, nor would the rotors fit under the rim with the calipers, but other than size this is the same layout and setup as the explorer brakes that I used.

 

[Fireguy50]

Here is another explorer brake swap write up with more pics:
http://fordfuelinjection.com/files/explorer-rear-disk-brakes.pdf

Fireguy50 has another thread about putting discs on a 9". You lose the e-brake on that setup, and it requires a little bit of machining on the shafts, but he's really happy with the results. Do a search and I know it will come up.

Here is mine: http://fordfuelinjection.com/bronco/brakes.html