how do i convert stock model a front suspension to disc brakes?

i have a stock 1930 model a, and i was just curious about how you might be able to change the the mechanical brakes to disc brakes?
someone told me use ford spindles 1940-1948 and then?
thanks for any help.

 

buy a kit and join another forum, but yeah you get the newer spindals the disk brake kit some tierod adapters, something for your drag link to hook to, but id just use the 40-48 brakes myself but thats what im doing right now

 

speedway and allot of other companies sell disk brake kits.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/

 

Look at the photos in my profile - I put gm discs on model "a" spindles.

 

What year rotors did you use? What bearings? I've been casually looking to see if anybody has ever done this, and the boilerplate answer is to buy new spindles.

Thanks for sharing.

 

75 montecarlo rotors 80 montecarlo calipers - bearing spacer drawing is in photo on my profile. Modified weld on type caliper bracket bolts on. Wheel bearing set 2 & set 13 ( be sure to change the cups in the rotors ). Timken seal 2942. If you have more questions - PM me. Bob

 

good info ablebob

 

You sir, are a genius!!

 

LOL FNG's.

 

Actually now that I've looked at it I do have a question. Need to preface a little. I've been accruing parts on the way cheap. I have a Ford 8.8 rear w/discs. I'm going to be running a 302. I have from what I can tell a stock model a front end with stock spindles, and I've finished a frame (1.5 x 3 tubing .188 walls and made nearly to stock model a specs) Will these front bakes work with a Model a Roadster/Coupe/Truck? I haven't picked up the body yet, and I want to make sure I'm going about this right.

 

They will work with the roadster and the truck, but not the coupe. (where's the little eye-roll guy emotican thing?)

 

Out of curiosity, what you gonna do with the brake hoses with the calipers out front like you have them? Are you going to switch the calipers so the bleeder is on top? Looks like an even tougher location for routing brake hoses. Just saying.

 

Why not the Coupe?

 

Appearance wise a 1-1/2"x3" tube frame will look a pretty "skinny" under an A; and could be a little weak in beam strength (even with the 3/16" wall tube) depending on how its all set up.

 

I've been pretty careful to reinforce everything, fish plates, gussets, and my k member will be 2x2 with the same wall thickness. The 302 will be as stock as possible. Just a little peppy bar hopper, nothing too outlandish for horsepower. My main concern is will the front brakes be too heavy duty? Are there clearance issues with a coupe I'm not thinking of? When it comes to aesthetics I can get pretty creative and make just about anything chunky and out of place look like it was meant to be there. It's the structural stuff I'm still pretty new at and am treading lightly.

 

He was giving you a hard time, it will fit.

 

That is because the Model A spindles aren't conducive to to most brake swaps. There are a lot of different kits made for the 40 style spindles. Most if the use this part and use that part swaps call for a fair amount of machine work that can get costly if you can't do it or don't have a buddy who will do it.

I've got to do the spindle swap on mine to go to 40 style drum brakes. The Model A spindles and brakes will get cleaned up and go in the swap meet box if they are usable by someone restoring a Model A.

 

No I wasn't. (insert eye-roller again) Everything but a coupe body will fit. (knowing wink)

 

Speed way offers a disk kit for 37-48 and they offer a kit to use 40s drum brakes on model A. If you use the spacer from the drum kit with there disk kit I'd bet you would be set.

 

Nope, the caliper mount plate would not fit the A spindle.

 

Every time someone puts a disc brake conversion on a Model A I drown a sack full of puppies

 

Oh, the humanity!

 

speedway kit is very complete but you must update spindles to 40-48.

 

don't put disc brake on your A unless you want to be able to stop safely. I went the juice brake drums once and will never do it again, it cost twice as much and works less than half as good. Release the hornets!!

 

If the later backing plates will bolt on with the kit why won't the caliper mount plate?

 

The backing plate holes from the juice plates need to be modified/slotted/redrilled to fit the A spindles. You MIGHT be able to slot the disc brackets IF there is enough meat on that area.

 

oops, typed too slow; but I leave it here anyway.

The bolt pattern on the A spindle is smaller and uses 3/8" bolts, the later Lockheed juice brake backing plates have a larger bolt pattern and once you center them on the A spindle with the spacer ring in the kit, you would traditionally elongate the 1/2" holes in backing plate to match the earlier spindle.

There would be nothing to register the caliper mounting plate on the spindle and it would not cover the mounting holes in the A spindle either.

 

Caliper brackets dont need to be registered 100% true like a drum brake.

To Sunbeam, if you look at Ablebobs post #6, the bracket he used to make/modify to fit are the type Speedway sells to weld onto a rear end housing to have discs. Im "guessing" the reason his sit out front is that his is only using the front 2 mounting bolt holes on the spindles to mount his brackets.

 

Willing to bet that these are what he used to make his brackets.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Weld-On-1978-88-GM-Flat-Mount-Caliper-Bracket,21280.html

In his photo album he gives the specs for his bearing spacer he made. Then once he had the rotor bolted on, he figured out where this bracket (see link) needed to be cut and drilled to bolt to the front 2 bolts of his spindle to mount the caliper.

Reason he probably has them out in front,,,, when brackets are designed we (yes I make disc brake brackets) design the bracket so it wont interfere with steering arms and for best placement of caliper (for brake lines, shocks, etc). Since he was just modifying a simple existing bracket, he had to go with where it fit easiest using THAT bracket. Will it work? You bet. Is it ideal? No, looks a little funny, but it was CHEAP.

 

Spindles for these setups are the round flange 37-41 (marked 78- on the flanges)spindles and the square flange 42-48 (marked 21A- on the flanges) spindles.
37-41 uses kingpin set number 78-3111. 42-48 uses kimgpin set number 21A-3111.