I read all the articles on using mid-seventies T-bird, Cougar, etc. disc brakes on 60s Galaxies, so I gave it a shot. For my 61, I used spindles and brakes from a 79 t-bird. Yeah, everything bolts up fine, but It's got positive camber on both sides with no shims in the control arms. No adjustment left. Am I having brain flatulism or what? I don't think the car has been wrecked or messed with in any other way. Did the factory specs on these cars vary? Anybody else been down this road?
One thing you might want to look into is a Moog "problem solver" upper control arm shaft and bushing kit. I can't quote what years, makes and models they made them for but Moog did make an off set upper CA shaft that permitted more adjustment for some of the cars back then. We always ordered them in liew of the std shaft kits. I was able to get Moog parts for my 57 a while back so it's very possible that there are some sitting in a warehouse someplace that supplies the local parts houses in your area. You never know until you ask. They are listed along with the std. CA shaft kits in the old catalogs.
This link points out some differences in the top ball joint location between spindles. http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/galaxie-pages/i-found-the-problem-with-the-disc-brake-swap_48319.html Hope this helps! Trev.
One of the posts talked about a .100 inch difference in the location of the upper balljoint bore in the spindle. Some spindles being .100 inch toward the outside and some being .100 inch to the inside. The later causing the positive camber with no available adjustment. If you ended up with a positive camber after the swap, why couldn't you just mill/grind the .100 inch (or a little more for added adjustment with shims) off the mounting face of the upper control arm shaft? Or would doing this compromise the strenth of the control arm shaft?
I did think of that, and with the same concern in mind. I also thought about having someone actually section the control arms about a an 1/8"-1/4" with a real good welder-guy in command and plenty of gussets............... Even though I appreciate cool cars of all makes, my unfortune alternative is to get brackets made for GM calipers that fit the original spindles. I just wouldn't tell my dad I've got a UFO (unidentified Ford object) on my car. Ha! Thanks for the reply.
I had the same issue, was the only thing keeping me off the road after a front end rebuild so. . . . I went back to drums ha
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