Technical 55 ford fairlane front disc and 14" wheels

I'm building a 55 fairlane and I want to go with disc in front but all the kits only work with 15" wheels but I've already spent a ton of money on 14" supremes and cokers! Please help


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I had Granada front discs with 14s. Maybe the discs were smaller diameter than what comes in these kits.

Look up Scarebird and see what they have for your car.
...
https://scarebird.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=65&product_id=91

Scarebird says they barely fit the stock 15" wheels.

What about sticking with drums?

 

Might fit especially with spacers. My Wilwood kit came with them and I didn’t use them. Find some one close with discs and try one of your wheels. If your near me I’d help you by trying one of your wheels. Problem is there are so many kits advertised you need to know exactly what you need.
There are kits using Granada spindles and I believe they had 14” rims. Most of them are Chinese with the balljoint reamed to our size. If you have AeroStar springs and Granada spindles you are really low. Good luck.

 

Well, here's one that will work but make sure your wheels are disc-compatible. Probably what Jimmy Six described above...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-1955-...326?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0

If you're a hard-core DIYer, these are basically just mid-late '70s Granada/Monarch/Comet/Maverick brakes with the spindle holes reamed out to fit your balljoints and tie rod ends. You can buy the reamers, so if you can round up a set of OEM brakes off one of these it may be a relatively lo-buck deal. These cars all used 14" wheels, but again, yours need to be disc-compatible.

 

The 14" disc wheels from Mustangs and Torinos and similar cars should clear the calipers. And you can keep the poverty caps.

 

I’ve got Granada on the front of my Ranchero with 14 TTD’s, had to ever so slightly clearance the slider that the pads move on, that was it, very tight but absolutely no rubbing.

 

Stay away from scarebird. His parts would not fit my 1950 Ford Crestliner without grinding on my spindles and I sure dont want to do that!

 

1972 Ford Torino was a full frame car about comparable to your '55 Fairlane in size and came with, 14" wheels and disc brakes.

 

You cant use big disc but I believe the mustang should work

 

I did the Granada swap years ago. Bought a reamer which I later sold to another guy doing the same swap. The most difficult part was finding the right master cylinder. I can't remember now which one I used. I had 14 inch wheels from a Ford product that I used until I got custom 14 inch wheels to mount my good tires on. No problem there.

 

My 57 Tbird has 14" Kelsey Hayes wire wheels which are not disk brake wheels. It has a kit that uses Kelsey Hays 4 piston calipers like was used on early mustangs. Most aftermarket wheels are disk brake wheels and will work with a Granada caliper based kit. This is squirrel's artwork from another thread showing the difference between non disk brake rims and disk brake rims.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/wheels-with-disc-brakes.957633/

 

Thanks guys! I decided to go with the Granada spindle kit! And I'm gonna buy the rest from local parts house to finish out the kit! I'm running 11/2" spacers with my wheels already so I think it should clear no problem!


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I have been installing stuff from them for over a decade. I have never had anything not fit,, with Swiss watch part precision.

I have also been grinding spindles and calipers for clearance for over 30-years, and have never had a single issue.

Oh, and don't tell anyone, but I have four customer cars out there that have spindles on them, that I made from scratch!

 

It is most often the backside of the drop center on a steel wheel, or the backside of a spoke on an aftermarket wheel, that hits, if it does.

If you are already using spacers, neither should be the case with your setup.

On narrow Astro Supremes, the backside of the spoke is roughly even with the backside of the drop center. It looks like that's what you have.

 

Are OEM spindles typically forged? How did you make yours?

 

4130, TIG welder. It is not all that uncommon. Nowadays, you can buy most of the ingredients pre-made.

Yes, almost every OEM spindle is forged, which is great, if you own a foundry, and are into mass-production.

 

I wouldn't bet the farm on Coker tires and new Supreme wheels...