Other Applications
Galaxie owners are already aware that
the intermediate spindles from '72 thru '79 are a straight
bolt in for '60 thru '64 models. The existing Galaxie tie-rod
end must also be changed out to the intermediate tie-rod end.
However, we have not come across any owners that are aware
of the upgrade to the 12 rotors. If you are a owner
of the 60-64 Galaxie, and are contemplating converting to
front disc brakes, we
highly recommend that you complete the upgrade by stepping
up to the larger rotors. You will be glad you did. As we mentioned
earlier, this conversion will work for Galaxie owners that
have converted or wish to convert their front drum brakes
to disc. Keep in mind, if you want a 5 on 4 1/2" bolt
pattern with the larger 12" rotors you will need to use
the parts mentioned previously incoporated on a '72 or '73
intermediate spindle. The '72 Thunderbird 12" rotor will
not work on '74 and up intermediate spindles. In 1974, Ford
standardized the front wheel bearings between intermediate
and full size vehicles. However, if you already have a car
with the '74 and up intermediate front disc brakes then you
can easily make this upgrade using the full size Ford 12"
inch rotor since both the inner and outer wheel bearings are
common. Remember, this will mean you'll have a 5 on 5"
bolt pattern up front. A great solution for this would be
to add 5 on 5" rear axles in the rear by having yours
modified professionally or swapping in an entire disc brake
rear end from a full size 70's Lincoln Mark series car. See
the article Discovery: Salvage Yard Rear Disc Conversion for
Middle 70's Intermediate.
Cost
12" Rotors AR8125 (2): $229.98
Inner wheel bearings set 13 (2): $23.98
Outer wheel bearings set 12 (2): $21.98
Grease seal (2): $7.78
Loaded calipers (2): $85.98
Caliper mounting bracket, used (2): $20.00
Brake hose (2): $59.98
Total $449.68
These prices are average through several local parts stores
and are for top quality parts. Anyone should be able to meet
or beat these numbers. The actual cost for this project was
much lower while still using the best quality parts available.
Notes
1) Ford did not use a rotor that measures exactly 11"
or 12" in diameter on the cars mentioned. This figure
is used just for simplicity. 11" rotors will measure
approximately 10 47/64" (10.734) and 12" rotors
are 11 47/64" (11.734) in actual diameter. We have also
seen these listed as having a size ranging from .66 - .81
as the fraction.
2) Upgrade will require the use of 15"
wheel in the majority if not all cases.
3) Caliper mounting bracket can be found
on full size Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury vehicles from '73 and up to about '79. The brackets
used had the
following identifications on them: 1 A S - L [2991] Fomoco
Left Hand, Fomoco [0632] S - R A 2 Right hand
4) Spindle, Rotor, and Bearing combination
for the 5 on 5" configuration: Late model intermediate
model spindle 74-79, 12" rotor from full size model,
Inner bearing - set 18, outer bearing - set 12
5) Spindle, Rotor, and Bearing combination
for the 5 on 4 1/2" configuration: Early model intermediate
model spindle 72/73, 12" rotor from a 72 T-Bird, Inner
bearing - set 13, outer bearing - set 12
6) Autospecialty supplies 12" brake
rotors for '72 Thunderbirds. Here are their part numbers along
with other rotors mentioned in this article. The numbers in
parentheses are of an unknown source, possiblly stamped into
the rotor by the manufacturer. All rotors are approximately
1.80" - 1.850" thick when new with a minimum usable
thickness of 1.200".
AR-8105 (BPC541) - 11" - 5 on 4 1/2"
AR-8125 (BPC540) - 12" - 5 on 4 1/2"
AR-8107 (BPC562) - 12" - 5 on 5"
7) Spindle diameter for the early inner
bearing is 1.375"
8) Spindle diameter for the late inner bearing is 1.495"
9) Spindle diameter for both the early and late outer bearing
is .865"
10) Set 12 outer bearing, cone - LM12710,
cup - LM12749
11) Set 13 inner bearing, cone - L68149, cup - L68110
12) Set 18 inner bearing, cone - JL69349, cup - JL69310
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