Mustang GT rear disc brake install process

[SBCA96]

Now on to the rear! I have not finished the install, the brakes function, but

I have not hooked up the parking brake. I originally installed the calipers

opposite to the 98 Mustang (forward of the rear axle) because it looked like

the factory parking brake cable would fit that way, but after getting it on

the car, it was obvious that they would work better in the factory location.

My plan is to use the factory cable, with a tube on the cable end to relieve

the jacket when the handle is pulled - we shall see!

The Ford rear disc calipers are bolted to a bracket which bolts to the rear

axle, so modifying this bracket is more simple then starting over. The center

hole was enlarged and a "break out" was created so that the bracket could be

mounted to the back of the axle flange.

Setting up the rear hubs is the same as the front, except the diameter inside

the rear disc is larger then the front, so the hub doesnt need to be machined.

As with the front, the longer wheel studs with shoulders were pressed in. The

holes in the disc were drilled out, as with the front discs.

The following pictures show the brackets on the wrong sides, though the way

they mount either side is the same. The error was explained above. These

pictures came out too good to not use - you get the idea. Here is the 'new'

bracket mounted on the backside of the axle flange:

Then you put the drilled rotor onto the new wheel studs:

Thread on the lug nuts:

And then tighten the lugs down evenly to "draw" the rotor onto the shoulders

of the wheel studs. After you do this, the rotor should stay there, or you

can leave the lugs on until the caliper is on. Once the caliper is hooked up

and the pedal has been pushed, the caliper will self align, and the pads will

hold the rotor in place while the tire assembly is off. To remove the rotor

from the hub takes a sharp blow from a rubber mallet.

Once this is completed, its a matter of following the instructions in the

Haynes manual for a 98 Mustang GT. You bolt on the caliper mount bracket:

Slide the pads into the mount bracket, & then put the caliper over the pads:

I bought new hoses for a 98 Mustang GT from Autozone, the hoses have brackets

as part of the hose assembly. The Avanti has a welded on bracket for the

rear swaybar. There is a hole that is unused. This was a perfect place to

mount the hose bracket. The length of your shocks should be checked to make

sure that when the axle is hanging, there isnt any strain on the hoses:

The passenger side hose assembly has a dual block, I decided to use this as

a splitter, and run the center metal line out to here, and then bend a new

line to cross back over to the drivers rear. There is more then one way to

go about doing this. I just didnt want to stick with the Stude rubber line,

since its not going to get easier to find. I am glad I replaced it, after I

had a chance to inspect it, I found that it was rubbing against SOMETHING.

The combination of the front & rear set, makes for a balanced factory system.

I have also found that the front Cobra setup is balanced to the GT rear. It

was relayed to me from a Ford parts supplier that "no one ever needs to add

a proportioning valve when upgrading to the Cobra front, from GT front, on a

GT Mustang". Thats good news for part 3, which will happen right after I get

my tax refund! I plan on zinc plated cross drilled and slotted 13 inch rotors

front with 'PBR' aluminum 2 piston Cobra calipers, and matching zinc plated

drilled and slotted rear rotors for the rear.

Tom

Edited April 20, 2006 by SBCA96