68 torino, manual to power brakes??
Printed From: The Ford Torino Page
Category: Model Specific Forum
Forum Name: 1968-1969 Ford and Mercury
Forum Description: Technical discussion for 1968-1969 Ford and Mercury
URL: https://forum.grantorinosport.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=16581
Printed Date: 26-March-2026 at 6:34PM
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 68 torino, manual to power brakes??
Posted By: bootleggersdeluxe
Subject: 68 torino, manual to power brakes??
Date Posted: 29-September-2017 at 5:37PM
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hello everyone! I recently took into my posession a 1968 ford Torino. My neighbor had one when i was growing up, and I've always liked the body stlye, and while i have plenty of other toy cars ( 66 LTD, 78 Tbird, 79 Tbird, etc) I'm going to take a more budget friendly approach to this one, not do anythingtoo over the top and keep it so it can be used for daily driver duties.  the car has plenty of imperfections, im not a huge fan of the "black out" treatment, but the price is right, and it runs like a top. My questions here are going to start with the brake system. the car has manual 4 wheel drum brakes. the car went onto the lift today, and i went and did a full inspection of the brakes. the master cylinder is seeping out the back. the linings are all thin. three of the 4 wheel cylinders are seeping, all of the rubber hoses are cracked, and the hard lines are factory. And, in reality, even on the best day, the 4 wheel drums dont stand a chance on the road with today's common drivers. It's time for an upgrade, i think. The car has the 8" rear axle, and i found this article http://boyerfour.com/mustang/rear/small_bearing_ford_8_9.htm saying i could use factory parts to swap on a disc brake setup. I happen to have the rear disc setup off of my old daily driver from a few years back, a 1994 lincoln town car. So, assuming measurements are all correct, and possibly, if I have some verification, I will use that setup for the rear. for the front, after some shopping around ,the kit I like the most is this one https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ssb-w120-22 it will allow me to run 15" wheels, i will be able to use my factory spindles, and its got high quality parts. My thought was to run an adjustable proportioning valve to fine tune the front to rear bias, but I'm still left with the master/booster setup to figure out. Would i be ok with getting a factory master/booster replacement ( i know they were options on this car) and then using it with all of the parts I have listed, or will the aftermarket fronts and disc brake rears be too much for it to handle?? I'm just looking for thoughts,m opinions, or smart remarks. I dont see a lot of people who have done these sort of swaps before, and I want ot do it once and do it correctly. Thanks, Lee |
Replies:
Posted By: californiajohnny
Date Posted: 29-September-2017 at 8:33PM
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welcome! yes swapping from a 4 wheel manual drum system to a power disc/drum or a disc/disc system is well worth the effort!
------------- JOHN 74 GRAN TORINO S&H CLONE 74 VETTE CUSTOM 90 S10 BLAZER 4X4 LIFTED 77 CELICA CUSTOM 75 V8 MONZA SUPERCHARGED 79 COURIER VERT. SLAMMED 75 VEGA V6 5 SPD 70 CHEV C10 P/U 68 MUSTANG FB CONVERSION |
Posted By: Big Bird
Date Posted: 30-September-2017 at 1:50AM
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Master cylinder should be for a 4 wheel disc setup. The swap you want to do is common on Mustangs, and chassis-wise, 67-70 Mustang is a stubby Fairlane., Everything should be out there and the info already on-line ------------- "What we do in full frontal view, is more honest than your cleaned-up mind." Randy 1979 T-Bird 2005 F-150 STX RCSB 4.6, 3.55 LSD How the Heck does a REGULAR CAB SHORTBED weigh over 5200 pounds? |