easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Topic: easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe (Read 4469 times) previous topic - next topic

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

December 18, 2006, 11:56:22 AM

If you have the later-built T-Bird, (12/84+) then to do the simplest swap, using a full factory configuration:

- 10", 5-lug rotors (cheapest is $99/pair from North Cobras)
- Pair of 1994-98 Mustang axle shafts, ~29 5/8"
- Pair of Ford Racing 9", 5-lug drums (M-1126-D, list $40/ea. US)

Eric posted the above info but I have a couple questions..

1. Doesn't the Turbo Tbird (and Cougar) come with 10" rear drums? (as opposed to the standard Tbird 9")
If so, what drums would I use to keep all the other rear end stuff stock on my car? Aerostar?

and..if the Turbos come with 9" drums, is there any benefit to upgrading to 10' drums if you don't plan on going the whole rear disc brake route? In that case I'm assuming you could get Aerostar backing plates, drums and shoes/hardware?

2. I can't seem to find 94-98 Mustang axles online for sale.. Anyone found them online? or does anyone have the Ford part number? Or..would you use junk yard axles?
(I just want to do it right the first time so if the new axles are available at NAPA or something, I'd rather use new)

Thanks..this seems like a much easier (and less expensive) route to take if you want to use 5 lug rims but don't 'need' the bigger brakes to go along with them.

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #1 – December 18, 2006, 12:28:49 PM

I don't know for certain if Aerostar 10" drums would work or not. There may be an offset issue with the hat section...someone mentioned it once but the problem is, nobody that I'm aware of has physically tried one. If indeed you have a 10" drum, then you have two options: compare yours to an Aerostar one and take measurments (hopefully the hat section is the same), or redrill your drums to the 5-lug pattern. If it were me, I'd do the latter...much easier.

There may also be a hub center issue, where the hub center part on the 5-lug axles (the part beween the lugs) is bigger, which would require a larger hole in the center of your drums. That happens with disc brakes (trying to use a Turbo Coupe rotor on the 5-lug Mustang axle, for example) but I'm not sure if drum brakes would have the same problem. If I were to guess, I'd say there would be the same issue.

The difference between 9" and 10" drums, functionally, is just a larger brake swept area for the 10" setup. If you compare brake shoes between them, the 10" ones are bigger but not by that much. If you tow things or regularly drive steep hills or hilly terrain, then the larger brakes are nice to have...but I don't recall anyone going from 9" to 10" drums and noting a major improvement. Again, so long as the overall width and hat section on the drums are the same as a 10" Cougar/T-Bird drum setup, I don't see why you couldn't use all the Aerostar 10" components. They should bolt right up. Well...as much as a Ford part can, anyhow.

Also...I believe some of the earlier Mark VII's had drums out back. Not sure if they were 9" or 10" but that may be something to explore.

I used boneyard axles in my swap. No issues to report. V6 and V8 axles (1994-98) are all the same...and in my experience, V6 owners like to thrash their cars slightly less than V8 owners. I'm pretty confident that V6/auto cars' axles will have much less wear.

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #2 – December 18, 2006, 01:41:09 PM

Thanks Eric..

I didn't think there would be a whole lot to gain from the 10" drums..so hopefully my car has the 9" and this will be a very quick and easy swapover~

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #3 – December 18, 2006, 02:21:21 PM

No problem Kev, let us know what you have.
:fingers crossed:

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #4 – December 18, 2006, 04:13:39 PM

I will put this too rest once and for all..... when I get home.

I have a set of sn95 axleshafts and some 10" ranger drums as well as my old axle that has 10" backing plates on it. I'll slide and axle in and see if the drum fits.

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #5 – December 18, 2006, 08:27:23 PM

Solved... The answer is.... Yes and no.

Depending on what drums you use. 5 lug 10" drums for a ranger equiped with a 7.5 have a different hub diameter than rangers with 8.8 axles. This difference happens to be the same difference as 4 lug and 5 lug sn95 axle shafts.

Sn95 Axle in 86 to 88 cat/bird axle housing.

Rangers use wider shoes than fox's. but as you can see the drums are the same height to the wheel . So yes to this point they will work.

Now we see the real issues. This is a fox axle. 2 1/2" wide here.

Sn95 axle in this picture. Same measurement is 2 13/16"

Now here is a picture of a drum ment to fit a 7.5" ranger axle. Notice how it will not slide over the center.

So what to do?

Sn95 axles with 10" 5 lug drums ment for a ranger with an 8.8 axle.

From personal experience at autozone I know they are identical except for the center opening. While at autozone there was a recall on several drums because they had mistakenly packaged the 7.5 drums for 8.8 drums. Lots of people came back explaining the differene. Most not to happy. Thats why I have 3 sets of ranger drums in my basp00get!

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #6 – December 18, 2006, 08:40:24 PM

Nice work Claude! *thumbs up*

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #7 – December 18, 2006, 09:11:32 PM

Claude, thanks for checking into that, bro. So I guess we can conclude a few things here...

- The axle center is purposely bigger on some cars (all SN95s, only the 8.8" Rangers/Aerostars). Possibly this was to not confuse the assembly line workers...? It's kind of cool, having things one way for the smaller brakes and one way for the larger. No cornfusion is possible.

- The hub sections of the drums do play an important part in overall width measurement, when going from vehicle to vehicle and trying to interchange parts.

- If the Ranger 8.8" rear, 10" 5-lug drum does indeed fit nicely over the SN95 axle, the only thing to check would be the shoes. One technically should use 10" 8.8" Ranger shoes, correct?

Guess there's only one way to find out.
Claude...a trip to AutoZoo?

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #8 – December 18, 2006, 09:18:25 PM

or a trip behind my garage to my ranger.. i didn't go outside to measure its shoes.. but I'm pretty sure that the ranger shoe is 2 1/2 where as the cougar is only 2" You could use the shoes and accompanying hardware from a ranger on the cougar backing plates... i'm sure of it.

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #9 – December 22, 2006, 12:10:45 PM

Quote from: turbokev;119065

2. I can't seem to find 94-98 Mustang axles online for sale.. Anyone found them online? or does anyone have the Ford part number? Or..would you use junk yard axles?
(I just want to do it right the first time so if the new axles are available at NAPA or something, I'd rather use new)

Kev,

If you go the wrecking yard route, the Hollander exchange number for the '94-'98 axles is 447-2006

I have no idea what the going rate for a used set is, but I can sell you brand new axles without studs for $88.00 each.

Brent

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #10 – December 22, 2006, 02:50:45 PM

i think im confussed, i hope coolcats is updated with this new info.

btw
BRENT
If you ever wanna get rid of that car,, leme know.

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #11 – December 22, 2006, 03:49:28 PM

Quote from: jcassity;119710

BRENT
If you ever wanna get rid of that car,, leme know.

Sorry, but I have no intention of ever selling it.
I bought it from the original owner in December of 1987 after about a 7 month search for a 5-speed XR-7 in Medium Canyon Red.
It's title will be in my name at least until I'm dead and gone.

Thanks for the offer though.

Brent

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #12 – December 24, 2006, 10:07:48 AM

So is the ranger 7.5" drum the same 2 1/2" hub diameter as the stock 4lug fox axles????
I need a template 5lug drum or rotor to fit perfectly snug over my stock TC axle hub so that i can redrill my axles perfectly center to 5lug.

easy 5 lug conversion for 86 TurboCoupe

Reply #13 – December 28, 2006, 05:40:54 PM

I see no reason why someone would want a 10in drum over a 9. My 86 has 10's and my 87 had 9's. I cant tell the diffrence. Both lock up at the same time.