1986 to 1987 Brake Upgrade Problem
05-23-2011, 07:32 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 79
1986 to 1987 Brake Upgrade Problem
I am doing a brake upgrade on my 86 foxbody. I have the spindles, rotors, bearings, pads, calipers, lines, ect.
The problem I'm having is that the area on the spindle where it bolts to the strut is spaced about 2mm too far out. I know there is supposed to be a gap, which there is, but the actual spacing between the bolts is too far out.
As you can see I can get one bolt in but the hole on the spindle is too high for the 2nd bolt to go in.
I bought the spindles off of eBay being told they were from an '89 GT. Everything else bolts up, including the calipers.
I'm trying to figure out what is going on before I have to fork out money for a new set of struts & then find out that they are not the problem.
The problem I'm having is that the area on the spindle where it bolts to the strut is spaced about 2mm too far out. I know there is supposed to be a gap, which there is, but the actual spacing between the bolts is too far out.
As you can see I can get one bolt in but the hole on the spindle is too high for the 2nd bolt to go in.
I bought the spindles off of eBay being told they were from an '89 GT. Everything else bolts up, including the calipers.
I'm trying to figure out what is going on before I have to fork out money for a new set of struts & then find out that they are not the problem.
05-24-2011, 07:45 AM
#3
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 79
I've tried almost everything as far as moving it around. No matter how I try to line it up it won't work. I tried putting the top bolt in first & I ran into the same problem. The spacing between the bolt holes seems to be different.
05-24-2011, 09:53 AM
#5
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 79
That's pretty much what I was thinking. Can you think of any reason why the holes would be spaced differently? Is there another spindle that would fit an '87 caliper but not fit the strut mounting point?
My other concern now would be that the mounting position on a set of new struts would be the same as the ones I have now & I'd have to lengthen the holes on the new ones too.
Unless I hear any different I'll get one of those small circular files & raise the holes on the upper bolt holes.
My other concern now would be that the mounting position on a set of new struts would be the same as the ones I have now & I'd have to lengthen the holes on the new ones too.
Unless I hear any different I'll get one of those small circular files & raise the holes on the upper bolt holes.
05-24-2011, 01:47 PM
#7
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Lil' Rhody
Posts: 22,376
That's pretty much what I was thinking. Can you think of any reason why the holes would be spaced differently? Is there another spindle that would fit an '87 caliper but not fit the strut mounting point?
My other concern now would be that the mounting position on a set of new struts would be the same as the ones I have now & I'd have to lengthen the holes on the new ones too.
Unless I hear any different I'll get one of those small circular files & raise the holes on the upper bolt holes.
My other concern now would be that the mounting position on a set of new struts would be the same as the ones I have now & I'd have to lengthen the holes on the new ones too.
Unless I hear any different I'll get one of those small circular files & raise the holes on the upper bolt holes.
05-24-2011, 09:33 PM
#8
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 79
Maybe that's it. The thing that gets me is that I could only find 1 other post on another forum where someone had this same problem & it was dated over 5 years ago. I assumed the shocks would bolt right up sans a pair of washers.
Yes- I'll be filing the strut & not the spindle.
You better be filing the strut and not the spindle...
05-25-2011, 12:06 AM
#10
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Arizona
Posts: 6
I would also use a 94-95 cobra master cylinder. I tried this conversion on my 86 without changing the master and had nothing but problems. Ended up going with the Willwood setup with the Cobra master and it works great so far