lincoln five lug/disc conversion
Thread Starter
I ♥ Acer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 26
From:
lincoln five lug/disc conversion
Any one have any experiance with these? There is a old lincoln continnental, on of the little fairmont sized one sittin at the jy down the road. the want $100 bucks for the rear end. Haven't given much thought to doin a five lug because I like ten holes, but i would like rear discs for the future. And she needs brakes all the way around so why not upgrade right? What about ebrake cables? Thanks!
Thread Starter
I ♥ Acer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 26
From:
RE: lincoln five lug/disc conversion
How retarded would I look with IROC wheels on it? I wanna put some oddball assed factory wheels on it. Don't laugh, in 1953 you were the **** if you had hudson hubcaps on your merc, so why can't I be the **** with camaro wheels on my fox?
5th Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,333
From: Rotterdam, NY
RE: lincoln five lug/disc conversion
I dont remember there being a Fairmont based Continental.
The only smaller Continental I remember is Granada based and I dont think that rear end will work.
Camaro wheels wont work because the bolt pattern is different.
The only smaller Continental I remember is Granada based and I dont think that rear end will work.
Camaro wheels wont work because the bolt pattern is different.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 938
From: Eloy, AZ
RE: lincoln five lug/disc conversion
ORIGINAL: LimaXray
Any one have any experiance with these? There is a old lincoln continnental, on of the little fairmont sized one sittin at the jy down the road. the want $100 bucks for the rear end. Haven't given much thought to doin a five lug because I like ten holes, but i would like rear discs for the future. And she needs brakes all the way around so why not upgrade right? What about ebrake cables? Thanks!
Any one have any experiance with these? There is a old lincoln continnental, on of the little fairmont sized one sittin at the jy down the road. the want $100 bucks for the rear end. Haven't given much thought to doin a five lug because I like ten holes, but i would like rear discs for the future. And she needs brakes all the way around so why not upgrade right? What about ebrake cables? Thanks!
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 938
From: Eloy, AZ
RE: lincoln five lug/disc conversion
First this is going to be long sorry!
Ok, I'm guessing your talking about the Lincoln Versailles.
Back when this is the one all the Mustang mags said you need to use because it was the same width as the Mustang. I can't recall if it is a 8.8 or a 7.5. If it is a 7.5 it is still usable. From more than one source I have read that the 7.5 and the 8.8 use the same axles.
When I did my conversion I pulled the axles, backing plates, calipers and disc from a Lincoln LSC. The one part I forgot to get and by the time I did my conversion the car was gone was the parking brake cable ends, I had to make my own. When I did the rear brakes I pulled my axles and backing plates from my housing and bolted all the Lincoln parts to it. The axles are the correct length. So the Versailles should fit your 8.8 housing. I bought new parking brake cables for the SVO hoping it would have the ends I needed because the SVO used the same brakes as the LSC. NO luck.
Then I called All Mustang Performance’s parts yard and told them what I needed and what I had used. The guy on the other end of the phone asked if I used the Versailles rear end. I told him the LSC and he tried to tell me it wouldn’t work, even AFTER I told him it was already installed & running minus the parking brake. Makes me wonder how much some of the AMP guys actually know, Still no luck so MAKE SURE YOU GET THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE ENDS.
Only thing I don't like about the parking brakes is they don't always set correct using the hand lever, the Lincoln uses a foot activated parking brake.
On the front I got lucky and I knew ahead of time I had the larger 11" disk on my car the previous owner had installed. I found this out when I had to do the first brake job on the car, so the 11†LSC front brakes where a direct fit and I didn’t need the spindles but I did take the calipers for extras.
I don’t know what size brakes the Versailles has on the front, but it would be wise to get the spindles anyway and the calipers.
The one issue you will find with the older style (pre SN95) front hub is they are longer than the new ones. Where this becomes a problem is many of the newer wheels have a shallow center and the cover will not clear the grease cap. When I did my conversion the first wheels I used where a black 15†Nascar looking wheel so this was not an issue, then I switch to the 94 16†Pony wheel. Once more no issue because they have such a deep center section. Now I am running 17†wheels off a 96 or 97 Mustang GT. To get the center caps to fit the front I took a set of newer spinners and adapted them to the centers so it would clear the front hub.
Ok this book is almost done. You will find the rear disk conversion will make the rear wheel center to center wider so depending on the back spacing of the wheel and width you choose you may have to roll the lip on the fender a little. Most factory Mustang wheels will not rub in the back. On the front the ponies where not too bad but the 17’s rubbed on the a-arms at full lock. I have put 5/16†spacers on it now which 1) stops them from rubbing the a-arms and 2) they give more clearance for the hubs. I haven't measured yet to see if the shallow center covers clear now.
It makes the front wheels fill the wheel opening better matching the rear.
The wider stance will give you a better feel thru the corners.
Now last point. Some people say you need a different proportioning valve when you switch to 4 wheel disk. I am using the one that came on my car and I have no problems with proper front to rear balance on my braking. Any other questions I will try to answer and not as long I hope
Ok, I'm guessing your talking about the Lincoln Versailles.
Back when this is the one all the Mustang mags said you need to use because it was the same width as the Mustang. I can't recall if it is a 8.8 or a 7.5. If it is a 7.5 it is still usable. From more than one source I have read that the 7.5 and the 8.8 use the same axles.
When I did my conversion I pulled the axles, backing plates, calipers and disc from a Lincoln LSC. The one part I forgot to get and by the time I did my conversion the car was gone was the parking brake cable ends, I had to make my own. When I did the rear brakes I pulled my axles and backing plates from my housing and bolted all the Lincoln parts to it. The axles are the correct length. So the Versailles should fit your 8.8 housing. I bought new parking brake cables for the SVO hoping it would have the ends I needed because the SVO used the same brakes as the LSC. NO luck.
Then I called All Mustang Performance’s parts yard and told them what I needed and what I had used. The guy on the other end of the phone asked if I used the Versailles rear end. I told him the LSC and he tried to tell me it wouldn’t work, even AFTER I told him it was already installed & running minus the parking brake. Makes me wonder how much some of the AMP guys actually know, Still no luck so MAKE SURE YOU GET THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE ENDS.
Only thing I don't like about the parking brakes is they don't always set correct using the hand lever, the Lincoln uses a foot activated parking brake.
On the front I got lucky and I knew ahead of time I had the larger 11" disk on my car the previous owner had installed. I found this out when I had to do the first brake job on the car, so the 11†LSC front brakes where a direct fit and I didn’t need the spindles but I did take the calipers for extras.
I don’t know what size brakes the Versailles has on the front, but it would be wise to get the spindles anyway and the calipers.
The one issue you will find with the older style (pre SN95) front hub is they are longer than the new ones. Where this becomes a problem is many of the newer wheels have a shallow center and the cover will not clear the grease cap. When I did my conversion the first wheels I used where a black 15†Nascar looking wheel so this was not an issue, then I switch to the 94 16†Pony wheel. Once more no issue because they have such a deep center section. Now I am running 17†wheels off a 96 or 97 Mustang GT. To get the center caps to fit the front I took a set of newer spinners and adapted them to the centers so it would clear the front hub.
Ok this book is almost done. You will find the rear disk conversion will make the rear wheel center to center wider so depending on the back spacing of the wheel and width you choose you may have to roll the lip on the fender a little. Most factory Mustang wheels will not rub in the back. On the front the ponies where not too bad but the 17’s rubbed on the a-arms at full lock. I have put 5/16†spacers on it now which 1) stops them from rubbing the a-arms and 2) they give more clearance for the hubs. I haven't measured yet to see if the shallow center covers clear now.
It makes the front wheels fill the wheel opening better matching the rear.
The wider stance will give you a better feel thru the corners.
Now last point. Some people say you need a different proportioning valve when you switch to 4 wheel disk. I am using the one that came on my car and I have no problems with proper front to rear balance on my braking. Any other questions I will try to answer and not as long I hope
Thread Starter
I ♥ Acer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 26
From:
RE: lincoln five lug/disc conversion
So what you are telling me is that there is no major advantage to using versalles rear brakes over using LSC rear brakes? I think Ill just hold off on buying anything untill i find some wheels I like and then base my disc/5 lug conversion on my wheels. I know that sounds bass ackwards. Thanks for the info. I was a little rushed starting this topic and half way through writing it i realized maybe I should have done a search, but your info was more usefull than the tech article, Raven. BTW, your car looks flippin sweet. You got any more pics of that monster? My next car will look very similar to yours. Notch's with GT fronts and sideskirts give me a woody. THANKS!!!!!!!!
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 938
From: Eloy, AZ
RE: lincoln five lug/disc conversion
Your welcome on the info limaxray glad I could give ya some help. Thanks for the comments on my car, my body work is actually Saleen but I agree with you on notches with ground effects look nice! I have more detailed picts on Yahoo Custom Autos - http://custom.autos.yahoo.com/galler...N_JuhiGJHMdscF