I bought a 1973 mustang and a 1965 mustang. The 65 was a 6 cylinder, and 73 a V8. I put the 73 rearend in the 65, and also put the disc brakes, A-arms and all, on the 65. I didn't change the tie rod ends or linkage or idler arm. It all seemed to bolt on without modification. How ever now it seems my 65 won't turn all the way. Did I screw it up and should not have done this?? Please help my wife is getting anxious to drive her car...and I'm scared to let her!!

 

how did that rearend fit into the 65???
if have no idea if you can swap the brakes like for like. Obviously you have to swap the master cylinder as well I gues (disc/drum) instead of (drum/drum).
Have you checked under car while turning what exactly stops it?

 

Those back tires must stick out something awful.

The 64-66 6 cylinder steering is totally incompatible with V8 spindles. For one thing, the outer tie rod ends are tiny, and will flop around uselessly in the steering arms.

If you did this to add disc brakes, you wasted your time and money. For under $300, you could have added front discs to the 6 cylinder front end you already had. If you did it as a V8 conversion, the 73 axle is still too wide, and the spindles would not have been my first choice, but they'll be OK.

If you don't get 71-73 OTR's and all the rest 64-66 V8 linkage, you'll be sending your wife on a deathride. Personally, I'd put the old stuff back on, and ditch the 73 stuff.

 

Only thing I can try and help here, make sure you have plenty of quarter panels to install, and even more tires. The Much wider 71-73 Rearend will eat both up PDQ.

As for ther front brakes, Yes the 73 Disc brakes will bolt on the existing control arm.

If you update/change the Steering to 65 66 Mustang V8 ($159.90) then you can bolt in those 73 Disc brakes.

Yes, the rotors on the 73 are 11 19/64", bigger better brakes than the made to fit smaller 6 cylinder Retrofit. Probably 10" BRAKES FROM A S 10, or Nissan???

CHANGE The Steering components---No Doubt if you use the 73 Spindles. Using the 6 Cylinder steering will kill you, you kids, My Grand Kids!!!!!

Dan @ Chockostang

 

Ranger rotors, Citation calipers, and Cadillac hoses, mounted on a specially made caliper bracket. IIRC, the Ranger has a 10.25" rotor. Not a bad upgrade from the 9" drum. I've always wondered who went through a hundred boxes at some auto parts warehouse to figure out that combination. The attraction is it uses commonly-available inexpensive parts and fits inside the stock 4-bolt steel wheels. I doubt anyone will be competing in an autocross with their little six cylinder, but this would certainly have been a nice upgrade back when I was driving all over with my little trailer on the back of my 66 Sprint. Remember "30,000 Pounds of Bananas"? I drove down that hill with my little 9" brakes.

 

Well I think the 73 had non stock stuff. For one, the rearend, when measured drum to drum was exact as the 65. He put some really offset rims to make them flush with fenders, regular rims set way inside. Also, the tie rod ends fit perfectly without slop. I put the 4 lug drum set under the 73 ( just to have wheels onit to roll around) and they fit. So I guess I should find some part numbers and see what I actually had. I bought the 73 from a wrecking yard, and it was in great shape. It had the 302 with the serpentine setup, brand new exhaust all the way back, aluminum radiator, mallory ignition, the rearend is a 9" curry. It has chrome high rise intake, everything except the interior had been restored. It even had original Crager rims.

 

OK, the 73 was a parts collection, so you'll be OK if you're careful. The spindles of all 64-73 will physically interchange, since the ball joints were the same size. The steering arm on the spindles was different geometry between 64-66, and 67-73, which causes minor problems, but not a safety issue. The outer tie rod ends changed size several times, so you'll need OTR's that match the spindle. Between the ball joints on the spindle is a casting number, we'll need that to know what you need. That serpentine, of course, is from the 80's or later. The Cragar wheels were never original on Mustangs.

 

Don't guess when it comes to spindles, steering and brakes. Get the casting numbers off all the parts and identify what you have. You already have the attention of probably the 2 best resources, 2+2Gt and Dan from Chockostang.

 

PEREXACTLY!!!!

Dan