people that have converted to 5 lug, ?'s

[sleepercoupe]

i have a couple questions for people that have actually done it. i have already installed the fron spindles and hooked up the outer tierod. my 79 struts are at the wrong angle. i need to get the 87-93 5.0 fronts right? and they will have the same "bolt" pattern on the top? also i went and picked up two right side aerostar axles today at the local pullapart i need the drums from the same vehicle right? 89 aerostar. they looked big so i didnt grab them but did stash them just in case. This setup will allow me to bolt on Bullits correct? this will also keep stock track right? should i install C&C plates? are they necessary? thank you for answers ahead of time.

Blake

Car is a 1979 coupe, 8.8 original turbo-4 car.

[85stang]

The top bolt pattern doesn't matter, when you replace the strut you will remove the big nut in the center. Don't know what you mean about the wrong angle, the only difference I know is the 87 and up struts are more narrow where they bolt to the knuckle. You want 9 inch drums, if you get the 10 inch drums you will need the backing plates and knew shoes. What front brakes are you using? CC plates will get you a better alignment.

[twister]

you need to get camber caster plates to extend the shock length/travel, allowing better caster, and it would be better to get 87-93 5.0 struts

[sleepercoupe]

well i put my 79 struts up there and they will deff. NOT work with 94 spindles the angle at which the bracket on the strut is welded to it interfere's with the spindle angle. i am using front brakes from a 1995 mustang v6. i don't know what you mean by "better" alignment. an alignment is one thing, one alignment isn't better than the other(with same operator and machine.) if it will align without cc plates is what i was asking. am i going to have to angle the caster/camber outside of factory 79 dimension's?

[85stang]

What I meant by a better alignment is without the CC plates you can adjust toe and camber, with them you can get more camber adjustment and you can adjust caster. It will be better to get the newer struts or you can get 94-95 struts, I think they are an inch longer. If you are an aggressive driver you may want more neg. camber than factory and some people like to go as far pos. as possible with caster. Factory specs are for average drivers.

[85stang]

You can align it without them unless your car is lowered or it has a pull that can't be corrected with a camber adjustment.
edit:
If cost is an issue, my dad told me that moog used to sell CC plates. He said they weren't as nice as mine, but they worked. He doesn't know if the still sell them, we don't see near as many Mustangs as he used to.

[v8only]

you cannot align properly your car with sn95 front brakes without cc plates. My brother and I are right smack in the middle of this very swap, and hopefully 50 proof will chime in if he sees this thread. He's using on his 88 notch 94/95 spindles up front, take off 99 shocks/struts all around (car NOT lowered) 13" cobra front rotors and calipers. Out rear at present he has the aerostar axles, but he's gonna use those with rear v6 sn95 brakes.

Get the cc plates.

as for the rears, I had to learn this the hard way, as matt90gt's web site is wrong. NO aerostars came with 9" rear brakes. all of them came with ten inch brakes out back. You have two choices for your rear brakes if you're staying drum. SKIP the aerostar drums (you're right, they're too big, go with your gut :) ) get ONLY 82-92 or so ranger/bronco II rear 9" drums, NOT with a 4.0. basically any ol' ranger drums. They are much smaller, and can easily be id'd, as they have ribs too, aerostar ones don't.

OR you can use the bigger aerostar ten inch brakes. Snag the drums, the backing plates, and the hardware from the aerostar, grab new aerostar brakes, and upgrade your rear to ten inch drum brakes.

either way will work, and yes, the sn95 fronts and aerostar rears work great with bullit wheels.

Side note, the bullit wheels are so wide open, you can see the drum poking through like a soar thumb, and it's gonna make you want to upgrade to v6 brakes out rear for looks.

If you're looking for ultimate stopping, use your 95 spindles, and get the "cobra" upgrade for $400, it comes with the front rotors and calipers.

[sleepercoupe]

jeremy-thanks man i think that answered everything. i know the drums are going to look gross, but my car is strictly a straight line racer, as long as it stops before the turn around im happy. and ill go ahead and throw some cc plates on it. i had a set sitting around anyway. i knew those drums were too big!!!! so, because i already have the axles i can use those(aerostars) and then buy a set off ranger drums from oreily or something?

[fordfreak300]

yes yuo can buy the aranger drums new if you chose. I think that is the smart way since you have no idea how many times the drums inteh yard were turned and may be buying new drums next time you try to turn them anyway. Just make sure when you ick them up they are 9" not 10"

[v8only]

I had priced the cheapest new 9" drums at kragen for around $29 if I remember right (yes the ranger drums work on aerostar axles, same thing!)

When at the yards though, many people will go a lifetime without turning their drums. I found two drums that looked like they were never turned. Often the drums will visually look much thinner when they've been turned too far. If you are real hard up for money, try borrowing a brake drum caliper measuring deal from a friend or autozone, and hit the yards and measure the drums till you find a good set. I almost wanted corey to upgrade to the ten inch aerostar brakes, which would provide a more abundant source of drums (more common than rangers) but he's going disc in back soon anyhow.

[sleepercoupe]

yea, i have a brake caliper, but i said screw it and put new drums/shoes on her. got the axles in and rear cover back on and painted the new drums semigloss black just so they dont look like ass. i had a set of cobra-r's sitting here so i threw those on until i pick up my bullits this next weekend. looks good. trying to get v8 struts tonight to bolt them in and then do the front brake stuff tomorrow. so far on this swap i have spent a grand total of.......$125 and that includes everything up front, axles, lube, paint, pads, drums, fittings for brake lines in front. the wheels i had already.

[fordfreak300]

how did you get so much for so little?

[sleepercoupe]

well. here is the price breakdown

REAR
rear axles=$30 (junkyard)
rear drums=$63 (O'Reilys)
high temp paint=$4 (O'Reilys)
rear diff. fluid=$11 (O'Reilys)

FRONT
spindles=$free
rotors=$free
calipers=$free
pads=$free
struts (87-93)=$free
hub=$free
caliper brackets=$free
brake line fittings=$5
new brake line=$5
3/8 drill bit=$2

WHEELS
16x9 New Cobra-R's with new Futura 245 & 225=$free (had in garage)

Factor in another $200 for the Bullits I am picking up this weekend though.

[MJ86GT]

Personally I would go ahead and put 99 brakes on the front. That way you get a dual piston PBR caliper. Thats what I run on the front of my road racer with Hawk pads and they work great. I did run the stock 95 stuff and changed over to the PBR's. Wow, what a difference. The rear is stock 95 with Hawk pads. All lines are stainless braided. Well worth the money.

[50 Proof]

PPI(mustangparts.com) has a front cobra brake setup for 399. It comes with 13 inch rotors, the calipers(dual piston pbi cobra calipers) with brackets, brake pads and lines. 400 is a sweet deal on these parts, you can't go wrong.
There was a business on corral classifieds advertising Maximum motorsport caster camber plates for really cheap. If he's still running the deal, I picked mine up for 180 shipped. Would have been different if they wouldn't have charged me california sales tax.

heres the link for the c/c plates...
http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=522615

[sleepercoupe]

well after i get this stuff on i am going to see how it stops. its going to be WAY better because i did have stock 4 cyliner stuff on it before and it has manual brakes. and one wasnt working!!!! so i think this will be good enough for me. i dont plan on taking any corners over 15mph so i dont think im giong to need that much more brake. as long as they slow me down enough to stop after the traps..

[fordfreak300]

I had a car i ran 11's in and stoped with 10' drums all the way around before the sand treaps. i had to make the last turnout but it stoped. i think you'll be just fine.