Front Disc Brake Stainless Brake Hoses Not Lining up with 87 and Up Brackets

[vdubn]

I ran into an issue that I thought I had figured out, but now I am stumped. I have an 85 GT that I swapped 03 Cobra 13.5" front calipers and rotors onto (5 lug obviously), along with Maximum Motorsports Stainless front brake hoses (these fit 1979-93 Mustang with SN95 calipers, front) and brand new 1987 to 1993 Classic Tubes front brake tubes from LMR.

I tried to use my stock 85 front brake line brackets, and realized quickly that those weren't going to work, so I bought a new pair of 1987 to 2004 front brake line brackets, figuring that they would tie it all together.

Tonight, I tried to mount these brackets in the same spot that the factory 85 brackets mounted, but as you can see from the pics, it puts the brake hose too far away from the brake tube, and the bracket is right between the frame and the coilover, so the brake hose can't fully slide into the bracket without rubbing on the coilover.

Finally, the clips that MM gives with their brake hoses don't seem to hold the lines into the brackets.

I am hoping someone else who has done this conversion on a pre-87, can help me understand where the bracket should mount. As you can see in one of the pics, it almost looks like I should mount the bracket behind the wheel on the frame, and cut and re-flare the brake tubes, but I really don't want to reflare the tubes if I don't have to.

As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

[Hammer Down]

I know what your talking about. I had a similar problem with interference when I went from stockish alignment settings to max caster and 2.5* camber. I moved the bracket rearward about 2" I believe and down a little. It would not have been pretty if I didn't notice it. I'm not sure about which brackets to use though. I'm a little behind you in the conversion.

[stangPlus2Birds]

Yea, on 4-eyes using the sn95 front calipers, the bracket for the brake hose should be relocated.

Like a number of other "small adjustments" over the years, the front brake hose bracket moved for 87+ Stangs.

Also, Ford kept moving the FCA mounting points, and then the top of the strut over the Fox years. So, that effects how a brake hose will hang, and possibly rub against a wider tire (wtf runs stock width tires? ).

So, like with a gazillion other things, for a 4-eye, things need to get tweaked since we are not using "the only Fox Stang ever ever ever built by Ford - a 93 GT" <roll eyes>.

Imho, I'm still running my "so so" front hose setup on my 2300K conversion. It's far from ideal. It requires careful custom tweaking of my brake hose support straps.

Imho, I should've moved the brake hose brackets.
Even on the Aero cars, others suggest moving the brake hose brackets, to allow for full turn without stressing the hose, and to prevent the hose from rubbing on the wider tires.


Good Luck.

[vdubn]

stangPlus2Birds, did you still connect the stock brake tubes to your brake hoses, or did you fabricate some tubes?

Hammer Down, thanks for the pics of your setup, helps me know that its not just me.

Looks like I will relocate and flare my stock tubes to work with these 87-up brackets.

Last thing, how do the clips work anyway? Are there supposed to be 2 C-clips per brake hose, one small and one large, that holds the hose to the bracket? I just have one large C-clip, and it doesn't appear that it will hold the hose in the bracket.

[Hammer Down]

Please post when you figure this out. I thought MM's lines were a bolt on setup.

[OldManRiver]

Maybe this will help,the brackets need to be relocated per MM's coilover install instructions.
Here on page 12,http://www.maximummotorsports.com/as...p/MMCO-1r3.pdf

[vdubn]

Maybe this will help,the brackets need to be relocated per MM's coilover install instructions.
Here on page 12,http://www.maximummotorsports.com/as...p/MMCO-1r3.pdf

You are a life saver! Not only does that answer the question about bracket location, but it also answers the question about how the clips work. The C-clip is used as a stop on the hex part of the brake hose, and the stock U shaped clips are used to hold the hoses to the bracket. Now I get it.

According to the pdf, the stock brake lines should be able to be adjusted without modification or a tube bender, so I will try tonight and see how it works.

[Hammer Down]

Vdubn, I moved mine by trial and error and didn't need to do any mods except drill two holes in the frame. I'm so lucky I noticed the interference. I was actually checking tire clearance on the fender by turning the wheel lock to lock and heard the noise
of the spring hitting the brake line.

[stangPlus2Birds]

stangPlus2Birds, did you still connect the stock brake tubes to your brake hoses, or did you fabricate some tubes?

I kept the bracket in the same place. I think that I left the brake lines from the prop valve to the front brackets alone (what came stock with the car).
I used Adel Clamps (clamps with isolators) to try to keep the front brake hoses from rubbing on the tires.
I have SS brake hoses. I forget now who made them.

Again, the way I did it is the wrong way to control the front brake hoses from rubbing on the tires.
I did my M2300K swap back in the 90's. There wasn't a lot of info on problems, potential problems, suggested mods, fixes, etc.

The correct way is to relocate the brake-line to front-hose bracket. Then, use clamps with isolators, and possibly custom brackets for the clamps.
NOTE: If you use clamps with isolators, make sure that the rubber/isolator can not come off. I used tie-wraps.

[vdubn]

Well, the document referenced above was the key. I didn't see the hole they mentioned, but after cleaning up the frame, I found it. I actually drilled a 3/16" hole, and used the original bolt from the brake hose bracket to secure the new one. I also massaged the hard brake line and fastened it to the frame, with a spare clamp like the ones used across the firewall, and it all went together nicely. That link was a huge help, thanks again.

[vdubn]

So it looks like the drivers side may work without moving the bracket. Have any of you experienced this, or did you move both sides? On the drivers side, its harder to push the hard line back towards the firewall, since its a straight shot. It actually seems to clear the coilover on this side, not sure why. The document above mentions making the same change to both sides, but was curious what folks here did? I can slide the portion of the hard line that goes under the frame, down the frame a bit, and bend the straight portion, which might buy me an inch or so, but not much more room than that available.