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Explorer rear disc brakes

BlazinCopper

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Has anyone used the rear disc brake setup off of a 96-01 Explorer. The caliper bracket will work if I drill the center hole out a little bit, but I don't know what rotor will fit. Needs to be a 5 x 5.5 lug, 11" diameter rotor. Has anyone done this conversion or have any ideas on what rotor I could use?


Also, I read that if you use the explorer rotors and drill them out that they will not work with stock axles, that you have to have new axles with a 2.5" backspacing so the rotor will fit all the way on. Can you use stock axles if put a 1/2" spacer behind the rotor?

Thanks
 
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DonsBolt

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toddz69

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Has anyone used the rear disc brake setup off of a 96-01 Explorer. The caliper bracket will work if I drill the center hole out a little bit, but I don't know what rotor will fit. Needs to be a 5 x 5.5 lug, 11" diameter rotor. Has anyone done this conversion or have any ideas on what rotor I could use?

Thanks

Search around the forums in the tech section - a lot of discussion on this topic. The Explorer rotors can be re-drilled to 5x5.5. Currie also sells them pre-drilled.

Todd Z.
 

DonsBolt

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Hey while we are talking Rear Brakes

Take a look at this axle diagram
which one is a 77 big bearing, and whats the stock offset

I am 99% sure it is the middle one, but want to be sure.

Also might as well say if the left one is the small bearing axle.
 

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bigmuddy

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Don it's the one on the right which is described as new style. The easiest way to tell if you have one apart is it will have 1/2 retainer studs not the 3/8 studs.

Ben
 

DonsBolt

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toddz69

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Hey while we are talking Rear Brakes

Take a look at this axle diagram
which one is a 77 big bearing, and whats the stock offset

I am 99% sure it is the middle one, but want to be sure.

Also might as well say if the left one is the small bearing axle.

'77 is the one in the center. "Torino" or "New Ford" started on the '78 Broncos. Stock offset is 2 3/8".

Another option if you like the Explorer stuff but want to use your existing axle ends and axles is the Wilwood kit:

http://www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Pages/11/index.asp

Same parking brake setup. Fixed, multi-piston caliper. Larger, vented rotor. A few hundred $$ more.

Todd Z.
 

Madgyver

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I'm bias so I have to ask which is the best rear disc set out there that is available for our EBs?
 

Clint

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'77 is the one in the center. "Torino" or "New Ford" started on the '78 Broncos. Stock offset is 2 3/8".

Another option if you like the Explorer stuff but want to use your existing axle ends and axles is the Wilwood kit:

http://www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Pages/11/index.asp

Same parking brake setup. Fixed, multi-piston caliper. Larger, vented rotor. A few hundred $$ more.

Todd Z.

I love that wilwood setup. Drop in pads, as well. It cured 80% of my braking problems. I like it so much that I plan on looking into modifying the brackets on my D60 to accept wilwood calipers before too long...

I just got the lokar cables and ebrake setup and will be installing it shortly. Money well spent.
 

Madgyver

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I love that wilwood setup. Drop in pads, as well. It cured 80% of my braking problems. I like it so much that I plan on looking into modifying the brackets on my D60 to accept wilwood calipers before too long...

I just got the lokar cables and ebrake setup and will be installing it shortly. Money well spent.

Is there a parking brake with the wilwood kit?
 
OP
OP
BlazinCopper

BlazinCopper

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I already have the rear disc off on an Explorer and I want to make them work becase they came off a parts truck I own - so they are free.

I was just wondering why you have to use axles with a 2.5" backspace or can you modify the stock axles to work?

Are there any rotors you can buy from a parts store that will fit without having to drill out the Explorer rotor?


The only problem that I can see is that the Explorer rotor will not fit over the axle hub. After you enlarge the center hole of the rotor to fit onto the axle, the rotor will not sit all the way back on the axle because the axle hub diameter is too large.

I think I going to mill the edge of the axle hub down so the rotor will fit completely over the hub and drill new holes in the rotor. This sees like it will work without having to get new 2.5" BS axles. Then if the spacing still is off and the caliper will not fit on, I am going to us a spacer to get the right back spacing for the caliper and brake pads to fit.

Has anyone installed an Explorer conversion without having to get 2.5" bs axles?
 

Viperwolf1

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I think the backspacing is required because of the internal parking brake inside the rotor. This is also why other rotors won't work.
 

toddz69

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I got it.. You would use the Explorer e-brake parts with the rest of the wilwood kit..

The e-brake that comes as part of the Wilwood kit is the same as the Explorer stuff. You don't have to source the Explorer stuff separately to use in the kit.

Todd Z.
 

bigmuddy

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Not to confuse the subject and I normally hate to disagree with Todd because he is usually right but my rearend in the bronco is out of a 77 and matches the one on the right and not the one in the center. I pulled it from a bone stock 77 that I purchased out of Ohio and parted the rest. Just walked out and took another look and it most certainly has the same ends as the new Ford in your schematic.

Ben
 

trailpsycho

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Blazin-

You could try and contact Scot at American Bronco...he sells the Explorer kits. I installed the kit on my 76 without any additional spacers (big bearing with 2 3/8" BS vs the 2.5" . I initially tried it with a 1/8 spacer to get the correct offset, but I didnt like the engagement of the drum/rotor on the axle flange. I have almost 2K miles with no problems...great brakes. I havent used the ebrake yet as I have yet to install the lokar cable setup thats I bought. If you go back and do a search you can find the "tech-like" article that I did about this install. I would be happy to field any additional Qs.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84329&highlight=Explorer+disc

I mention contacting Scot, b/c he may be able to tell you what he sources the rotors in his kit from...or he may be able to sell them to you. You may/will also have to center the bracketry and redrill the mounting flanges for the Explorer assembly...he has a jig that he does this in. Good luck.
 

bigmuddy

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Don, I walked out and measured the bolt spacing on my rearend and it looks identical in shape to your schematic for the big ford. However the vertical spacing is 2-3/8 where as the schematic says 2"

The horizontal spacing is 3-1/2. It possibly could be 3.562 but is hard to tell with the axle on the bronco.

I would say the schematic you have is wrong for the EB 76-77 HD BB rearend.

However the CB link you listed appears to be right although it doesn't include the shape of the bearing end.

Ben
 

toddz69

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Not to confuse the subject and I normally hate to disagree with Todd because he is usually right but my rearend in the bronco is out of a 77 and matches the one on the right and not the one in the center. I pulled it from a bone stock 77 that I purchased out of Ohio and parted the rest. Just walked out and took another look and it most certainly has the same ends as the new Ford in your schematic.

Ben

I don't doubt you have what you say you have - stranger things have happened - we all have stories about the '77 oddities. I've heard of a few box stock '77s with 31 spline axles too. Does it have 1/2" bolts?

Todd Z.
 

scsm76

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Don, I walked out and measured the bolt spacing on my rearend and it looks identical in shape to your schematic for the big ford. However the vertical spacing is 2-3/8 where as the schematic says 2"

The horizontal spacing is 3-1/2. It possibly could be 3.562 but is hard to tell with the axle on the bronco.

I would say the schematic you have is wrong for the EB 76-77 HD BB rearend.

However the CB link you listed appears to be right although it doesn't include the shape of the bearing end.

Ben
The shape of the ends in that drawing may be off (maybe they came both ways), but the measurements for the bolt pattern are correct. My stock 73 Housing has the same shape as the new style in that diagram, but is defintly the "old" big bearing pattern. The measurements you have on yours (2 3/8 x 3 1/2) are the "old" big bearing pattern (not new or torino style).
 
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