1949 ford front disk brakes

[chad49]

Has anyone put disk brakes on a 49 Ford using 14 inch rims? The kits all say 15 inch or bigger, but I've seen pics and it looks like 14 inch may work.

Thanks

[fordor41]

all I've seen are for 15" wheels. I assume to fit a caliper inside a 14" wheel would result in a too small a caliper to really operate the best. or it's been so long that 14" wheels were changed to 15" that it is not worth engineering kits for 14"

[5851a]

I've never done a disk swap, but a 14 x 6 Mustang wheel on a 55 Fairlane the upper A arm will cut the tire side wall. Apples to oranges I know, but will a 14 inch rim fit between the upper and lower A arms?

[19Fordy]

chad, stick with 15 in. You will be happier in the long run. Why do you want 14 inch rims?
If you are looking to lower your car, you can get lower profile 15 in. tires or modify the suspension.
Plus, 14 in. tires are on the way out and will become more expensive as the market is getting smaller.

[tubman]

Ditto on 14" tires being hard to find. My late girlfriend had a mini-van with 14" rims, and one of the reasons we got rid of it was lack of tire availability.

[chad49]

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The car had14 inch rims when I bought it. I upgraded and went with 14s again. My bad
I just don't want the expense of buying 15s but may have to in order to upgrade brakes.

[tubman]

In the meantime, while you're waiting for your new 14" tires to wear (or age) out, make sure the current brakes are in top shape. Unless you live in the mountains somewhere, the stock brakes are totally adequate for everyday use. When I re-did my '51 in 1987, I went totally through the brake system and it has performed admirably ever since. The only things required : a couple of brake adjustments (kind of a pain, I know), and a change of brake fluid (DOT4) every 10 years or so.

[blucar]

A word or two of caution regarding disk brakes on early car suspension.
Several of my friends have converted their front brakes from drum to disk using many different systems, some from aftermarket vendors and some from donor vehicles. Almost everyone of my friends either sold the car and/or did a complete front clip with cross member, etc. My brother is in the process of converting his '54 to a TCI unit from the clabbered together disk brake conversion he put under the car about ten years ago.
When disk brake conversions became very popular in the mid to late '80's, I did a lot of research on the matter which convinced me that junk yard and/or donor car suspension/brakes was not the way to go.

I have had excellent results with rack-pinion steering and disk brakes from TCI or Fatman.

[Als48]

The front discs on my '48 Ford were for a '73 Olds Cutlass which had "14 wheels from the factory. They barely fit, however and required slight modification to the mounting brackets to allow the caliper to clear my 14" front wheels. It might require a little "fiddling" but they will fit with a 14" wheel.

Al Hook

[wga]

Have you checked with these sources? Mounting the brackets to the stock spindles -
ask the suppliers if the track width will increase.


https://www.ecihotrodbrakes.com/earl...nversions.html

https://shoebox-central.com/brakes

[1948F-1Pickup]

I think you might need a sliding caliper design but it might actually be the height of the caliper assembly that's the issue. I didn't check a 14" rim when I did my design because I had new 15" from Wheelsmith.

[Gene1949]

Originally Posted by tubman

When I re-did my '51 in 1987, I went totally through the brake system and it has performed admirably ever since. The only things required : a couple of brake adjustments (kind of a pain, I know), and a change of brake fluid (DOT4) every 10 years or so.

gotta go with tubman here. Just my $.02 (don't mean to step on anyone's " cool factor")
I'm saying those of us with stock suspensions and a flat motor; well maintained factory brakes are more than adequate.
Sure, you can "wring out" that chassis/engine for short bursts but about 75mph all day long is about it. @ 75 mph those old drums are just fine

[Gene1949]

IF I were to consider it I would look at Lincoln Versailles. Lots of brake parts available.
They came with 14" wheels and it's a "bolt on" for my Granada rear.