How do you swap spindles??? MARK VIII???

sizemoremk

Registered User
1990 sc automatic


:confused:
HOW do you change the spindles? I've not been under there in in a couple of months, and can't remember what's involved....

Can someone give me a quick run-down of what's involved in swaping the spindle itself?? The hub bolt comes off??? Are the wheel bearings in the spindle itself? Should I replace wheel bearings whilt out, or inpect and leave em be???

Background:

I am thinking of a brake upgrade to the Mark VIII brakes, but understand I have to replace the spindles and sway bar end links.

What year MVIIIs can I use for a donor? Is it all 93 – 97 with ABS? I can use MVIII spindles, sway bar end links, calipers, and rotors....is this right?

So, is there anything else involved that I didn’t think about?

They just bolt right on up? Should I get the calipers and rotors from the salvage yard or should I buy em new from the parts shop?
Should I worry about using the used calipers, or is visual inspection enough?

I got a $200 quote so far on Mark VIII spindles with brakes and all.... sounds like a good price to me!


Thanks guys!
 
If you are getting the spindles with the hubs attached, I would just make sure they turn freely and leave them alone. The bolt that holds them on (behind the cap) is torqued to 250 ft/lbs and should not be re-used if removed.

Jack up the car and put your jackstands under the front crossmember, not on the lower arm of the front suspension. This will allow the spring to fully extend. Then take off the wheel.

The spindles are held on by the upper and lower ball joints, the tie rod end and sway bar links. Be careful getting the tie rod end out since you will have to re-use it. Watch the boots on the ball joints. Tears in the boot now can lead to premature failure. Also you will have to carefully remove the ABS sensor. It has a small bolt in back of the spindle that must be removed. Once the bolt is out it can be carefully driven out of the spindle with a small socket and hammer.

Installing the used caliper, used pads and used rotors is up to you and your budget. It would be an excellent time to start with new pads, new rotors and rebuilt calipers. You could also put on new front brake hoses. If your suspension parts are original high mileage 90 units, it is a convenient time to replace all bushings and ball joints. (But not a lot of fun!) It is also recommended (but not always followed) that you use a new nut and bolt on the top ball joint.

Of course you get to bleed the new calipers when you are done! Be sure and have brake fluid on hand and do not let the resevoir get too low! Good time to flush the brake system.

The 93-97 ABS equipped Mark VIII should have all the stuff you need including the swar bar links. If you get the ABS sensors attached, you could probably use them if they will mate to the cables in your SC, but I don't think they will.

Any other questions, just ask!
 
So the hub is actualy part of the spindle! Good.

I just had the sytem flushed too :mad:

I just replaced all the bushings I could and just did the upper bal joints, so I'm good there!

I'm curious just how much better the brakes will be :confused:

I'm sure I'll need to replace the pads, and turn the rotors... the guy says 200 for the whole setup, and another guy says he wants me to come all the way out to BFE before he will price them for me......I was hoping to get a balpark figure....

One guy said he wanted 150 for the spindles alone, and didn't have any bracketry or even hubs....

Thanks for the info!!!
 
What's so great about the mark brakes over the sc's?

I have a '93 VIII and they don't impress me, don't notice that they work any better than anything else..

SC isn't running so I guess I can't compare..

Chris
 
I was seriously let down the other night when I changed out the front pads..I couldn't believe my eyes! The SC front brakes are single piston in 1993....What a scam!
TBSCoupe
 
All of the Ford replacement brake calipers for our cars are single piston. The Mark brakes allow the largest rotor that will fit in the 16" wheel.

There is a dual piston caliper upgrade you can get with the 93+ SC spindles (I think you just need the spindles, your 89-92 hub will work with the 93+ spindle) but the rotor diameter is still slightly smaller than the Mark rotor.
 
I always thought the SC brakes were pretty good. They bring this big heavy car from 60-0 in 140 feet. That is pretty impressive for a big car. That is impressive for a small car. You would probably benifit more by going with some slotted rotors and some carbon brakes
 
As George Davenport posted in another thread you will have to swap hubs and rotors from a 1993-1997. Still a lot cheaper and does not require the front end to be realigned. Junk yard spindles may cost $50 each then the cost of the alignment.
 
Rich,

I'm feeling retarded here.

So, are you saying that that take off kit at Five Motor Sport will bolt onto a 1989-1992 spindle? (see how confused I am?)

Or is it as I'm thinking.. Any upgrade for the 89-92 brakes requires a new spindle?

Thanks guys.
 
I cannot 100% verify that the Mustang PBR calipers will fit the 89-92 rotors with spindle. Since you are reusing your stock rotors and hubs my feeling is they will bot-on. Stock 89-97 rotors are 10.87" while the Mustang uses 11" rotors. Not enought difference to cause any problems. As long as you use the stock 10.87" T-Bird rotors I believe the Mustang brakes will work. Maybe someone here who has a 89-92 car can try. If you can install a 93-97 caliper bracket and caliper on a 89-92 spindle/rotor I would say yes it will work without any additional parts. The Mustang take offs are dirt cheap!

I put a few pictures together. Dual Mustang PBR calipers on a stock set of rotors 93-97. http://www.fiveomotorsport.com $127 per set.

PBR on stock T-Bird rotors

DSC00001.JPG
 
These dual piston PBRs calipers from the 'Stang will NOT fit the 89-92 spindle. The caliper mounting is VERY different on the early style SC spindles.

I'm not sure about mounting those calipers on an 11" rotor. Some of the location of the caliper is controlled by the bracket. If those calipers will fit the Sport or Mark VIII bracket, then I believe they would work with those rotors.

This pic below shows the two different spindles. Late model (93-up) on the right and early model (89-92) on the right.

spindlecmp.jpg


It should be pretty clear on the early style that those "ears" prohibit any type of larger rotor from being installed. Even if they were cutoff, the area around the mountin holes is much smaller and weaker on the early spindles. I'm not sure the holes are even in the same location to the spindle.

The other thing that may not be clear from the angle of the photos is that the early style has a much greater arc on the top part of the spindle and will allow for a wider tire/rim combo.
 
You can't bolt anything on to the 89 - 92 spindles, other than stock calipers, beause the caliper mount is part of the spindle casting ... so the position of the caliper mount is fixed, not moveable to accommodate larger diameter rotors. That's why the swap to the 93 - up spindles is popular ...these take a separate caliper mounting bracket that bolts on to the spindle. 93 - up Bird / Cougar (except 96 - 97 Sport Pkg, which have the same 11.6" rotors and calipers as the Mark 8) calipers and mounting brackets are the same as 94 - 98 Mustang V6 and GT parts. Therefore any brake upgrades that will bolt on the 94 - up Mustang spindles can be made to work on the Bird spindles ... the 13" Cobra brakes, the 99 - up GT 2-piston calipers over the 10.9" rotors, even the 2000 Cobra R Brembo four-piston brakes can be used on the 93 - up MN-12 spindles.

Sounds like maybe we should put together an FAQ with all of the possible brake combinations !! :)


cheers
Ed Nicholson
SCCoO
 
What caliper upgrade can be used for those with the 11s"
rotors. without having to change bolt circles to a mustang.
Like the PBR.
 
I'm building a FAQ entry for this so look for it soon. That's why i'm trying to get it all clear. (Plus I'd prefer to maximize my dollars)

Thanks Rich and George. The pictures are great. And now I remember those castings from when i checked the pads 2 years ago. Shows why stock calipers certainly won't work after such a mod!

I'm going to jump on those take offs tomorrow. I hope they have some left. It looks like an excellent deal.

Thanks for the heads up Rich.
 
Last edited:
ricardoa1 said:
What caliper upgrade can be used for those with the 11s"
rotors. without having to change bolt circles to a mustang.
Like the PBR.

The 2-piston PBR calipers and brackets from the 99-up Mustang V6 and GT will go over the stock T-bird 10.9" rotors (same diameter and rotor thickness), and bolt on the 93-up Bird / Cougar spindles. Just make sure you get the base Mustang brackets and calipers, even though they are 2-piston PBR, they are different units than the Mustang Cobra pieces that fit over the 13" rotors.


cheers
Ed N.
 
The Mark uses 11.57" rotors. PBR only applies to the stock 10.87" rotors.
I meant stock mark 8 brakes
I want ugraded calipers for my 11.57" rotors. I want to know if they make anything "caliper" that fits it. I like the 11.57" rotors i just want to upgrade the caliper, and keep the set up.
 
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