Gen II 2wd 95-97 front brake upgrade...

After looking into improved brake options for my 2wd V-8 Ranger project I read up on the info here regarding the 95-97 twin piston caliper upgrade for front brakes.

As mentioned in the Sticky, the later model brakes utilize a replaceable bracket to mount the calipers to the spindles, making the spindles a "non wear item". Thankfully I have a '91 Gen II so I only have to replace the pieces outboard of the ball joints. Of course "while I'm in there" it would be foolish not to replace the balljoints as well.

So last month I went about shopping for the required pieces at prices I could afford. I located a good pair of used salvage yard spindles on a '97, bought a new pair of calipers, decided I might as well buy a new pair of drilled/slotted rotors and ceramic performance pads, bought new flex hoses, new master cylinder, etc.

I want to make sure all my brake system parts are up to the task and wont need replacement for a long time. I had already decided to eliminate the brake booster to drop a little weight and uncrowd the underhood space, plus
I like having braking that wont degrade if the engine dies.
It will also mean one less potential vacuum leak.

I want this truck light and simple... manual steering, manual brakes, manual trans, manual windows, manual doorlocks, no A/C and minimal electrical system.

I believe with the front and rear brake upgrades the manual brakes will give me plenty of stopping power along with a much improved brake feel.
One more mod is to eliminate the RABS, I hate having ABS...

I copied the post below from my V-8 build thread as a heads up for anyone contemplating the front brake upgrade. I'll be posting pics of needed parts and the upgrade process, as I have time, for any who may be interested.

Here is a link to my Range Rover all aluminum V-8 swap, still in progress...

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21297

I finally got my caliper mounting brackets! I never thought they would be the most difficult pieces of the twin piston caliper upgrade to acquire... So... if you're gonna do the 95-97 front brake upgrade make sure to buy "semi-loaded" calipers and check and double check with the supplier that they actually DO come with the correct brackets!!!

I did all my homework, emailed suppliers before purchases and here's how it went...

First attempt: Received a beautiful pair of brand new Dorman Calipers with NO brackets.
Emailed the seller... NEVER got a reply, (going on 5 weeks), NICE!!!

I searched everywhere trying to locate an affordable pair of brackets with NO luck.
Oddly, Dorman makes new caliper brackets but ONLY the 4wd units which have a different bolt spacing and average $60 a pair!!!
Be warned, if you think your Ford dealership is the answer... they wanted over $100... EACH!!!

Second attempt: Purchased another pair of calipers "with brackets" , (inexpensive reman units just to get brackets), from a different supplier, received two calipers, ONE had a bracket, a 4wd bracket!!! I called the customer service # and was given a return OK for the purchase and a full refund including shipping. I did receive the best customer service with personal assistance and a guarantee to hook me up with the correct parts. I repacked the calipers and dropped them at UPS for return shipping.

Third attempt: With the help of the customer service manager I re-ordered another pair of calipers, (remember, I'm still just trying to get a decent deal on the correct brackets I was promised with the new calipers I bought in my first attempt!!!). He guaranteed me he would personally open the boxes and not only verify the correct part numbers and presence of BOTH brackets but also measure the mounting bolt spacing on BOTH brackets to be certain they would be correct for the 2wd application. He also apologized for the hassle and assured me that my experience was not typical of their service.

So finally yesterday, June 16th I received my order and all is good. I bought the original pair of new calipers on May 5th. Hey, it only took me 42 days to get the two pieces I needed to complete the parts purchase for the front brake upgrade!!!

Now I just need to sell the two reman calipers I bought to recoup some of the money spent getting the brackets...whew, Murhpy's law comes to mind...

So, once I get the salvage yard spindles sandblasted and painted it will be time to tear into the front end. I figured since I'll be disconnecting the steering linkage during the swap I'd replace it all with new OEM pieces.

Found an Ebay seller that has the correct 2wd parts and bought everything needed. The tie rod, drag link and both tie rod ends were $69.99, two adjusting sleeves $13.99.

I also picked up new upper and lower ball joints and new radius arm bushings so I should be in good shape for front suspension.

I'll post pics of the parts and process when the time comes...

Stay tuned,
Mike

Here are a couple parts pics...



The elusive 2wd bracket, note part #...



Here you get a sense of the 10" drums size...



I LIKE the new rotors!!!

Mike