Ford Ranger Brake Upgrades

Introduction

If you’re adding larger tires or just trying to improve the braking performance of your Ford Ranger, there a few modifications you can make. This page discusses those modifications.

Ford Ranger Rear Brakes

Ford Rangers come with a rear drum and front disk brake set-up from 1983-2009.

• GVWR over 4580 pounds use a 10-inch drum
• GVWR under 4580 pounds use a 9-inch drum

You can tell if you have a 9-inch or 10-inch brake drum by looking at the outer edge of the drum. If it’s smooth, then it’s a 10-inch drum. If it has ribs (fins), then it’s a 9-inch drum.

In 2010 and 2011, the Ford Ranger received rear disc brakes with 11-inch brake rotors.

In 1995, the Ford Explorer 31-spline 8.8-inch axle switched from a 10-inch rear drum to an 11-inch rear disc brake setup.

Rear Brake Drum Upgrade

You can upgrade your 9-inch drum brakes by swapping on the 10-inch backing plates, hardware, and brake drums from a Ford 7.5 or Ford 8.8 axle. The backing plates on 7.5 and 8.8 axles have a different bolt pattern and don’t interchange.

Retrofit 10-Inch Drums:

If you want to upgrade from the 9-inch rear drums to 10-inch rear drums, you’ll need the:

• Backing plate
• Wheel cylinders
• Emergency brake cable
• 10-inch drums

The wider 10-inch drums will not widen your rear track width. The backing plates for the 10-inch drums are offset so that it has the same width as the 9-inch brake drums.

Also, the Ford Ranger 7.5-inch axle and Ford Ranger 28-spline 8.8-inch axle have the same axle flange bolt pattern. So, a backing plate from a Ford Ranger 8.8 will fit a Ford Ranger 7.5.

10-Inch Ford Aerostar Brake Drum Upgrade

If you already have 10-inch drums (or you’re swapping to them), you can improve fade resistance by replacing your “smooth” 10-inch drums with the heavier ribbed drums that are specified for the 1993-1997 Ford Aerostar.

(Ford Aerostar 10-Inch Finned Brake Drum)

Factory Rear Discs:

For 2010 and 2011, the Ford Ranger came with rear disc brakes with an 11-inch rotor

(Factory rear disc brakes on 2010 Ford Ranger)

Upgrading A Rear Axle To Disc Brakes

Ford Ranger 28-Spline 8.8-Inch & 7.5-Inch Axles:

The most common way to add disc brakes to these axles has been to do the “Mustang Disc Brake Swap“. It’s not a direct bolt on because it requires some cutting, but it isn’t too difficult for the average guy that works on his truck.

Ford Ranger 31-Spline 8.8-Inch Axle (FX4):

You can swap in the disc brake components from a 1994-2001 Ford Explorer. You’ll need to grab everything from the backing plates forward.You’ll need to grab everything from the backing plates forward.

1990-1994 Ford Explorer 31-Spline 8.8-Inch Axles:

If you swapped in a 1990-1994 Ford Explorer 8.8-inch axle with drum brakes, you could swap all of the rear disc brake components from a later 1995-2001 ford Explorer. the 1995-2001 Discs bolt directly onto the 1991-1994 Explorer drum brake axle. You’ll need to grab everything from the backing plates forward. The 1995-2001 Discs DO NOT bolt to the Ford Ranger 8.8-inch axle.

Ford Ranger Front Brakes

Brake Rotors:

The Ford Ranger uses a 10.28-inch diameter, 0.850-inch-thick front brake rotor. The Ford Ranger 4×4 used the following rotors:

• Dana 28: 10.87″ Outside Diameter / 0.87″
• Dana 35 (1990-1994): 10.87″ Outside Diameter / 0.87″ Thick
• Dana 35 (1995-1997): 11.28″ Outside Diameter / 1.03″ Thick

Single Piston Brake Calipers:

The 1983-1994 front brake uses a single piston caliper with slide pins.

(Single Piston Caliper)

1995-1997 Dual Piston Caliper:

In 1995 the brake caliper was upgraded to a dual piston (2-piston) caliper, and the rotor was upgraded to 1.023 inches thick. The caliper bolts to the steering knuckle and does not use slide pins.

(Dual Piston Caliper)

Dual Piston Upgrade

1989-1994 Ford Ranger Dana 35: In order to add the dual piston (2-piston) caliper and larger rotor to your 1989-1994 Ford Ranger you swap over the 1995-1997 Ford Ranger steering knuckles, caliper brackets, calipers, rotors, and brake pads.

If you want the new brakes to be easy to connect on a 1989-1994 (and some late 1988’s) you need to order a NON-ABS Brake hose for the driver’s side from a 1997. 1997 was the ONLY year that ford made any non-ABS dual piston trucks (I have no idea why).

The 1989-1994’s without ABS use the frame end of the driver’s side brake hose as a T-block to split the brake line off the master cylinder to the left and right-side brakes (Thus the NON ABS hose). If on the other hand you have an ABS equipped 1993-1994 you want the ABS hoses.

1983-1988 Ford Ranger Dana 28: These axle beams are different than the 1989-1997 Dana 35 beams. You cannot swap dual piston calipers onto these axle beams.

1993-1997 Ford Ranger Dana 35 Hybrid: On a Dana 35 hybrid truck (Dana 35 beam with Dana 28 gears) you swap over the 1995-1997 Ranger steering knuckles, calipers, caliper brackets and rotors (the spindle, shaft, lockout hubs, etc are all the same and interchangeable).

12-Inch & 13-Inch Brake Rotors

12-Inch Brake Rotors: In 2003, the ford Explorer Sport Trac upgraded to a 12-Inch brake rotor. Some Ranger owners have found a way to convert their trucks to use this larger rotor. You will however need a 16-inch wheel to clear them.

(12-inch rotor left – Stock 10-inch rotor right)

To learn more, check out:

Sport Trac 12-Inch Rotor Upgrade For 2WD Ford Ranger

13-Inch Brake Rotors: There was a member (Tee Rev) at RPS that machined a hub and made a bracket to allow a 13-inch Mustang brake rotor to fit on the 1995-1997, and the 1999-2003 Ford Ranger. It would also work on the 1989-1994 Rangers if they were refitted with 1995-1997 steering knuckles. The kit is no longer sold.

 

Related Articles

Explorer 8.8 Rear Disc Brake Conversion

Ford Ranger / Bronco II Rear Disc Brake Conversion

Sport Trac 12-Inch Rotor Upgrade For 2WD Ford Ranger

Ford F-350 Master Cylinder Upgrade

Ford Hydro-Boost Conversion

 

Last Updated: November 23, 2025