Teach me about 01+ factory spindle/brake combinations

[stmitch]

I think I recall that Ford offered a couple of different brake rotor sizes starting around 2001 on the SLA (non torsion bar) trucks. Parts stores show a few different rotor diameters. Can anybody confirm that different sizes were offered? If so, what I'm really after is whether the different rotors used different spindle/knuckles.
For the sake of this discussion, 4WD and torsion bar stuff probably doesn't apply.

 

[sgtsandman]

4WD doesn’t use spindles since the bearing is bolted to the knuckle and the axle stub goes through the bearing and the hub. Very different from the integrated hub setup of the RWD trucks.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So it’s been years since I bought any brake parts for it, but my 2wd 2000 Ranger had a bigger brake rotor. I remember the first time I replaced them I had bought from an Advance Auto and they only listed one size which was too small. Went to a little mom n pop type place and they had to dig out a book and figure it out because what was listed as the normal there was too small. They told me that I had a heavy duty package on the truck for springs and brakes, but I don’t know how true that is. It had a 4960 gvw. Rear brakes were the 10” drums on a 7.5” axle. I ended up swapping it for a 8.8” with limited slip.

 

[don4331]

@stmitch : There are 5 2wd rotors that I am aware of:

'90-'94 10.28" rotor/ 0.850" thick/2.170 height/2.50" wheel center (the single piston rotors)​

'95-'97 10.28" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.50" wheel center​

post 98 10.28" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.77" wheel center​

post 98 11.28" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.77" wheel center​

Sport Trac RWD 12" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.77" wheel center​

​

All use the same bearings/seal. If you match the correct caliper bracket with the correct rotor, you can switch the '95+ rotors.
The 2wd torsion bar spindle is the same as SLA spindle is the same as the '90+ TIB one.

Does that help?

 

[stmitch]

@stmitch : There are 5 2wd rotors that I am aware of:

'90-'94 10.28" rotor/ 0.850" thick/2.170 height/2.50" wheel center (the single piston rotors)​

'95-'97 10.28" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.50" wheel center​

post 98 10.28" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.77" wheel center​

post 98 11.28" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.77" wheel center​

Sport Trac RWD 12" rotor/1.023" thick/2.600 height/2.77" wheel center​

​

All use the same bearings/seal. If you match the correct caliper bracket with the correct rotor, you can switch the '95+ rotors.
The 2wd torsion bar spindle is the same as SLA spindle is the same as the '90+ TIB one.

Does that help?

Awesome Don! Thanks.
I guess the question at the root of this thread is regarding knuckles. I remember reading that the larger discs also used a different knuckle with different caliper bolt spacing.
I've got an old Cobra brake adapter kit on my shelf (purchased second hand a few years ago from a stalled project), and I'm trying to determine which knuckle it would bolt to.

 

[don4331]

But I am 99% sure that I upgraded my son's 2wd Ranger from 10.28" to 11.28" rotors by just swapping in the correct caliper brackets. And I'm equally sure I upgrades an "Edge" from 11.28" to 12" using the same trick..

For 4wd; I know on my daughter's SuperLift, there are 2 different sets of holes for the calipers depending on if we're running 11.28 or 12" rotors. (Her winter tires are on 15" rims and they don't clear the 12" rotors).

 

[sgtsandman]

But I am 99% sure that I upgraded my son's 2wd Ranger from 10.28" to 11.28" rotors by just swapping in the correct caliper brackets. And I'm equally sure I upgrades an "Edge" from 11.28" to 12" using the same trick..

For 4wd; I know on my daughter's SuperLift, there are 2 different sets of holes for the calipers depending on if we're running 11.28 or 12" rotors. (Her winter tires are on 15" rims and they don't clear the 12" rotors).

I can confirm the 11.28" and 15" rims on the 4X4 Rangers. There is just enough room for 15" wheels to clear. My old steel rims for the winter tires got too much corrosion on the inside and were damaging the brake hardware on the front calipers. I had to beat the rust off with a hammer to get a final year of use out of the rims.

 

[stmitch]

I guess at some point I'm going to have to pull a wheel off and compare the caliper bracket adapters that I have installed with what's on the shelf to know once and for all.