[gwstang]

I have the Granada brakes on the front and stock drums on the rear of my '66 with 5.0 HO/AOD tranny. I would like a little easier stomping on the brake type help, so swmbo could drive every now and then. I see the power brake boosters for a reasonable amount on ebay. Using one with an auto tranny does not seem to be a problem so I would some feed back from someone who has done this upgrade? Thanks.

 

[rme1964]

I am not sure what the question is but I added the power brake booster many moons ago on my 1968 Mustang. I bought mine from Master Power Brakes. Is it necessary? Not sure but it definitely requires quite a bit less leg power to stop the car.


Everything thing I needed was supplied in the Kit I ordered.
From what I recall installation was more time consuming then I had thought but I am not much of a mechanic.

RME

 

[Flade]

Some folks will complain that you lose feel, or it's overpowered, but for a daily driver Swmbo will greatly appreciate the reduced effort.

 

[gwstang]

Thanks guys, sounds like it is worth a try.

 

[1969sag]

My car had non power drum brakes when I bought it. The first year I had it, I was driving in the slow lane (left lane) of one of our major freeways. I was driving the speed limit of 70 mph. There is a bend in this freeway that prevents you from seeing more than a few hundred feet. On this day all traffic in all lanes came to a dead stop, just around the bend. I pumped the NEW drum brakes a few times, then the car went sideways and the breaks locked up. There was NO way my car was stopping in time and a bad accident was imminent. I was fortunate that the car was pointing in the direction of the off ramp entrance. I had already passed 60ft of it. At the last 10 feet of access to the off ramp. I down shifted and stomped on the gas pedal. I barley made the off ramp with inches to spare.
I tell you this because some may say that drum brakes are adequate. Not when you are in traffic with modern vehicles that can stop in front of you a lot faster than you can stop.
This was an OH-S!%@ moment. As soon as I could I installed new power front disk brakes with larger rear drum brakes and all new lines.
The car is 100% safer now. It can stop on a dime.
So, DO IT. It might save your life, because there might not be an exit for you when an OH-S!@# moment happens.
Hope this helps.

 

[jdub]

Not when you are in traffic with modern vehicles that can stop in front of you a lot faster than you can stop.

This is not because they don't have manual drum brakes, this is because they have modern power disc brakes. Most Mustang guys switch to old school 1960s disc brakes that don't really offer a lot more stopping power over drums.

If you can lock up your brakes you have enough stopping power. Sounds like you needed anti-lock brakes. Don't really see too many guys do that. By the way, what type of tires were you on?

I constantly see this. People have no idea what they're getting when they switch to a $600-$800 power disc brake kit. You're not getting tons more stopping power. You're getting a better overall braking system, they fade less after repeated braking, they're easier to service. If you go to power brakes you're getting better pedal feel (depending on who you ask, some old school guys seem to really love the feel of manual brakes).

If you think switching to 1960s disc brakes is going to give you the ability to mash the brakes in a panic stop and stop as fast as a 2014 Camry, you're mistaken. You would need to go with Baer or Wilwoods or something. And you still need to threshold brake. Locking the brakes up is locking the brakes up is locking the brakes up. Doesn't matter if it's drums, discs, or whatever. And locking the brakes up is bad. That's driver error, not a weak brakes. I've found though that it's pretty easy to lock up the manual drums when you're not intending too. If power disc brakes give you better ability to control the pedal and threshold brake that is probably the biggest reason to switch to them.

 

[aolshove]

Snip...

Most Mustang guys switch to old school 1960s disc brakes that don't really offer a lot more stopping power over drums.

Snip...

I have to take issue with this statement (everything else in the post was good).

Disc brakes, even "ancient" 60's era disc brakes, are WAY more effective than drums and yes, they do offer a lot more stopping power including the reduction of fade and they tend to be more even left to right (rather than pulling one direction or the other). Also, they don't lose their responsiveness when it rains unlike drums brakes.

Regarding power vs manual, I'm running manual discs (from an ancient 71 Ranchero) and have had a few oh-sh*t moments in and around the Portland, OR area and have been more than able to stop in time. I'm 100% confident that the new drum brakes that were on the car when I bought it would not have been able to stop in time (I had them inspected by a brake shop one day and they tech said that "they are in excellent mechanical condition but that's just how drum brakes are")

A power M/C pretty much just makes it easier to exert maximum hydraulic pressure on the cylinders which is GOOD for the OP's wife (and him) if they are keeping their drum brake system because they're going to need all the help they can get sharing the road with modern vehicles.

Regarding locking the brakes up, you're just going to have to make pumping them a habit in any quick-stop situation.

Disclaimer: Just my 2 cents as a guy with a 68 that has experienced the use of front drums and front discs in congested city driving (but not power for either). Color and texture may vary. Void where prohibited.

- Alex O.

 

[app01]

My 69 Mach 1 had manual drum brakes all around, and my 70 Mach 1 when I first got it had power drum. Night and day with the 70 being much easier and if I took the 69 out versus the 70 for a drive, I was quickl;y reminded of the not so good stopping power as I went down my driveway.. Put disc on the 70 and now even better again.

 

[jdub]

Disc brakes, even "ancient" 60's era disc brakes, are WAY more effective than drums and yes, they do offer a lot more stopping power including the reduction of fade and they tend to be more even left to right (rather than pulling one direction or the other). Also, they don't lose their responsiveness when it rains unlike drums brakes.

Here's the thing, nobody uses the same definition for "stopping power." Magazines use 60-0 to determine how good a car's brakes are. And as we can see in this thread car enthusiasts use a panic stop as a way to determine if their brakes are adequate. First of all in a panic stop, without anti-lock brakes (since none of us have that in our Mustangs) tires are more important than whether you have discs or drums. If you can lock the brakes up you have more than enough surface area and force, so in a panic stop discs and drums are relatively equal. Switching from drums to discs will give you absolutely nothing in a panic stop if your strategy is to smash the pedal down as hard as you can.

A better test for braking would be 120-60, or 100-0 or repeated 60-0, this is where you will see that discs have a HUGE advantage over drums. But I am sick of seeing false information regarding drums vs. discs in a panic stop. Disc brakes aren't going to give much of an advantage in that situation. I promise.

 

[blkfrd]

You can get the feel of power brakes by using a smaller bore master cylinder. Your MC may be too large to begin with causing more foot pressure to stop. It does not take much in a decrease of the MC to make a substantial difference. Going from 1" to 7/8" bore will increase brake pressure by 30% for the same amount of foot pressure. The pedal travel will be further, but adjustment of the MC pushrod can take care of this.

I have Kelsey Hayes disks up front and Granada drums in back (slightly larger than stock). I had a 1" MC for a while. Now I use a 21mm MC from an 80s mustang and the manual brakes feel like power brakes without a booster or any booster vacuum concerns. Once set up, the additional pedal travel was easily adjusted for. It takes less pedal travel to stop since more pressure is being built up faster.

 

[GypsyR]

This thread sort of veered wildly off the tracks. Since when are "power" brakes equated with disk brakes. Four wheel drums can be power-assisted just as well.
I'm with blkfrd on this. Given the preference I prefer well balanced manual brakes. Key is balanced. My 100 pound wife drove my old F100 with manual disk/drum brakes and never noticed they weren't power. The way the brakes felt on that old truck is my target. When I can get my Mustang brakes to work and feel like the truck's did then I am golden. That's what I like. If you like power assist better, that's fine too. It's just a matter of taste really. That and ladies seem to like boosted brakes better all things being equal.

 

[gwstang]

Let me point out , for those who did not notice, that I have the Granada disc brakes up front. Put them on along time ago when there wasn't much else except the mustang disc stuff and everyone wanted $$$ for those. I got the Granada spindles for $25 and less than a $100 later...wala! I should have specified that they were discs and I already use a dual mc and also use a prop valve in line. I didn't even think that some would equate the Granada with drums up front, I thought all Granada brakes were disc brakes up front. Sorry. I remember the old drum brakes (I'm 58 so many still had them when I was a teen) and you go through some heavy rain/deep puddle (on one side or the other) and slap a pedal to those things and you just might swap ends...lol. :shocked:

 

[GypsyR]

You are correct. All Granadas had disc brakes up front at the least and a rare few had four wheel discs.

 

[GT289]

This is not because they don't have manual drum brakes, this is because they have modern power disc brakes. Most Mustang guys switch to old school 1960s disc brakes that don't really offer a lot more stopping power over drums.

If you can lock up your brakes you have enough stopping power. Sounds like you needed anti-lock brakes. Don't really see too many guys do that. By the way, what type of tires were you on?

If you think switching to 1960s disc brakes is going to give you the ability to mash the brakes in a panic stop and stop as fast as a 2014 Camry, you're mistaken. You would need to go with Baer or Wilwoods or something. And you still need to threshold brake. Locking the brakes up is locking the brakes up is locking the brakes up. Doesn't matter if it's drums, discs, or whatever. And locking the brakes up is bad. That's driver error, not a weak brakes. I've found though that it's pretty easy to lock up the manual drums when you're not intending too. If power disc brakes give you better ability to control the pedal and threshold brake that is probably the biggest reason to switch to them.

"Stopping power" is a function of caliper grip, friction capabilities of the pads and
tire traction. I don't think I'd want to put that Toyota up too high on a pedestal
AFA braking. At 117 ft from 60, it isn't worth talking about.
Try 80-0 in 123 ft on factory asbestos non-race pads..... and not in a car as
light as a Camry. The only thing the Camry has as an advantage is ABS and OE
ABS is not always the advantage you would think it is. A properly dialed-in,
antiquated 60's system at threshold will beat ABS more often than not.
Been there, done that.

ex-Global West GM
1991-1995

 

[jdub]

A properly dialed-in,
antiquated 60's system at threshold will beat ABS more often than not.
Been there, done that.

Key term: "at threshold"

We've already established that he smashed the brake pedal and locked them up. I just said that if you're going to do that, in a panic stop (let's assume 60-0 stuff), it really doesn't matter what you have as long it's functioning as specified (not diving to one side, or whatever). And in that case, OEM ABS would help a lot.

In a perfect world you'd never lock up your brakes- I rarely ever do, even when it's snowing. But most guys seem to compare braking systems in a panic stop lock-up situation. And in those cases it doesn't really matter what brakes you have. There's a million reasons to have disc brakes rather than drums. But a panic stop in city traffic is simply not one of them. Period.