Questions about brake upgrade.

I would like to upgrade the front brakes on my Zephyr. It currently has the stock four cylinder ones. I was planning on going with the V8 87-93 route. So here are my questions.

1. What size rotors will I have to purchase? I've read that there are 10" and 11". Also what about the calipers? I've read something about the 73mm SVO ones.

2. What about the master cylinder and brake booster? Can I upgrade just the M/C or do I have to do both? What would be the best ones to use? Also what about the brake lines?

3. Will I have any clearance issues? I currently have a set of 10 hole Mustang rims in my possession and will be using those so I don't think I will have any issues. But the question is, what if I want to return to my stock 14" steelies?

4. What about the front struts and springs? Will have I have to change my current set up any?

Sorry if these questions have been asked before but I just want to do it right the first time. Plus I don't want to have to look at 20 different websites trying to figure out what parts I need to buy.

Thanks for any and all help.

1. The 87-93 V8's use a 4 lug 11" rotor. The calipers have 60 mm pistons that are different than the 4 cylinder versions. The flex hoses are also different. Mark VII LSC's have the 73 mm calipers that you mentioned and are a bolt on swap for the regular V8 calipers. I have heard that those Mark VII calipers are the same part number as 80's C.Vic's.

The associated problem is that you'll also need spindles from a V8 car; these spindles have a thinner mounting face for the strut shocks and so you'll need new V8 shocks or use some spacer washers.

2. I've seen 11" brake swaps with the original master cylinder in place and that seems to work fine. An 84-86 Mustang SVO master cylinder is a decent upgrade.

3. The early 10 holes are supposed to have some clearance issues with the larger brakes. Later 10 holes (E7SC part number) were introduced with the larger brakes in 1987 and obviously clear the front brakes. I don't think that 14" steelies will clear the rotors and calipers.

4. The springs will work although the improved A-frames and springs from a V8 Mustang would be better.

Okay great that pretty much answers all of my questions. But it got me thinking about the rotors. Seeing that one day I might want to put the stock steelies back on. So this leads me to another question.

Can I upgrade to the 73mm calipers and SVO master cylinder and still keep the stock rotors? If I can do that will I have clearance issues with the stock 14's using the bigger calipers?

No, the 14" wheels will not clear the large calipers.

Hello fox81

I've never tried to fit 73mm Mark Vii calipers on to the 10" rotor and spindle.

i realize all this was posted some time ago BUT,jnorth8 i dont know where you got your info but it is WRONG. The lincoln calipers will not bolt onto 87-93 v8 mustang spindles. the lincoln calipers will only work with lincoln spindles, period.In order to use lincoln front brakes on your fairmont you would have to figure out how your going to swap the lower a arms and air ride from the lincoln. I know this because i read this very same post and took your word that you knew what you were talking about and BAUGHT a 90 mark 7 and guess what? nothing would work so i ended up using the lincoln rotors to do the 5 lug swap with and the rear end and the rest was wasted because IT WONT WORK.PLEASE do more research before saying that"it will work". ALL WAS NOT LOST BUT ALL WAS NOT USED!

troofrs wrote:

The lincoln calipers will not bolt onto 87-93 v8 mustang spindles. the lincoln calipers will only work with lincoln spindles, period.

What exactly wouldn't fit? Everybody and their brother has been doing this swap for years. The 73MM calipers WILL fit a '87+ V8 Fox Mustang spindle. You're doing something wrong.

I did this conversion a few years back on an '89 Mustang GT convertible for a friend. I pulled a pair of 73MM front calipers from a 1991 Lincoln Mark VII (swanky Bill Blass edition) and they bolted right on to the stock '89 Mustang 5.0 spindles and worked with the stock four lug rotors. Friend wanted to run five star Pony wheels, so we left it four lug. We installed T bird turbo coupe rear discs, North Race Cars brackets to use the calipers with the stock Fox axles, and a '94-'95 Mustang Cobra booster and master cylinder with an adjustable prop valve and the 3 to 2 line conversion. When done, that car stopped as well as a stock '93 Cobra, very successful conversion.

Maybe the pre-'91 Mark VII's had a different caliper, but if they did, I haven't ever heard anyone mention it.

-Mike S.

I would swap M/C and proportioning valves if i were you, your car will stop funny if you dont. The V8 stang brakes have bigger flex lines as well so dont forget to get those. If you were in the north I'd say to run new lines as well, but I imagine yours have no rust lol.

Are you putting a V8 in it? If not don't worry about the springs, pull the sway bars off of a stang in the wreckers and get the poly bushings for it, you will be driving a completely different car.


I'd forget about the steelies... Wont clear, and why would you want them too?? lol. 10 holes are such an improvement.

hello troofrs

When I did this brake swap a few years ago, I used '88 Mark VII LSC calipers and brake pads on '90 HO Mustang spindles and 4-lug rotors. It all bolted together like various internet sources said it should. The sites mentioned above by Z7turbo were around back then and I pretty much copied what was suggested there. I tried to reflect that in my earlier comments above.

It's too bad it is not turning out so well for you. I guess we've all been there with parts that were "supposed-to-bolt-right-on". I hope you can figure it out.

i was using a set of 87 5 liter mustang lx front spindles and trying to use the brake calipers from a 90 mk vii. if you guys were using the same parts i was trying to use there is NO way it would work.The bolt holes were too far apart to bolt them to the spindles.The calipers wouldnt even fit in the spindles,they were too wide.Is there such a possibility that lincoln had an even BIGGER grake option?i doubted it but now i dont know,so many people cant be wrong if it worked for you guys it should have worked here.I owe this entire club a very sincere APPOLOGY!! I didnt mean to make anyone mad but i WAS pissed,but i should have known,ive been working on Fords for 25 years,and parts staying the same has never been Fords strong point!!!!The lincoln i got was probably one of two that was put out with the goofy caliper size hahaha.

troofrs wrote:

i was using a set of 87 5 liter mustang lx front spindles and trying to use the brake calipers from a 90 mk vii. if you guys were using the same parts i was trying to use there is NO way it would work.The bolt holes were too far apart to bolt them to the spindles.The calipers wouldnt even fit in the spindles,they were too wide.Is there such a possibility that lincoln had an even BIGGER grake option?i doubted it but now i dont know,so many people cant be wrong if it worked for you guys it should have worked here.I owe this entire club a very sincere APPOLOGY!! I didnt mean to make anyone mad but i WAS pissed,but i should have known,ive been working on Fords for 25 years,and parts staying the same has never been Fords strong point!!!!The lincoln i got was probably one of two that was put out with the goofy caliper size hahaha.

You know, come to think of it, I ran into this same exact problem. My car had exchanged hands a couple of time before I bought it back....while it was gone, it recieved a k-members swap....spindles and some misc brake parts.....3 sets of calipers....2 sets were identicle....I sat them next to each other to note the difference.


I'm using the calipers with the bolt on brake like....so I'm now confused....when I bought the brake lines, I had the part#'s cross referenced....they fit svo mustangs or mark7 lincolns...wtf do I have?
the only problem that I don't have, is that I was able to get it together because of the supply of parts that I've accumulated.