Disc Brake Conversion - Caliper mounting bracket

Cougar Community
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Hi Community,

First time post, long time post reader. I’m restoring a 1968 Cougar 289, base model. I’m halfway through the front disc conversion and found out that the new '68 calipers and rotor I purchased are for a single piston caliper (per roccauto). The older conversion parts I got from a 1968 cougar had a 2 piston caliper and the mounting bracket isn’t the same. I’m wondering if I can get a compatible mounting bracket for the single piston caliper. The spindles are four bolt with the smaller bearing.

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The four piston calipers were used on the '67. I may be wrong but I think you need '68 disc brake spindles to add disc brakes.

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Yeah, I had that discussion with the guy I got them from. He insisted they came from a '68. He may be right. If it was an earlier model '68, they may have used left over parts.

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What spindles are you using? If they are the stock manual brake 68 spindles then you can bolt on the 67 four piston calipers and rotors. That is what you get from places like Chockostang in their kits. The 68 spindles were different between manual and disc brakes. Sounds like you need 67 calipers and rotors for the kit parts you have. The pieces you have from Rock Auto would perhaps work if you were replacing parts on a 68 factory disc brake car.

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The disc brake conversion uses reproduction 1967 4 piston calipers and rotors those will work on 67 - 69 drum brake spindles which you already have on your car. You need a lot of stuff to complete either conversion. Likely Rock Auto won’t be cheaper or easier. Or better.

Note: there are no adapter brakets to mount '68 disc brake calipers to your '68 drum brake spindles.

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Good to see you posting Royce. I knew you would have the answer. Take care of yourself you old fart.

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Thanks Mr 580. Yes, it sounds like I have '67 spindles and '68 everything else.

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Thanks Royce. That is what I was afraid of. So I need to either find '68 spindles with their caliper bracket or try to get a refund on all my '68 parts and go with the '67.

For the group, my old man bought this car in the mid 1980s. He kept it in the garage as his retirement project…and then COVID took him right after he retired in 2020. My son and I have been making small progress over the past year. It’s a lot! But it’s also a tribute to a guy who worked at Ford for 52 years. We’ll keep it up.

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