Grinding needed on Front Disk Brake kit?

[malibubronco]

One of the kits I am considering for my front disk brake conversion states in the instructions that you will need to grind down some of the Ford steering knuckle.
Are there any kits that do not require grinding? Thanks

 

[904Bronco]

One of the kits I am considering for my front disk brake conversion states in the instructions that you will need to grind down some of the Ford steering knuckle.
Are there any kits that do not require grinding? Thanks

Grinding is needed to provide clearance between the knuckle and the caliper. This is for a GM based kit. Now if you could find the components for a 76-77 Bronco that had factory disc... No grinding, but you would have to swap knuckles.

As an idea of the Grinding needed:

 

[SteveL]

I went with the full size 78-79 bronco disc swap it's also on 74 or 76-79 f-150 4x4. Take everything from the knuckles out. I think the hub, rotor, lockouts and calipers are the same as 76-77. The full size knuckles use taper adapters for the 66-75 tie rods. If you use 76-77 knuckles you need a different yie rod set up that is wider. The ford kits bolt right on a drum brake dana 44. If you have a dana 30 your stuck with the gm swap.

 

[Jaybr]

The Duff kit comes with knuckles and uses Ford calipers, no grinding.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[garberz]

All of the GM based kits will require grinding of the knuckles to allow clearance. It doesn’t matter who you buy it from. You’ll need to grind.
If you buy the Duff’s kit, or source used parts from a 76-79 Ford Dana 44, no grinding required.

Mark

 

[pcf_mark]

You did not list what year your rig is. If you have a Dana 30 the only option is the GM conversion with grinding of the knuckles. Not a big deal but you have to do it. It will bot on w/o doing it but as the pads wear the caliper contacts the knuckle and you get wonky braking.

 

[malibubronco]

Thank you for the help! I have a 73 w/302 and AT

 

[hankjr]

when i ground mine, i first cut the weld to the adjustment bolt



then i taped off and marked a target area



then i ground with a flap disc and kept checking clearance until i was clear with some extra but not too much. i dont remember if this was a progress pic or final amount of grinding.



the tape became masking for when i reprimed and painted the exposed material

Hank

 

[chuckyb]

What Mark said. Grinding really is on easy side of tasks with the front disc brake conversion. It’ll take 20 mins with a cheap angle grinder or probably even a Dremel tool. Rebuilding the kingpins on a Dana 30 is a PIA but you won’t have to deal with that.

 

[bronconut73]

I remember grinding mine a little at a time too.
Don't forget to create enough clearance for pad wear.

Eazy!

 

[DirtDonk]

Someone posted up a link about a year ago or so, to a new kit from a company at that time unknown, that I seem to remember did not require grinding.
But at that point nobody had used their product so had no feedback.

Don't remember how it was, nor have I heard mention since then of anyone giving it a try.
But as the others have said, the grinding is not that big of a deal with the right tools. I would not wan to try it with a hammer & chisel, or nail file (!!!) but if you're going to work on vehicles an angle grinder is not the worst tool you could put in your collection.

Paul

 

[toddz69]

Someone posted up a link about a year ago or so, to a new kit from a company at that time unknown, that I seem to remember did not require grinding.
But at that point nobody had used their product so had no feedback.

Paul

You may be thinking of this company:

https://leedbrakes.com/i-23439457-front-disc-brake-conversion-kit-knuckle-mount.html

They were at SEMA in 2018 and I talked to them there.

Todd Z.