i can't figure it out... i did the swap on my 72.i needed new tierod ends. spindles came from a 76. my 70 swap... spindles came from a 75. 72 has power steering. 1970 has manual. i didn't know there was a science, i just ordered new ones just because i needed a front end alignment anyhow, why not get new ends? they are cheap and have new boots!
I didn't have to change tie-rod ends on mine, so I really don't get it. Since this is the most common upgrade to older Mavericks/Comets, it would really be nice to discover an absolute answer to eliminate confusion for those attempting the disc brake conversion in the future. The donor car had power brakes, but I went with the manual disc set-up after discovering what a P.I.T.A. the power brake conversion would be. I used the manual disc brake master cylinder with a shorter push-rod so that the pedal wouldn't be too high, and the stock distribution block (not a prop valve). It has worked great for 13 years now. I suggest not even messing around with the factory disc brake prop valve; if you want a prop valve, use an adjustable aftermarket unit...
i did this same swap about three years back on my old 72 mach 1. it was a direct swap,i don't recall changing tierod ends though.tl,is there a difference in the man drum m/c and the man disc m/c?i'm trying to avoid changing the rod length and what not.
chuck, on my 71' and 73' i just dropped the compleat front end. that way i got everything. i dropped the drum set up and slid the disk under and bolted all back up. took my son and i about 4 hrs....frank...:bananaman :bananaman L.T.N.G.
Well, according to this thread from a while ago, I guess it depends on the car to figure out what tie rods to use. If yours don't work with the spindle swap them, and if they do, use them. Check it out. I would suggest getting new ends anyway, and they might as well be for the year spindle you are putting on. http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3674&highlight=tie+rod+ends -Corbin
My parts store has two different tie rods listed, one for 71-74, and a different one for 75-77. I can't find one for 69-70. The 71-74 were drum brakes (except for the few manual disc brake 74s, but I have heard they were a little different from the 75-77 ones). In 75 disc brakes were standard. Drum and disc spindles used different tie rods, although the differences are very minute. -Corbin
'74 models used the same disc brake spindles and rotors.....it was the calipers that were different. To anwer Inline6's question; the difference between disc and drum M/C's are that the Disc M/C has a bigger front reservoir to compensate for fluid displacement as the pads wear, and the brake line fittings are a different size. The new ones that you buy usually come with two different length rods in the box, but both are too long. I used the rod from a drum M/C so that the pedal height would be correct. A '74 disc brake master cylinder "should" be a direct bolt-in including brake line fittings, but I haven't actually tried it. It has the bigger reservoir and I "think" utilized the same brake pedal as the '71-'73 models. It also uses the same distribution block as the drum equipped cars--no prop valve. If you check your brake fluid often or don't drive the car all the time, you can easily get by with using the stock drum master cylinder. While we're on the subject: The power brake set-up can be done and has been done, but it's usually more trouble than most people want to deal with. The entire steering column pedal support bracket must be changed and a new hole must be cut in the firewall for the push rod. The pedal hangs from the left side of the column instead of the right. You also need the power brake spring tower brace, as it is shaped to fit over the vacuum power booster. It actually looks stupid because it's shaped completely different from the passenger side brace (but of course no one sees it with the hood closed). Power brakes are nice but not really necessary on these cars, and the manual set-up allows for more radical cam profiles (for you racers) which produce less vacuum that can cause power brakes to not function well...
