A 1957-68 Galaxie is a big, heavy car, and the factory four-wheel drums were never great at stopping it. After a couple of hard stops the drums heat up, the pedal gets longer, and the car starts to pull. Converting the front brakes to discs is the single biggest safety upgrade you can make to a full-size Ford.
This guide covers what a bolt-on conversion includes, which kit fits your car, and how the install goes.
Which cars this covers
The Force 10 F152 kits fit the 1957-1968 full-size Fords, including Galaxie, Galaxie 500, Custom, Custom 500, Country Sedan, Country Squire, Ranch Wagon, LTD, Fairlane, Sunliner, Skyliner and Victoria, plus 1958-1960 Thunderbird, 1957-1959 Ranchero, 1961-1968 full-size Mercury (Monterey, Montclair, Marauder, Park Lane, Colony Park and others) and 1959-1960 Edsel. The full year-by-year list is on each kit page.
Why 4-piston calipers, and why all Ford
Many low-cost conversion kits bolt a GM single-piston caliper to the car with an adapter plate. They work, but you end up with mixed-brand parts and a look that isn't right under a classic Ford.
The F152 kits use Ford-style 4-piston calipers on Ford-style caliper brackets. Four pistons spread the clamping force evenly across the pad, which gives a firm, consistent pedal, and the setup looks like it belongs on the car.
What comes in the kit
- 4-piston calipers with stainless transfer tubes and stainless bleeder screws (zinc, black or red)
- 11.25" vented rotors with the bearing races already installed (plain, or cross-drilled and slotted "XD")
- Semi-metallic pads with stainless anti-rattle clips
- Powder-coated caliper brackets with the correct mounting bolts
- DOT rubber brake hoses with line clips
- Timken bearings, seals and dust caps
- Zinc-plated factory-style dust shields
- Grade 8 mounting hardware and step-by-step instructions
The kit bolts to your original drum brake spindles. There's no cutting, drilling or welding. You'll need 14" or larger wheels (14x7 minimum), and the calipers clear the factory sway bar.
Pick the right kit: manual or power
Front kit only (F152). For cars that already have a master cylinder and proportioning valve set up for front discs.
Manual brakes (F152-D). Adds a Ford-style dual-bowl master cylinder and an adjustable proportioning valve. The dual-bowl master splits the front and rear circuits, so a leak at one end doesn't take out all of your brakes.
Power brakes (F152-PBLP). Adds an 8" dual-diaphragm brake booster with bracket and pushrod, a low-profile aluminum dual-bowl master cylinder and an adjustable proportioning valve. This is the kit for lighter pedal effort, and it's the most popular choice for a car you drive often.
Every kit comes with zinc, black or red calipers and plain or cross-drilled and slotted rotors.
How the install goes
- Lift the car and support it on jack stands. Remove the front wheels.
- Remove the drum brakes. Take off the drums, shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders and backing plates. Disconnect the front hoses.
- Install the dust shields and caliper brackets on the original spindles using the supplied hardware.
- Pack and install the new bearings, then mount the rotors and adjust the bearing preload.
- Mount the calipers to the brackets and connect the new DOT hoses.
- On D and PBLP kits, install the master cylinder and proportioning valve (and the booster on PBLP kits). Depending on your car, you may need to bend new hard lines to fit.
- Bleed the whole system, starting at the wheel farthest from the master cylinder.
- Set the proportioning valve and bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops before normal driving.
Follow the instructions that come with your kit for exact torque values and bearing adjustment.
Backed by Force 10 Brakes
Every F152 kit is covered by a 2-year limited warranty, and our tech line can help if you get stuck. Have questions about fitment for your car? Contact us before you order and we'll make sure you get the right kit.
