1955 Welwood brake conversion

[bobandjudy2]

I’m hoping to upgrade front brakes to a Welwood brake system using their full kit. I currently have manual brakes on the 55 Thunderbird. I would also like to replace master cylinder since mine is damaged. Anybody have any experience with this upgrade? Is it a direct bolt on for the 1955 thunderbird?

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[Machinehand]

I also have a 55 with manual brakes. I am using the Wilwood Dynalite front brake system - WIL-140-12922. It is a bolt on system. I am keeping the drums on the rear. So far, I am happy with it. The parts seem to be high quality and fit very well. I am still restoring the car and have not driven it. I have not selected a master cylinder/bore size yet either.

 

[bobandjudy2]

Your brake conversion looks great! Are you running the original Rims / wheels or are you upgrading them? Talking with Welwood they recommend their adjustable Proportioning valve (260-8419) and the Residual pressure valve (260-13784). Did you install those items also?

 

[Machinehand]

Thanks Bob. I plan on using the valves you mentioned above but I haven't installed them yet. I still have a lot of other work to do first.
My original thought was to go with 17" American Racing Salt Flats but 15" Black steels with Tbird poverty caps looks cool too. I haven't decided yet.
I would be interested in what master cylinder bore size Wilwood recommends for a front disc/rear drum manual brake setup on these birds.

 

[bobandjudy2]

Here is what Welwood suggests for master cylinder
For the master cylinder with that kit, you will want a 15/16” bore like our 260-14157 - https://www.wilwood.com/Search/PartNoSearch?q=260-14157

Or the more compact (but wider) version 260-15521- https://www.wilwood.com/Search/PartNoSearch?q=260-15521

 

[PJB]

I converted the front to disk brakes on my '55 using the Wildwood parts described (brakes, master cylinder, proportion valve and associated plumbing). Conversion was fairly simple...nothing overly technical about it. Brakes work great and I've been very happy with the change...I had parts to convert to power brakes and I opted to install disks instead. One suggestion, Wilwood now offers a "Compact Tandem" master cylinder which is an inch or two shorter than the Aluminum Tandem. Since the master cylinder extends over the exhaust manifold, the shorter length is a better fit.

 

[Jim B.]

I converted the front to disk brakes on my '55 using the Wildwood parts described (brakes, master cylinder, proportion valve and associated plumbing). Conversion was fairly simple...nothing overly technical about it. Brakes work great and I've been very happy with the change...I had parts to convert to power brakes and I opted to install disks instead. One suggestion, Wilwood now offers a "Compact Tandem" master cylinder which is an inch or two shorter than the Aluminum Tandem. Since the master cylinder extends over the exhaust manifold, the shorter length is a better fit.

Hey PJB,
I am planning a complete brake system conversion with disks all around and either electronic or manual parking/emergency brake calipers on the rear. My plan is to start with the front brakes only and keep the drums in the rear for now. What I have read is you need to boost the braking system when installing disks even if just the front as the disks require far more pressure than the drums and manually braking disks is extremely hard. Can you comment on that since you didn’t opt for power brakes?
Thanks in advance!
Jim

 

[PJB]

I don't believe boosting is necessary. (I didn't add anything.) I think pressure can be changed based on bore of the master cylinder installed. The proportioning valve allows pressure adjustment to the front and rear and is necessary (I'm fairly certain) with front disks and drum rears. I don't know for certain if it's required with disks all around but it would allow for fine tuning even if not required. I believe tech support at Wilwood could probably provide comprehensive and reliable recommendations to make sure you get the right pieces.

 

[Jim B.]

I don't believe boosting is necessary. (I didn't add anything.) I think pressure can be changed based on bore of the master cylinder installed. The proportioning valve allows pressure adjustment to the front and rear and is necessary (I'm fairly certain) with front disks and drum rears. I don't know for certain if it's required with disks all around but it would allow for fine tuning even if not required. I believe tech support at Wilwood could probably provide comprehensive and reliable recommendations to make sure you get the right pieces.

I’m going to follow your example to start as a booster requires relocating the battery and much more work. I think I do want to have power brakes eventually for my wife. She loves to drive the car but hates the manual brakes! And I do plan on getting Wilwood involved to get a brake expert’s input. I’m an electrician by trade and mechanically inclined but never got into cars. I’ve inherited a ‘55 Thunderchicken and a ‘69 Jaguar E-Type and I’ve become obsessed with modifying cars. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my 2013 GMC Sierra daily driver but I’ll be putting a Holley Terminator throttle body in it as well! My wife has said if she sees me open the hood to her new ‘26 BMW 430i, she will hire a hitman to at least break my fingers!!! 😂🤣😂🤣😂
One last question. What booster did you buy but not install? It doesn’t look like Wilwood offers one.
Thanks again for the advise!

 

[Machinehand]

Hey PJB,
I am planning a complete brake system conversion with disks all around and either electronic or manual parking/emergency brake calipers on the rear. My plan is to start with the front brakes only and keep the drums in the rear for now. What I have read is you need to boost the braking system when installing disks even if just the front as the disks require far more pressure than the drums and manually braking disks is extremely hard. Can you comment on that since you didn’t opt for power brakes?
Thanks in advance!
Jim

If you plan on going with discs on all 4 corners on a 55, it may be easier to update the rear axle to a 1957 9 inch. I know there are rear disc brake kits for that axle. I don't recall seeing any rear disc kits for the Dana 44, (Non-Jeep) although they may exist. If they do, it may be a complex job.

 

[Jim B.]

If you plan on going with discs on all 4 corners on a 55, it may be easier to update the rear axle to a 1957 9 inch. I know there are rear disc brake kits for that axle. I don't recall seeing any rear disc kits for the Dana 44, (Non-Jeep) although they may exist. If they do, it may be a complex job.

Much thanks Machinehand! I knew there may be an issue with the axle with the disk brakes but hadn't started that research. I've just seen it on other restomod T-Birds. This was to be my first question for Wilwood pertaining to the rear brakes. Another of my upgrades is going to be a Tremec TKX 5-speed transmission. This probably will require a new drive shaft and rear axle to take full advantage of the added torque and power, so that is why I planned on the brakes in phases. Both of those upgrades will be in '27. The budget for '26 is pretty much planned for!

 

[Jim B.]

I'm finally installing the Wilwood brakes and have hit a snag. The tandem, compact M/C will install just fine albeit too close to the exhaust manifold for my liking but the left hand mounting bracket for the proportioning valve places the outputs which are on the bottom too close to the clutch mechanism and there is no way to plumb them in this position. The attached picture shows the proportioning valve mounted to the top bolt holes and that would work but then the plumbing between the M/C and the valve won't work. When the valve is mounted in the same bolt holes as the M/C, it is right on top of the clutch below. The only solution I have found so far is the ABS Power Brake booster/MC combo. I really didn't want the booster, and I already have spent over $500 on the M/C and proportioning valve so I was hoping for just an offset bracket of some sort. I have sent an email to ABS to see if they would sell just the bracket and booster and if what I have will work on their booster. Hope to hear from them Monday but I'm betting they won't sell it without the MC/proportioning valve. Is there an offset bracket of some sort that anyone has used to solve this issue? It would need to offset forward and left requiring the battery to be relocated but that was in the plan already. Thanks in advance!

#9795WW 1955-57 Thunderbird Power Brake Booster Combo

1955-57 Ford Thunderbird 8” Dual Power Brake Booster Combo With Special Mounting Bracket Black Wilwood Aluminum Tandem M/C Kit Wilwood Adj Proportioning Valve Will Work With Disc/Disc or Disc Drum NOTE: Must Relocate Battery

abspowerbrake.com

 

[Machinehand]

I am converting my car to a T5 so I will have the same clutch linkage issue.
If you have a flare tool, just buy some brake line and fittings and make up a couple new lines to work with the top hole bracket location. It's not really that difficult. That is what I plan on doing. Either that or moving the valve to an entirely new location. I haven't decided on relocating the battery yet.
Wilwood makes another MC that is longer but narrower. (Same as shown in the ABS images) I don't know if that would have helped you or not.
Did Wilwood recommend the 1" bore MC? I thought 7/8" was the preferred size for manual brakes.

 

[Jim B.]

I am converting my car to a T5 so I will have the same clutch linkage issue.
If you have a flare tool, just buy some brake line and fittings and make up a couple new lines to work with the top hole bracket location. It's not really that difficult. That is what I plan on doing. Either that or moving the valve to an entirely new location. I haven't decided on relocating the battery yet.
Wilwood makes another MC that is longer but narrower. (Same as shown in the ABS images) I don't know if that would have helped you or not.
Did Wilwood recommend the 1" bore MC? I thought 7/8" was the preferred size for manual brakes.

Hey MH,
Yes, Wilwood did recommend the 1" bore. If you bought your directly from Wilwood you know you can't buy online. You have to call and talk to a rep that puts your package together. I am very impressed with the thoroughness of the package! I received everything I needed down to the bolt. My plan when I talked to Derek Brandt (Wilwood rep) was disks in the front, leave the drums in the rear for now, and upgrade to disks all-around in the future with the possibility of a booster being added (for the wife). He said with that plan I should go with the 1". I am going to have to re-plumb the brake lines regardless, but the output isn't the issue then. The proportioning valve blocks the rear output of the M/C completely. And even if it didn't, making tubing that would connect the M/C to the valve would look like the shade tree mechanic that apparently stuck his nose under this hood in the past!! LOL!!! It is hard to see in the picture above, but the bench bleed tube that is still installed in the rear output is crushed against the valve. There is no room for fittings or a tube bend. Now my concern is the valve on the left-hand side of the M/C and getting the tubing over there with the wheel well when installed on the ABS offset booster. I fear there is a reason ABS Power Brakes chose to install their valve under the M/C. One other reason I want to keep the valve I have is there are 2 front outputs. This will allow me to run separate lines to each front wheel eliminating the banjo bolt splitter at the front left brake flexible line connection.
As far as the flare tool, I do not own one yet. What I am doing now is with standard steel lines from O'Reilly Auto with a little cheap tubing bender. I do plan on an entire brake line rebuild with stainless steel, but I have so much sprayed on crap under the car I need to remove and then properly repaint. It will be a couple of years down the road. But when I do it, it will look gorgeous!!! You can see in this picture where I've stopped scrapping that shoot off. I'm using Eastwood Encapsulator as I get it off, but it is slow going. Eventually I will have to separate the body from the frame but that will be after many other upgrades.
I'm curious about what you said about your T5 transmission upgrade. As I said above, I plan on a TKX but I was hoping the clutch mechanism would stay pretty much the same. I haven't even started the detail research, so I was wondering if you have learned that the clutch coming through the firewall has to change for an upgraded Tremec transmission?

Cheers,
Jim

 

[Machinehand]

I don't know about the TKX. The T5 conversions utilize the factory bellhousing and clutch linkage.