I just keep running into issues regarding the front suspension, due to a badly welded frame tubing. After installing the FFR spindles and my donor hubs to it, I realized that I had wasted hours of work. The FFR spindles are not compatible with my donor brakes. The FFR spindles can only handle up to 11" rotors/calipers. My donor brakes are from SSBC and are 13" rotors/calipers. This brake system came with a caliper mounting bracket for the SN95 spindle (which is what I have), but due to the design of the FFR spindles, this bracket is not compatible with their spindles. See photos below.
SSBC caliper mounting bracket, specifically made for the Mustang to work with their 13" calipers.
SSBC caliper mounting bracket mounted on the SN95 spindle.
SSBC bracket not fitting onto the FFR spindles.
Close-up of the FFR spindle's interference with the SSBC bracket.
After a few email exchanges with photos, I was given two viable options:
1. Bend the front frame tubing which originally created the interference between the UCA and the frame, and go back to using my donor's spindles and attach the UCAs on the upper mounting locations. This option makes me uneasy as although I asked for detailed information on how to properly bend this tubing without damaging it, I was not giving any. And any bends on this tubing could result in misalignments later on with the aluminum chassis panels for the radiator, or worse yet, the brackets which attach to the nose, although I was promised they would be no such issues. Well, I should've never had any issues installing a simple UCA to its bracket, but yet here I am.
2. Spend an additional $921 to purchase FFR's brake system designed to work with their spindles. I have two problems with this option:
a. Their brake system is not up to par compared to mine. Theirs are 11" rotors, non-drilled and non-slotted, with 2-piston calipers. My brakes are 13" zinc-plated, slotted rotors, with 4-piston aluminum calipers. Let's note that my engine makes over 600 RWHP. I need to make sure I have a set of brakes that can stop the car at any given moment and resist fade when hot, especially when racing.
b. Why should I spend almost $1K for a brake system, in addition to what I've already spent in options, in order to rectify a situation which is not my fault?
I do have a third option: I may carefully cut this frame tubing at the welds on the X-member, install the UCA, place a few spot welds on the tubing after repositioning to clear the UCA, remove the UCA, finish welding the tubing, and powder-coat the section where the coating was removed. After that, I'll re-assemble the suspension and FINALLY install the brakes.
Either way, I've already WASTED too much time changing parts, assembling, disassembling and re-assembling; emailing FFR back and forth, just to end up going nowhere with this. It's very frustrating when you spend so many hours working on this vehicle, and then step back to look at it, just to see absolutely no progress.
Well, we'll see what option I decide to go with...
Carlos