The big brake upgrade has been successfully completed on my 1995 TC
Sig! The car looks spectacular with its new 16" Y-Spoke aluminum
wheels and Michelin Symmetry tires, and it drives like new again.
Stopping power is much greater with the new brakes than before.

As promised, I am submitting a complete write-up on this project to
help anyone else who wants to do it. Even though this article is
focused on the Town Car, the process can also be applied to any
'92-'97 Grand Marquis or Crown Victoria.


Background

This upgrade can be attempted on any 1991-1997 Town Car and also any
1992-1997 Grand Marquis or Crown Victoria. These cars are built on
what Ford calls the "Panther" platform. Most performance upgrades are
generally available only for the Crown Victoria, but because these
cars all ride on the same chassis almost any such parts can also be
installed on the other Panther vehicles.

Even though a new  body style debuted in 1990, underneath the
sheetmetal the Town Car was still pretty much carryover from the
previous year. In 1991 the front suspension was redesigned, and no
major chassis changes were made until 1997 when the steering system
was revised. In 1998 a new body style debuted again and there were
significant chassis improvements.

Specifically, in 1998 the front brakes were heavily upgraded, the
steering revised again, and the rear suspension was completely
redesigned. As a result, the car handled much better than in previous
years and stopping power increased significantly. Fortunately for
older TC owners, the front brake parts are basically a bolt-in swap
-- with some additional parts needed. But, unfortunately, the "Watts
linkage" rear suspension required substantial frame modifications so
it's not considered a practical retrofit for older models IMO.


Specifications

The 1991-97 Town Cars had 10-inch front rotors and single-piston
calipers. The 1998 and newer models are equipped with 12-inch rotors
and dual-piston calipers. The bore of the newer calipers is actually
smaller, but there are twice as many and the calipers and rotors are
much larger so stopping power is significantly increased. Having
driven both the older and newer models, I can say that performance is
far better with the newer brake configuration.

( For the ULTIMATE brakes on your Town Car, die hard enthusiasts
might want to consider using 13" Mustang Cobra front rotors and
accompanying calipers. These require modifications, however, to bolt
onto a Panther vehicle, including the use of even larger wheels. This
upgrade is beyond the scope of this article. Check out
http://www.CrownVic.net or http://www.CrownVic.org for more
information. )


Overview

This is a practical DIY (do-it-yourself) project if you have
experience working on brakes. If not, then you should have a
qualified shop do the work. Unfortunately, many shops may shy away
from modifying brakes due to liability issues, so you might have to
look around to find someone who is willing to tackle it. Just explain
to them that all the parts bolt on without modifications and
everything involved is factory stock for 1998 and newer models.

Keep in mind that upgrading the front brakes on these cars requires
replacing some other related parts which will add significantly to
the cost. In order to provide proper clearance for the new calipers
and rotors, for example, you MUST replace your front hubs/bearings
and front brake hoses. The hubs/bearings are different in 1998 and
also improved, so this is a worthwhile investment. You must also have
16-inch wheels installed to clear the new hubs. If you have 15-inch
rims now then the cost of new wheels and tires will be substantial
(approx. $1000 or more depending on where you get the wheels).

[ I purchased "take off" wheels for my Town Car. In researching this
project I quickly learned that buying used OEM aluminum rims is a
crap shoot as many are either scratched, gouged, or bent. I checked
with a few used wheel dealers locally and online and the price range
I got for the rims I wanted was $150 - $180 each. Brand new they were
over $400 each so that didn't sound too bad.

Then I stumbled upon a dealer on eBay who was selling "take off"
rims. These are brand new wheels that get dismounted at the
dealership before the car is sold.  In most cases these have only
been mounted once and are generally in "like new" condition.  The
best part is that these rims cost me just $100 each including
shipping, and they looked brand new! ]

There are two ways to do this upgrade:

      1) Buy the entire front brake assemblies from a wrecked '98 or
newer vehicle at a junk yard and overhaul them
      2) Buy all the parts new

It's hard to say which option is best because it depends on your
circumstances. Considering that used parts might run $250 and
overhaul by a shop another $250-$300, there might not be much
difference in cost between overhauling used parts and simply buying
new ones unless you are doing all the work yourself.

I am told that the rear brakes are basically the same in 1998 and
newer models as they are in the older Town Cars. So the rears can be
left stock. This also applies to the master cylinder and
proportioning valve. Of course, if you are going to the trouble of
replacing your front brakes you should probably also overhaul the
rears (which is what I did). You may, at your option, choose to
replace the booster and master cylinder when you do this upgrade but
it is not required. Remember, however, that you MUST replace your
front hubs.

NOTE: The rear brakes may vary from model to model. For example,
Crown Vic police vehicles may have larger rear brakes, as may cars
with the High Performance Package (HPP) option.


Parts Needed

Here is a list of parts required for this upgrade. These are factory
part numbers for the front brakes only. Prices shown are the "list
prices" I was quoted for this job. Since I frequent this dealership,
I usually get a nice discount off list for all parts. If you are a
regular visitor to your local dealership or shop, don't hesitate to
ask for a discount.


N801052*S100   BOLT M10X1, 5X24.9 HEX FLG HD ( "Banjo Bolt" )     $
6.65  4 required

F8VZ*2C396*BA  BRACKET ASSEMBLY, FRONT CALIPER MOUNTING           $
84.87  2 required

F8VZ*2B121*AA  HOUSING ASSEMBLY, FRONT BRAKE CALIPER    LEFT
$135.00  1 required

F8VZ*2B120*AA  HOUSING ASSEMBLY, FRONT BRAKE CALIPER    RIGHT
$135.00  1 required

YW7Z*2001*AA   KIT, BRAKE SHOE AND LINING FRONT   (PADS)          $
75.00  1 required

F8AZ*1104*AA   HUB & BEARING ASSEMBLY, FRONT BRAKE ANTI-LOCK      $
78.88  2 required

F8AZ*2078*AA   HOSE ASSEMBLY, FRONT WHEEL BRAKE LEFT HAND         $
15.00  1 required

F8AZ*2078*AB   HOSE ASSEMBLY, FRONT WHEEL BRAKE RIGHT HAND        $
15.00  1 required

F8VZ*1125*AA   DISC, FRONT WHEEL BRAKE  (ROTORS)
$128.10  2 required

EOAZ*2149*B    WASHER 3/8X.64X.09 FLAT BRASS                      $
3.40   3 required



In addition to the above, you must also upgrade your wheels and tires
to 16-ich. The new Town Cars ride on Michelin Symmetry whitewhalls.
If you currently have 15-inch rims with 225/75R15 tires and want to
avoid any speedometer calibration issues, have 225/60R16 tires
installed. These are the same outside diameter and will not adversely
affect your speed readout. Anything larger may require the
installation of a new speedometer driven gear.


CONCLUSIONS

So, how much did this cost? Total parts for the front brakes came to
$829.95 with my discount, and labor was an additional $500.00  In
addition, I purchased 5 new wheels and tires at a cost of $1100.00. I
also had my rear brakes overhauled which included rebuilding my rear
calipers and replacing my rear rotors. This came to $385.00. So
overall I spent about $3000 on this project.

Remember, though, I used only factory parts and had a dealership do
the work, so I paid through the nose. Because of my unique
circumstances, that was OK for me in this situation. You could do the
work yourself and substitute less expensive aftermarket parts thereby
reducing the cost considerably.

The way I looked at it was this: I had to buy new tires and overhaul
my front and rear brakes anyway. Five new tires would have cost me
about $500, and the front and rear brakes with new rotors all around
would have been about another $700. So I was out at least $1200 no
matter what.

Considering that I got the new wheels I have always wanted (which
look spectacular on this car BTW) and much improved stopping power
and performance, it was well worth the extra $1800 I invested IMO.
And minus the price of wheels and tires, the net additional cost to
upgrade my front brakes as opposed to simply overhauling the old ones
was actually about $600  -- and that was using new factory parts and
having a shop do the work. Not bad!

More info can be found at LincolnsOnline.com.