Classic Mustang Braking Options from Wilwood

From Factory Replacement Upgrades, to Basic 4-lug Kits, to Pro Touring

Wilwood is known for making some of the fastest brakes in racing, but we also make high quality brakes for street cars of all types too. Wilwood disc brake conversion kits, and upgrade kits for classic cars, offer premium quality performance at a price comparable to sourcing the vintage factory parts. Whether a weekend cruiser, a restored original, or a vintage racer, there is a bolt-on brake kit option available.

Kelsey-Hayes D11 Replacements

When Ford first offered disc brakes on their pony car in 1965, they contracted with Kelsey-Hayes to produce the calipers. These original four piston calipers were state of the art at the time, and similar in design to those used on Corvettes and the top classes of race cars in the 1960s. However, they were a cast iron body with external fluid crossovers, and chrome plated steel pistons. More than 50 years later, these parts are often rusty, leaking, and of questionable reliability.

Wilwood saw a need for a better than factory original replacement for these popular hobby cars, and so designed their own version of the D11 caliper. These calipers utilize the same stainless steel pistons and high temperature seals as their racing calipers. The body is lighter, stronger, forged billet aluminum with internal fluid crossovers to eliminate rust, leaks, and breakage. But the best part about them is they bolt right to the factory bracket, and can use any rotor or brake pad that works with the factory caliper!

Caliper part number 120-16510 is available in type III hard anodized, black glossy powder coat, and red glossy powder coat.

These calipers fit all 1965-67 Ford Mustangs, as well as Falcon, Fairlane, Ranchero, related Shelby cars, and Mercury Comet and Cougar, originally equipped with the four piston factory brake option. The factory dust shield has to be removed, but no modifications are needed, and everything can easily be put back to OEM in the future.

For not much more than the price of a pair of Wilwood D11 brake calipers, you can buy a D11 Caliper Kit including performance brake pads and braided stainless steel hoses. Nothing else is needed to upgrade from tired 1960s brakes, to modern Wilwood quality, except maybe fresh brake fluid.

The caliper/pad/flexline kit is part number 140-16799, in type III hard anodized, red or black glossy powder coat.

Wilwood also put in the engineering time to produce a premium grade iron alloy brake rotor that works with their D11 Kelsey-Hayes style brake caliper. These 11.30-inch diameter rotors are available with a precision ground plain face, or with additional drilled holes and slots for a high performance look. The high grade iron rotors provide superb thermal stability and wear resistance thanks to their unique alloy formulation.

The complete brake kit, with calipers (in red or black glossy powder coat), rotors (plain or drilled/slotted), brake pads, and flex lines is part number 140-16801.

Four Lug Mustang Brakes

Even with the base straight six, a 1964-66 Ford Mustang can be a fun cruiser these days, but modern traffic demands modern brakes. The D11 caliper is a direct replacement for early cars with factory discs, but early six cylinder cars had a different spindle, brakes, and hub with four-bolt wheels.  Luckily Wilwood engineered a premium quality brake kit that bolts onto the smaller six cylinder spindle with four bolt hub. These kits fit 1963-66 Ford Falcon, Ranchero and Mercury Comet with the four-bolt hub too.

Now you can have high quality braking without having to buy new five bolt wheels, or have the front and rear wheels be a different bolt pattern. Wilwood kit 140-12535 combines 10.75-inch rotors, aluminum four-bolt hubs, and the latest evolution of the Dynalite four piston caliper into the best bolt on kit for four-bolt Mustangs.

Rear Brake Kits

Amazingly enough, some of the Mustangs racing back in the 1960s had four wheel disc brakes, even while their less athletic street car siblings rolled out with all drum braking. Wilwood can help you completely overhaul the brakes on your Ford with rear brakes sized to balance our front kits, even for four-lug cars. Kits start with 11-inch rotors with internal drum parking brake, clamped by Dynapro four piston calipers, sized to fit even 14-inch wheels. If you are running big modern sized wheels, there are kits with rotors up to 14-inches in diameter, to help stop even the most powerful Mustang.

Because of variation in factory installed rear differentials, and all of these cars being more than 50 years old now, Wilwood sells rear kits by axle measurements, not make/model/year. So many cars over the years have had junkyard Ford 9-inch rears swapped in, and so many old worn out differentials have excess play in them, that we do this to protect you from buying an expensive kit that doesn't fit. Find how to take the measurements, and identify your axle here - Rear Brakes by Axle Flange.

Mustang Specific Master Cylinders

A tandem master cylinder retrofit is an important safety upgrade for old cars. Many old cars pre-1967 used a single hydraulic circuit controlling the brakes at all four wheels, until early safety regulations mandated dual circuits and tandem master cylinders. Wilwood has lightweight aluminum master cylinders that make it easy.

If you are updating an early Mustang or other Ford or Mercury, Wilwood has master cylinders with Ford specific pushrod that is a perfect match for the factory pedals. Available with Oval Tandem Master Cylinders (7/8" bore p/n 260-12900 or 15/16" bore p/n 260-14157), Compact Tandem Master Cylinders (7/8" bore p/n 260-15520 or 15/16" bore p/n 260-15521), and Remote Tandem Master Cylinders (7/8" bore p/n 260-15490 or 15/16" bore p/n 260-15491), in bore sizes for manual drum, disc/drum, or four-wheel disc systems (when used with the correct residual valve). Available with a black E-coat finish (pictured), bright aluminum, or raw aluminum (Oval Tandem only).

If you aren't sure which bore you need, give our tech line a call at (805) 388-1188 and we'll be glad to help.