Rear Shock Fitment

[RickP]

I apologize if this subject or issue has been addressed on the forum previously but in my quest to get the rear end installed I've run into an issue with the rear shcoks and their clearence of the brake (parking brake spring).

You will notice in on picture if I mount the bottom of the shock to the shock bracket, it interferes with a brake compenent.

Does anyone have a suggestion of what I might have wrong here? I'm have the Wilwood parking brake setup, and a 4 link suspension. I had to use my "best judgement" when installing the 4 link (upper control arm specifically) as I found the manual is a bit lacking on detail when dealing with a 4 link.

I'm in a mock up stage at this point. Nothing has been torqued.

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[Jeff Kleiner]

Flip them so that the shock body is down.

Jeff

[RickP]

I'm going to give that suggestion a go. Thank you Jeff, much appreciated.

[RickP]

Flipping the shock didn't buy me much clearence wise. Should I torque the upper an lower control arms and see what that get me?

passenger side

52594

[RickP]

bump

[edwardb]

Are those the Factory Five upgraded Wilwood brakes? Single piston rear with integrated e-brake? If so, with a solid axle I believe you have them mounted in the wrong location. They go in front of the axle, on the opposite side as the shock. They end up in roughly the 4-5 o'clock position. I have those same brakes on my #7750 Mk4. I couldn't find a very good picture, you you can see them in the picture below. These are the instructions from FF's website: http://www.factoryfive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Wilwood-rear-solid-axle-brake-supplement.pdf. One thing you will find with these particular calipers is that mounted in this position the bleeders are down. That's been discussed a lot, but just the way these calipers are adapted to fit. Yes, you have to unbolt the caliper and hold it with the bleeder up when bleeding. That "feature" is mentioned in the linked instructions.

http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/edwardb123/Factory%20Five%20Mark%204%20Roadster%20Build/Update%2011212012/IMG_1889_cropped_zpshnohdksv.jpg (http://s867.photobucket.com/user/edwardb123/media/Factory%20Five%20Mark%204%20Roadster%20Build/Update%2011212012/IMG_1889_cropped_zpshnohdksv.jpg.html)

[RickP]

They are indeed the upgraded brake/e-brake.

Well Ed, you've saved my butt before and it looks like you have done it again. Having the brakes mounted the way I do would explain everything. I'm back to the drawing board.

[RickP]

They are indeed the upgraded brake/e-brake.

Well Ed, you've saved my butt before and it looks like you have done it again. Having the brakes mounted the way I do would explain everything. I'm back to the drawing board.

In fact Edwardb, I wish you lived next door, it would save me alot of "undoing the already done". Ha!

[RickP]

I thought I would get a quick pic up and try to describe the issue at hand. While re-mounting the caliper brackets as noted in this thread, the flat housing caliper mount bracket as described in this supplement, http://www.factoryfive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Wilwood-rear-solid-axle-brake-supplement.pdf Sequence 11. will only mount oriented in two ways. Either the caliper will be at the 10 oclock position or the 2 oclock position. They will not mount down in a 4 oclock position as Edwardb has depicted. The reason for this is because the holes in the bracket closet to the U opening are shorter in distance to one another than their opposing pair. What I am trying to say is in Sequnce 11 (step), it says to mount the bracket with the U end facing up. You can't...A Ford flange has wider holes at the top in distance from one another and shorter in distance from one another on the bottom.

The bracket will mount, and an eyeball test fit appears the caliper will clear, but I'm not sure if mounting the caliper in this 2 o'clock position is OK or not. Anyone have thoughts? Wrong bracket? Should I go with it?
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[edwardb]

Other than the fact that I can't tell 7-8 o'clock from 4-5 o'clock (fixed my response) I'm at a loss to explain what you're experiencing. Every solid axle installation of these brakes are in the position I pictured. When I did mine several years ago everything fit the way the instructions showed. Take a look at this video. Do your parts look like the ones shown? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHA_zGXUtok

[RickP]

Other than the fact that I can't tell 7-8 o'clock from 4-5 o'clock (fixed my response) I'm at a loss to explain what you're experiencing. Every solid axle installation of these brakes are in the position I pictured. When I did mine several years ago everything fit the way the instructions showed. Take a look at this video. Do your parts look like the ones shown? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHA_zGXUtok

I had to watch it a few times. The only difference I see is in the video, the bolts that hold the bracket to the caliper bracket just screw in, mine are nutted on the other side. I can't tell from the video if the flange bracket holes nearest the U are wider than the bottom ones. But if I was a betting man, I would say they have to be.

[RickP]

its part 140-12049 to be specific. I went back to the instructions that came in the box, and it has the U facing down. Thats the way I mounted them and it would work because the holes near the U are closer together. and the mating flange holes on the bottom are closer. I can only see two scenarios.

1. I have the wrong flange bracket OR
2. They changed the bracket somewhere along the way forcing a 2'oclock caliper orientation.

I'm tempted to call Wilwood but I hear their standard reply with fitment issues is to call FFR.

[edwardb]

Personally, I'd start with Factory Five.

[RickP]

The jury is still out on this issue. I have a feeler into FFR and Wilwood.

[RickP]

After checking in with FFR, they say it's not an issue mounting the calipers at the 2 o'clock position which is OK by me. I prefer them mounted more upright. That said, I obviously have the incorrect brackets which was not addressed. FFR did say to double check with Wilwood which I plan to do tomorrow before moving forward.

[RickP]

For better or worse, calipers mounted in the 2 o'clock position

52785

[Jim Schenck]

You have the newer brackets, the caliper was moved to that position so it doesn't have to be removed for bleeding. The old brakes from Wilwood used their Mustang brackets but swapped side to side to get the caliper away from the shock, but that also put the bleeder on the bottom. The new brackets move the calipers both away from the shock and have the bleeder as the high spot of the caliper. Sounds like the Willwood instructions just haven't been updated.

[RickP]

You have the newer brackets, the caliper was moved to that position so it doesn't have to be removed for bleeding. The old brakes from Wilwood used their Mustang brackets but swapped side to side to get the caliper away from the shock, but that also put the bleeder on the bottom. The new brackets move the calipers both away from the shock and have the bleeder as the high spot of the caliper. Sounds like the Willwood instructions just haven't been updated.

thank you for the clarification Jim. The poition they are mounted in now is optimal.