Are SVT rear discs different that normal Contours?

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

I just got my a$$ kicked by my Contour. I've been working on a rear subframe/BAT swaybar/rear drum-to-disc conversion. The rear rotors that I bought don't fit on the hubs!! WTF?!? I thought that all rear discs were the same? I checked BAT and they only have one part number for ALL rear discs.

I have a '96 GL with stock rear drums with ABS. I'm doing the swap using '98 E0 SVT parts. I don't have a set of calipers that open up wide enough, but I'd guess that the hub is a good 1/8 to 3/16" larger than the inner diameter of the rotor.

I apologize if this has been covered before but I'm too friggin' tired to search.

Thanks,
BP

now your making me 2nd guess it, but 99.9% sure the rears are all the same. svt has larger fronts vs the reg size. 278 vs 260 (iirc). dont recall the rear size

The only difference between the SVT rear discs and the non SVT rear discs is that from the factory the SVT had a Dacromat finish. They are otherwise exactly alike and completely interchangable.

If what you got doesn't fit, it isn't the right rotor and won't fit a non SVT either.

Oops, I just read this a bit closer. You're doing a drum to disc conversion. I don't know if the center hub is the same on a drum brake car. You may need hubs from the donor car too.

Also just finished up my drum/disc conversion on Saturday... Perhaps the rotors you have are meant for the front? The rear rotors have a larger diameter hat.

I have a couple of spare rotors kicking around here... The inside diameter of the hat on the rears is roughly 6-1/4" vs. 5-9/16" on the fronts.

From what I understand the rear hubs are the same across all cars, regardless of discs vs. drums or otherwise, so it definitely sounds like you have the wrong rotors.

Crapola. Maybe they did send me fronts instead of rears.

Either way, I'm going to order some rears from NAPA tomorrow.

BP

I ordered a BAT brake kit for a 95 Contour that I never used. In May I installed it on my daughters 97 Mystique - the parts bolted up OK, but the front brake pads were just touching the outer diameter of the rotor hat - caused real problems on the (short) test drive (smoke and squealing).

I replaced the rotors with a set I bought from Autozone and no problems. The outer diameter of the Autozone rotor hats was visibly much smaller than the BAT rotors.

IMHO I would be cautious now about buying those cheap BAT brake kits as it seems BAT sold me the wrong front rotors â�?��?? the kind of mistake that really shouldnâ�?��?�t happen with a specialty vendor like that.

Yeah, I'm really starting to wonder as well. I think that they were BAT's "econo rotors." I hope that the pads fit. I should have tested those too. Doh!

FYI.. The front rotors on my SVT will not fit on the rear without turning down the hub a few thou (well on my vehicle at least). I had to machine my hubs to make the fronts fit on the rear.

The hubs on drum cars are differant than disc cars according to ford parts list.

Originally posted by cowgod:
Also just finished up my drum/disc conversion on Saturday...

so did I, isnt it great!

OK, everything is finally together. WooHoo!!!

The rear rotors were definitely different, and i can see why. The hat is larger on the rear discs so that the rotor has a smaller swept area. The hat was smaller on the ones that I had because the fronts have a larger swept area, therefore the smaller hat.

I also put on my BAT shocks/springs, ATI subframe, BAT swaybar, new endlinks, and upgraded swaybar bushings. WOW! What a difference. It's like a whole new car.

The only thing that I have to do is get two new rear ABS sensors. I destroyed the old ones trying to get them out of my 10 year old knuckles.

There was no frrggin' way that they were EVER coming out.

BP