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Install Baer Brakes

Baer Claws Make A Huge Difference In Late-Model Mustang Performance
By Jim Smart
Photography by Jim Smart
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This is the Baer Claw front... 
   
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This is the Baer Claw front disc brake kit. Everything necessary to complete the mission is here.
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First, disconnect the brake... 
   
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First, disconnect the brake line. Cap off the line to keep brake fluid off your paint.
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The front four-lug disc brake... 
   
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The front four-lug disc brake was never enough squeezer for the Fox Mustang. Baer Brakes has a solution for wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.
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Two Torx fasteners get the... 
   
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Two Torx fasteners get the brake caliper. Remove these and lift off the caliper.
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Steve Wolcott has removed... 
   
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Steve Wolcott has removed the cotter pin and the wheel bearings. The stock rotor pulls straight off.
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Support the coil spring with... 
   
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Support the coil spring with a spring compressor or floor jack before doing any of this. An uncontained coil spring can maim or kill you. The stock spindle has to go. Remove the tie-rod end.
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Disconnect the lower ball... 
   
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Disconnect the lower ball joint and the McPherson strut.
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Remove the spindle.
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The new spindle/Baer Claw... 
   
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The new spindle/Baer Claw combo installs with ease. Connect the lower ball joint, tie in the strut, and install the new tie-rod end. Torque the fasteners and cotter-key them for safety.
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Connect the brake hose.
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Attach and connect the brake... 
   
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Attach and connect the brake line at the chassis.
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Install the tie-rod end adapter... 
   
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Install the tie-rod end adapter at the spindle. This adapter mates the steering linkage with the Baer Claw brakes.
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Connect the tie-rod end to... 
   
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Connect the tie-rod end to the Baer adapter.
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Big Baer Claw disc brakes... 
   
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Big Baer Claw disc brakes provide unequalled stopping power.
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The rear disc brake conversion... 
   
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The rear disc brake conversion begins with pulling the differential cover and removing the rear axle C-clips that retain the axles. Pull each axle.
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You can disassemble the stock... 
   
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You can disassemble the stock rear drum brake, or it can be removed as an assembly.
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Disconnect the brake line... 
   
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Disconnect the brake line at the wheel cylinder, and then remove the backing plate bolts. The backing plate is removed next.
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The drum brake steel line... 
   
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The drum brake steel line should be adjusted for connection to the Baer Claw disc brake.
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The Baer Claw caliper bracket... 
   
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The Baer Claw caliper bracket installs using the drum brake backing plate bolts.
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In the case of our five-lug... 
   
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In the case of our five-lug brake kit, each axle shaft has to be modified for five-lug operation and Baer discs. Knock out the old lug studs first.
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A machine shop can machine... 
   
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A machine shop can machine the axle flange and drill for five-lug use. Go extra-long on the studs.
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With the axle shaft reinstalled,... 
   
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With the axle shaft reinstalled, fit the disc spacer in place.
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Wolcott installs the Baer... 
   
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Wolcott installs the Baer rotor, and then checks the clearances.
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The brake hose...
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...and parking brake cable... 
   
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...and parking brake cable attach to each caliper.
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We have removed the brake... 
   
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We have removed the brake rotor to show you how the caliper attaches. The rotor, of course, goes on first.
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Don’t forget to bleed... 
   
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Don’t forget to bleed your Baer Claws for maximum stopping power. The completed Baer Claw rear disc brake looks sharp and vastly improves stopping power.

Late-model '79-'93 Mustangs were never much on braking effectiveness from the factory. Puny front discs and rear drums with four-lug wheels just don't do much for the adrenaline flow, do they? But Baer Brakes has fast answers for '79-'93 Mustangs in need of better binders.

Baer Claws are large, heavy-duty disc brakes that you can install fore and aft on your Fox Mustang and be ready for action in less than a day. Brakes are among the most important investments you can make in a Mustang. They're not only about performance, but also about safety. Four-wheel disc brakes improve the stopping power of a Mustang, which can keep you out of trouble when things rapidly change ahead of the front bumper. Stopping in time keeps insurance companies, ambulance chasers, lawyers, and hospital emergency rooms out of the picture. What's more, it instills confidence where you need it most. We're going to show you how to step up to high-quality, racing-caliber disc brakes with the help of Steve Wolcott of the National Mustang Racers Association, who understands the value of healthy binders when power increases.

Baer Brakes

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