IRS Swap

[Cellos88SVO]

So I've been working on and off for nearly a year on an IRS swap in my '86 and it's finally nearing completion except I can't for the life of me figure out how to set up the parking brake cables. I looked at one source that said I needed the cables from an SN95 car, another that says cables from a 93 Cobra, and another claiming to use the M-2809-A cables (the FRPP cables for 5-lug disc conversions on 87-92 cars).

Do any of you guys happen to know or know someone that has done the swap that could chime in? Thanks in advance.

[Raven855]

I have done this and I can tell you later what partnumbers I used. The big thing I remember doing was spot welding the brake handle.

[Cellos88SVO]

I have done this and I can tell you later what partnumbers I used. The big thing I remember doing was spot welding the brake handle.

Oh the SVO brake handles need to be spot welded as well?

[Raven855]

Read through this: http://forums.corral.net/forums/general-mustang-tech/1000235-foxbody-sn95-emergency-brake-handle-mystery-solved.html There are several ways to accomplish the conversion. Ford had a recall on parking brakes on the sn95 cars. People are using several different methods to avoid problems and with using the parts they have.

[Cellos88SVO]

I understand why it's done (I've done the modification on my 88 GT when I did my 5-lug conversion), I just thought the SVO handle and mechanism was different from the drum brake cars.

[Robertosvo]

i used a set of cables that worked right out of the box
no changing anything on the handle or spot welds ....I just dont remember the part#

[Unclesams_SVO]

I used the stock E-brake handle and cable along with the stock cobra brake cables using the retaining brackets from an SN-95 that I riveted to the car in place of the factory SVO one.

[MikeFleming]

I like rivets.

[Cellos88SVO]

I used the stock E-brake handle and cable along with the stock cobra brake cables using the retaining brackets from an SN-95 that I riveted to the car in place of the factory SVO one.

Interesting. When I was doing the "research" many people who had done the swap seemed to indicate that the SN95 Cobra cables are the same as the SN95 V6/GT cables... I also tried to get this information from Maximum Motorsports on this but they couldn't tell me either. A few people have indicated that the 87-92 cables made by FRPP for the 5-lug disc conversion work, so I've ordered a set of those.

If those prove to not work, I'll try hunting down some Cobra cables. Thanks for the help.

[Unclesams_SVO]

Glad I could help, the e-brake was my biggest concern with this swap so I searched as much as I could then just decided to give this a try and I got lucky.

[Cellos88SVO]

Cool, I hope the 87-92 cables work (*fingers crossed*). I have another question about the routing of the soft brake lines: Long story short, I had to resort to having a fabricator make the hard lines for the rear brakes, he put them in and installed the soft lines but I'm a little concerned about how the soft lines are routed (see attached images).

As you can see, they're hugging the shocks. I saw some pictures of other cars that had similar routing but I don't think any of them were this close. I think the fabricator used lines from a V6/GT car and not the ones for the IRS Cobras. Are the IRS Cobra lines longer? would using the IRS lines give me more clearance?

[Unclesams_SVO]

That looks a little too close to me. I used MM braided brake lines and ran them along the top control arms then to the hard lines that I made. For the hard lines I teed them off from the factory single rear brake line and brought the new lines out the the wheel wells.