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Do it yourself Brake upgrade question

2K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  Allentown 
#1 ·
My brother and i do brakes all the time (its one of the FEW THINGS i know how to do).

I was thinking about putting some performance brakes on my stang.

We really have no problem pulling off the whole assembly: Rotors, calipers and pads.

Give me a range of options: High end/mid range & best bang for buck.

Would prefer they FIT with my current GT/CS WHEELS.
 
#3 ·
412 horsepower and no brembos. She gets up to speed in a hurry and i miss the bite my other mustang had when you hit the stoppers.

IE....2 weeks ago when the little hatchback locked up on their brakes and slide sideways i avoided hitting them (barely) in my 2010 Track pack GT..i am not sure i wouldnt have just plowed into his door with my 2011 GT/CS

So the answer is: 60-0: "as fast as possible"
 
#4 ·
Then the solution would be stickier pads.
Bigger rotors are only a benefit when on the track due to the thermal capacity.
Sticker pads will likely cut into another compromise however: Dust and squeal.
I'm finding the brakes perfectly adequate on my V6. Sticker pads will have a more "right now" feel, but the other big (biggest?) factor is tire grip.
 
#5 ·
Wouldnt larger rotors and pads add more foot/lbs of stopping force? Hell i dont know..lol

Since we can do all the labor ourselves in my garage in just a few hours...its something we can just do (assuming it DOES help some).

I do know that i have a heavy foot and run up on SLOW cars fasstt...requiring heavy breaking at times.l
 
#6 ·
No, bigger rotors help solve the problem of brake fade, i.e, after repeated high speed stops. They absorb more heat, and have a better ability to shed the heat. But for a "Holy ****, look out for the zebra with a clown face in the middle of the road" sort of stop, bigger rotors dont help. Traction from the tires, and pad compound have the biggest effect. Now, if you did that five times in a row (and who does unless you are on a track or cruise at 120 up US1), then the bigger brakes will help.
 
#10 ·
I think that's the exact kind of stopping power the OP is looking for!:smilie

But for a "Holy ****, look out for the zebra with a clown face in the middle of the road" sort of stop, bigger rotors dont help. Traction from the tires, and pad compound have the biggest effect.
 
#7 ·
buy gt500 brembos takeoffs...


ull be set witha nicer looking set..

take advantage of the work.. change the fluid.. the brake lines to steel ones and the pads to a better pad and ur done.
 
#8 ·
I upgraded my fronts with Steeda's four piston 14" upgrade kit and the rears to the Steeda 13 inch upgrade kit. Total package was a bit pricey, however my car can stop on a dime and I love the improvement. It was a huge upgrade compared to the standard brakes my GT came with. I haven't measured my 60-0 stopping distance yet, but I bet it is a real good number. If you are looking for a much shorter stopping distance, I would definitely recommend this package. Also, I don't think most, if not any upgrade kits that include four piston and above calipers will fit the GT/CS wheels. You will have to change to a different wheel if you are going to upgrade your brakes the most effective way.

The four to six piston brake calipers are able to squeeze the pads against the rotors with more force, thus shortening your stopping distance. I don't think you will see the great improvement in stopping distances you are looking for unless you upgrade your calipers to start with, which for you means buying new wheels as well. However, buying new wheels can be a good thing :winks
 
#12 ·
My two cents...
I've had my front pads replaced under warranty. They were glazed. I don't know how they got that way as I didnt do any panic stops and I dont ride the brakes. This happened after we had bad weather and I wondered if it had to with road salts and sand/muck.

The non-brembo brakes stop the car just fine. I think the magazines tested them at just a foot or two longer than the Brembos from 60.
 
#13 ·
2011 Ford Mustang GT vs. 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Comparison Test

This review has the standard stoppers at 117ft. My previous car was rated at nearly the same as the brembo package 108 feet. Not sure what happened with that...

I may just try the performance pads for a while..i actually like my wheels (as crazy as that sounds).
 
#14 ·
#15 ·
Brembo cars also have stickier tires I think that would account for most of that distance.
If you have enough brakes to activate the ABS then it comes down to road conditions and tires.
Like other have said new pads and add braided steel lines you will definitely feel a difference.
 
#16 ·
Thanks guys. I now have a better handle on the factors involved. It is entirely possible that my brakes are adequate for the all seaon 19s.

I am not interested in going back to those summer tires that are $375 a piece to replace (i want my car to be fun not a headache of an expense), so i will just get some wear on these brakes and go back with better pads in 6 months or so.
 
#17 ·
I am not interested in going back to those summer tires that are $375 a piece to replace (i want my car to be fun not a headache of an expense).
You don't have to get the overpriced OEM tires. Plenty of great options for half the price with great performance.
 
#18 ·
I swapped out the stock pads for Hawk HPS while on the track recently and they did a great job. As a rookie I found myself going through a lot of WOT followed by hard braking gyrations and the HPS never failed me on a super twisty road course. They are street/track rated so one can use them all the time. I just wanted to save them for my next track outing so I swapped the OEM pads back on after the track day. I have an auto so these are non-brembo brakes.
 
#19 ·
Looking at those, and they are so cheap I would just install them and leave them on.
 
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