2000 GT, upgrade front and rear brakes to Cobra

Hi All,

I have a 2000 GT in Hungary, Europe, and I would like to upgrade my brakes from stock to something bigger, but I'm really confused and feel stuck. I'd be happy with 13" front rotors and 11.65" rears, as to my best knowledge those are the Cobra rotor sizes for the SN95. I know some people say it's enough to swap the fronts, but I think it's better to upgrade the rears too, and I have to replace my rear calipers anyway. I know there are certain setbacks when only half of the brake system is upgraded.

My problem is, I tried to order a direct bolt-on GT-to-Cobra front-and-rear kit from CJ Pony Parts (https://www.cjponyparts.com/cobra-front-rear-brake-kit-plain-mustang-v6-gt-1994-2004/p/DBF340/), but they cancelled my order without caring to tell me why, and LMR won't ship directly to my country. I found no other affordable kits, so I'll have to source all parts individually. I'd like to get them here as soon as I can, and Rockauto usually does an awesome job in this regard, but I'm afraid that I'll order the wrong parts and/or miss something.

What I know for sure is that there's more to it than just ordering the calipers, brackets, rotors, and pads. So my question basically is, what else do I need? I have a mechanic who can do the swap for me, but I'm the one that has to do the research and order the correct parts. I hate to ask people to do my homework for me, but would someone be so kind and list everything I need to order so I can get my brakes swapped? I'd like to install 99-04 Cobra brake parts, like one of these kits I found at Rockauto, but I don't know what additional hardware I need to put them on my GT: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...heel+hub,caliper,+rotor+&+brake+pad+kit,14204

(I found I need bigger dust shields, new front brake lines and banjo bolts, and possibly a kit like M-2300-M for the rears, but I don't have the part numbers or anything for these, I couldn't find them and I'd rather not try to figure this out all by myself. As for the budget, CJ offers the above kit for around $1000 plus shipping etc., that's fine with me, I can even go slightly above that.)

I'd be really grateful for any help, this project does give me a headache. I'm also not sure if any adjustments need to be made once the parts are on my car, but I'll worry about that later.

weendoggy said:

I did this on my '02 GT and it's not hard. You will need new rear Cobra brake caliper brackets to secure the caliper, there is a R and L side (source Ebay etc). The front is a no brainer. I'd ditch the dust covers if you really don't need them but if you do, you're going to have to source those out. While at it, I'd replace the rubber brake hoses to some good SS ones. Save a headache and do it once. Good pads are just as important, if not more, than just getting bigger brakes.

You have seen that getting new/rebuilt Cobra/Bullitt/Mach I brake calipers is hard right now. You can find some fronts (aftermarket) on Ebay which aren't bad. You can paint them if you want. I'd stay away from drilled rotors and just opt for slotted ones. I use Powerstop Slotted and those can be found through Tirerack at a good price for a complete front/rear set. Most calipers come with new bleeder screws but if they don't be sure to get the correct thread pitch. They can be different. Same with banjo bolts.

You'll need to get rid of the "anti moan" bracket on the rear axle because it will NOT fit with the Cobra upgrade. I don't even miss mine and it gets tracked! If you really want the "anti moan" bracket, be prepared to put out some $$$ for them and hope you find them. They are like gold!

You can get an idea of installation and look off my website www.weendoggy.com/mustang/mustang.htm If you have questions, you can PM me here. Just get all the parts and then do the install. If you have a good helper it can be done in a couple days. You'll notice on the RockAuto link that the only one "in stock" is for a stock GT and not Cobra/Bullitt/Mach I (yes, they are all the same) so when you're looking for brake parts, choose any of the years 99-04 for them and not your model/year.

Lastly, you should have 17" wheels to clear this mess!

Good luck.

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Thank you so much for such a detailed writeup! I'll have very little time in the upcoming two weeks to dive into it and order everything I need, but you definitely got me started, it seems somewhat more clear now. (By the way, I took a look at your website and as far as I can tell, your mods are really impressive. In an ideal world, I'd also do a complete suspension upgrade, but I won't Actually, I just received my parts for the rear to rebuild it, it's still gonna be the stock config but at least with new shocks.)

tsemmett said:

You also might look at the part numbers to verify, but as I understand it the rear calipers are the same between GT and Cobra. The ones on my 98 GT do look exactly like the ones on a 99 IRS unit I'm working on. Could save a buck if they can be reused.

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Thanks for the advice, I'll check the part numbers. Unfortunately I won't be able to reuse mine though, I'll have to get new ones.