92 GT vs 93 Cobra braking test

mike0227 · Nov 20, 2011

Before you upgrade to disc in rear be sure to make note the motor trend test result comments below. This test does not take into account fade or wet braking to keep it in perspective.

Braking performance from the Cobra's new four-wheel discs and 17-inch rubber was disappointing. Hampered by the lack of an anti-lock system. it was difficult to stop quickly without dragging a front tire. The Cobra's stopping distance of 144 feet from 60 mph is considered only fair by '93 standards. (And only a foot shorter than the last disk/drum Mustang we tested.) Though equipped with smaller 16-inch tires, the ABS-fortified Z28 gripped the earth like it had hit a patch of epoxy: 60-0 mph in 112 feet and arrow straight. Only a handful of production cars on the planet can beat it.

I personally do see a need to add the disc in rear for my needs.

Read more: 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 vs 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra Comparison - Motor Trend

skunk21 · Nov 21, 2011

mike0227 said:
Before you upgrade to disc in rear be sure to make note the motor trend test result comments below. This test does not take into account fade or wet braking to keep it in perspective.

Braking performance from the Cobra's new four-wheel discs and 17-inch rubber was disappointing. Hampered by the lack of an anti-lock system. it was difficult to stop quickly without dragging a front tire. The Cobra's stopping distance of 144 feet from 60 mph is considered only fair by '93 standards. (And only a foot shorter than the last disk/drum Mustang we tested.) Though equipped with smaller 16-inch tires, the ABS-fortified Z28 gripped the earth like it had hit a patch of epoxy: 60-0 mph in 112 feet and arrow straight. Only a handful of production cars on the planet can beat it.

I personally do see a need to add the disc in rear for my needs.

Read more: 1993 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 vs 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra Comparison - Motor Trend

rear disc still is a better deal. while yes I haven't run out and done the swap rear disc does offer more consistant braking over time, factory brakes are set up to offer more braking in the front, pad compounds play a huge role and another factor that I would say 90% of people miss is tires, tires play a huge role in stopping. that said drum brakes will always get themselves out of adjustment vs a disc, the so called autoadjusters do not work very well. That gap between the shoes and braking surface is time even though very small it is much slower than a disc and even though the rear brakes don't offer a high percentage of braking they still play a role. I would do the swap and it is on my list.

NIKwoaC · Nov 21, 2011

skunk21 said:
rear disc still is a better deal. while yes I haven't run out and done the swap rear disc does offer more consistant braking over time, factory brakes are set up to offer more braking in the front, pad compounds play a huge role and another factor that I would say 90% of people miss is tires, tires play a huge role in stopping. that said drum brakes will always get themselves out of adjustment vs a disc, the so called autoadjusters do not work very well. That gap between the shoes and braking surface is time even though very small it is much slower than a disc and even though the rear brakes don't offer a high percentage of braking they still play a role. I would do the swap and it is on my list.

+1

Having serious brakes doesn't mean jack unless you have traction to be able to use them. Tests like this are misleading, because we really don't know what kind of tires were equipped on either vehicle, and obviously the ABS is a huge advantage.

Another thing is brake fade, and obviously more capable brakes are going to suffer less from fade. If you're ever interested in auto cross (or even just spirited driving on a back country road), this is something where big disc brakes will really start to shine.

One final point, and it kind of comes back on the brake fade thing, is that big disc brakes really start to show their worth under high-speed braking. Try to bring a Fox with stock brakes at all 4 corners to a stop from 100 mph, then jump in a car with big discs at all 4 corners and do the same thing... The difference is dramatic.

But, in the end, the rear brakes only do about ~20% of the braking, so if you're just building a street car that might only see the strip every now and again, yea, it's probably not a huge bang-for-the-buck thing to convert to disc.

Shaolin Crane · Nov 21, 2011

My car did 60-0 in 96' on my hoosiers, i'd say it was a worth while investment

fiveohwblow · Nov 21, 2011

Lies. All of them.

I am doing the 5 lug swap very soon.

91TwighlightGT · Nov 21, 2011

The tires in the test were OE Goodyear Eagles. I would agree that if the tires were locking up, then the long stopping distance had less to do with the brake setup, and more to do with the grip provided by the tires, AND the suspension setup. The car needs more front grip, basically.

For street driving, the stock brakes are adequate. If they weren't, Ford wouldn't have put them on. As stated, the higher speeds cause the stock brakes to fade and overheat. If you are increasing the size of your rotors and pads with the hope of reducing stopping distance on a single panic stop, you will not see any benefit unless your current brakes are fading.

Bryan83taco · Nov 21, 2011

Disc brakes look better DUH

NIKwoaC · Nov 21, 2011

91TwighlightGT said:
If they weren't, Ford wouldn't have put them on.

If only that were true. About anything.

Shaolin Crane · Nov 21, 2011

fiveohwblow said:
Lies. All of them.

I am doing the 5 lug swap very soon.

Bout time bitch

Bryan83taco said:
Disc brakes look better DUH

this

NikwoaC said:
If only that were true. About anything.

seriously, why do mustangs come with a panhard and 3 link from the factory now.

Ford is cheap and its pretty much known the fox was built from left over parts.

skunk21 · Nov 21, 2011

91TwighlightGT said:
The tires in the test were OE Goodyear Eagles. I would agree that if the tires were locking up, then the long stopping distance had less to do with the brake setup, and more to do with the grip provided by the tires, AND the suspension setup. The car needs more front grip, basically.

For street driving, the stock brakes are adequate. If they weren't, Ford wouldn't have put them on. As stated, the higher speeds cause the stock brakes to fade and overheat. If you are increasing the size of your rotors and pads with the hope of reducing stopping distance on a single panic stop, you will not see any benefit unless your current brakes are fading.

that street brakes are a victom of crappy pad material, poor maintenance and other issues other than that yes they do work. I would never get on anyone who has the cash to buy big brake kits the like. hey the better brakes are well the better they stop. The problem persay with the fox brakes are the dia. for one and the pad material used for the time. most of the cars on the road ( not performamnce based cars) will over abuse thier brakes if teh right situation comes about. The thing that kills brakes are repeated hard braking, high speed stops,panic and poor maintenance. yes the larger the dia. the more swept area, giving more leverage and cooling effect to the rotor but you can get away with out it with good driving skills, better rotors/pads and tires imho.

when I 1st got my fox it had cheap grade rotors with warp, def had cheaper pads because even under slight hard braking they gave up quick and cheap tires. I added ssbc rotors of the same dia. hawk pads, mms braided lines and dunlop star spec tires. uhmm yeah improvement. the tires a factor here, the tires ability to grab the pavement w/o slipping aids in the braking effect. upgrading the pad material helps with bite and heat to a point but watching traffic, the road conditions are the most important. A track car has to deal with slowing a cars weight/momentum in a braking zone to get the fastest lap, set up for the turn and aid in having enough speed to enter/exit the turn. short straights don't allow for alot of cooling but long striaghts allow for more speed. these things don't effect a street car 99% of the time there is enough time between braking to allow for cooling, most roads are designed with enough straights to allow for proper braking/cooling. the big brake kit look cool and work but are for the most part over kill. you want good brakes on a budget... brembo or same qaulity blanks, hawk hps pads and good tires coupled with good driving skills = good stopping & driver.

92 GT vs 93 Cobra braking test

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