Brake pad and rotor upgrade

Sparky714 · Aug 7, 2026

Looking for a decent, resonably priced pad and rotor upgrade for my '89. The setup I have is about 10 years old with drilled and slotted rotors, and has been working ok, but sometimes slowing down from a hard pull I get a very hard pedal with a lot of brake fade. I'm not even sure what brand my existing stuff is. I think I bought it off Ebay. Not going to 5 lug setup. I have three full sets of tires and wheels, and I'm not changing brakes and wheels. I'll probably go four wheel disk setup, but that's not happening right now. Just looking for a setup that will be better than what I have that won't take more than a day to upgrade. It's prime Foxbody driving weather right now and I'll have all winter to do a better setup. I was looking at this pad and rotor kit. Any body have any experience wit it, or have something good in the same price range? https://lmr.com/item/PS-1279-26/powerstop-mustang-z26-rotor-pad-kit-front-87-93-5-0

AeroCoupe · Aug 7, 2026

First thing I would look at is the hard pedal. Typically with brake fad the pedal will just go to the floor. Almost sounds like the booster is suspect but it could be the master cylinder. Have you checked the brake fluid i.e. when is the last time you flushed the brakes?

As far as staying 4 lug and getting good brakes it’s not hard but realize it will never compare to the SN95 brakes.

Drilled rotors are for ricers and race cars. Slotted seem to help with relieving the gas between the pad and rotor on street cars. You need good pads period. I would also suggest stainless braided soft lines as every little bit with the 4 lug brakes helps.

As for a good rear disc brake kit you are looking for the 87-88 Turbo Coupe or 1993 Cobra style rear brakes. If you go this route just switch over to the 1993 master cylinder. Some move to the 1993 booster as well but that’s up to you. Do some research there.

Mustang5L5 · Aug 7, 2026

I agree. A pedal going hard with hard stopping points to a mechanical issue. Perhaps booster issue?

I would not go drilled rotors. You really don't want to reduce mass on these rotors because of the design of combining the hub/rotor into one.

Good solid blank rotors and look into better pads and fresh brake fluid. Hawk pads or Powestops. I'd probably pick the Z26 compound over the Z23. EBC greenstuff is likely a good pad as well. Unfortunately all the good pads with bite, are going to make more dust.

keel · Aug 7, 2026

I had OEM style rotors and Hawk Performance HPS pads before I converted everything to SN95 stuff and I liked how that setup felt. Not much difference in cost to what you linked.

As far as your hard pedal and not stopping well, sounds like your brakes could be glazed over.

fasterthangas · Aug 7, 2026

One thing to keep in mind is that track pads are not street pads. Track pads need heat before they are effective. BTDT.
The pads you purchase should work in the temperature range that you mostly drive in. I've gone back to semi-metallic TRW pads that are nothing fancy and have better stopping quality everywhere. Today's ceramic pads are an excellent choice as well. The OEM's use ceramic pads on most of the new vehicles these days.
I have a full set of SN HPS pads for sale in the classifieds. The cheap TRW pads worked better for daily driving. They will fade after a couple of high speed stops though and the HPS pads don't. We're talking 130mph stops though.

Every hole drilled in a rotor creates a stress riser. If you get those rotors good and hot, they can crack. There's a reason why race cars run solid rotors.

Sparky714 · Aug 7, 2026

AeroCoupe said:
First thing I would look at is the hard pedal. Typically with brake fad the pedal will just go to the floor. Almost sounds like the booster is suspect but it could be the master cylinder. Have you checked the brake fluid i.e. when is the last time you flushed the brakes?

As far as staying 4 lug and getting good brakes it’s not hard but realize it will never compare to the SN95 brakes.

Drilled rotors are for ricers and race cars. Slotted seem to help with relieving the gas between the pad and rotor on street cars. You need good pads period. I would also suggest stainless braided soft lines as every little bit with the 4 lug brakes helps.

As for a good rear disc brake kit you are looking for the 87-88 Turbo Coupe or 1993 Cobra style rear brakes. If you go this route just switch over to the 1993 master cylinder. Some move to the 1993 booster as well but that’s up to you. Do some research there.

Rotors, drums, all pads and rear drum cylinders were replaced and fluid flushed about eight years ago. I've probably got about 30K miles on it since then. The hard pedal only happens under very hard braking. Think shut down after 1/8 mile pass. And not all the time. Normal street and highway driving, no issues. May have to look at the master cylinder and booster.

Sparky714 · Aug 7, 2026

Mustang5L5 said:
I agree. A pedal going hard with hard stopping points to a mechanical issue. Perhaps booster issue?

I would not go drilled rotors. You really don't want to reduce mass on these rotors because of the design of combining the hub/rotor into one.

Good solid blank rotors and look into better pads and fresh brake fluid. Hawk pads or Powestops. I'd probably pick the Z26 compound over the Z23. EBC greenstuff is likely a good pad as well. Unfortunately all the good pads with bite, are going to make more dust.

Ok, new blank rotors, a set of Hawk HPS pads on the way. Hopefully with the new pads rotors and a flush, braking improves and gets me through the summer. If I still have the hard pedal issue, I'll tackle the master and booster. Then figure out what I want to do for 4 wheel disc conversion this winter. Thanks guys!

AeroCoupe · Aug 7, 2026

8 years is a long to for brake fluid to sit. I typically flush fluid about every 5 years but that it me and it carried over from helping my buddy road race.

The hard pedal sounds like a vacuum issue to me. End of a pass you are up in the rpm's and not making much of any vacuum so if the booster is borderline this would make sense to me.

Sparky714 · Aug 7, 2026

AeroCoupe said:
8 years is a long to for brake fluid to sit. I typically flush fluid about every 5 years but that it me and it carried over from helping my buddy road race.

The hard pedal sounds like a vacuum issue to me. End of a pass you are up in the rpm's and not making much of any vacuum so if the booster is borderline this would make sense to me.

Possibly. I think it's making enough vacuum when I lift off the throttle, but that still doesn't rule out the booster. It is original to the car. You can see in this log, the MAP KPA is pretty low when coming off the throttle after a hard pull. MAP is the red trace in the middle box.

AeroCoupe · Aug 7, 2026

So friggin' cool...damn I need to get this MS PnP Pro installed in my car.

2000xp8 · Aug 11, 2026

What happened to these?

(not currently available) Stainless Steel Brake Caliper Sleeves, 1987-93

Sparky714 · Aug 12, 2026

2000xp8 said:
What happened to these?

(not currently available) Stainless Steel Brake Caliper Sleeves, 1987-93

LMR still has them. I've had theirs on my car for about 10 years. https://lmr.com/item/SVE-H5016-CS/87-93-mustang-brake-caliper-sleeves-sve

2000xp8 · Aug 15, 2026

Hadn't seen this kit before.
Personally i wouldn't do anything twice, i'm more of an all in or nothing type of guy at this point. Most brake projects can be done in a weekend. Other than the 3 to 2 port conversion (not sure if they have premade lines now), it's all really just bolt on.

Foxbody Mustang - 1979-1993 4-Lug Front Brake Kit

Complete Foxbody Mustang Cobra 4-lug 13" brake kit for the Foxbody spindle. Includes Cobra brakes designed for 4-lug 17" wheels, or earlier fox 4-lug wheels.

foxbodybrakes.com

Sparky714 · Aug 15, 2026

2000xp8 said:
Hadn't seen this kit before.
Personally i wouldn't do anything twice, i'm more of an all in or nothing type of guy at this point. Most brake projects can be done in a weekend. Other than the 3 to 2 port conversion (not sure if they have premade lines now), it's all really just bolt on.

Foxbody Mustang - 1979-1993 4-Lug Front Brake Kit

Complete Foxbody Mustang Cobra 4-lug 13" brake kit for the Foxbody spindle. Includes Cobra brakes designed for 4-lug 17" wheels, or earlier fox 4-lug wheels.

foxbodybrakes.com

Already received my new parts, and had a rainy cool day to work in the shop yesterday, so it's all installed. Winters are long here in ND, so I'll need a project anyway. I'm going to convert to rear disk, but I need to find a kit that will clear my 15" Weld wheels with my drag tires on them.

AeroCoupe · Aug 15, 2026

Looks good man! I know for a fact the SSBC rear disc brake conversion will clear on 15" Weld Draglites. These are the exact wheels I ran with the kit:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/WLD-90-58038

And this is the kit:

1993 Ford Mustang factory 4-lug Direct-Fit Rear Drum-to-Disc Brake Conversion Kit with Rotors (4-Lug) – A112-93BK

SSBC-USA rear drum-to-disc brake conversion kit with rotors for 1993 Ford Mustang 4-lug applications. Black finish.

ssbc-usa.com

It is basically the same as the 87-88 Turbo Coupe / 1993 Cobra rear disc brakes. The master cylinder is a joke to just punt it into the trash and get a 1993 Cobra MC, a 3 to 2 conversion kit, brake proportioning valve kit, and a manual proportioning valve:

Manual Brake Installation Kit, 1993 Cobra/1994 GT master cylinder in 1987-93 Mustang

Brake Proportioning Valve Plug, 1979-2004

Adjustable Brake Proportioning Valve, SAE ports

Diagram on what to gut on the combination valve:

Mustang5L5 · Aug 17, 2026

Sparky714 said:
, but that still doesn't rule out the booster.

Try the check valve first. Pull it and test and make sure it's still working as a one-way valve. You might be working off straight vacuum which is why it gets hard after a long pull if you haven't even touched the pedal. The check valve should keep a reserve in the booster for 1 or 2 presses.

Sparky714 · Aug 17, 2026

Mustang5L5 said:
Try the check valve first. Pull it and test and make sure it's still working as a one-way valve. You might be working off straight vacuum which is why it gets hard after a long pull if you haven't even touched the pedal. The check valve should keep a reserve in the booster for 1 or 2 presses.

Interesting, Where is the check valve? Edit: Google showed me where it is. Did not know about this valve, and definitely going to check it out. Thanks!

Brake pad and rotor upgrade

Sparky714

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

keel

Active Member

fasterthangas

Active Member

Sparky714

Sparky714

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Sparky714

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

2000xp8

Sparky714

2000xp8

Foxbody Mustang - 1979-1993 4-Lug Front Brake Kit

Sparky714

Foxbody Mustang - 1979-1993 4-Lug Front Brake Kit

Attachments

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

1993 Ford Mustang factory 4-lug Direct-Fit Rear Drum-to-Disc Brake Conversion Kit with Rotors (4-Lug) – A112-93BK

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Sparky714

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Brake pad and rotor upgrade

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Active Member

Active Member

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

Attachments

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

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