How hard is it to change out my front brakes on my 95 GT? I'm looking for some better ones... like 13" slotted/drilled w/ some good stopping power... what would I be looking at as far as $$$?? thnx
that's not even really close to what I'm looking for... the main thing is the slotted/drilled rotors... I know I can just buy them... but I'd like the higher-quality brakes too... but $400 is way too much, especially from what I've seen in the past.
wait.....So you already have the 13" brakes and you just need better rotors? Cause you cant use the stock calipers with bigger rotors. I would get my hands on a BAER catalog or something and see what they have. That kit there comes with everything to upgrade the front to the 13" brake system from the new cobras, mach 1's ect. Which provide TONS more stopping power than our POS 11" brakes.
no, I still have the stock setup at the moment... but a couple of months ago, I saw a full front kit from Baer for $250 on ebay... curious about my other options though.
I'm getting my brake upgrades from www.mustangparts.com (PPI). They offer the Cobra brake kit for the front and rear. Each kit is $399 and includes everything. You can upgrade to SS lines for a few bucks extra, also. These are the exact same brakes that come on the Cobras: 13" fronts and 11.65" rears. Rotors are plain. Calipers are available in different colors and are the two piston kind.
Slotted/drilled look pretty good, but they don't last as long as normal rotors and your brake pads will wear quicker. Plus, the performance they are meant for is only seen on road courses. Compared to stock GT brakes, the Cobra kit (front and rear) will be a massive difference. If you haven't driven a Cobra or Mach 1, by all means go to your local dealer and test drive one.
If $$$ is not a concern, go for slotted/drilled, but I'd suggest the Cobra kit for a street car. Beyond this kit your looking at a whole lot of $$$.
If you are going ONLY for the drilled/slotted look (that's cool), than I suppose that this doesn't really matter. At least consider it, though.
Perhaps you know this, but plain rotors actually stop better than drilled/slotted. There is more surface area. The holes/slots are meant as a way for the gas that is generated under extreme conditions (brake fade) to escape. Thus, their advantage is resistance to fade. Basically what is typically known as fade, is caused from an overworked pad. The pad emits a gas and it gets trapped between the pad and rotor, not allowing pad contact. The most common type of fade is green fade. It's from a new (un-bedded) pad being overworked. Properly bedding your pads and seasoning your rotors will highly reduce green fade. That makes holes/slots not necessary for street use.
Drilled (vs. slotted) rotors are known to develop cracks easily between the holes. The rotor gets stressed from the drilling. Less surface area of all 3. Least braking power (assuming no fade).
Slotted will still vent the gas, and not crack easily. More surface area, more braking power.
If you want the look, be sure to get them plated to prevent them from rusting.
FWIW - I got the PPI kit for $399. Bought Russel stainless lines for 94-95 Cobra. PPI (at the time) only had RED colored stainless lines for upgrade. (I didn't want the red lines on my all black car.) I only didn't get the 13" Power Slot slotted rotors because of $$$$. Like $120 ea. The normal 13" rotors still look good (just because their big).
The PPI kit is well worth the money. Best value by far.
Baer's similiar 13" kit is closer to $600, I think. Comes with a new master cyl., though. I can't imagine a full Baer kit for $250... You sure?
Another upgrade option is to put the 99-up (01-up??) front PBR caliper on your stock rotor. (and a drilled/slotted 11" rotor?)
Hey Viperos, keep in mind that 13" brakes will not fit a 16" wheel.I'm 99% sure of this. It looks like you have the 16" waffles in your avatar but I'm not sure on that either. Just a thought.
I have a question, I got a set of 00GT rotors and PBR cal. real cheap when a bud put on the baer slotted drilled pbr kit on his car, and I know they (the 00GT stuff) will fit just like that but I have been wondering to get them to fit a 13in front rotor I would need a spacer/adapter bracket for the cal. as it will not just bolt up to the larger rotor setup. Didn't baer make a bracket to swap this? If so how much does that go for?
Since the GT had a larger set of pistons to offset the smaller rotor I am thinking a larger set of pistons on the same rotor should be great...
yeah, sleepy... I was just going to say... c'mon... if you don't know by now that the "6 spoke-ish" wheels aren't the 17s... then you need some help
-yes, I do know about the better stopping power w/ regular brakes, but what I'm trying to cure is brake fade (dont' ask why ) and give the car a bit better look... the drilled look best in my opinion... but slotted is all I'm really looking for... if it really comes down to price for me, I might just get new rotors for my stock 11-something" ones...
-thnx for the info though...
-btw, still haven't answered this yet... how hard is it to install a set of... oh, let's say... some 13" cobra brakes on my gt? thnx.
Baer has a "Plus 1" kit for the rears. It comes with rotors & a bracket to move the stock calipers to accomodate the larger rotors. I think that kit was around that price. They don't have anything in that price range for the fronts.
First, you need to remove the wheel.
Then remove the rubber brake line at the rubber line-to-hard line connection. Cap the hard line ASAP. I used a rubber vac cap, IIRC it was a 3/16" or 1/4". You need a flare wrench, I believe it's a 11mm.
Then remove the 2 15mm bolts holding the caliper on.
Pull the caliper off.
Pull the rotor off.
Removal done.
Install:
Clean rotor. DON'T get brake cleaner on the pads.
Slide on rotor.
Trim riveted on rotor shield, if necessary.
Sit the caliper over the rotor and bolt it down (2 bolts). The PPI kit I got has the pads already installed.
Install the hose.
Bleed the brakes.
Install the wheel.
very thorough... but appriciated... yes, I know not to get brake-leen on my pads... I know all that basic stuff... just never looked into replacing the whole setup... I do pretty much all my own maintinence on my car myself though... brakes, all fluids... just finished doing the tranny and dif fluids last week tranny sucked because of a crappy pump I got for free... oh well... live and learn
-thnx guys... I'll go from here and price out some bargains on rotors and some nice high-power calipers
A swap to 13" front brakes is going to cost around $400 and thats with stock cobra brake rotors, if you want something even better you can get a baer kit but plan on spending alot of cash, they dont make a swap for $200.
Besides that i'm pretty sure you need 17" rims to fit over the 13" brakes.
-ok... well... I'm in a bit of a hurry... I do have 17" rims... that was said a few posts back... and the baer kit I saw was on ebay... front kit only, for $250. but thnx anyway
Hey you're the one whining about prices, you cant get something for nothing so you might as well stop trying. If you want people to help you out don't act like a jerk. I'm sorry i didn't read each of your posts to see somewhere that you mentioned you had 17" rims.
Post a link because i'd love to see that auction, i highly doubt it.
umm, last time I checked, $250 wasn't nothing... I don't know how much your parents spoiled you as a kid or something... but that's a fair amount of money.
-and, once again, if you'd bother to read previous posts... I said that a couple of months ago, I saw the auction.
-not to flame you or anything... but you need to learn some respect... I'm done here.
-thnx to everyone else who actually helped me out here , I got a couple of directions to go from here.
Dude, you want a baer brake swap kit for $250?? Yea, next thing you should do is call vortech and ask them where your $500 supercharger is. Look around a stock cobra brake swap is $400 for just the front, baer kits cost twice that amount. If you saw a kit for $250 it either didnt meet the reserve or something was wrong with it.
Who the hell do you think you are implying (sp?) that my parents spoiled me, you dont know me from a hole in the wall.
Learn some respect? Your the ass who is laughing at my post after i tried to help you out, but you don't have to worry because it won't happen again.