brake swap

[mustangmike6996]

i have a 69 fastback original manual drum brakes and auto trans..... i want some huge front disc brakes and rear disc as well... what does everybody recommend as far as kist go? i was looking at stainless steel brakes force 10 kit with a power booster upgrade so i dont need to change my pedals i also want to use a fox cable and quadrant setup for my new trans, im sure i can fab up a bracket tho. and i am ordering a 9" rear axle preassmbled from dts i can get it with some frpp integral parking brakes for cheap. just wondering what the best kit for the money/ performance/ fit is

 

[jcode68]

I just did an upgrade from manual drum brakes on all 4's to SSBC Force 10 with a power booster on the front, leaving the drums in the rear. The performance is incredible! Stops better than my 2000 GT did when it was new, a lot better. You can click the link in my sig to view the write up I did on the swap. Be sure to research before going with the cable swap, you want to check for header fitment issues.

 

[gsxrken]

Check out this site and the brake article. I spent alot of time recently on just this topic and think Wilwood offers the best brakes for the value. Not cheapest, but what you get for your money is far ahead of many of the granada, SSBC, MP, or even the two piston PBR Baer/Cobra/Corvette setups.
http://www.hotrodsusa.com/
http://www.hotrodheaven.com/tech/brakes/brakes1_index.htm

PS- I also posted these links on VMF recently... folks are going to start thinking I'm working for Wilwood or something. That is not the case! Any disc brake out there is better than your front drums, so in that respect there is no wrong answer. After alot of research, though, I'm confident you can get the MOST brake from Wilwood. I just ordered six piston 13" front and four piston 12" rear with parking brake with 2 piece slotted-only 1.1" thick rotors, new wilwood M/C, SS brake lines, cables, fluid, etc everything for the price of not-even comparable Baer two piece setup. Again, you could get disc brakes on your car for half of what I paid, (and they'll stop your street car very well I'm sure) but the features won't be comparable and they will disappoint if you start doing HPDE or open track days.

 

[mustangmike6996]

what kit did you get from wilwood... i didnt see anything for my year stang in there except for a 11.75 diameter front and a 12 rear were the biggest... and my 06 has huge brakes from the factory i kinda want to have a 13" front as well on the 69

do you have any part numbers? or prices?

 

[gsxrken]

Mike, the website doesn’t allow me to link to the specific URL that has the mustang kits. From the homepage, click on the “Brakes” tab, then click in the top link “Front Brakes for Corvettes, Hot rods, Muscle Cars”, then click on “65-73 Mustangs”. You should get a whole page of applications, and a drop-down menu with prices. I also got a 10% discount on everything in addition to the free shipping and related parts listed on the website. If you want 13’s from Wilwood they figure you’re on the track and require the 6 piston calipers. The 12’s are available in the 4 piston calipers, and are almost $750 cheaper than the 13” six-piston ones.

I went with their zero offset 6 piston 12.9” 2 piece fronts. Whatever kit you go with, make sure you know what’s going to happen to your track width. (Several guys thought they saved money until they had to buy new rims.) The zero offset is huge, b/c many disc kits add another ½ to ¾” track width on each side and may force you into different rims. Since I’m running wide 245s in front and 275s in back, I could not afford any wider outside width in front or back. I don’t have the quote at work here but you can speak directly to Dean and ask him about what I got. Watch out, he’ll BS about brakes all day 

 

[gsxrken]

I should also add that there are guys that would lap me on any track that run all year with rear drums and a low-buck front disc setup. In fact I’m waiting for that guy to chime in. But since I hit a cruise night a few times a year, I like the looks of the hard-core hardware behind 17” rims, too. With experience, and good track pads and bleeding between rounds, you do not need formula one brakes to have fun. The same thing is true with horsepower, or with high-end tubular suspensions. The fastest way around a track comes via seat time, not the credit card. But I hate those arguments. Those fast guys would be even faster with more HP, better suspension, or brakes they could stand on all day long, that stay consistent, and that never cost them an expensive track session due to toasted brakes. I've learned that buying the right thing once is cheaper in the long run.