Brake upgrade options

Topic: Brake upgrade options (Read 4617 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Brake upgrade options

Reply #15 – June 30, 2005, 03:36:53 PM

I don't know, Chuck...it's hard to tell. The Cobra rear calipers are physically smaller. I'd say they're about 80% the size of TC calipers. The piston looks to be the same size although I didn't measure between the two. I know the Cobra pads are even smaller than those used on the TC, if you can believe that. I'd love to know the fluid volume capacity between the two calipers.

Re: Brake upgrade options

Reply #16 – June 30, 2005, 03:57:17 PM

I can believe the pads are smaller. You have a bit more mechanical advantage with the larger disks. Any more pad area would cause issues I bet...

Re: Brake upgrade options

Reply #17 – June 30, 2005, 08:11:17 PM

Yeah boys I'm gonna go ahead and order a set of braided hoses. I'm 99.99% sure my MC is fine. All this talk of bigger brakes really has me hankerin for an upgrade. Right now my stock brakes look terribly weak behind by 17'' wheels...not to mention it stops like a '59 Caddy. Any of you guys have pics of your brake upgrades handy? I probably need to slow down and do it right...I want straight line performance but ever since I've started doing suspension upgrades I'm loving turning corners. Right now the major weak spot is the brakes. Well I'll give an update when I try the new brake hoses ...

Re: Brake upgrade options

Reply #18 – June 30, 2005, 08:56:14 PM

The Varga calipers have a 38mm bore.
Matt's brake site says the TC calipers have a 38mm bore too. http://mjbobbitt.home.comcast.net/mustang/4lug.html
...
Further googling indicates the TC has a 45mm bore (which would make Varga caliper area 84% of the TC caliper)

http://brazeauracing.com/mustang/tech/rearbrakes.txt
http://www.mustangworks.com/articles/suspension/StopHard/StopHard02.html
http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:sfosXYzs0bQJ:racing.kos.net/soloforums/showthread.php%3Fs%3D843df7f37f440de5a0fa3b07f51b4051%26postid%3D15050+45mm+%22turbo+coupe%22+caliper&hl=en&start=4&lr=lang_en
http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=546309&highlight=45mm

Re: Brake upgrade options

Reply #19 – July 01, 2005, 02:11:45 AM

Just thought I'd add one thing. On your rear calipers make sure your pins are lubed with silicone dielectric compound. Sounds wierd but that's what the book calls for. Also make sure the boots over the pins are in good condition. Any moisture gets in and the pin will sieze up in a heart beat. then those floating calipers will not float anymore and your rear disks will be worthless. Basically if a pin siezes only the pad on the piston side will contact the disk when braking. The siezed pin will prevent the other pad from being pulled towards the rotor as the piston side pushes. this happened to me once when I thought it would be "good enough" to use anti-sieze on the pins instead of what the book called for.

Anyway, make sure everything is mechanically sound and moves the way it should before getting into master cylinders and boosters and stuff. The whole conversion "should" work fine with the stock master cylinder, booster and prop valve if everything is mechanically sound. At least it did on my V8 car.

Hope this helps!

Re: Brake upgrade options

Reply #20 – July 11, 2005, 01:30:35 PM

Got the new hoses in and it stops a little better. I had a hell of a time getting them bled properly for some reason. It took me awhile to get all the air out of the lines. Right now I'm thinking that a front brake upgrade is a MUST in the future. As far as being safe to drive its fine now but from a performance standpoint it absolutely sucks! The prop. valve doesn't seem to do much as far as adjusting the front/rear brake bias. Oh well it will do for the rest of the summer.

Re: Brake upgrade options

Reply #21 – July 13, 2005, 10:40:51 PM

I put the 84 Crown vic M/C 1 1/8"bore om my 84 turbo coupe that has rear drums and it stops alot better than it did before. Almost everyone told me that it would make my brakes very touchy. It didn't now when I hit the brakes it acutally feels like I have stopping power. I just hope that when I upgrade to the bigger 11" rotors and the lincoln calipers that I still have this kind of stopping power. Yes I still have the factory style rubber lines.