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Front Brake Upgrade Options

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42
42
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Utah
I've been thinking about upgrading my front brake calipers and rotors to gain additional heat dissipation for a greater margin of overheating my brakes. I haven't had any overheating issues with my current setup, Pagid pads with brake cooling ducts DBA 4000 rotors and ATE brake fluid, but I have experienced it with stock pads the the Hawk HP+ pads I've run. In my mind as my speed picks up and I move to R comp tires I want to stay way ahead of overheating the brakes.

I talked with the techs at Stoptech and Brembo at SEMA 2013 and they both said forged calipers, besides having less flex, do a better job of dissipating heat than the cast Brembo calipers that come on our cars. Additionally having a larger rotor aids greatly in dissipating heat but with a larger rotor comes fitment issues especially with 18" diameter wheels many of us run at the track. With that in mind I'm looking at a couple of setups and would like to get feedback on them along with other suggestions.

GT500 15" 6 piston Brembo
From a cost perspective this is an obvious choice but with the 15" rotors my 18" wheels become unusable. Still not a bad option and a very reasonable price. If you add in the newly available two piece rotors this kit starts to become a lot more expensive. The rotor is 380x32mm. Not many replacement or two piece rotor options available yet but there should be more next year.



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Brembo Pro Series Racing
This is a nice setup and there are a few members already running this with good results. Expensive but if you want true race gear you're going to pay. This kit includes a 355mm rotor and forged caliper. Does anyone know if this is 32 or 35mm wide? Lots of pad options and some replacement ring options. The pads are also approximately 25mm deep so you'll be changing pads less frequently.



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Stoptech STR 40

Another nice race setup that the new SCCA Spec Mustang class is using. This is the four piston caliper and includes a 355x35mm rotor and the added thickness is supposed to provide a noticeable improvement in heat dissipation. The Stoptech calipers accept a standard Porsche size pad so there are many options. I doubt there are many ring replacement options on this one. Stoptech claims to have the stiffest forged calipers available but who knows. This kit can be ordered with dust seals and anti rattle hardware. The benefit of this kit is more mass and cooling in a 355mm diameter rotor.


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Both the Stoptech and Brembo Pro calipers should be adaptable to the new S550 Mustangs with the correct brackets.


AP Racing. Same price range and brakes meant for racing. My whole kit even including the lines, pads and brazing of the rotors out the door about $3400.

Here's a pic of everything put together. Been extremely impressed with the components I got. These are going on a 1965 coupe.

AP Brakes Mock Up.jpg
 

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