This brake kit seems like a no brainer, right?

[ShifterX]

2011 GT prepping for track days. I usually like to shake down my cars with the OEM hardware to find what needs the most attention. In the case of the base brake system, it seems like paying for a track day with this setup is money wasted. 3 consecutive 75mph-25mph panic stops (street) and the pads were ablaze. Pedal dropped down and most of the braking was lost. Took about 3 minutes of cruising to get the brakes back again. I am not going to bother with pads for this setup.

So looking for a comprehensive brake upgrade that is simple, functional and cost effective. Originally I thought the Boss 14" brembos would be the way. Then I see this kit and it seems like a no brainer.

https://lmr.com/item/SVE-2300T-BK/sve-mustang-big-brake-upgrade-kit-black-05-14

Not really trying to advertise for anyone. I just want to make sure I am not missing something. This seems like a lot of hardware for the money. I would maybe need a pad upgrade in the future. The max for this car would be a sticky 200TW 285/295 tire and 400rwhp. I would appreciate any feedback on this Gt500 brake setup for my use case. Thank you,

 

[EF1]

That is a common upgrade. Many of us did similar upgrades before LMR put together their kit. You can still probably source the parts yourself for less money. If you use the search function you will find all kinds of information on S197 brake upgrades. If you get the LRM kit you will still want to upgrade pads for track use. I prefer to use factory parts to upgrade the rear to 13.8" rotors. I don't like the aluminum caliper adapters.

 

[ShifterX]

Really? WOW that seemed pretty cheap. But I guess there is nothing really special there. Off the shelf gt500 calipers, rotors etc. good point on the rear caliper brackets. I would like to see some reviews of those being pushed hard on the track.

 

[EF1]

They are S550 PP calipers not 2014 Shelby. The rotors are 2014 Shelby. You get more surface area on the S550 calipers, softer pedal, but better pad availability. Last I looked my local Ford dealer had calipers are$650 a pair. Front rotors $120 each. Rear rotors $85. I personally would not use the oem pads, shields or rear caliper brackets.

 

[67GTA]

I don't like the aluminum caliper adapters.

Specific to theses style adapters in this kit, or also don’t like the full aluminum brackets like the Blowfish examples? I’ve been running the Blowfish for almost 5 years now with no complaints. Only problem is you can’t find them anymore.

 

[EF1]

Specific to theses style adapters in this kit, or also don’t like the full aluminum brackets like the Blowfish examples? I’ve been running the Blowfish for almost 5 years now with no complaints. Only problem is you can’t find them anymore.

View attachment 93695

I know that people have not had any issues with the aluminum adapters. I just chose not to introduce another failure point and went with oem engineering/reliability over the aluminum adapters. I used the oem 2014 Shelby GT500 caliper brackets when I upgraded mine 8-9 years ago. The install was a little more involved. You have to pull the axles, but the parts were reasonable at the time. Both methods achieve the same result. It is just personal preference.

 

[stevbd]

So looking for a comprehensive brake upgrade that is simple, functional and cost effective. Originally I thought the Boss 14" brembos would be the way. Then I see this kit and it seems like a no brainer.

@ShifterX There's a huge thread on that combination of parts here: https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/huge-brake-upgrade-for-s197-chassis.11867/

It's a good kit but not a total no brainer. Full disclosure, I haven't used it myself but as mentioned there are a lot of reports that the S197 master cylinder doesn't work very well with the S550 6-piston calipers and you get a soft and inconsistent brake pedal. Plus the rotors are about 6 lbs heavier per corner compared to the 14" kit so you are adding a lot of unsprung weight. Whether those compromises are worth it for the extra heat capacity is a personal decision. Like you I upgraded from the base oem brakes on my 2011 GT and the 14" kit with good track pads was a huge improvement and is all I need running advanced HPDE style sessions. But others push harder and need more. Remember also to look carefully at the brake pads you will be using. I am pretty confident the 14" kit with dedicated track pads and good cooling will outperform that 15" kit with oem street pads. Finally, that kit refers to 15" dust shields, I would get rid of those no matter which kit you go with to improve cooling. [EDIT - corrected below, no dust shields} Good luck.

 

[mwjscn]

Finally, that kit refers to 15" dust shields, I would get rid of those no matter which kit you go with to improve cooling.

The 'dust shields' SVE include are designed to have the same purpose as the OEM GT500 'dust shields' - just a small flap of sheet metal to protect the rubber tie rod boot from brake heat. You can see them at the bottom-left of the product picture collage. I think it would be beneficial to retain those.


I have both the cast Ford GT500 rear brackets as well as the Blowfish billet aluminum ones. Both are full-flange mounting and require the axle to be removed, so I'd feel confident the Blowfish one is strong enough to handle the forces. I'm a little skeptical about the aluminum adaptors that simply bolt onto the existing shorter cast-bracket mounting ears. Since I have both iterations of the part in my stash, I can tell you the Ford GT500 brackets combined weigh 10.516 lbs whereas the Blowfish ones weigh 3.126 lbs combined, so that's approximately 7.4 lbs less weight on the ends of your rear axle with the Blowfish ones. Might offset the unsprung weight of the larger discs, which are usually about 7 lbs heavier combined in normal non-floating-rotor-land, but I'm no engineer

 

[stevbd]

@mwjscn I'm sorry, I misunderstood the reference to dust shields. Good catch.

 

[EF1]

If you’re using cooling ducts the little shields in this kit are not needed.

 

[EF1]

I have both the cast Ford GT500 rear brackets as well as the Blowfish billet aluminum ones. Both are full-flange mounting and require the axle to be removed, so I'd feel confident the Blowfish one is strong enough to handle the forces. I'm a little skeptical about the aluminum adaptors that simply bolt onto the existing shorter cast-bracket mounting ears.

I am not familiar with the Blowfish caliper brackets but if they are full flange mounting I would not be afraid of using them. I don’t like the adapters that introduce another set if bolts into the mounting.

 

[blacksheep-1]

Stvbd is correct, there is an issue getting the s197 master cylinder to work with the s550 calipers.
The Gt500 , 14 inch brakes are pretty much the way to go if you just want to plug n play.

 

[Stangra]

Wheel clearance is another issue for those with 18" wheels

 

[ShifterX]

Just to be clear, is there a difference between the gt500 14” brakes and the boss/track pack 14” brakes?

Appreciate the responses.

 

[EF1]

No 14” 4 piston Brembos are the same except for color. The 15” 6 piston give more stopping power, better pad life and handle more heat. The only downside is a little softer pedal feel. I got used to the difference in pedal feel pretty quickly some do not.

 

[blacksheep-1]

That's definately something to consider, all of my responses are built around 18 inch wheels and slicks because that is what is mandated by our rules set. So.. the Gt500 based brake components using Hawk pads never let us down in IMSA or PWC.
The new Gt4 car has massive brakes, I will try to get a few pics for in St. Pete this weekend, those brakes fit under an 18 inch wheel as well.
The issue with using s550 calipers with s197 master cylinder is a hit and miss, some seem to have issues, others, no problem.. I'm not sure why but I know Dean recommends keeping the group components ( 05 to 09..10 to 18 or whatever) together. I would warn you not to use wilwood, they have a following in some short tracks, and that battery sponsored thing, but most road racers stay away from them.

 

[PatientZero]

Here's some testing I did with the GT500 Brembos with data.

S197 - Budget Track Beater Build Thread

This is the Build Thread for 2007 V6 Performance Pack. Reply below.

trackmustangsonline.com

 

[302BOB]

Just a word to the wise..............Sometimes a "no brainer" does require some thought..............................

 

[ShifterX]

Just a word to the wise..............Sometimes a "no brainer" does require some thought..............................

Seeing that now. After reading through the relevant threads, it’s starting to come into focus.

For me braking feel and performance are not necessarily the same. Performance lap over lap is critical, but feel builds confidence, confidence builds speed.

like probably most here I prefer a pedal that almost stops dead and braking power can be manipulated by pedal force rather than pedal travel. If I can’t have that I would take a pedal that increases braking force with travel. Last on the list is significant dead pedal travel, then full braking.
Bottom line, I am concerned about pairing the s550 pp brembos with the s197 master.

like everything else, ROI becomes a dominant factor. My initial thought when starting this thread was the referenced kit seemed like more brakes for less money than the track pack brakes. maybe not the case.

 

[Champale]

This thread has a lot of great information. FYI Full Tilt Boogie offers GT350 brake packages for the S197 cars and StopTech has a 15" rotor and 6 piston brake package that occasionally seems to be on sale for a little more than $2k. I had them on my Boss and they were lighter overall and the difference in braking was significant using Ferodo 2500s on both setups. Brake pedal feel was actually even better than the OE 14"/4 piston setup.

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/huge-brake-upgrade-for-s197-chassis.11867/