Brake Upgrade Options

[jaxgt]

Gents,
It's been years since I looked into this, and I can't recall what brake upgrade options are available for our cars?
Would be primarily for street driving, and a possible upcoming road event.

I vaguely recall some different rotors for fronts were available, maybe slotted ?.
Regarding pads, I wouldn't really want noisy track pads.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Xcentric]

Ford Racing rotors. Two piece, cross-drilled, aluminum hats. Don't know where you'd find them though. Well, actually, you'd find a new-in-box set in my garage cabinet.

M-1125-GT (front)
M-2026-GT (rear)

 

[roketman]

The best upgrade is what Stormcat has done.He did ceramic rotors from the ZR1.I have driven many times his car on the track and can attest to just how spectacular they are.The upside or down side is the stock rims don’t work with the system.
I am eagerly awaiting the upgrade my self! Just because I hate brake dust!

 

[jaxgt]

The best upgrade is what Stormcat has done.He did ceramic rotors from the ZR1.I have driven many times his car on the track and can attest to just how spectacular they are.The upside or down side is the stock rims don’t work with the system.
I am eagerly awaiting the upgrade my self! Just because I hate brake dust!

Dont' think I'll go all the way to ceramics, though I've seen Brian's setup, and it is awesome.

Did some folks switch to Brembo slotted front rotors (not drilled) ? Any noticeable improvement?
I also read about titanium shims? I have no idea significance of these...

 

[GKW05GT]

Ford Racing rotors. Two piece, cross-drilled, aluminum hats. Don't know where you'd find them though. Well, actually, you'd find a new-in-box set in my garage cabinet.

M-1125-GT (front)
M-2026-GT (rear)

I do also same purchase time as I remember.

 

[Ed Sims]

I had the Ford 2 piece rotors for awhile. They are great. I currently have the AP Racing big brake kit by Stillen & they are good also but they float a lot so can be noisy on street.

Ed

 

[Specracer]

I think I have the slotted options you are thinking of. They are a floating system from Gyrodisc.

http://www.girodisc.com/Rotors_c_345.html

Im using a Padgid yellow pad, they have survived a track day, but do squeak bit (I dont mind it a bit). I had used Padgid Blacks before, I dont think they squeaked, but didnt survive for me.

DONT FORGET TO CHANGE FLUID, makes a huge difference at the track. No one can fault Castrol SRF for performance. The only fault is it is expensive. Here is a helpful resource to compare fluids. I used ATE before swapping to SRF, had better results with the SRF.
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/group.asp?GroupID=BRAKEFLUID

 

[Indy GT]

Mitchell,

Let me first preface my thoughts with the disclaimer you are certainly free to do any brake modifications to your car as you see fit. But let me offer a countering opinion to those given above.

The Brembo OE brakes and Ferodo pads Ford supplied on our GT are pretty darn good for 98% of the ownership population. Understand Ford’s perspective from a liability stand point when it comes to releasing a 200+ mph capable auto to the general public. You want to make certain the car has good high speed handling/stability as well as speed rated capacity in the tires and brakes. Ford did just that. Improvements can ALWAYS be made but at what cost and compromises on other brake attributes (noise, dust, cold stopping power, wear, etc.).

Those owners who want an ultimate track car are willing to compromise brake attributes to achieve their modified (relative to OE) design goals. Stormy’s brakes are fantastic adaptations of the Corvette brakes onto the FGT. Andy’s Padgid pads do squeak, but he does not mind. All well and good to tailor the car to your liking.

Your post indicates your use “Would be primarily for street driving, and a possible upcoming road event.” And you really do not want noisy track pads. Given these goals, I would stick with the OE Brembo calipers, rotors and Ferodo pads. I have tracked my GT a number of times and the brakes way exceed my expectations.

Remember too during new vehicle certification, the GT was put through the AMS-DSTOP test. This test consisted of-
1) Accelerate the car to 80% of Vmax or 164 mph.
2) Stop as quickly as possible at threshold ABS intervention.
3) Upon stopping, immediately accelerate to 61+ mph and again stop as quickly as possible.
4) Repeat this accel/stop cycle to 61+ mph for 9 more consecutive times. Thus ten total times after the Vmax stop.
5) For acceptance the car shall not demonstrate any brake fade. The GT brakes passed this test.

Oh, and by the way the last three accel/stop cycles were the shortest stopping distance recorded during the test.

It is my belief you could not detect any “noticeable improvement” between slotted vs. drilled rotors. And titanium shims are installed between the caliper pistons and the brake pad to restrict heat flow from the pad into the pistons of the caliper. This is supposed to lower brake fluid operating temperatures which it probably does to some extent. Remember too all the FGT certification testing was done with every day (low cost relative to SRF fluid) DOT 3 Motorcraft fluid (500F dry/284F wet boiling point). I echo the above advice, change out your brake fluid at least annually if you track you car and you can find a number of good brake fluids with higher dry/wet boiling points than the Motorcraft fluid without the high SRF price tag. But the SRF fluid (608F dry/518F wet) IS the best brake fluid choice if money is no object.

Hope this helps!

 

[jaxgt]

I think I have the slotted options you are thinking of. They are a floating system from Gyrodisc.

http://www.girodisc.com/Rotors_c_345.html

Im using a Padgid yellow pad, they have survived a track day, but do squeak bit (I dont mind it a bit). I had used Padgid Blacks before, I dont think they squeaked, but didnt survive for me.

DONT FORGET TO CHANGE FLUID, makes a huge difference at the track. No one can fault Castrol SRF for performance. The only fault is it is expensive. Here is a helpful resource to compare fluids. I used ATE before swapping to SRF, had better results with the SRF.
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/group.asp?GroupID=BRAKEFLUID

I think Brembo made slotted rotors at some point? I saw them in the past on Kendall's website, but they are no longer there.

 

[Cobrar]

Bill,

What is the part number for the 'low'
dust version of our Brembo/Ferodo brake pad? Thanks!

 

[ChipBeck]

Gentlemen,

The stock brakes were very good BUT when used hard at the track they developed cracks between the holes drilled in them. I started the Texas Mile with brand new rotors and after just 5 runs (admittedly braking hard from well over 200 mph) the rotors cracked at those holes. I went to the slotted disks without the holes and never had a problem. I don't even know what those holes are for but the disks without them never cracked even after a dozen hard stops from warp speeds at the mile. Cheers.

Chip

 

[jaxgt]

Chip - which slotted discs are you running? Brembos?
If so, not sure where to acquire...

Gentlemen,

The stock brakes were very good BUT when used hard at the track they developed cracks between the holes drilled in them. I started the Texas Mile with brand new rotors and after just 5 runs (admittedly braking hard from well over 200 mph) the rotors cracked at those holes. I went to the slotted disks without the holes and never had a problem. I don't even know what those holes are for but the disks without them never cracked even after a dozen hard stops from warp speeds at the mile. Cheers.

Chip

 

[jaxgt]

Andy - are these different than the Brembos I had seen some time back?

I think I have the slotted options you are thinking of. They are a floating system from Gyrodisc.

http://www.girodisc.com/Rotors_c_345.html

Im using a Padgid yellow pad, they have survived a track day, but do squeak bit (I dont mind it a bit). I had used Padgid Blacks before, I dont think they squeaked, but didnt survive for me.

DONT FORGET TO CHANGE FLUID, makes a huge difference at the track. No one can fault Castrol SRF for performance. The only fault is it is expensive. Here is a helpful resource to compare fluids. I used ATE before swapping to SRF, had better results with the SRF.
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/group.asp?GroupID=BRAKEFLUID

 

[Specracer]

Yes these are totally different. These are from a brand called Gyrodisc. I bought these before R9 as I was looking for a slotted rotor. Big in the Porsche world (founder was a Porsche engineer). I was under the impression that the FRPP versions were gone.

Info on Company:

http://www.girodisc.com/About-Us_ep_7.html

Pic of the rotors on the car (before they were heat cycled). I only did the fronts. Rears are stock.

 

[dbk]

Gentlemen,

The stock brakes were very good BUT when used hard at the track they developed cracks between the holes drilled in them. I started the Texas Mile with brand new rotors and after just 5 runs (admittedly braking hard from well over 200 mph) the rotors cracked at those holes. I went to the slotted disks without the holes and never had a problem. I don't even know what those holes are for but the disks without them never cracked even after a dozen hard stops from warp speeds at the mile. Cheers.

Chip

Definitely from lack of cool down. Dragging the car from 200 down to 0 to stop and get your ticket shortly thereafter with no air going over the rotors cracked the shit out of mine at the mile also.

 

[ChipBeck]

Chip - which slotted discs are you running? Brembos?
If so, not sure where to acquire...

Jax,

Mine are from Stillen but they look exactly like the units that Specracer displays above. I think the stock calipers and pads are fine and perhaps there is a good reason for those holes but I've had great service from slotted discs without the holes.

Chip

 

[Indy GT]

Bill,

What is the part number for the 'low' dust version of our Brembo/Ferodo brake pad? Thanks!

You got me Rex! Or is this a trick question, like what would the correct ignition timing be on a 1955 Bel Air Chevrolet, with a 327 cubic-inch engine and a four-barrel carburetor? (Marisa Tomei):confused

I do not know the P/N of the regular OE Ferodo brake pad nor if there is a so called low dust version. I have nearly 20K miles on my GT with many track days and the pads still appear to have at least 50% pad left. Andy, Ron and Brian drive significantly deeper into a track turn than do I. And I have not experienced any rotor cracking problems. But the duty cycle of stopping a 220 mph auto multiple times is quite different than street and occasional track use. I bought another OE set from Rich last time I was up at his garage, but at this rate it will take me another 10+ years to use up the first set.:bored

I would defer to Rich for the P/N info.

 

[Cobrar]

You got me Rex! Or is this a trick question, like what would the correct ignition timing be on a 1955 Bel Air Chevrolet, with a 327 cubic-inch engine and a four-barrel carburetor? (Marisa Tomei):confused

I do not know the P/N of the regular OE Ferodo brake pad nor if there is a so called low dust version. I have nearly 20K miles on my GT with many track days and the pads still appear to have at least 50% pad left. Andy, Ron and Brian drive significantly deeper into a track turn than do I. And I have not experienced any rotor cracking problems. But the duty cycle of stopping a 220 mph auto multiple times is quite different than street and occasional track use. I bought another OE set from Rich last time I was up at his garage, but at this rate it will take me another 10+ years to use up the first set.:bored

I would defer to Rich for the P/N info.

No, there actually is such an animal, and I naturally assumed that you would have that info. :biggrin

Somewhere I have a card for race engineering contact at Brembo, I'll see if I can locate it and get the question answered. I had the product info in my file, and have misplaced it.

 

[Indy GT]

I too know "a guy" at Brembo who likely knows this information.
I will make an inquiry....

 

[jaxgt]

The best upgrade is what Stormcat has done.He did ceramic rotors from the ZR1.I have driven many times his car on the track and can attest to just how spectacular they are.The upside or down side is the stock rims don’t work with the system.
I am eagerly awaiting the upgrade my self! Just because I hate brake dust!

Ron - what are you running now?