[fastfocussvt87]

i was wondering if i could get a little help finding some threads and web-pages giving me descriptions and prices on "brembo" big brake upgrades for my 02 SVT. looking into a purchase and i know its not gunna be cheep, so anything and everything will work. thanks.

 

[jrgtrain]

tire rack.com

 

[Yocrew]

I'm not sure if you know, but the SVT already has a great breaking system. Id look into your own setup so you could see you don't need to ugrade to anything except maybe some new rotors to replace your old ones. Id save the money.

 

[ktwelsch]

I know CFM has a Brembo kit.... it's also gonna run you $1k+

 

[OandAWOW]

The cost of the kit and added unsprung weight aren't really worth the money. You won't be putting as much power to the ground. You're not trying to stop a heavy car. The SVT has an excellent setup, just upgrade rotors and pads. It's your money, but it's an awful lot to drop on underwheel bling.

 

[fastfocussvt87]

yea, from debating and looking at prices, i can get a set of front slotted and drilled brembo rotors, or even some really nice just plain jane drilled and slotted rotors like i have now. so ill probably save the 1-2k+ and invest in something alittle more worth whyle and practile to make her go faster than 11.32 in the 1/8 mile track near my house. hopefully ill get it to run lower than 10.

 

[Geezer]

As Yocrew indicated the SVT brakes are pretty damn good. It's unlikely you'd gain much from a performance standpoint for the amount of money an aftermarket big brake kit costs. Based on reports given here the stock SVT rotors are pretty good as well. Moving to an aftermarket rotor is probably only justified for cost reasons. Drilled or slotted rotors don't provide any performance improvements for a street driven car. They'll actually reduce braking efficiency do to reduced swept area and will cause pads to wear much quicker. Brembo and Centric make some good solid replacement rotors that also tend to cost less than stock parts. Upgrading to a good street performance pad does, however, make sense. Another possible improvement is stainless steel braided brake lines which improves pedal feel. Just be careful until you get used to them. As always...fresh fluid is essential for optimal operation.

 

[fastfocussvt87]

yea i hear you on that, i mean, i bought the car recently, and it has slotted and drilled rotors, with some kind of after market pads that are 100% still there, and from the last car i owned, this one stops on a dime. i took apart the brakes from the rotors cuz they had a mild squeak and put on some Wynns anti squeak at work, and i also refaced the pads and slapped it all back together, the squeak is gone. and also, i didn't notice any unusual groove patterns or anything, so ill probably just stick with something like the set up i have, maybe add some steel braided brake lines. there more relyable.

seperate topic here, does anyone know where i can get like a upgraded set of wheel bearings? something above what the ford dealer will sell me, and a better parts store set of bearings? one of mine is taking a poop, and if im going do one, ill just do both to kill 2 birds with one stone.

 

[mellephants]

i've read that stainless steel brake lines are a waste of money on street car, too. in fact I believe stainless lines are known to fail with a little age. some cars running them on a track have totally lost their brakes at some bad times.

 

[Geezer]

i've read that stainless steel brake lines are a waste of money on street car, too. in fact I believe stainless lines are known to fail with a little age. some cars running them on a track have totally lost their brakes at some bad times.

Are they needed on a street car....no. Fresh OEM lines are just fine. Will they result in some benefit....yes they will firm up brake pedal feel. Do they fail over time...not any more than a stock line will.

A stainless line must be installed with caution. The lines cannot be twisted (even a little bit) and they cannot be allowed to come in contact with a tire as the braiding will cut through a sidewall in no time. It's pretty rare NOT to find them on a race car and most brake failures on the track have nothing to do with braided SS lines.

 

[mellephants]

^^DISAGREE [?|]

Here are a couple good pages to read:
http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Brake_Lines
http://www.type2.com/library/brakes/teflon.htm

Many more can be found... check around a bit.

I'm just trying to keep people from picking up cheaply made stainless lines & having them catastrophically fail. I like being able to do visual checks on my brake lines, since I value my life & the lives of those who ride in my car.

They have the potential to fail unexpectedly and more quickly than a OE brake line. Cars that are professionally raced and use SS lines also replace them every race, sometimes between races. If you want to run SS lines, just buy a whole bunch of them so you can change them every time you change your oil.

 

[Blackcatn2o]

The one thing I dont like about the big brake upgrade is when you need rotors an pads it might cost you alot for replacements.

 

[Geezer]

^^DISAGREE [?|]

They have the potential to fail unexpectedly and more quickly than a OE brake line. Cars that are professionally raced and use SS lines also replace them every race, sometimes between races. If you want to run SS lines, just buy a whole bunch of them so you can change them every time you change your oil.

Sorry but that's a bunch of BS. I participated in SCCA Pro Rally for a number of years. I had some stainless steel lines from Racing Beat (RX7 specialists). They never failed in over three years of major abuse. I also drove this car on the street so it also racked up a lot of miles after I quit competing. I also know that ALL my fellow competitors (except for the production class guys who weren't allowed to) used them. In over ten years of rallying (including scrutineering duties) I'm not aware of one incident where a line "just" failed. Yes i saw them ripped off by road debris, rocks etc. but any line would have failed under those conditions. I also hung around with SCCA friends at the track a lot. I never saw anyone replacing brake lines at every race. That's nonsense. On the other hand we all bled our brakes a lot. The track boys more than anyone (every session in some cases). Changing brake lines...only if damaged from an off road excursion.

 

[mellephants]

Well there is some misinformation someplace, then. A bunch of guys with lots of experience with consumer-level SS brake lines... vs... well, you and a bunch of people trying to make a profit from the SS lines.

It is fantastic that you never had a problem with your brake lines, but I'll stick with my advice to anyone reading this... stay away from SS lines. Use high quality brake fluid, good solid blanks (for our cars, I think you can get the best deal on Centric ones using live cashback), and some good pads like the Hawk HPS pads.

EDIT: Another thing, if you found this thread because you are thinking about buying SS lines, you might want to take a moment to ask yourself "why do I hate money?"

 

[Insane]

^^^ He has no profit to be made. He trying to give you quality advice.. I wouldn't take that very lightly.

 

[Geezer]

Insanes correct, I'm not selling anything. I'm just your ordinarily old fart with a lot of miles from lots of cars (over 24 to date an counting) and some racing experience as well. I base the majority of my comments on that experience (both good and bad in hopes of minimizing mistakes for others) I also try not to pass on hearsay or innuendo unless I can substantiate it first. I agree that there may be some junk SS lines out there just like anything else. You truly get what you pay for. But there's lots of quality SS brake line manufacturers including Aeroquip, Russell, Goodridge, etc. should you decide stainless lines are needed.

 

[mellephants]

right on. I think the main problem with SS lines is with cheap ones.

 

[error54]

Geezer and mattellermets, you guys both make good points. I'm personally a proponent of SS brake lines but I've always wondered why they don't come as OE on production cars, even the high end ones?