[TriniZX3]

So at 45k my rear brake drums are completely shot. they are completely rusted and look hideous behind my team dynamics pro race 1.2s. and they squeal like a B.
imagine my embarassment when this guy with a 997 911 gt3 is checking out my car at the car wash and then bam i brake and there goes any sense of dignity along with the horrendous sound of brake squeal. also my parking brake doesn't really work either.
i do a lot of auto-x and spirited driving, so i guess its not surprising that the rear drums are so shot, but i havent done anything about it, b/c before i couldnt justify spending $500 on a svt rear disc swap especially since ive been very skeptical about what kind of improvements they would provide. now i think there is no choice. i would rather do the swap than just replace the drums but i have a few Qs. lolz the rear drums are the biggest clue that my car is not really an svt. grrr why were drums ever invented?

my questions are as follows:
what are your impressions of the svt REAR disc swap?
and do you think this upgrade gives too much rear brake bias?
oh and i hate brake dust, should i use the stock svt pads or should ceramics work just fine?

my car's relevant specs are:

'04 ZX3 w/no abs w/17" wheels with SS brake lines all around w/eibach sportline kit
front brakes:
powerslot slotted rotors
hawk hps pads

rear brakes:
useless piece of crap

*btw i already know this topic has been beaten to death, but ive been out of the focus scene for a while and i want updated feedback. k thanks.

 

[Geezer]

For a lot less money you could put performance shoes on the rear and have a significant performance upgrade for a lot less money. Both Mintex and Porterfield make matched pad and shoe kits for the Focus with rear drums. The drums work well when appropriately maintained. The visual issue is fixed with a spray can of high temp. paint.

 

[dirtbrown]

talk to broham_71 he has the SVT rear disks on his zx3

 

[jetrinka]

Like said above I would just put some performance shoes on the rears and be done with it. Maybe get some new drums as well and paint em.

Your car has the pre-05 front brakes as well which are a fair amount smaller. You might be happier upgrading the front brakes to SVT and putting some performance shoes on the rear as well. It would end up costing around the same as the SVT rear conversion but I think braking would be vastly improved.

 

[TriniZX3]

well my drums are rusted to the spindle, so i defintely have to at least replace the drums, but i want to get disc brakes, b/c i know if i saw a nice car on the street i wouldnt give it any respect if it had drums in the back. esepically if they were really easy to spot behind the rims like i have now. $450 for the rear upgrade package is a fairly cheap price when you consider that includes everything.

 

[jetrinka]

Yup if you are going for looks it is a really nice addition. A bit of performance as well.

 

[tczx3]

Geezer - Would you suggest getting the full race shoes or the street performance shoes from porterfield? Is it worth the 50 bucks extra? Thanks

 

[Geezer]

Geezer - Would you suggest getting the full race shoes or the street performance shoes from porterfield? Is it worth the 50 bucks extra? Thanks

The R4S would be the most that you need. For comparison purposes they're very similar to Hawk HPS. Never use a race pad for street purposes. Race pads have no initial bite (first time you step on them nothing happens...this can be thrilling when theres a semi-trailer in front of you or the light has turned red and you're going through whether you want to or not) and they need lots of heat in them to work to their fullest capabilities. The R4S is a high performance street pad that can be used for autocross and some light track/lapping work.

 

[grahama]

If you were replacing your shoes only what is the likelihood of using the oem drums again? Or are you best to get a performance drum as a package with the shoes?

 

[Chupathingy009]

On the SVT rear brake conversion, what do you do about rear brake lines? I have my parts to do it but the guy didn't send me any lines for the rear, so can I just run some Russel stainless lines straight back? Or should I just get some OEM SVT lines to the rear

 

[Geezer]

If you were replacing your shoes only what is the likelihood of using the oem drums again? Or are you best to get a performance drum as a package with the shoes?

I'm not aware of a performance drum being available for a Focus. Focus drums can't be turned by most shops because of the hub design (you might want to see if a Ford dealer can do it). If you install high performance shoes like the Porterfield's, I strongly recommend new drums so proper bedding can occur.