Brake caliper mod

[skyshadow07]

*Let me preface! Welding on cast metals is a risky business. Too much heat or cooling too fast, can cause internal stresses that lead to cracking. I do not suggest you do this to your car*

So I hate the two cutaways in the front caliper. If they were not there, I feel our stock calipers would look fathoms better. With that in mind, I bought a brand new caliper from Ford and modified it to fill in the cut aways. Halfway through the project, I was reminded why I hate trying to weld mild steel to cast. Cast is dirty and grainy. It will pop and spit at you. Unless it is preheated to the perfect temp, it won't bond to the mild steel. It'll just look like oil sitting on water, no matter how much you turn up your torch.

 

[yaycandy]

It is good that they are steel/cast iron and not aluminum calipers like some cars. Steel is stiffer and allows for equal pressure across the pad in heavy braking.

 

[802SHO]

Ive thought the same thing, if the holes were covered it would look a **** of a lot better....wanting to add a vinyl graphic to the caliper makes you wish the caliper was solid without those gaps. It would be nice if small covers were able to attach via a low profile clip but then the surface wouldn't be smooth and uniform as this. Nice work.

 

[Zpak]

But wait, aren’t you supposed to be reducing weight?


Good job though, it does look better. But, what about the pad clips that go through that opening?

 

[skyshadow07]

It is good that they are steel/cast iron and not aluminum calipers like some cars. Steel is stiffer and allows for equal pressure across the pad in heavy braking.

I have been told the brakes on the SHO are pretty impressive. A lot look at them and don't see 4 *** so they think junk. But the caliper is massive and stiff so the brake force is spread out well over the disc.

 

[skyshadow07]

But wait, aren’t you supposed to be reducing weight?


Good job though, it does look better. But, what about the pad clips that go through that opening?

I recently did the brakes and decided it could be done without the opening. We will find out today though when I install them.

 

[luigisho]

You're handy as ****. Looks good. Would have never occurred to me to even consider filling that.

 

[skyshadow07]

Thoughts?

 

[802SHO]

I like it but why not finish the entire caliper red

 

[Matt M PA]

Very impressive work! I do have a question, though. Do the front calipers compress straight back to change pads...or do they have to be rotated? If rotated, how would you do this with the modification?

 

[802SHO]

Very impressive work! I do have a question, though. Do the front calipers compress straight back to change pads...or do they have to be rotated? If rotated, how would you do this with the modification?

The fronts just compress the rears rotate pretty sure

 

[skyshadow07]

I like it but why not finish the entire caliper red

I may still do that. I am currently just testing things. I'm going to monitor how it behaves with the heat changes and such.

 

[skyshadow07]

Very impressive work! I do have a question, though. Do the front calipers compress straight back to change pads...or do they have to be rotated? If rotated, how would you do this with the modification?

Rotate? These plugs will not alter how you change your brake pads or how your brakes operate. It's only a 14ga thick top plate.
Also someone asked early if the alteration would interfere with the alignment and slide clips on the brake. It does not at all.

 

[Matt M PA]

Perhaps I wasn't clear. At least the rear calipers need to be rotated in, to retract to put on new pads. I'm not questioning that brake performance or operation would be compromised.

My thought was the ability to fit a tool that would normally have to be used through the now closed openings to retract the caliper to put new pads on. If the fronts go straight back, a normal C clamp could be used.

 

[skyshadow07]

OOOH! So how I have retracted the piston before, and did on this design as well, was to put a large flat head screw driver between the caliper body and the rear pad then pry outward. But, yes if you are want to use the C-clamp method, this would inhibit that.

 

[RAYJAY]

think they look great just the way they are. and when welding cast you do need to heat it up to at least 122 deg. to get a good weld ......

 

[skyshadow07]

You saw the weld right? I'm 6G cert'd... Did you think I didn't pre-heat?

 

[RAYJAY]

You saw the weld right? I'm 6G cert'd... Did you think I didn't pre-heat?

you did not say you did in your write up ..... remember other people will try to copy your mod .......

 

[skyshadow07]

I did though.

 

[RAYJAY]

I did though.

I did though.

not in detail ..... i could see some one heating it with a blow dryer .......