Brake upgrades beyond the 13+ HD brakes?

[The_Auto_Tech]

Posting over from the Ford Flex forum to see if anyone has run the Wilwood kits, or if there's anything else out there available. Everything I've read says the fronts require a 19" and the back an 18" wheel minimum plus the rear kit deletes the parking brake and there is no option to retain it. I'm not really sold on doing that as a safety measure. I already have the Power Stop Z36 kit with the red calipers and Goodridge lines as well.

The options for snows in 19" drop off drastically as well when compared to a 17", as the 19" sizes tend to show up as the light truck/SUV or the performance snow tire category. I have run the performance snow tires in the past on Euro vehicles and they are good, but definitely don't have the grip that the regular snow tires do. The light truck/SUV like the Blizzak DM-V2 seemed pretty decent, but my best grip always seems to have been more with the "car" oriented WS-series tires.

Wondering if there's anything we can do for brakes over the HD setup without having to sacrifice the parking brake and 19" wheels, or if that's just what the option is.

 

[kryptto]

You could ping @aaron240 SEP - Schwartz Engineering made them for our cars. He might still sell them, I know the bracket doesnt support the E brake in case that concerns you, and my memory is not failing. He took down his site during COVID - but I beleive still responds to Forum messages.

Or take a read here: https://www.fortheworkshop.com/how-i-saved-43-lbs-with-the-tce-performance-wilwood-brake-kit/

Have fun!

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

Yeah, those were the kits I was referencing. I don't want to lose the e-brake as a safety type of thing since it's my wife that drives the vehicle most of the time. Also, having to go to 19" wheels just for snow tires I'm not super interested in either as the options are drastically less than the 17" wheels.

 

[kryptto]

Yeah, those were the kits I was referencing. I don't want to lose the e-brake as a safety type of thing since it's my wife that drives the vehicle most of the time. Also, having to go to 19" wheels just for snow tires I'm not super interested in either as the options are drastically less than the 17" wheels.

go with Powerstops - @Ta2dResqr reccomends them highly. No new calipers - no retorfitting.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

Posting over from the Ford Flex forum to see if anyone has run the Wilwood kits, or if there's anything else out there available. Everything I've read says the fronts require a 19" and the back an 18" wheel minimum plus the rear kit deletes the parking brake and there is no option to retain it. I'm not really sold on doing that as a safety measure. I already have the Power Stop Z36 kit with the red calipers and Goodridge lines as well.

The options for snows in 19" drop off drastically as well when compared to a 17", as the 19" sizes tend to show up as the light truck/SUV or the performance snow tire category. I have run the performance snow tires in the past on Euro vehicles and they are good, but definitely don't have the grip that the regular snow tires do. The light truck/SUV like the Blizzak DM-V2 seemed pretty decent, but my best grip always seems to have been more with the "car" oriented WS-series tires.

Wondering if there's anything we can do for brakes over the HD setup without having to sacrifice the parking brake and 19" wheels, or if that's just what the option is.

Where were you able to find the Goodridge hoses? I have tried ordering multiple places with no luick.

I run the Z37 Pursuit pads. A lot of people seem to recommend the PP/FPIS OEM pads. The Z37 would be the PowerStop version of those.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

go with Powerstops - @Ta2dResqr reccomends them highly. No new calipers - no retorfitting.

I currently have the Powerstop Z36 front and rear kit with the red calipers, pads, and rotors and the Goodrige lines.

 

[kryptto]

I currently have the Powerstop Z36 front and rear kit with the red calipers, pads, and rotors and the Goodrige lines.

My reading skills are for shiite - sorry - i was distracted when I replied. I do that a bit.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

Where were you able to find the Goodridge hoses? I have tried ordering multiple places with no luick.

I run the Z37 Pursuit pads. A lot of people seem to recommend the PP/FPIS OEM pads. The Z37 would be the PowerStop version of those.

I emailed Goodrige directly to get them since I couldn't find them for sale anywhere either. I think it was last year sometime.

I didn't know the Z37 brakes were an option, so maybe I will get those next time instead of the Z36 ones when it's time to replace the brakes. I wonder if I could get Powerstop to put a kit together for the Z37 pads with the cross drilled and slotted rotors, red calipers, and hardware.

 

[Ta2dResqr]

I emailed Goodrige directly to get them since I couldn't find them for sale anywhere either. I think it was last year sometime.

I didn't know the Z37 brakes were an option, so maybe I will get those next time instead of the Z36 ones when it's time to replace the brakes. I wonder if I could get Powerstop to put a kit together for the Z37 pads with the cross drilled and slotted rotors, red calipers, and hardware.

I got them with pads, rotors, and hardware from RockAuto. I believe the PowerStop calipers are stock with red paint.

 

[kryptto]

I got them with pads, rotors, and hardware from RockAuto. I believe the PowerStop calipers are stock with red paint.

how many pistons - or size of pistons over OEM @Ta2dResqr ?

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

I got them with pads, rotors, and hardware from RockAuto. I believe the PowerStop calipers are stock with red paint.

Yeah, they come powder coated from Powerstop with the red. I checked Rockauto again and they don't have a kit with the calipers, nor with the pads and rotors. They just have the pads listed separately. I wonder if somewhere else has the kit.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

how many pistons - or size of pistons over OEM @Ta2dResqr ?

They're stock calipers, just rebuilt and powder coated red.

 

[SemperTim]

Why do you feel the need to upgrade the brakes beyond what you have done? No judgement as I fit GT350 brakes on mine. Running the 13-14+ 350mm front and 345mm rears helps. The front calipers have the same piston size, but the rear is slightly bigger. I initially upgraded my 2011 SHO to just the bigger front brakes (after the Master cylinder/Booster). When I changed to the bigger rears there was no real difference that I felt. The larger, vented rotor in the back was more due to the stability system than anything.

If you need to keep a parking brake, just keep a stock setup in the back and upgrade the front. Get a good bleed of the system with quality lines.

If you're trying to keep 17s, it limits you to the smaller rotor, unfortunately.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

Why do you feel the need to upgrade the brakes beyond what you have done? No judgement as I fit GT350 brakes on mine. Running the 13-14+ 350mm front and 345mm rears helps. The front calipers have the same piston size, but the rear is slightly bigger. I initially upgraded my 2011 SHO to just the bigger front brakes (after the Master cylinder/Booster). When I changed to the bigger rears there was no real difference that I felt. The larger, vented rotor in the back was more due to the stability system than anything.

If you need to keep a parking brake, just keep a stock setup in the back and upgrade the front. Get a good bleed of the system with quality lines.

If you're trying to keep 17s, it limits you to the smaller rotor, unfortunately.

For sure, I get what you're saying. I had read that some people did the larger fronts and left the rear stock and felt like the bias was a bit off, which is what I also would like to avoid. I don't want to remove the parking brake for sure, so it's sounding like I'll just have to stick with what I have. I guess at least the next time I can upgrade to the Z37's. lol

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

So it looks like after all I will just stick with the 13+ HD brakes so I can retain the parking brake and still be able to run the 17" wheels instead of a 19" wheel for winter. I don't really trust just upgrading the fronts and not the rears to match based on any previous experience with braking upgrades.

With that being said, I'm looking at doing the Powerstop Z37 brake pads this time around instead of the Z36. I was also looking at just getting new calipers again as the current ones are starting to get a bit crusty and corroded, and the amount of work involved to re-powder coat them properly outweighs the cost of just ordering new ones from Powerstop. The other change I'm thinking of making would be switching to the R1 Concepts black coated cross drilled and slotted rotors instead of the Powerstop cross drilled and slotted rotors. I've been running the R1 Concepts ones one my allroad and they have been great, plus the black coating keeps the winter corrosion at bay.

Anything else I should be looking at?

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

Just put my order in through Rockauto for the front and rear Z37 brake pad kits, Powerstop red brake calipers, and R1 Concepts black cross drilled and slotted rotors. I didn't need the calipers as I already have them, but mine are getting pretty corroded and crappy looking, so instead of getting them re-powder coated it just makes more sense to purchase new ones that are ready to go for how inexpensive they are. I decided to go with the R1 Concepts rotors since the entire rotor is black zinc coated, whereas the Powerstop rotors are silver zinc coated. I've had great experience with both brands and their rotors, but I would rather have the black than the silver coating.

Also FYI Powerstop doesn't offer a full kit with the Z37 pads, I emailed them to ask for sure.

 

[SHOdded]

keep your oem calipers. powerstop calipers may look nice but likely will not last like oems do. better to rebuild them with quality parts.

the ps calipers in red looked great on our 2010 fusion sport but did not perform as well as oem. within 3 years they seized. so i went back to oem and no issues since.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

keep your oem calipers. powerstop calipers may look nice but likely will not last like oems do. better to rebuild them with quality parts.

the ps calipers in red looked great on our 2010 fusion sport but did not perform as well as oem. within 3 years they seized. so i went back to oem and no issues since.

I actually have the red Powerstop calipers on the vehicle now, and have had them on it for about 70,000 miles now. No issues besides the finish wearing off them, but this thing gets driven year round in the salt too.

 

[Mahu24]

I run the Willwood 4 piston calipers in the front on my car, and stock in the rear. Mine is a SEP kit. I'm happy with it, it definitely stops better, not a massive difference as it would be going to a 6 piston caliper, but definitely better than stock PP brakes. I also got them for the weight reduction on the front end

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

I run the Willwood 4 piston calipers in the front on my car, and stock in the rear. Mine is a SEP kit. I'm happy with it, it definitely stops better, not a massive difference as it would be going to a 6 piston caliper, but definitely better than stock PP brakes. I also got them for the weight reduction on the front end

The 4 piston calipers still require a 19" wheel though correct?