Brakes for '89 SHO...need guidance please.

[TGPilot]

Well I am going to be putting the new tie rods on, new struts, and she needs a bit of brake work. She gets to pulsating pretty good now a days so if the price is reasonable I would not mind upgrading the brakes. I know nothing about FORDs, but plenty about mechanics.

I have no intention of road racing the car. My wife drives it more than I do and she babies the car. With that said...what is the best bang for the buck as far as retrofitting another FORD model's brakes on my '89? Or should I just get a new set of factory rotors and just get rid of the pulsing issue?

 

[ShadetreeSHOguy]

http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/mod...e=article&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&sid=189



That's going to be a great help. Upgrading to the 96+ brakes for your 89, you will have to find 94-95 knuckle assemblies(you can browse through your local junkard for them, or buy them new) this will be great upgrade for your brakes and it shouldnt break the bank either.

I also belive there are a few caliper brackets for sale in the classified section as well.

Hope this helps

 

[jayro]

Many people (including me) have the the '96 brake upgrade. For a daily driven car it is great. Since yours is a gen 1 you will need to switch to a set of gen 2 knuckles. Then you use the caliper brackets and rotors from a '96 sho. This also allows for larger pads.

If you search for '96 brake upgrade you will find alot more detailed info.

Jeremy

 

[sperold]

I don't want to sound contrary, but I have never had a problem with the standard brakes on my 89. It is the lightest one of the bunch, and doesn't have ABS. I would just work with what is there and buy new rotors and pads. If you get a super price on the upgrade, it will be worth doing, but it will be a lot more work; and with your driving, you won't feel the difference.

 

[TGPilot]

I don't want to sound contrary, but I have never had a problem with the standard brakes on my 89. It is the lightest one of the bunch, and doesn't have ABS. I would just work with what is there and buy new rotors and pads. If you get a super price on the upgrade, it will be worth doing, but it will be a lot more work; and with your driving, you won't feel the difference.

Any recommendations on rotor manufacturers? Does someone offer a good quality cross-drilled and slotted front and rear disk set for the '89?

I do not plan to keep the car for much longer either. She runs and drives flawlessly (other than brake pulse) for a soon to be 21 year old car. Plus Mini-sprint racing will start in a few months and I will need a vehicle to pull 3200lbs worth of go fast gear without issue.

Thanks for the speedy replies gents!
-Kenny

 

[geomarathoner]

I'd agree (based on what you've said about the car's daily use) that just replacing the rotors and pads would be fine. At Advance Auto you can get the rotors and Bendix OEM pads (semi-metallic, and last almost forever). Might also consider calipers and hoses, too, if yours are still original. Also available cheap at Advance. And of course, some fresh fluid.

 

[SHObill]

If your going to be doing that much replacement on her anyway, I would def upgrade to 94/95 knuckles without ABS as they can be had cheap. Your already going to be putting rotors& pads so......
-I just finished my clutch,tranny rebuild/REenforce, new SF & all new susp parts along with Tokico/Eibach & the 96 break upgrade is the best part of now driving the car!

 

[NJSHO]

For your situation, I'd replace with oem equivilant parts, with better pads. Going up to the larger rotors = a ton more rotational weight = worse gas mileage and slower acceleration. I love big brakes, but the way I see it, they are a waste of money and power if they're not going to be put to use.

Oh yeah and stay away from cross drilled (they can crack) and as for slotted, again not really necessary for around the town stuff. Slotting and cross drilling take away from surface area which can extend first time stopping distances. Both those cooling/gas release methods only become useful with really hot brakes from multiple close spaced panic stops.

 

[Mels]

For your situation, I'd replace with oem equivilant parts, with better pads. Going up to the larger rotors = a ton more rotational weight = worse gas mileage and slower acceleration. I love big brakes, but the way I see it, they are a waste of money and power if they're not going to be put to use.

Oh yeah and stay away from cross drilled (they can crack) and as for slotted, again not really necessary for around the town stuff. Slotting and cross drilling take away from surface area which can extend first time stopping distances. Both those cooling/gas release methods only become useful with really hot brakes from multiple close spaced panic stops.

Ugh.

The only thing I agree upon from above is stick with OEM.

You're ditching the car soon anyway, why dump any $$$ into it?

Go cheeep, shine it up and put a sign in the glass.

 

[shobote]

I'd would also just get good rotors and pads and nothing more. Tirerack.com has good deals on cryostop treated rotors and akibono street pads delivered to your door. Ceramics are better than semi-metallic for street use, and these are better than most other ceramics.

 

[SHOtime2511]

X2 on staying away from cross drilled rotors,there garbage.
if your getting rid of the car don't both doing a brake upgrade as you wont be able to sell it for any extra $ really.just replace the pads and rotors and bleed out the system.

 

[TGPilot]

Are '89 rotors and pads specific for the year, or are other years the same when looking for these replacement parts?

 

[SHOspazz92]

I'm more then likley going to swap the Wilwoods from my 92 to the 89 im picking up and the 89's Brakes to the track car so I can Fit some 15X9's on the 92. I'm lucky you don't use the Brakes very often in Auto-X. :woo-hoo:

-Sam

 

[pjtoledo]

Are '89 rotors and pads specific for the year, or are other years the same when looking for these replacement parts?

the pads are the same 89 thru 92, front and rear respectively. 89 may have a different front rotor, the center hole would be the only difference. 89s are also special as the front and rear rotors are the same. the pads are almost the same in a SHO vs Slo fitment. the only difference is the SHO front pads have a different spring/anti rattle/locating tab attached to the back of the pad. it seems SHOs have steel pistons with big holes in the caliper, Slos have phenolic pistons with smaller center holes in their calipers, hence the different tabs. other than bending the tabs, either pad will fit in either caliper.

on a side note, those of us in the rust belt are dying to ask if your SHO is rust free????? to us, rust, or the lack thereof, matters much more than drivetrain condition.
what size wheels do you have? 15 or 16?
the brake upgrade has been quite popular for years, any chance a previous owner already upgraded the fronts?

 

[RonPorter]

Any recommendations on rotor manufacturers? Does someone offer a good quality cross-drilled and slotted front and rear disk set for the '89?

I do not plan to keep the car for much longer either. She runs and drives flawlessly (other than brake pulse) for a soon to be 21 year old car. Plus Mini-sprint racing will start in a few months and I will need a vehicle to pull 3200lbs worth of go fast gear without issue.

Thanks for the speedy replies gents!
-Kenny

I agree with Sperold's comments. I ran track days with my '89 with stock brakes, good pads, and good fluid and they did fine.

For street use, they are more than adequate.

Go to AutoZone or wherever, and get the cheapest rotors that the offer. We have been doing this in SHOs for years, and we do track days, and they hold up fine. Don't need the high $$$ bling, $20-30 each are fine.

Perfermance Friction makes Carbon Metallics that fine the '89. They work quite well. A touch dusty, but good pads for the money.

For street driving, getting better tires will do the most to improve your stopping capabilities.

 

[TGPilot]

the pads are the same 89 thru 92, front and rear respectively. 89 may have a different front rotor, the center hole would be the only difference. 89s are also special as the front and rear rotors are the same. the pads are almost the same in a SHO vs Slo fitment. the only difference is the SHO front pads have a different spring/anti rattle/locating tab attached to the back of the pad. it seems SHOs have steel pistons with big holes in the caliper, Slos have phenolic pistons with smaller center holes in their calipers, hence the different tabs. other than bending the tabs, either pad will fit in either caliper.

on a side note, those of us in the rust belt are dying to ask if your SHO is rust free????? to us, rust, or the lack thereof, matters much more than drivetrain condition.
what size wheels do you have? 15 or 16?
the brake upgrade has been quite popular for years, any chance a previous owner already upgraded the fronts?

Thank you for all the information. The car has 2 left and 2 right 16" silver slicers on it that were blemish free, but the wife touched a curb about 3 weeks ago. It isn't hardly noticeable, but did not make me happy. The car is ABSOLUTELY RUST FREE!! I do not know the history of the car as to states it lived in over the last 20 years but she is pure. I was told it is original miles (132,***) and the timing belt and water pump were done at 92,*** by the previous owner. She runs perfect and strong! Cruise works. Clutch is smooth and strong. 5-speed shifts great. Just the brakes are a bother to me. I just picked up a couple of inner tie rods and they will be replaced right after new years. The right side has some slop in it. The interior is ok. The seats are not good (especially the drivers) but the headliner is very good, dash without cracks, all power windows work, but needs a windshield. I was waiting until spring to do the windshield.

Well...if there is interest in buying the car I will take photos and do a full write up on it after Christmas.

-Kenny

 

[pjtoledo]

a rust free SHO :woo-hoo:


with 16" wheels, I'd check the rotor size, 10.2" is stock, 10.9 (11) or 11.5 are the upgraded sizes. easy way to check, if the calipers have big-ass flats that hold the pads its the small 10" ers.

please note the Forum owner does have a small fee and a procedure to post for sale ads.


and PICS!!!! we want pics of rust free SHOs


Perry

 

[TGPilot]

Well...I will get some photos together after Christmas, as well as measure the rotors.

I appreciate EVERYONE'S replies!

-Kenny