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  1. #1
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Default Reminder - upgrade your brakes!

    For whatever reason, yesterday I turned the dial and added just that much more rear brake pressure to my car since the roads were dry.

    That action proved life saving - twice in less than a mile -- while I was on I80 driving west across Nebraska.

    The details of those oh crap moments aren't really important. Freak shows caused by bad driving by another motorist in one instance, and terrible vehicle maintenance in the other.

    what is important is a reminder why it is so very important to upgrade the brakes on our cars. The Mickey Mouse factory four eyed setup clearly would have gotten me killed!!

    Actually one little click less of braking power probably would have too. I'm blessed to have been driving a car with enough stopping power at a time it was so desperately needed.

    A minimum upgrade the rear to disc, add an adjustable proportioning valve, and get the best pads you can find. Tires, shocks, and struts all up to the task are key.

    if anyone has questions on how to get that woe in line with today's world post away.

    I'm paying this forward. It took one of my best friends several years to convince me to ditch my 10 holes and spend the money and time on an aggressively upgraded braking setup. He helped me with countless suggestions for parts to do it, and ultimately saved my bacon yesterday.

    There are ways to get a lot better brakes while retaining 4 lug and 15's too. You can bet they are going to get done to my son's car very soon.

    Upgrade! Lets keep our cars and members safe!

    who is up for measuring stopping distances from 60 and parts combos?
    Last edited by erratic50; 06-24-2017 at 09:57 AM.

  2. #2

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    Glad to hear you are safe after some close calls!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  3. #3

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    Amen that you and your fox are safe! Every POS comes with 4 wheel disc now. Just confirmed as I am looking at the Kia Soul beside me in traffic.

  4. #4
    FEP Super Member Gemini1999's Avatar
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    Default

    I dunno... I've driven my share of 4-wheel drum, or front disk brake cars in my life. I've also experienced my share of oh **** moments and come out of them without a scrape. It's knowing the capabilities and limits of your car and how to use them to your advantage to stay safe. Of the small handful of minor accidents that I've been in, it's not my ability to stop on a dime that would have made a difference.
    Bryan

    1983 Mustang GLX Convertible

  5. #5
    FEP Power Member Broncojunkie's Avatar
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    Default

    My 2016 Tacoma TRD Sport came with rear drums. They don't even offer rear disc as an option lol.

    So what's the easiest way to swap in rear disc, while keeping 15" 4-lug wheels?
    Last edited by Broncojunkie; 06-25-2017 at 06:21 AM.

  6. #6

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    Meh, i dont feel like dropping $1k + to replace a part that is limited by the size of my tires. In an actual panic stop situation, a properly working stock disc and drum setup is more then capeable of locking up all 4 tires at freeway speeds, even though you can stop quicker if you dont.
    2 1986 cougars (both 4 eyed and 5.0)
    1 1987 cougar

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Default

    Totally agree gemini1999. And that's what I've always done. But in these two occasions I did everything the same as I've always done having safely driven my car over 375K miles.

    This time it came down traction and raw braking performance in the situation. The upgraded car can stop from 75 faster (and shorter?) than the stock car could from 60. I've only been in a very small handful of cars that can out stop it. A good friend's 86 that has even better brakes and even more tire under it is one example. My father-in-law's Z06 definitely is not..... not even close.

    Anyway - remember if your brakes lock you're losing a lot of stopping power. That's why ABS is used widely on modern cars.

    Happy motoring gang! I hope everyone stays safe.


    My combo is 245/45/17's, SN95 spindles, 99 dual piston calipers, Baer rotors, complete 95 rearend, braided lines, adjustable proportioning valve, mark vii master cyl, fox booster, new shocks, quads, struts.

    Not sure if they play into it but probably do ... caster/camber plates. I would always hear a slight chatter to tire squeal on a hard stop before I had them - a solid mount on the strut probably eliminated the movement causing that sound.

    Other things that I suspect have little to do with stopping are mm strut tower brace, rear sway eliminated, etc.


    It was moments for me that made me re-evaluate some stuff for sure. And thank my friend for the brake advice! I thought I'd pay it forward to anyone else that has a four eyed fox.
    Last edited by erratic50; 06-25-2017 at 02:21 PM.

  8. #8
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    BroncoJunkie, 4 lug rear disc is achieved with the following:

    Rear disc backer plates and cables from http://www.northracecars.com/Brakes.html

    88 Thunderbird turbo coupe or 1993 Cobra rear brake hoses, calipers, pads, and rotors from the Mcparts store. Or braided steel lines for better stopping.

    Gut the stock proportionibg valve and get a plug from LMR

    Get a summit or FRPP adjustable proportioning valve

    Stock brakes have a 7/8" master cyl. Not sure about turbo coupe. After disc conversion many prefer 15/16" bore. Personally I like a 1". I run a Lincoln MarkVII with one off the shelf Mcparts store line adapter.

    87-93 Mustangs with V8 had bigger brakes up front. Switching to them requires a strut and spindle swap.

    The above is my upgrade plan on my son's 1986 Mustang GT. Others who have already done it may have more info to share.



    I went to 17" wheels and SN95 parts on my 1986 Mustang. Required a swap to 5 lug but it's a great upgrade imo.

  9. #9

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    The main problem with drum brakes in everyday use is that they are very nonlinear. This reduces the pedal effort required to activate them, but automatically makes it harder to keep the tires on the limit of traction when stopping hard. A good brake system allows the driver to be able to do this. You can shove a 3" diameter steel bar between the spokes of the wheel and the strut, and the tires will lock up, but the stopping distance will be terrible because the brakes can't be modulated. One of the shoes in most drum brake systems is doing almost exactly the same thing. It is being jammed between the drum and its pivot point. This makes it very difficult to modulate the brakes.
    Jack Hidley
    Maximum Motorsports Tech Support

  10. #10
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    100% agree Jack.

    My friend that talked me into upgrading my brakes and helped me get it all figured out effectively saved my life in doing so. You can bet after those close calls his number was the first thing I dialed after the wife's.

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