So I've been doing some spirited driving lately and with all the upgrades, it seems I've finally reached the point where the stock brakes arent going to cut it. I'm getting some fade and sometimes they are getting hot enough to throb which of course not good.

I have 19" wheels from a GT CS which I think would clear probably most stuff out there, so short of spending a ton of money on Brembo's, anyone have any recommendations that are NOT Brembos? I just say NOT Brembo because apparently that is the short quick out.

Costs are a concern, but of course safety is paramount so I'm looking for good value without cutting crazy corners.

 

Not sure about '11 but on '12 and '13 you can't have Brembos with the CS wheels anyway. Apparently they don't have the clearance. If you go online and try to build yourself a Mustang GT/CS you'll see that you won't be able to configure it with Brembos.

 

You can gain a lot of brake performance with a high quality rotor, pads and braided lines. Power stop rotors, hawk pads, etc.

 

I have recently done this. I used power slot rotors, hawk pads, and stainless steel lines. I did the fronts one day and the rears the next. Easy to do. I believe there are a few different routes u can go. EBC rotors and pads get used by members here. As far as doin the install urself is very easy. Just make sure u don't run out of fluid in your master cylinder. Lots of threads where people have done that and then it's a real pita to get the air out. Aside from that very easy

 

I went with the EBC slotted and dimpled rotors and red pads. Hawk pads are great too. You can get all for around $500 through amazon.com with free shipping. You will need the caliper winding tool if your gonna install yourself. Got that too at amazon for $40. Way cheaper than paying somebody else to do it.

 

I ended up grabbing a set of the 14" rotors and calipers off a 2009 GT500 with 5 miles of use. Other than the turbo, these brakes are my favorite mod. Simple install and since its right from Ford no need for any third party brackets.

 

If you don't want to spend big $$$ and get a BBK (big brake kit), then I suggest you invest in some good street pads such as Hawk HPS or Carbotech Bobcats. Also stainless steel braided hoses are a good idea if youre able to get your brakes to the point where you can feel decrease in performance in them. Which leads me to advise you to flush and refill your brake fluid with a good DOT 4 fluid. (ATE superblue, Motul, etc). You also say you can feel 'throbbing' in your brakes? This leads me to believe the rotors are warped and should be replaced. Look into so powerslot or EBC rotors. They will allow for a little better venting or out gassing of the rotor. A cheaper alternative is to have your rotors turned assuming they have enough thickness left in order to do so. And if you start getting into circuit track days brake ducts are a good idea.

Hope this helps
-Erik

 

if costs are a concern your best bet is to upgrade your rotors, pads, brake lines to stainless steel, and a high quality high temperature brake fluid. this will help drastically with brake fade on a standard brake setup

FYI - those wheels probably *wont* clear most BBK's, so if you are going to pony up for larger rotors/calipers, expect to need new wheels. there's a reason why you can't add the brembo package to a CS GT.

 

Thanks for the insights. Erik the throbbing was when the rotors were very hot. After cooling they were fine, but as soon as I felt it I thought that I was embedding pad into the rotor and once that's done...they are never truly right. During normal driving, I think they will be fine and I can still stop on a dime. Im thinkin the slotted rotors, Hawk pads and stainless lines are going to be the first step.

As for the fluid, is the DOT4 you were mentioning good for a DD? I do street this every day, so the cars gotta be drivable.

 

Do you happen to know the stock size by chance? This is certainly worth consideration too.