Oh - by the way. In an earlier post I mentioned how getting the rear piston to retract into the caliper is a pain. If you are ONLY bleeding brakes, you do not need to remove the caliper at all. When I wrote the earlier post, for some reason I was thinking you were also swapping brake pads. Sorry if that misled you.

Bleed only - no need for that special tool.
Pad swap - you need the tool.

 

got my Goodridge lines through tire rack for about $150 all four, and i use the ATE, but am going to change to MOTUL dot4. don't like how the Superblue can tint everything it touches including the resevoir. JMO

 

got my Goodridge lines through tire rack for about $150 all four, and i use the ATE, but am going to change to MOTUL dot4. don't like how the Superblue can tint everything it touches including the resevior. JMO

 

Not to sound like a total retard. But if I'm wanting to upgrade my brake ( i.e stop faster and better) All I have to do is upgrade my pads, lines, and fuilds? I don't need to change rotors or calipers? I have 06 GT with stock brake system and I'm just wanting to stop faster and more effective. Any ideas are welcome.

 

The next step would be a front brake cooling kit if you experiencing brake fade. This would probably only occur if you are on a race track or drivng very hard on the street.

Better tires also help you stop better. The old adage says it all "brakes don't stop cars - tires do".

IMO big Brake Kits are over rated and sold more for appearance than performance. For my car I got the GT500 front brakes, which are solid rotors, as a reasonably priced upgrade. The kit results in higher unsprung weight but the gain is the extra rotor mass helps reduce fade. During 6 track days last year I have never experienced brake fade with this set up.

 

You list two goals, the first one being to stop faster. I'm assuming you mean you want to stop in a shorter distance. A little info on the subject: as Sleeper mentions, its not the brakes that stop the car, its the friction between the tire and the surface. The only way to stop in a shorter distance is to change this friction. Brakes don't do this. Without getting into a long discussion, your only easy option to shorten stopping distances is to change tires - stickier and bigger will do it.

The second goal you list is you want your stops to be "more effective" and "better". Not sure exactly what you mean but it may very well be that if you change to different tires, this goal will be solved also.

Trying to keep this simple, here is what changing each component of the braking system will get you:

New more "aggresive" pads - changes the pedal feel. It feels like you don't have to press the brake as hard to get the same amount of braking. They don't shorten distances, but it gives you more and quicker "feel", more confidence. Also less supseptible to fading, they can continue to work at a temperature higher than OE pads can. The typical drawbacks are: more dust, more noise and shorter pad/rotor life (although can still be plenty long).

SS lines - these will gain you nothing in a street car other than they look cool. Some people claim they improve pedal feel - personally I believe that is a placebo effect. On a race track, with repeated high speed stops is where you want them. They will not get soft with high temperatures, which can lead to a "mushy" feeling brake.

Hi Temp fluid - does nothing to improve braking. Its only purpose is raise the boiling temp of the fluid. During repeated hi speed stops, the fluid gets very hot and can actually boil, leading to bubbles and mushy pedal. If a person is boiling their fluid on the street they are doing things they shouldn't be. On a race track you for sure want this because it reduces chances of fade and soft pedal.

Brake Ducts - same as above, designed to cool brakes and lessing likelyhood of fade. On track they are good investment. On street - not needed by 99% of drivers.

Rotors and Calipers - a person can spend a ton of money in this area and get little return for it. It really depends on your use. Normally people associate new rotors and Calipers with bigger - as in 14" rotors and 4 or 6 piston calipers. The purpose of these is once again racing and it mainly comes down to they are better able to deal with hi heat for an extended periods of time. But, they have drawbacks - not only are they pricy but they also weigh more (generally) and require at least 18" rims. There are plenty of guys running the stock rotors and calipers on tracks and doing just fine with them. There are reasons to go to a big brake kit, 4 or 6 piston calipers or even two piece rotors but unless you are driving on track at a high level its unlikely you *need* them.

Summary - to stop "faster" get stickier tires. Also, a common and well liked change is to go with a more agressive pad. The other items only have value in very high perfomance scenarios - like race tracks or perhaps extended canyon carving. If you are into, or want to get into tracking your car then yes - SS lines, track pads, ducts and hi temp fluid to start with. Only go to rotors and calipers if you have a specific need for them (and you will know when that is the case).

 

Man, I love this site. You guys keep saving me money left and right. This being my first modern Mustang, I didn't realize how good everything mostly is for street driving. I have always had 60s Mustangs and the suspensions sucked and I don't have to tell anyone how bad drum brakes are.

 

Hey thanks a lot Argonaut. See what happens when people who don't know ask stupid questions of people who do know. You cleared all that up nicely. I'm knew in the modding world (like yall didn't already figure that one out) so I'm trying to get in the KNOW on things. What rating of tires do you run on your car? Yes I meant stop in shorter distance. And not sure where I was going with the whole more effective comment.

 

On the street I just use normal tires - I've got a set of the stock Pirelli's and also a set of the Sumitomo HTR ZII. Neither of which I'm all that thrilled about. Funny thing - once I started doing HPDE events on race tracks, the need to drive aggressively on the street went away. There is just no excitement in it anymore, so I don't have any need of real good tires on the street. On the track I have used the Falken RT-615 (which is actually a street tire and can be driven on the street for around 15K miles depending on usage) and the Nitto NT01, which is a very sticky R-comp (just a step below the best R-Comps: Hoosier A6, R6, Kumho v710, etc).

If you are looking for a set of very good street tires check out the Nitto NT05 and the Dunlop Direzza Z1. Haven't tried them myself but folks who have rave about them. A step down from those but still good, check out the BF Goodrich KDWs (I have a set of these on one of my cars and they are nice). There are others that are very good street tires that offer near race track performance. But keep in mind, the sticky tires come at a cost: they wear faster, they kick up more dirt and stuff onto the paint, they aren't suppose to be used in near freezing weather. Best solution is to have two sets of rims and tires - the winter and/or long distance travel set and the summer fun set.

 

hard to beat the FALKEN Azenis 615's, they are inexpensive (relatively speaking) and don't think you will outdrive them if your just starting out.