kahmann Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 I haven't started a tech thread in awhile, so I figured why not. This is nothing special, just a brake job. But more importantly, it's a warning to steer clear of EBC rotors for these cars anyway. I cheaped out the last time around and bought a set of slotted/dimpled rear rotors from Summit, built by EBC. They're 'black zinc' coated, which means that your pads are caked with black zinc residue after about 2 seconds of driving, since that stuff wears right off in no time at all. Also, the rotors themselves don't last long either, with mostly normal driving (zero track time on these things). Anyway, I've been getting squealing from my brakes for weeks, so I finally got around to swapping my front Baer rotors and stock calipers out for my new GT500 Brembos, hoping to cure the problem. The rotors looked nearly new, however, and the several month old Hawk pads looked great too. Needless to say, the squealing continued and only got worse since the Brembo swap, because the origin of the noise is in the rear. Since I had such good luck with the Baer Decelarotors up front for so long, I decided to give them a shot in the rear. I've heard and read about tons of guys having cracking and premature fatigue with drilled rotors over the years and I've been there once or twice too. But I went through 2 sets of these Baer rotors up front and they tolerated a TON of abuse on the track without any issue at all. Maybe I've just been lucky, but regardless, having holes in the rear rotors shouldn't be too much to worry about. I'm also adding a new set of Hawk HPS pads - not the best for heavy track use, but they're a dream on the street. They don't need a lot of heat to work extremely well, they emit an average amount of brake dust, and they make virtually zero noise, especially compared to the HP+, DTC's, etc. And again, for a rear brake, they more than handle their duties on the occasional track day. Aside from that, I'm planning on using my 2nd batch of red G2 caliper paint to dress up the rear calipers, so that they'll match the Brembos. I'll post some pics of how that turns out. So that's it - that's all I've got. Like I said, nothing special, but this is what's keeping me busy this weekend anyway. Someday I'll have to splurge on a Griggs or Stoptech brake kit, but until then, this stuff is doing the trick just fine. Here are a couple of pics of the existing hardware along with the obligatory 'parts in a box' shot. EDIT: If anyone wants a set of used front Baer Decelarotors that have a ton of meat left, drop me a line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07SGT0547 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Hey Ken! Funny you should make a post like this, as I just re-did my brakes as well... For just about the exact same issues & problems... Took off all 4 slotted & cross-drilled rotors (iRotors.com) as they were starting to show signs of excessive wear & hairline cracks around the chamfered holes... Replaced them with my original solid OEM rotors all around... Got rid of the harder Hawk+ Pads and replaced them with HPS version... The off-track, daily driving squeal from the track pads was driving me and my passengers nuts at every stop... The zinc-coating just turned the inside of my OEM chrome wheels into a hard black coating that wouldn't hardly power wash away... Haven't gone the Brembo route yet, primarily because I don't want to change the wheels from OEM... But with the front cooling ducts, hi-temp fluid & stainless steel brake lines in place, it really is a good setup for the type of tracks I take my car to here in the Midwest... However, if you are willing to put up with the noise, dust & extra costs then I would consider replacement rotors & pads (along with stickier tires) as just part of the "fun" of racing See you in Vegas! Gregg 07SGT0547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted October 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Right on Gregg, it sounds like you ended up going an awfully similar route! I hate the HP+ pads on the street too, but they do work extremely well on the track. I've still got the OEM Brembo pads up front, but I haven't tried to abuse them on the track yet, so I'm not sure how well they'll hang in there. Anyway, the stainless lines, speed bleeders, and high temp fluid are most definitely the first brake mods anyone ought to do, I agree. They make a huge difference in brake feel and operation for not a lot of dough. I still haven't figured out a brake cooling duct though. I had the SPP ducts for so long on my car without any hoses or rotor plates, because SPP never released them. I finally had to sell them when I installed my intercooler, because the lights wouldn't fit around it. Which brake cooling ducts are you running? Do you have an intercooler to contend with behind the front fascia? I'm having a tough time finding anything that will fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07SGT0547 Posted October 27, 2010 Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 Ken, I purchased the Agent-47 Brake Duct Kit a couple of years ago... Got tired of waiting & waiting (and probably would still be waiting) for the "official" Shelby version... Besides, I really didn't want the driving lights anyway (just something else to break on the track)... Not to mention, these ducts are huge and feed the rotors thru a 3" flex hose... Not S/C'd either, so I don't know if they would be in the way of the I/C or not But I guess it depends on the S/C itself??? I also installed the lower grill insert (Black version) and everything just seems to blend-in nicely... Gregg 07SGT0547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted October 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2010 My buddy Carl (bigcarl1) has those ducts on his 07 and we have the same blower/intercooler, so I'm sure they'd clear just fine. I'll have to talk to him about them and see if had to do anything special to get them to work. Your car looks great man - I'm looking forward to seeing it in Vegas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordRocks1 Posted October 28, 2010 Report Share Posted October 28, 2010 I run the Hawk HPS pads with my Brembo set up and yes they are awesome but does spit out brake dust which I have to clean my wheels often. Since I don't track my car I think I'll go with some other pad next tine with less dust, any other recommendations ? Ken, where did you get the caliper paint from? Any special instructions for painting the Brembos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted October 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 I run the Hawk HPS pads with my Brembo set up and yes they are awesome but does spit out brake dust which I have to clean my wheels often. Since I don't track my car I think I'll go with some other pad next tine with less dust, any other recommendations ? Ken, where did you get the caliper paint from? Any special instructions for painting the Brembos? Check out g2usa.com to find the paint kit you want. I found a decent deal through Amazon when I was ready to buy. As for pads with less dust, try the Hawk ceramics next time out. They're a true street pad that create very little dust and make zero noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilmor Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 I put Baer Decelarator OEM size rotors all around on my SGT a year ago. I did one track day using HP Plus pads, then switched to the OEM pads after the track day. So far I've got no issues w/ these rotors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGT/SC#0471 Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 Ken I have the FRPP cooling kit, it looks like it should fit fine with IC...I'll let you know when I get it on the car.....been too busy getting rid of and cleaning up after incompetent employee latley....Sam Strano suggested Ferrodo pads for the GT500 calipers btw when I called him and I bought a set from him....Chad had issues with the Baer rotors maybe he will chime in....personally I have never nor will I ever run Baer brakes....EBC is a sportbike brake supplier....Ferrari uses Brembo.....and so does Porsche I believe....word up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDan Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 Also, the rotors themselves don't last long either, with mostly normal driving (zero track time on these things). Your Blue Beast and "mostly normal driving" doesn't quite roll off the tongue, does it? I took Alexs' advice with Autozone C-max pads. Pretty cheap and they work great with minimal dust. Here is my thread: Brembo's for Betsy Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted October 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I put Baer Decelarator OEM size rotors all around on my SGT a year ago. I did one track day using HP Plus pads, then switched to the OEM pads after the track day. So far I've got no issues w/ these rotors. That's very good to hear ilmor. I too have had zero issues with the Decelarotors thus far. Here's to some more good luck for the both of us. Ken I have the FRPP cooling kit, it looks like it should fit fine with IC...I'll let you know when I get it on the car.....been too busy getting rid of and cleaning up after incompetent employee latley....Sam Strano suggested Ferrodo pads for the GT500 calipers btw when I called him and I bought a set from him....Chad had issues with the Baer rotors maybe he will chime in....personally I have never nor will I ever run Baer brakes....EBC is a sportbike brake supplier....Ferrari uses Brembo.....and so does Porsche I believe....word up. Right on Randy, let me know how that FRPP cooling kit works out man. I've got to get something figured out here pretty quick. Your Blue Beast and "mostly normal driving" doesn't quite roll off the tongue, does it? I took Alexs' advice with Autozone C-max pads. Pretty cheap and they work great with minimal dust. Here is my thread: Brembo's for Betsy Dan Ha yeah it definitely didn't feel right typing that. Thanks for the heads up on the pads. I'll keep those in mind the next time I'm tearing into my fronts, Dan. You guys gonna make the Bash this year? Here are a couple of pics of how the rears turned out today. Midway through the install, I decided not to waste my G2 paint on these calipers, only because they've got 40k+ miles on them already. If I don't figure out a complete brake replacement kit by the next rear brake job, I'll end up buying a new set of Ford OEM rear calipers and painting those instead. As for the install itself, I forgot what a pain in the ass these rear pistons are to seat. I really wish that they just clamped in like the fronts. However, after finally realizing that the Harbor Freight caliper tool set that I've got comes with an attachment that allows the use of a 3/8" drive ratchet, I was able to get the pistons screwed in fairly quickly using a small air ratchet. I also found that it helps to take the rotor off, bolt the caliper back to the bracket, and use a 6" C-clamp to keep the caliper from slipping off of it's floating bolt, when trying to apply pressure to the piston and screw it in at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young768 Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 "....personally I have never nor will I ever run Baer brakes...." Curious as to why you would never run Baer brakes, especially since you have never used them. I dont really have a pesonal preference at this point, but I do have Baer Decelatorotors and pads on my car which I am very happy with. I am thinking of a big brake upgrade for next year since I bought a set of 20" CS40 wheels and I am looking for opinions. Robert CSM4478 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6-Speed Posted November 2, 2010 Report Share Posted November 2, 2010 You aren't kidding about the rear piston being a pain to reset. I don't recall my HF tool having a 3/8" drive adapter; it would have saved my forearms. I've been using Autozone Cmax pads on all four corners of my GT500 ... I love em. They significantly reduce the dust accumulation on the wheels and on the car. I no longer have to wash my car every other week to keep the dust in check. And for normal street driving, I can't tell any difference in brake performance between these and the OEM pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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