The American Muscle deep-dish...
The American Muscle deep-dish Bullitt wheels on Project Silver Stealth Stang cleared Ford Racing's SHD Disc Brake kit with ease.
This month, our adventure with Project Silver Stealth Stang led us to shift focus from adding horsepower to increasing stopping power and looks in the form of a brake upgrade.
Last issue, we highlighted a new Modular Mustang Racing stroker Two-Valve engine to be installed in Silver Stealth Stang. While the finishing touches were being made on the engine, we upgraded the braking system on this 170,000-mile hot rod.
The first step is the easiest:...
The first step is the easiest: Remove the front wheels.
Adding aftermarket brakes not only helps slow a car, but there are aesthetic results as well. A lot of attention has been devoted to paint and body upgrades in this issue, and we believe a brake upgrade is just as important to go along with that new hood, wheels, nose, or whatever body mod you just performed. For this project, we ditched the ugly factory binders and installed the Ford Racing SHD Disc Brake kit, designed to fit any '94-'04 Mustang GT, purchased from Downs Ford Racing for a mere $475.
Ford Racing Performance Parts offers these brakes under two part numbers, M-2300-Q ('94-'95 Mustang GT) and M-2300-R ('96-'04 Mustang GT). The kit is only a front-brake upgrade, and includes 13-inch rotors and special calipers that are embossed with the Cobra-moniker. FRPP also includes hoses and attaching parts. We caution those buying used kits off the Internet or at a swap meet. The hose ends are different, so be sure to have the Ford Racing hoses to go along with the Cobra calipers, otherwise you run the risk of not being able to connect the stock lines to the calipers. If these brakes look familiar, they should, as they were standard equipment on the SVT Cobra of those years.
"The factory lines tend to...
"The factory lines tend to rust. I suggest spraying some sort of penetrating oil on these cars before removing the brake lines," advises Lee Josephs of Radical Racing. He also informs us that despite Ford powdercoating the lines, rust does form underneath the coating.
We installed the M-2300-R kit because Silver Stealth Stang is a '99 Mustang GT. Those who purchase M-2300-Q for '94-'95 models, please note that the price is a little higher because Ford Racing includes an upgraded master cylinder. The new master cylinder is required for '94-'95 cars. We must also caution that the addition of these brakes requires the use of 17-inch wheels due to the calipers being moved further out. Silver Stealth Stang is equipped with American Muscle deep-dish Bullitt wheels, and the spokes cleared the calipers with ease.
Our project car was in desperate need of a good-looking caliper-and-rotor upgrade as the factory front binders were looking bad due to the high mileage. It will also help slow the car down on the dragstrip, road course, or on the street. We have neglected to mention the road course in our previous installments, but the car does see some twisty action at the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park road course from time-to-time-when Editor Smitty steals the keys from car owner Ken Miele.
Radical Racing (Atco, New Jersey) handled the installation and it was a quick-in/quick-out deal. It was quite simple, with brake bleeding as the hardest part. Look no further than an upgraded brake kit if you are looking for an easy to install and budget-oriented modification. Check in next month as we cram in an MMR stroker engine and shoot for some quick times at the dragstrip.
Another tip: Stuff a towel...
Another tip: Stuff a towel or rag on the A-arms under the lines before you disconnect them. The brake fluid will bubble up the paint.
Once the line is unhooked,...
Once the line is unhooked, two bolts are removed...
...and the caliper comes ...
...and the caliper comes off.
Josephs pulled the rotors...
Josephs pulled the rotors off. He cautions that rotors that have never been removed might have a clip from Ford on the studs. Cut and remove the clip, and the rotor will slide off easily.
The factory dust shields remain...
The factory dust shields remain and work fine with the Cobra brakes.
Here's a look at the factory...
Here's a look at the factory rotor (left) versus the SHD rotor (right). The factory one checks in at 11 inches, while the Ford Racing unit is a massive 13 inches.
Spray brake clean to remove...
Spray brake clean to remove any film or packing dirt from the surface. Perform this action on both sides of the rotor.
Slide the rotor in place....
Slide the rotor in place.
We noticed some light scuff...
We noticed some light scuff marks on the wheelwell liners. Miele reported that the tires rub slightly on occasion. He felt the Nitto 555 275/40-18 tires were just slightly too tall for the front of the car.
He suggested one size shorter...
He suggested one size shorter to avoid any clearance problems. For us, unfortunately, the tires look too good to change, so we kept them on.
Here's the Stock caliper (left)...
Here's the Stock caliper (left) compared to the SHD caliper (right).
Be sure to have the bleeder...
Be sure to have the bleeder valve on top for the proper installation.
Caution: if you are buying...
Caution: if you are buying a used brake kit, the threads for the brake line attachment to the caliper are different and not standardized. It's one of those scenarios in which line workers pull from a generic parts bin. Some are standard threads while others are fine. That is why Ford Racing includes new lines in the kit, so the caliper side of the brake line fits without any hassles.
Ford Racing made the brake...
Ford Racing made the brake lines idiot-proof as each side has a different end. You cannot mix up the driver-side and passenger-side calipers.
The Cobra calipers slide on...
The Cobra calipers slide on and are bolted to the stock caliper mount.
The brake lines are hooked...
The brake lines are hooked up and the brakes are ready to be bled. Bleeding the brakes removes the air from the system, thus eliminating the risk of the system not working due to air bubbles.
We dig the Cobra moniker on...
We dig the Cobra moniker on the calipers, and the wheels cleared the calipers with ease. A spacer is required for 15-inch skinny wheels due to the caliper location.