Brake Rotor Choices
Application Selection
Power or Manual Brakes
Creating Braking Force with Calipers and Master Cylinders
Research
The Final Selection
Chapter 4: GM Brake Conversion: Budget-Friendly Upgrade
Beat the Drums
Discs
Rotors
Calipers
Brake Pads
Rear Disc Upgrades
Rear Brake Install
Front Brake Install
Chapter 5: Ford Disc Brake Conversion: Street/Strip Upgrade
Vehicle Interchanges/Crossovers
Grenada Front Brake Swap on Mustang
Ford Disc Brake Calipers
OEM-Style Front Rotors
OEM Master Cylinders, Power Units, Proportioning Valves
Aftermarket Conversions
High-Performance 1968 Ford Torino Big Brake Upgrade
Rear Axle Brake Kit
Chapter 6: Mopar Brake Conversion: Pro Touring Upgrade
Chrysler’s Muscle Car Brake Systems
The Baer Brakes Upgrade
The Rear Brake System
Don’t Forget the Master Cylinder
Chapter 7: Picking a System and Getting It Done
Deciding on Your Brake System
Research Options
Developing and Executing a Build Strategy
Routine After-Assembly Test
Breaking in the Brake Pads and Rotors
Post Bedding-In Inspection
The Last Word
DEDICATION
To my wife, Marcy, whose love and support made this entire effort possible. To my sons, Andrew and Kelly, my daughter-in-law, Hannah, my grandsons, Cayden and Harrison, and granddaughter, Aureli, I appreciate all the time you gave up so that I could pursue the completion of this book. It wasn’t easy to be missing a family member all those days and weekends. Last, but certainly not least, to my loyal companion, Turbo the Wonderdog. Nobody does a project like this alone. Your combined support during those long days and nights made all the difference. This book, and everything within its pages, is dedicated to all of you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My life has centered around maintenance from the time I was born. I performed my first brake job in the 1970s, and I have changed every brake pad and rotor on my personal vehicles since that time. Sometimes it was out of financial necessity (I couldn’t afford to pay someone else to do it) and sometimes out of desire. Even with extensive experience over a range of domestic and foreign cars, there is always more to learn. It takes a village, and in my case a fairly large town, to raise a proficient brake technician. I wish to acknowledge some of the people who contributed to this project.
Without car enthusiasts, none of this is needed or practical. Everything we do in the automotive aftermarket revolves around the end user: the car nut. Acknowledgements would not be complete without a tip of the hat to all the muscle car fanatics. Thank you.
One of the many people who helped with this book is Mr. Ed Zinke. He put me in contact with the right people to get answers and is also a valued personal friend. Ed is a highly respected media professional who was awarded SEMA’s Robert E. Petersen Media Person of the Year award. His insight and contacts were invaluable when I needed very specific help.
Todd Ryden’s unwavering support and help ensured this project got off the ground from the beginning. His photography support and knowledge about the different brake systems filled in the gaps in my own experience. His words were the glue that bound the rest of the work together. I have enjoyed our collaborations and can’t wait for the next one to occur.
Longtime friend and brake systems expert Michael Hamrick provided much of the information from Wilwood Engineering. For a full year he was willing to take my calls and answer my emails full of questions, expecting nothing in return. Much of the work within this book was possible because of his help.
Cathy White of Classic Performance Products (CPP) assisted with specialized material and information on OEM replacement brake systems. Cathy pulled back the curtains and showed the inner workings of CPP’s manufacturing process. That information was critical in the composition of this book.
My “go-to” guy on brakes has always been Mark Chichester of Master Power Brakes. His honesty and integrity put him at the top of my list. He is very quotable, as evidenced by the many Chichester quotes within these pages.
Todd Gartshore was a force in the industry and the face of Baer Brakes for many years. Todd helped me and many new writers understand how media and brake systems work. When Todd passed away, there was a massive hole that needed to be filled. Rick Elam has stepped up and filled that void. I will always cherish what Todd and Rick have done to support the industry.
Adam Keiser at Performance Friction Brakes helped connect the points for high-performance brake systems. His support was added late in the progress of this work, making me regret not reaching out to him sooner. The next time I attempt a brake project like this, he will be my first contact.
Jeff Smith, one of the most experienced technical writers on the planet and personal inspiration, played a huge role in this book. His invisible hand guided much of the work done here. My friend and employer, James Lawrence, served as my role model in digging for information. I used his questioning technique to drill down to the core of a subject.
Many of my current and a few of my past coworkers at Power Automedia are responsible for moral and mental support during the arduous hours of compiling information and organizing it into a workable form. Scott Parker, Andrew Almazon, Brittany Poleon, Kaley Lione, Michael Harding, April Taylor, Lloyd Hunt, Kevin McIntosh, and David Cruikshank are all responsible for providing the motivation to keep going. Shawn Brereton’s push to keep an eye on quality reporting put an edge on the total project. It is a pleasure to know and work with people of this caliber.
My personal friends and industry leaders, Jason Snyder and Brian Shephard, helped keep my focus on the task at hand. Brian led by doing; Jason led with firm guidance. Special thanks to Kevin Shaw for reminding me why these documents are so important. It is hard work, but worth it in the long run.
For every gearhead, the people that always seem to go unrecognized are the neighbors who are subjected to a rusty junkyard of project cars and beating and banging at all hours of the day and night. I’m fortunate