One of the weak areas in my Aeros has always been warping the rotors. I can't count the number of times I've had to have mine machined or replaced. My current AWD is starting to exhibit the symptom again, and I'm ready to spring for better rotors as well this time.

I never need to replace brakes, I'm very easy on them, but the rotors! Arrrgh!

Rojo, don't weld the sleeve to the knuckle. That piece gets special treatment.

 

I assume you know about carefully tightening the lug nuts in the proper sequence to equal torque? Improper torquing can warp the rotors.

How about getting directional rotors for 92 and up models, as they should cool better than the non-directional versions..

 

I've had slotted rotors before, they still warped and were woefully inadequate. The stock brakes are just plain undersized.

 

You might try cryogenically treated rotors.....typically costs about $20 more for the tx but it makes them very hard.
Diversified Cryogenics & Applied Rotor Technology in California provides the same product- but I would not rely on ART IMHO- it is essentially a 1 person shop owned/run by a Boeing engineer who works back east, travels alot and works at ART on weekends the last of my phone conversations with him).

 

I always torque lug nuts. I've done it often enough on my Aeros, what with seasonal wheel changes for snow tires, that I've got the spec memorized: 95-100 ft/lbs.

I'm very easy on brakes, always gear down on downgrades . . . I don't know why I have so much trouble with warped rotors, but I sure do!

 

I was actually curious if newer ranger/explorer knuckles would work instead of all the fabrication since the knuckles are designed for 15-16 inch wheels and since people don't have access to jy's or all the tools to fabricate that way we can save down time with our aeros as well as have better brakes. Please let me know so i can perform this task, have better brakes and save down time since this is our only vehicle and our rotors are warped as well, and i even tighten my wheels in 20 pound increments. Please help

 

I count the front brake retrofit as one of my overwhelming success stories.
It hauls the vehicle down with authority and absolutely no faults so far.
The Explorer rear discs are yet to be installed, but all ready attached to the Exp 8.8 rear axle hanging on my wall.

As for alternate knuckles/spindles, I actually brought in both the Explorer and the Ranger but neither were even close. Definitely not drop ins or even a starting point for mods. I hear what you're say'in about equipment and skills, so you might try approaching some kind of fabrication shop with a spare set acquired thru mail-order. Fortunately everything is documented on this thread.

 

this is how i put 12 inch brakes on my camaro. Third Generation GM F-Body Brake Upgrade Project Overview | Luke Skaff i think this might work on the aerostar.

 

Well, almost everything.
Here is the tracing of the bracket that gets welded in, on millimeter paper.
Since it is a tracing, the outline shown is a pencil point outside the actual perimeter.



Years after producing the tracing, I do not recall the meaning of the datum, but its likely the nominal location of the bolt hole seen in the pic below.
Other unrecollected scribbles on the same paper...
- "Caliper Bolt, Upper 3.665R from Spindle" (probably meaning axle center line)
- "Caliper Bolts, c-c 5.675"

I suspect these two notes triangulate the location of the second hole, once the first hole is set (at say 3.665R from the axle).

 

I know this is a very old thread, but I just registered to be able to post a reply. Thanks for the very informative, actually inspirational article. I just finished doing this upgrade about three weeks ago and I couldn't be happier with the results. I have solid stopping power and I think the larger rotors will not have to be replaced because of warping for a long time.

 

Looked at this as I had an 94 Aerostar. The thing I did to increase Brake Performance was Swap the Brake Hoses out to Russel Stainless Steel Braided DOT Hoses. To make it easier to install the Sleeve on the Spindle, try this. Put the Spindle in the Freezer, Heat the Sleeve up in a 400 450 degree oven. We used this trick for replacing Bearings on Electric Motors. Also for Removing Aluminum Axis Fans from Steel Shafts. We used CO2 to freeze the shaft. Propane to Air Torches to heat the fan hub.

 

Heating the sleeve and freezing the spindle was not effective in my experience. The sleeve is so thin that as soon as it touches the spindle it cools and shrinks so I wound up just driving it on. Still loving the bigger brakes and no warpage.

 

You can find another of my rogue brake projects over in the BMW world where I am Hyper.
Over there, guerilla machining, CAD yahoo'ing.