I have some questions about the conversion kit that Stainless Steel Brakes sells. http://www.stainlesssteelbrakes.com/...l=Ranger&year=

I remember reading stuff about it here, but I can't find the threads. This Spring I am going to do the rear brakes, and usually when I do drums for the first time on a used car, I find out I have to replace everything (shoes, drums wheel cylinders, adjuster hardware, etc). I figure if I am going to shell out for all that (towing grade parts, of course), I may as well consider the disc conversion so that the brake jobs get a lot easier next time. I haven't found all of this on their website, so I figured I'd see if anyone here has done this kit. My questions are as follow:

1) Is the performance of this kit comparable to stock brakes, worse, or markedly improved?
2) Is a new proportioning valve necessary, or does the kit account for it? If so, where can I get one?
3) How much of a bolt-off, bolt-on job is this?
4) Are the pads/rotors a standard size?

Thanks,
Jim

 

I can't speak to the other aspects, but drum to disc is always better, assuming it's done correctly.

 

What is it that is better Mcoom? If the drum brakes will slide the tires on dry pavement and stop from 60 in 120' or so what is it that would be better about disc brakes? I can see they would be different but better?
Big Jim

 

I can't think of a real good analogy to help visualize. Discs dissipate heat better, which is crucial to braking performance, especially repeated braking (like driving dowhill for a long time). Just being able to lock up the tires doesn't mean your brakes are too strong given your tires (although tires affect braking also). Discs brakes also allow for a larger 'swept area', the area of the pads that contacts the rotors, creating more drag to slow the vehicle. Most new cars come with 4 wheel discs, and those that have 2 wheel drums are rear only.

Some people like to argue carburetors over fuel injection, horsepower over aerodynamics, high tech over high displacement, but no one argues drums over discs. Even those fossils they call NASCAR racecars don't use them.

 

Ok Mcoom so you are going to race this truck? Why did you not say so? Dissapate heat? Ok so the ones you have now are hot all the time? Do you see Rangers beside the hiway with steam coming out from under the rear end?

Mcoom the rears on a street driven Ranger do very little anyway, so why would you spend the money to change from very little to very little more?
The reason the factory started putting the discs on the rear was labor and materials! AND advertising! NOT STOPPING QUICKER or better either. If they were truely BETTER the kenworths in your area would have em all the way around! Save your money and spend it on some chrome bumpers!

There is absolutely NO REASON to take functioning brakes off of a ranger and installing discs... unless you are going to Daytona.
Big Jim

 

BigJimM-
My main concern is maintenance. I do my own brake jobs, and you can't argue drums vs. disc on that. Disc win hands down. Improved braking would be an extra benefit. I think one of the reasons that rear drums can lock the wheels on dry pavement is because of weight transfer. As the rear gets lighter, even a weaker brake can lock the wheels (less frictional force coming from the tires). When I tow, and hence have more weight on the rear, the rear brakes do not immediately lock the wheels.

Either way, my main questions were for someone who had actually installed this kit. So not that I don't appreciate a drum vs. disc shootout, but I was hoping for more specific answers coming from experience with this (or a similar) kit.

Thanks,
Jim

 

Yeah Sam but not just for you but also for anyone reading this post... Everyone should know there is NO GAIN from spending 800+ dollars to change from the one to the other..
What you have now lasts prolly 40/60K So if you drive 200K you could expect to spend about the same amount in repairs in EITHER of the rear systems. Pluse the 800+ to change from one to the other.. And you get no more stopping power.. You cannot stop in any less distance..
Now if you just wish to throw 800+ away tinkering with the brakes ...Ok do it but do it knowing there will be no difference after you are done.
Your point about weight transfer is the same for BOTH types of brakes.
They both react the same under a power stop. The front brakes stop all vehicles the back brakes are there mostly to keep the back end in line!
Big JIm

 

My two cents - I can replace a few sets of brakes for $800.00. Surface area on the drum breaks is greater which I think makes for a better parking brake. Not as big an issue with an automatic but if you have manual tranny, it's something to think about. Parking brake on the rear discs is going to be a set of mini shoes that push against the ID of the rear rotor (at least that's how they are on my Explorer. Not sure I would spend the money if it costs that much. Your stated reason for the conversion was ease of maintenance with the discs. I've never found rear drums that bad to work on but that's just me. Regarding life expectancy, I've gotten close to 100K on rear drums when I don't forget to release the emergency brake. Anyway, I know you were looking for experience doing the swap, but I thought I'd offer my two cents if you hadn't already shelled out the moeny for the brake kit.

BTW - does the conversion kit really cost $800.00??

 

I looked this one up for you!
Big Jim


General Specs:

Part Number A114
Retail Price $795.00
Minimum Wheel Size 14" x 7"
Axle Rear

Caliper Specs:

Number of Pistons 1
Piston Size 45mm
Constructed From Cast Iron
Optional Finishes Powder Coated
-or-
Upgrade to Aluminum caliper (with optional polishing or powder coating available

 

Youch!!!!!

 

Big Jim - Read the original posters question #1, then read my initial response. I never said the originals were bad, I never said I was racing, I never said he should go through the trouble taking off functioning brakes - I merely answered his question.

But since you brought all that up, I definitely wish I had better brakes everytime I come down Highway 108, from a peak elevation of around 9800 feet to around 6000 in about 15 miles, loaded with camping gear. Rear brakes do maybe 10 - 20 % of your braking. These are stock Ford brakes we're talking about. When they start to fade (and of course they do, even the front discs) that means a lot - if the difference is making a hairpin turn or not (kinda like a woman can't be kinda pregnant - you can't kinda miss a 500 foot drop off). No, it won't make a huge difference, but it will make a noticable difference. Especially if you are towing, the LAST thing you want is for your rear brakes to lock up. I'm not saying the stock brakes are terrible on Rangers (although if you drive and X5, M class, Cayenne, which call all hot lap at triple digits speeds and experience no fade, you may think they are; and compared to those cars, you'd be right). Everyone has their opinion. Which is why I read several car magazines, and I take the opinions of experts in the field.

 

Ya see Mcoom it is NOT opinion it is fact! If they stopped any different the factory specs would prove you out... But no, the rear disk brakes do not stop from 60 in any less distance. This is fact! The hot rod magazines MUST make favorable reports or they would go OUT of business.. Don't fall into the trap of believing them rags..
If you get on a track and set the vehicle up with all the racing brake choices available you can get it to stop quicker and have less brake fade... The sacrifice is that you will have to heat those brakes up before they will function properly.
There is pride of ownership involved in changing things around on a guys vehicle. It may be worthe the 800+ to you just for that. But please do not expect any improvement in the braking ability of the vehicle.
Big Jim

 

I had quite a few cars with drum brakes all around, and they felt pretty strong to me. Good luck, if you take the plunge. Let us know if you see a differance.

 

pksam - I've read plenty of Jims posts and he clearly has more experience and technical knowledge that I do. I will admit to that right off the bat. And in the interest of keeping FTE a pleasant and happy learning site, I won't reply with any more, opinion or otherwise. Having said that, I'm still surprised I'm actually in a discussion over whether or not disc brakes perform better. I'm starting to suspect that Jim has some kind of stock in ongoing existence of drum brakes, or had a bad experience making the changover.

For him to state it's a fact and "NOT opinoin" [capitals his] is over the top. Why is no one discussing disc to drum conversions? Why, as he states, must "The hot rod magazines MUST make favorable reports or they would go OUT of business"? If they didn't talk up disc brakes, and the makers of disc brakes stopped advertisiing in the, wouldn't the makers of drum brakes fill the void?

The so called 'rags' I read are generally not the hot rod magazines. Try reading Car and Driver sometime, or any of the other similar magazines. These writers are veterans of the automobile companies, accomplished big time and small time (meaning F1 & SCCA) race car drivers, engineering grads from prestigous universities, and so on. Like I stated previously, these aren't really my "opinions", these are the opinions of experts in the field. Jim seems to be implying that there is a big conspiracy going on here. Since he stated so emphatically that these are my opinions, and not fact, I am sure that one could track down somewhere online (rather than by going through my decade and a half of car and driver's) the actual statistics of braking distances of vehicles over the years. Despite the fact that cars are generally heavier these days (they are - those so called boats from 20 and 30 years really didn't weigh that much, they just had drums brakes) they stop much quicker.

Why have cars gradually gone from drums to discs? Marketing can shape peoples minds, so it's not out of the questions that it could influence people. But if you want proof, take one ride in a car w/four wheel drums. I can remember driving about 2 of those in my life, and I'd sooner be in a car with Ted Kennedy behind the wheel than with four wheel drum brakes.

 

Wow... I can't believe I even took the time to read all that. Big Jim, I don't think you were any help in this thread, to anyone. Unless you just like to agrue for fun?
The ranger's are known for the rear drums getting moisture in them and locking up when you don't want them to, there's one good reason. If you're pulling and hauling, better brakes are always good. Offroad or go throough water at all? Not fun getting drums full of mud and water. PSKSAM2, I can't answer your question well, but I've also read of using Explorer parts to convert to rear disc brakes, might be worth doing some searches, good luck!