front brake upgrade
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,899
Likes: 2
From: Lynnwood, WA
front brake upgrade
I got 16" wheels on my Bronco now, and would like to upgrade my front disc brakes to bigger ones to get a little more area to dissipate heat. (I managed to overheat them once) Did anyone ever put in bigger discs?
TIA
TIA
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Not sure about the upgrade but an extra inch of wheel diameter over the OEM wheels is not enough to cause overheating problems. There are people running tires on stock diameter wheels that weigh more than any 16" wheel/tire combo and things are fine. Check the rears if you are experiencing front fade. Granted the fronts do most of the stopping but if they are doing more than the are supposed to be, thats when the overheating and fade begins.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,899
Likes: 2
From: Lynnwood, WA
The overheating happened this summer in the afternoon rush hour (which is really misnomer here as it's stop and go, and that's why my front brakes faded) when I had stock tires. I just like to put that extra inch of space to good use.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 67
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From: Bar-B-Q Capital
I went with the Power Slot rotors and Hawk pads on my '89. The rotors are the same size as OE but Slotted to dissapate the heat and Zinc plated so they will never rust. You can also get the Power Slot rotors cryo'd which will make the metal stronger and last longer but I just went with the regulars. The Hawk pads are great, I have used them on 2 other vehicles I own and won't use anything else. I never found a Big Brake kit for the Bronco. Check out www.buybrakes.com, they have a coupon code for members of this forum.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Hanscom AFB, MA
FWIW, slotted rotors are not made to dissapate heat quicker, they are designed to allow the pad to make a firmer contact with the torot via giving the gasses escaping from the organic pad material somewhere to go. For increased cooling, you need better vented or cross drilled rotors, allowing more air to flow through to the inside of the vents sandwiched between. Again though, cross drilling doesn't help a whole lot with cooling either.
Aurgathor-I would start with a full system brake fluid flush to ensure that you have fresh uncontaminated Dot 3 fluid. The boiling of the water in the fluid is what causes most brake fading problems. Second, I would recommend Hawk pads, as the material will result in much greater stopping abilities.
Aurgathor-I would start with a full system brake fluid flush to ensure that you have fresh uncontaminated Dot 3 fluid. The boiling of the water in the fluid is what causes most brake fading problems. Second, I would recommend Hawk pads, as the material will result in much greater stopping abilities.
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 67
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From: Bar-B-Q Capital
[QUOTE=Blue'87GT]giving the gasses escaping from the organic pad material somewhere to go. [QUOTE]
Without the heat gases, you will have better braking and less brake fade. So in other words Slotted rotors do help. They allow the heat gases from the pad friction on the friction surface somewhere to go...therefore they help dissipate heat build up.
Without the heat gases, you will have better braking and less brake fade. So in other words Slotted rotors do help. They allow the heat gases from the pad friction on the friction surface somewhere to go...therefore they help dissipate heat build up.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 267
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From: Hanscom AFB, MA
[QUOTE=Super-Dayv][QUOTE=Blue'87GT]giving the gasses escaping from the organic pad material somewhere to go.
Without the heat gases, you will have better braking and less brake fade. So in other words Slotted rotors do help. They allow the heat gases from the pad friction on the friction surface somewhere to go...therefore they help dissipate heat build up.
I guess we're hinting at the same thing, but not reaching the same conclusion. The dissipation of heat has to do with the rotor's ability to "vent' heat, aka cool off after the heat is already absorbed into the rotor. The slots help deal with gasses coming off of the pads, not remove heat from the rotor itself.
BTW, it's not "heat gasses" that the slots deal with, it's gasses period that come off of the pads in between the pad and rotor that it's trying to remove. This gas that is created is usually from the organic materials in higher priced/racing type pads. This gas "layer" suspends the pad from making a full contact with the rotor by making it float in effect.
Without the heat gases, you will have better braking and less brake fade. So in other words Slotted rotors do help. They allow the heat gases from the pad friction on the friction surface somewhere to go...therefore they help dissipate heat build up.
BTW, it's not "heat gasses" that the slots deal with, it's gasses period that come off of the pads in between the pad and rotor that it's trying to remove. This gas that is created is usually from the organic materials in higher priced/racing type pads. This gas "layer" suspends the pad from making a full contact with the rotor by making it float in effect.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Originally Posted by RanchRodsTX
I would like to change my rear brakes on the '94 over to disc. But haven't found a kit yet. I did the same power slot upgrade on my '88 and what a difference. I also recommend it.
