brakes
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 191
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brakes
On the "new" truck 79 f250 dana 60 front i need to do the front brakes they are shot I want to replace them with a good set of pads and rotors what do you guys sugest? also is it worth going aftermarket on the calipers, I want this truck to stop. to many expen$ive cars on the road to hit.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 321
Likes: 1
From: Arcade, Georgia
There's no sense in replacing the calipers with aftermarket and not upgrading the rotors as well. You might even think about changing the rear too. The one person here in Georgia that I have met who actually upgraded his rears to discs said it was the best investment he has made in the truck. I know it is something I am looking at with my 3800 lbs Explorer. Granted it is not going to stop like a new f150 but it will help it greatly.
Last edited by ArcadeTom; Sep 17, 2007 at 09:38 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 321
Likes: 1
From: Arcade, Georgia
Old saying: "You get what you pay for." Shop and compare, look at prices and look them up online for reviews. I have used Wildwood before on some sportycars and I feel they are better for the dollar than Brembo, but they are still very pricey.
Keep in mind, drilled and slotted rotors cannot be machined or turned...only replaced. If you get cheap ones and warp them, you can only replace them.
Keep in mind, drilled and slotted rotors cannot be machined or turned...only replaced. If you get cheap ones and warp them, you can only replace them.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,312
Likes: 1
From: Eldorado Ca. USA
I'll quote myself from your other thread to see what others have to say about my opinion.
If its stopping power you are after, convert the rear end to disc brakes and upgrade your vacuum booster to a hydro boost unit. There is a ton of write ups on it, and will allow you to stop your truck alot easier, especially if you upgrade to larger tires. I have been told its a night and day difference in stopping power. Hydroboost is used on one ton and larger trucks, and rear disc brakes are standard on many pickups now.
If the truck has a hard time stopping look at the following.
Put good high quality brake pads on the front.
Make sure that your rear shoes are properly adjusted.
replace your rubber brake lines with DOT approved stainless steel lines. They will not expand and swell. You loose brake power when it happens. They look cool too. (I prefer a brand that has a clear jacket around the stainless, it comes in various colors, and are about $100 for a set of 3. PM me for the link(if interested), I will get banned for linking non sponsors)
Flush your old brake fluid, keep flushing till its clean.
Originally Posted by me
If its stopping power you are after, convert the rear end to disc brakes and upgrade your vacuum booster to a hydro boost unit. There is a ton of write ups on it, and will allow you to stop your truck alot easier, especially if you upgrade to larger tires. I have been told its a night and day difference in stopping power. Hydroboost is used on one ton and larger trucks, and rear disc brakes are standard on many pickups now.
If the truck has a hard time stopping look at the following.
Put good high quality brake pads on the front.
Make sure that your rear shoes are properly adjusted.
replace your rubber brake lines with DOT approved stainless steel lines. They will not expand and swell. You loose brake power when it happens. They look cool too. (I prefer a brand that has a clear jacket around the stainless, it comes in various colors, and are about $100 for a set of 3. PM me for the link(if interested), I will get banned for linking non sponsors)
Flush your old brake fluid, keep flushing till its clean.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,948
Likes: 44
Drilled and slotted rotors are not going to stop any better. They actually have less surface for the brake pad to apply friction to. If the truck will be seeing many many excessive stops in a row, you may consider this, but short of road racing the truck, it may never see brake temps that high, and the downside is the one thing you are after, the one shot stop.
I use 4 wheel discs with 39.5 inch rubber and I can lock the tires up, all four. I read a stetement about not stopping like a new F-150, well I have driven them, and they do not stop all that well, (expys even worse), I am confident I can stop with the best of them. My system is a vacuum assist, not hydro boost, and an adjustable prop valve. Works like a champ, very pleased.
A good clean hydraulic system is what you are after, and will offer great results. Pretty interesting how many people change thier engine oil every 3k miles, and never flush the brake system, ever. Brake fluid can and will collect water (condensation) as a result of caliper temps and engine bay temps VS. ambient. Water will compress at a different rate resulting in a poor performing brake system. This is a very key component for a proper brake system. Proper care and maintenance will offer promising results for better brakes.
I use 4 wheel discs with 39.5 inch rubber and I can lock the tires up, all four. I read a stetement about not stopping like a new F-150, well I have driven them, and they do not stop all that well, (expys even worse), I am confident I can stop with the best of them. My system is a vacuum assist, not hydro boost, and an adjustable prop valve. Works like a champ, very pleased.
A good clean hydraulic system is what you are after, and will offer great results. Pretty interesting how many people change thier engine oil every 3k miles, and never flush the brake system, ever. Brake fluid can and will collect water (condensation) as a result of caliper temps and engine bay temps VS. ambient. Water will compress at a different rate resulting in a poor performing brake system. This is a very key component for a proper brake system. Proper care and maintenance will offer promising results for better brakes.
