Another Cobra brake upgrade thread

ttocs · Feb 15, 2023

no matter what you do some half-wit will come up with some stupid comment.

weendoggy · Feb 15, 2023

oilspill said:
not sure if it will help but I am planning the ATS swap in a few weeks, that will leave me with some cobra calipers that i will damn near give you so they don't take up space in my house. only have 180k miles on them so don't expect them to be great condition but are true ford parts with the lettering you are looking for.

I'll be curious on what wheel/tire combo you'll be using with that swap. I'm thinking about doing the same with 17" Bullitt and FR500 wheels. Some say they fit, some don't.

oilspill · Feb 15, 2023

weendoggy said:
I'll be curious on what wheel/tire combo you'll be using with that swap. I'm thinking about doing the same with 17" Bullitt and FR500 wheels. Some say they fit, some don't.

Don’t want to hijack the thread but will be 18 inch Saleen. I’ll do a post recapping

joemomma · Feb 16, 2023

I've heard the same on the ATS - some say they clear 17s and some say they don't. May depend on offset/backspacing.

CobraRGuy · Feb 22, 2023

If you're going to buy Cobra calipers, as weendoggy mentioned, go ahead and get the 40mm piston ones. Ford started using these in 1999 (I believe).
FWIW, I have the original calipers from my '95 Cobra R available. These are the 38mm ones. I put 14" Alcon 4-piston front brakes on my R-model and PBR single piston 13" rears so I could keep my e-brake. This resulted in not quite enough rear brake, so I use more aggressive Hawk DTC pads in the rear now. I use Hawk blue in front. The balance seems perfect now and these brakes have performed incredibly on the track.
The '95 Cobra R got an oversized MC. I haven't measured it, but I was told by Ford that it's a 1" diameter. I was told that the stock '95 Cobra MC is 7/8". That's my recollection but I can't say for certain that this is correct (it has been over 20 years since I did this).

joemomma · Feb 22, 2023

I've been shopping '01 parts, which should be the bigger pistons. Good info!

weendoggy · Feb 23, 2023

joemomma said:
I've been shopping '01 parts, which should be the bigger pistons. Good info!

Don't look at LMR, they're all 38mm. I had good luck at Summit or even fleabay.

joemomma · Feb 23, 2023

Honestly I've been shopping rockauto, I did find the ACDelco parts on Summit as well. Rockauto was hit-or-miss on the logo calipers, though.

joemomma · Mar 14, 2023

Looking at new brake lines for this project - I see Powerstop makes a set that are about 1/2 the price of the MM kit (roughly $50 vs $100). Is there any benefit to the MM kit over the Powerstops? They're both braided SS with a sleeve over the lines.

95opal · Mar 14, 2023

Have you looked at what Stifflers has to offer?

Stainless Braided Brake Lines - Page 1 - Stifflers Chassis & Suspension

buystifflers.com

joemomma · Mar 14, 2023

Those look like a solid option, and made in USA.

weendoggy · Mar 14, 2023

I used StopTech, but I see they're about $9 more than when I purchased mine. Still, another option. Part #950.61001

joemomma · Mar 15, 2023

About how much fluid will I need to flush and fill while installing the new calipers? Ideally, I'd like to replace it all as I'm sure it's never been done.

oilspill · Mar 15, 2023

joemomma said:
About how much fluid will I need to flush and fill while installing the new calipers? Ideally, I'd like to replace it all as I'm sure it's never been done.

dont do what i did! I ran 6 quarts through it! I think 2 would have been plenty but i couldnt get a good pedal so just kept on going!

weendoggy · Mar 15, 2023

joemomma said:
About how much fluid will I need to flush and fill while installing the new calipers? Ideally, I'd like to replace it all as I'm sure it's never been done.

2qts is more than enough with plenty to spare, maybe even a pint.

joemomma · Mar 30, 2023

What say you SN95 community? Are these caliper pistons still OK to use? While attempting the repairs (new boots, seals, etc.) I marred up the pistons slightly in a couple of places. I sanded them smooth as best I could, finishing with 500 grit. Think these are still OK to use? The ones I'm showing are the two worst offenders.

I can source new pistons if y'all think I need them, but I'd rather not if these are usable. Keep in mind this is supposed to be a "budget" build.

ttocs · Mar 30, 2023

eh, it is only the brakes and does not reduce hp.

shovel · Mar 30, 2023

When it comes to brakes, spend as much money as your life is worth.

joemomma · Mar 30, 2023

If anything, this car has taught me to not try and save a few bucks here and there. Buy once, cry once. Every time I try to do something "budget", I end up spending twice as much, and doing it over.

apsmith49921 · Mar 30, 2023

joemomma said:
If anything, this car has taught me to not try and save a few bucks here and there. Buy once, cry once. Every time I try to do something "budget", I end up spending twice as much, and doing it over.

Agree 99% of the time