Brake upgrade questions

ElrodKTPQ_89

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This week I'm going to be changing brake pads on my car as mine are pretty shot. Today I went to O'Reilly's to check prices and availability on pads and rotors. They charge $10.50 per rotor to have them turned, which mine are in need of or just plain need replacing. The cheapest pads I could get were like $22 for front and $19-ish for back which is what I'll probably go back with for now just to have my car stopping right, but eventually I will upgrade. So I ask them to show me prices on new stock rotors for a GT, which were $35 each (I think) for 11" vented rotors...not bad considering I would be spending over $20 just to have my old ones turned. I think factory GT calipers were just over $30 as well. So then I ask for them to check prices for the same parts only for a 94 Cobra, this time the 13" rotors were like $45 each and the dual piston calipers were $55 each I think...I really should have written everything down, and I may go back tomorrow and do so and then update this with the correct prices.

I was watching videos lastnight on LMR's YouTube channel and came across the SVE cobra brake upgrade with new calipers, slotted and drilled rotors and braided brake lines. The install looked pretty straight forward and all the hardware looked very nice as well. So I looked up the price online and couldn't believe it...$700! Just for the front! Now I know very little about brakes or any of the hardware involved in a brake upgrade, but what is the difference in an SVE kit and the parts from a supply house like O'Reilly's??....besides of course SVE having the slotted and drilled rotors and braided lines. Is there any down side to upgrading brakes to factory replacement components from O'Reilly's? The way I was thinking it would just make more sense to buy new rotors instead of having mine turned (since they are in pretty bad shape) and that I might as well upgrade instead of just factory replacements. What's your opinions?
 

the5.ohh

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Drilled eventually cracks. buy slotted, it makes heat get out quicker yet won't crack like the drilled would.
 

the5.ohh

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Get slotted rotors, and some good pads you'll be fine. If your just throwing cheap pads in for now just to run around with, your fine. I recommend ceramic pads, better braking than stock, quiet and plus, no brake dust
 

CC'S95GT

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I never get the cheapest pads. don't last and lots of dust. I usually get mid grade or better at least.
For the cobra/sve caliper swap you'll still need the brackets too.
My son has been running slotted/drilled rotors for a year or 2 on his 98. No cracking yet. And I wouldn't expect any for normal everyday driving. Track duty might be different.
 
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ElrodKTPQ_89

ElrodKTPQ_89

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For the cobra/sve caliper swap you'll still need the brackets too.
Thanks CC I was unaware of that, but figured something had to be done to go from a single piston to dual piston caliper setup. So I guess if my rotors are too worn to be turned that I would be better and cheaper to just go back with factory rotors for now?
 

wmfateam

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This week I'm going to be changing brake pads on my car as mine are pretty shot. Today I went to O'Reilly's to check prices and availability on pads and rotors. They charge $10.50 per rotor to have them turned, which mine are in need of or just plain need replacing. The cheapest pads I could get were like $22 for front and $19-ish for back which is what I'll probably go back with for now just to have my car stopping right, but eventually I will upgrade. So I ask them to show me prices on new stock rotors for a GT, which were $35 each (I think) for 11" vented rotors...not bad considering I would be spending over $20 just to have my old ones turned. I think factory GT calipers were just over $30 as well. So then I ask for them to check prices for the same parts only for a 94 Cobra, this time the 13" rotors were like $45 each and the dual piston calipers were $55 each I think...I really should have written everything down, and I may go back tomorrow and do so and then update this with the correct prices.

I was watching videos lastnight on LMR's YouTube channel and came across the SVE cobra brake upgrade with new calipers, slotted and drilled rotors and braided brake lines. The install looked pretty straight forward and all the hardware looked very nice as well. So I looked up the price online and couldn't believe it...$700! Just for the front! Now I know very little about brakes or any of the hardware involved in a brake upgrade, but what is the difference in an SVE kit and the parts from a supply house like O'Reilly's??....besides of course SVE having the slotted and drilled rotors and braided lines. Is there any down side to upgrading brakes to factory replacement components from O'Reilly's? The way I was thinking it would just make more sense to buy new rotors instead of having mine turned (since they are in pretty bad shape) and that I might as well upgrade instead of just factory replacements. What's your opinions?
Just looked up Oreilly auto parts, you can get cobra calipers with brackets for around $200. Then buy some centric rotors ($140), decent centric pads ($61) and brake lines($65), and you are less than the sve kit (less than $500) Now I want to upgrade my gt.
 

wmfateam

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Yes. The rears are much more involved. Another route you could take for the rear is the Baer 13 rear upgrade bracket and rotor.
 

Musturd

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I never get the cheapest pads. don't last and lots of dust. I usually get mid grade or better at least.
For the cobra/sve caliper swap you'll still need the brackets too.
My son has been running slotted/drilled rotors for a year or 2 on his 98. No cracking yet. And I wouldn't expect any for normal everyday driving. Track duty might be different.


They come one with the brackets on the calipers from the parts store ;)
 

RichV

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Surprisingly I've been running the drilled/slotted from PowerStop on my 05. The brake setup did well on the track. No cracking, I wouldn't do drilled or slotted. The slots don't do anything for cooling, they are supposed to shave the pad under hard braking so they don't glaze. It does that alright. The pads were destroyed in just under 2 weekends of track driving. Hawk HPS going in next, gonna keep the drilled/slotted rotors for now.

OP, if you're upgrading just because, look at the use of the brakes. I would rather get quality 11" stuff, than shitty 13" stuff. If you want to upgrade to a better level of braking, get new rotors, blanks. Get a set of 99-04 GT front calipers, and get a good set of pads (all 4). The pads are KEY in any braking setup. That is what costs money over other components. Look into a set of braided lines as well. Then finish off the setup with a complete drain/fill of fluid. Go with Valvoline SynTech DOT 3/4, bleed with a buddy or a gravity bleed.

Not sure if the part store calipers come with brackets. I know RockAuto gear does not come with brackets, but they are available for added cost. Also, the calipers have a core charge. So if you go get a Cobra caliper and don't have an old one to give them, you'll get charged more $, could be double. On RA a reman Cobra caliper is $116 without a core, $42 with core.
 

Musturd

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Surprisingly I've been running the drilled/slotted from PowerStop on my 05. The brake setup did well on the track. No cracking, I wouldn't do drilled or slotted. The slots don't do anything for cooling, they are supposed to shave the pad under hard braking so they don't glaze. It does that alright. The pads were destroyed in just under 2 weekends of track driving. Hawk HPS going in next, gonna keep the drilled/slotted rotors for now.

OP, if you're upgrading just because, look at the use of the brakes. I would rather get quality 11" stuff, than shitty 13" stuff. If you want to upgrade to a better level of braking, get new rotors, blanks. Get a set of 99-04 GT front calipers, and get a good set of pads (all 4). The pads are KEY in any braking setup. That is what costs money over other components. Look into a set of braided lines as well. Then finish off the setup with a complete drain/fill of fluid. Go with Valvoline SynTech DOT 3/4, bleed with a buddy or a gravity bleed.

Not sure if the part store calipers come with brackets. I know RockAuto gear does not come with brackets, but they are available for added cost. Also, the calipers have a core charge. So if you go get a Cobra caliper and don't have an old one to give them, you'll get charged more $, could be double. On RA a reman Cobra caliper is $116 without a core, $42 with core.



Most parts store employees can't tell the difference anyways I've gave gt calipers back countless times . Rich is right though a 99-04gt brake upgrade is usually good enough for most people ... I drive like a douche on the street a lot and have double the hp of most people so I'm happy with my stock cobra junk seems to stop the car nicely and in a hurry I'm safe .
 

ReplicaR

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I've had slotted rotors with the Brembo setup, when I bought it, running solid now. I can't really compare performance of one vs the other, since I went to a different brake pad once the previous setup wore out, however, the pads I had before wore just fine. I don't believe that that whole fresh slice of a pad thing is true. Most of the time the slots get clogged up with brakepad dust within first two laps, and from there on, it acts very much like a solid rotor. I've talked to many brake rotor techs, and most of them say the same thing about slots and cross drilling. It's an innovative way to reduce the weight of the rotor, nothing more than that. It does not help with cooling, does not help with "a fresh slice of pad", doesn't do anything like that. In a race application you really want as much surface as possible, which is why every time I see a pro race car, the rotors are always solid, and in most cases today they are made out of carbon ceramic compound. So again... cross drilled and slotted = looks and weight reduction, not necessarily performance gain. As stated previously, brake pad will make the most difference on the braking performance.
 

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