Mustang front brakes with discs on the rear 8.8 Explorer

[skyhighsami]

I have a 2000 Ranger and I am going to lower it, swap on some 18x8.5 and 18x10.5 wheels. When the suspension was apart I was curious if there are any kits or brackets to bolt on any of the Mustang Brembo calipers and disc on the front of a 2wd coil spring Ranger and some way to add upgrade the brakes on an Explorer 8.8? I have a Brembo BBK with 2 piece rotors on my Yukon and C7 Corvette Brembo calipers on the rear with 2021 RST Tahoe rotors. Is there a similar upgrade for the Ranger? There are so many vehicles Ford and other manufacturers that use Brembo calipers that buying their kits for almost $4k is insane.

 

[JoshT]

Yes, to the front. Maybe not mustang exactly, but Brembos.

I'll refer you to this thread that might seem a little familiar.

https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/index.php?threads/2000-ford-ranger-suspension-wheels-8-8-and-wheel-question.207765/

 

[franklin2]

The show stopper for the rear brakes is the parking brake. In my state, no parking brake means no sticker.

 

[skyhighsami]

Yeah I read that but since I did make a post asking so many questions I wanted to make a thread asking more directly. I have been searching and reading but the thread left me with Cobra brakes can be done if the person that made the brackets has any.

 

[skyhighsami]

Aren't you able to retain the emergency brakes from the Explorer rear when swapped if the cable and everything is done correctly?

 

[JoshT]

The guy making the Cobra PBR caliper brackets with 13" rotors has been gone a long time. Link that stmitch posted over there is a company making a kit that uses better Cadillac ATS Brembo calipers and same size rotors. Unlike the previous guy that presold in batches, this company keeps them in the shelf ready to sell.

If you install the explorer axle with it's disk brakes you can keep the parking brake working fairly easily. The cable ends are different so not a direct swap, but it can be adapted. I haven't looked closely, but for mine I will probably cut the cable on both around mid way and swedge the different ends back together.

Upgrading the explorer brakes was pretty clear over there.

 

[franklin2]

Aren't you able to retain the emergency brakes from the Explorer rear when swapped if the cable and everything is done correctly?

I looked up a 1997 explorer. Looks like it uses the mini brake shoe system for the parking brake, which is located inside the rotor. Rotors meant for the front of a car do not have this. Will the aftermarket rotor have this feature? I doubt it but maybe. I have seen a mini mechanically operated parking brake caliper that can be added to a rotor made by Wilwood. Then the cable would actuate it. So you would have two calipers, the regular hydraulic brake caliper and the little mechanical caliper for the parking brake.