Advice Needed for Uprated Brakes

[Lefty]

I've got a 2003 Ranger Edge with 15 inch wheels. I would like to install uprated brakes.

I have insurance. I drive safely, but I want assurance too. I would like to drive this same truck for yet another 20 years.

I noticed that there are several commercial options out there. Perhaps also there is something I can pull from the junkyard. How about you? What have you done? Would any of you care to advise?

 

[sgtsandman]

What rear brakes do you have?

There isn't much you can do up front other than get better rotors with slots, cross drilling, or both. Not a huge upgrade but it is an upgrade. What you lose in surface area you gain in less pad float due to off gassing.

If you already have 10" rear brakes, not much you can do back there. I don't think rear discs perform any better and they require more maintenance to keep them operating properly.

 

[Lefty]

What rear brakes do you have?

There isn't much you can do up front other than get better rotors with slots, cross drilling, or both. Not a huge upgrade but it is an upgrade. What you lose in surface area you gain in less pad float due to off gassing.

If you already have 10" rear brakes, not much you can do back there. I don't think rear discs perform any better and they require more maintenance to keep them operating properly.

I was afraid you might say something like this. There didn't seem to be much out there.

I do have 10" drum brakes in back. they work pretty good, certainly not worth replacing. Slotted cross drilled rotors are within my budget.

 

[Roert42]

I think if you wanted bigger brakes you would could find something for a mustang (20 year old ish )and adapt it to fit. Same lug pattern. Would probably need to go to 16” wheels since the 15”s barely fit the factory brake setup.

I don’t know about the GTs and V6, but I gotta imagine the Cobras probably had pretty big rotors.

 

[Lefty]

I suppose that drilled and grooved rotors are a must for racing but not so much for the street. They may not even make much difference in a panic stop.

 

[Josh B]

I've tossed that around quite a bit myself Lefty and still unsure.
Got a 96 Explorer rear axle with rotors and a 31 spline (AFAIK) but told the rotary brakes are not that much better and the drums I have now are better, even tho they haven't worked since that box in the rail by the starter is plugged up and I haven't been able to get it out or reroute the rear lines.
Not sure really how much it's worth to have that 31 spline. I started to redo the rear axles several years ago but only did one because the bearing puller they gave me was bunged up somehow.
If I took the rear end over I guess it would get stuck with the disc rear brakes

 

[Roert42]

Not sure really how much it's worth to have that 31 spline.

If you haven’t noticed any issues with the 28 spline I doubt you will find any improvements with the 31 spline.

 

[Lefty]

I've tossed that around quite a bit myself Lefty and still unsure.
Got a 96 Explorer rear axle with rotors and a 31 spline (AFAIK) but told the rotary brakes are not that much better and the drums I have now are better, even tho they haven't worked since that box in the rail by the starter is plugged up and I haven't been able to get it out or reroute the rear lines.
Not sure really how much it's worth to have that 31 spline. I started to redo the rear axles several years ago but only did one because the bearing puller they gave me was bunged up somehow.
If I took the rear end over I guess it would get stuck with the disc rear brakes

I've mulled over the rear axel swap for some time too. I went to the u pull yards and looked at a lot of rusty and leaking and decided while my own 28 spline 8.8...open wheel...4/10...may not be the ideal, it's definitely four square. I'm satisfied with 10' drum brakes in the rear. Mine behave just fine. I'm still thinking about limited slip, but having it professionally done. It's well above my pay grade.

My own focus has changed a bit. I had a very close call on the open road a couple weeks back. Somebody pulled right in front of me, didn't even stop. I slammed on the brakes and came within a foot of hitting him. the Ranger did its job and did it well. The only difference is that I would have liked to stop sooner. Better rear brakes might have helped a little, but an upgrade to the front would be best.

I've been advised that bigger wheels would allow for bigger rotors, but my 15" wheels are still relatively new.

 

[Lefty]

If you haven’t noticed any issues with the 28 spline I doubt you will find any improvements with the 31 spline.

Exactly

 

[Blmpkn]

When my 2010 needed brakes I bought and installed some ChingChong drilled/slotted rotors and ceramic pads...


Huge difference in stopping power. Huge.

I didn't own the truck for very long after install so I can't speak on longevity.. but the same setup from a "real" company would probably perform even better than mine did.. which was awesomely.

 

[Lefty]

When my 2010 needed brakes I bought and installed some ChingChong drilled/slotted rotors and ceramic pads...


Huge difference in stopping power. Huge.

I didn't own the truck for very long after install so I can't speak on longevity.. but the same setup from a "real" company would probably perform even better than mine did.. which was awesomely.

ChingChong it is then! You da best, Blmpkn!

 

[pjtoledo]

15" wheels now, so you have 11.25" front rotors? correct?
your Edge is 2wd with front torsion bars? correct??

if so you can install steering knuckles from a 2001 2wd Sport Track. probably other years too but I only tried a 2001.
they have 12" rotors and bolt right on. use the same caliper, bracket, pads.
HOWEVER, very few 15" wheels will clear them. 2009/2010 Sport aluminum wheels will.
some steel 15" wheels with a 19mm offset will.
the difference is the shape of the inner barrel of the wheel.
it needs to be relatively straight then stepped down, not a straight taper.

spacers may work, I did not try any.


check post #26 in this thread for pics of the differences

OEM Alcoa 15" wheels don't fit | Page 2 | The Ranger Station

 

[Lefty]

Very interesting! I have pro comp wheels. I will have to go out tomorrow and take a look.

 

[JoshT]

I haven;t read all replies, but I was going to suggest the same that @pjtoledo did. The problem with any upgrade ont he front of your truck is going to be the 15" wheels, not much bigger than stock brakes will fit in that size. Sport Trac may be an option if they wil fit your wheels or you are willing to move up to a 16" wheel. In years past people have devised ways to install 13" rotors and calipers from a Mustang, but those require 17" wheels. I'm also not aware of anyone currently making the 13" kits for the later model (98+) trucks.


I'm of the opinion that the only thing you will gain from drilled and slotted rotors is faster brake pad wear. If you have bad braking habits and tend to glaze the pads slotted rotors will remove the glaze (along with additional pad material) every time you press the brake pedal. There is also the issue of drilled and slotted rotors being more prone to cracking, it vastly depends on quality of the rotor and how the holes/slots are made. Keep in mind that most of those cheap D&S rotors started life as cheap "ChingChong" plain rotors that were weren't known for their quality in the first place, then that same "ChingChong" assmebly line started drilling holes and cutting slots. You're looking for better quality brakes, do you really want to take cheap rotors then drill holes and cut slots in them as an upgrade?

A lot of experienced people in the automotive industry have voiced opinions on this and feel that a good quality plain rotor with high quality pads is the best option. There are placed where a quality drilled and slotted rotor can be beneficial, but it's generally in extreme duty on a track. Brakes on race cars aren't known for longevity, nor is that trait high on their list of concerns. They are primarily concerned about best braking performance for the span of a race.

If the Sport Trac brakes are not a possibility for you, or possibly in addition to them, I think your best gains would come from a set of good quality plain rotors. Put the money saved on cross drilling and slotting to put towards a set of high performance brake pads from someplace like Hawk Performance or EBC.

Well that's 1¢ on the front brakes. If you put it with what I say about the rear brakes below, you'll almost have 2¢.

For the rear... As noted, if you already have the 10" drums in the rear you have about the best you can get without converting to disc. If you convert to disc there are three basic options as I see it:

1. Convert existing axle to disc with mustang parts
2. Swap to Explorer axle
3. Swap in '10-'11 Ranger axle

Some will debate if these options are even better than the drums. I would tend to think that atleast the Explorer brakes would be. The Ranger brakes should be as well, but the main driving factor behind them was federal mandates for traction/stability control, not improved stopping performance.

If these swaps/conversions are worth the price of admission is something you have to decide. Keep in mind that a large majority of the braking in a truck comes from the front brakes.

I don’t know about the GTs and V6, but I gotta imagine the Cobras probably had pretty big rotors.

The Cobra rotor was one inch larger and vented compared to the 10" solid rotor on the V6/GT cars. They all used the same caliper, but the Cobra used different bracket and thinner pads to accomidate the larger rotor.

 

[Lefty]

I haven;t read all replies, but I was going to suggest the same that @pjtoledo did. The problem with any upgrade ont he front of your truck is going to be the 15" wheels, not much bigger than stock brakes will fit in that size. Sport Trac may be an option if they wil fit your wheels or you are willing to move up to a 16" wheel. In years past people have devised ways to install 13" rotors and calipers from a Mustang, but those require 17" wheels. I'm also not aware of anyone currently making the 13" kits for the later model (98+) trucks.


I'm of the opinion that the only thing you will gain from drilled and slotted rotors is faster brake pad wear. If you have bad braking habits and tend to glaze the pads slotted rotors will remove the glaze (along with additional pad material) every time you press the brake pedal. There is also the issue of drilled and slotted rotors being more prone to cracking, it vastly depends on quality of the rotor and how the holes/slots are made. Keep in mind that most of those cheap D&S rotors started life as cheap "ChingChong" plain rotors that were weren't known for their quality in the first place, then that same "ChingChong" assmebly line started drilling holes and cutting slots. You're looking for better quality brakes, do you really want to take cheap rotors then drill holes and cut slots in them as an upgrade?

A lot of experienced people in the automotive industry have voiced opinions on this and feel that a good quality plain rotor with high quality pads is the best option. There are placed where a quality drilled and slotted rotor can be beneficial, but it's generally in extreme duty on a track. Brakes on race cars aren't known for longevity, nor is that trait high on their list of concerns. They are primarily concerned about best braking performance for the span of a race.

If the Sport Trac brakes are not a possibility for you, or possibly in addition to them, I think your best gains would come from a set of good quality plain rotors. Put the money saved on cross drilling and slotting to put towards a set of high performance brake pads from someplace like Hawk Performance or EBC.

Well that's 1¢ on the front brakes. If you put it with what I say about the rear brakes below, you'll almost have 2¢.

For the rear... As noted, if you already have the 10" drums in the rear you have about the best you can get without converting to disc. If you convert to disc there are three basic options as I see it:

1. Convert existing axle to disc with mustang parts
2. Swap to Explorer axle
3. Swap in '10-'11 Ranger axle

Some will debate if these options are even better than the drums. I would tend to think that atleast the Explorer brakes would be. The Ranger brakes should be as well, but the main driving factor behind them was federal mandates for traction/stability control, not improved stopping performance.

If these swaps/conversions are worth the price of admission is something you have to decide. Keep in mind that a large majority of the braking in a truck comes from the front brakes.



The Cobra rotor was one inch larger and vented compared to the 10" solid rotor on the V6/GT cars. They all used the same caliper, but the Cobra used different bracket and thinner pads to accomidate the larger rotor.

Thank you Josh!