The Force 10 Super-Twin kit...
The Force 10 Super-Twin kit for Fox Mustangs includes SN-95 spindles and sealed bearing hubs (you can kiss bearing repacking goodbye). The spindles require one minor end-user modification; the caliper-mounting ear holes need to be enlarged for caliper-mounting bolt clearance. The proper drill bit is included, and the work takes but five minutes.
While ultra-trick, mega-inch racing brakes may give your street ride that awesome look you want (with a price tag to match), it's sad when you have to mail-order replacement service parts and park your ride until they show up. With the Stainless Steel Brakes Force 10 system, replacement pads are as close as your nearest D-I-Y parts store.
It seems as though people are beginning to get the message. We're seeing more and more high-horsepower street Mustangs with serious brakes on them. This prolif-eration of big brakes is coming from the '94-and-later Cobra parts bins. This stems, of course, from the fact that the Cobra is an OE system, and service parts for it are no farther away than your nearest parts house.
We're starting with the front...
We're starting with the front brakes. With the vehicle supported by jackstands and the front wheels removed, place a floor jack under the ball joint of the control arm. Remove the two spindle-to-strut mounting bolts. The tie rod end will need to be removed from the spindle as well. A few hard whacks with a hammer on the spindle "eye" will free the tie-rod stud.
We've seen numerous options-such as different logos and colors-when it comes to these big brake setups, and we wanted to explore an opposite idea of what we usually preach. Normally we would tell you to make it easy on yourself and get XYZ Monster Brake Kit from Acme Corp. and bolt on everything in a weekend.
We're not saying that's a bad idea. On the contrary, if you want it simple and you want what the company offers, then feel free to write the check. But if you want something custom, or want to mix and match, you're going to have to go the piecemeal route as we are doing here. We started with one company and picked up the major items, then we scoured around and finished off our brake-system upgrades after a few more phone calls to some of our advertisers. We did all this while keeping future serviceability in mind.
Our problem stemmed from a previous upgrade done many years ago. We installed a 12-inch, four-wheel disc kit that, at the time, was in its prototype stage. The calipers were oversized for our stock master cylinder (which used racing brake-based brake pads), and we did not incorporate an adjustable proportioning valve. This led to a spongy brake pedal and easily locking rear brakes. It was our only recourse at the time due to our C-clip-eliminator-equipped 8.8 rear, which severely limited our rear-disc options. Now that we've updated to a more widely used option-the 9-inch bearing ends (see "Past Reargrets," July '02, p. 151)-we could choose from many different brake companies and their options.
Up front, our options were wide open. Though our stock spindles had been cut and clearanced the first time around, most, if not all, front-disc brake systems come with new or modified spindles. After seeing the many options that Stainless Steel Brakes Corp. (SSBC) offers for performance street use, we decided to give the company a call to discuss our brake needs.
The 13-inch rotors are side-specific....
The 13-inch rotors are side-specific. Though we've seen brake kits machine the degas slots in all sorts of directions, we went by the cast in "LEFT" and "RIGHT" on the back of the rotor for orientation. Throw a lug nut onto a stud to keep the rotor from falling off during the rest of your work.
The new SSBC calipers come...
The new SSBC calipers come "loaded," meaning they are fully assembled with guide pins, pads, mounting bracket, and so on. To install the caliper to the spindle, line up the two mounting holes and install the mounting bolts, torquing them to 90 lb-ft. Make sure the bleeder screw is pointing up for proper caliper orientation.
Remove the original Banjo...
Remove the original Banjo bolt from your stock caliper and discard the original copper sealing washers. Assemble the new DOT braided brake line supplied by SSBC in the kit as shown here, with the Banjo bolt and washers sandwiched around the end of the brake line.
Install the brake line to...
Install the brake line to the rear of the caliper, but do not tighten the Banjo bolt yet. You don't want to crush the copper washers until you are sure of your brake-line routing. Simply snug down the bolt for now.
The opposite end of the new...
The opposite end of the new DOT line will fit into the factory bracket on the framerail after some minor filing. Remove the bracket from the framerail and file away the locating notch and side until the hose easily slides into the bracket, as shown here. Reinstall the bracket and complete the line installation. Later, when you fit the front wheels, check for line clearance and tighten the Banjo bolt. You may need to tie-wrap the brake hose to the strut to keep it off the tire as well.
For the rear brakes, we start...
For the rear brakes, we start with SSBC's A111-3 Torino kit so we can use the 9-inch Ford axle-end brackets. For the 9-inch ends, you simply have to unbolt the axle, slide it out, and then install the two-piece bracket behind the bearing retainer. On the standard 8.8 rear-disc kit, you'll need to drain the fluid, pull the C-clips, then slide out the axles to install the bracket.