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Raybestos 2013 Stage 3 Mustang - Fast BrakeInside Raybestos' and Roush's Hard-Charging, Quick-Stopping Giveaway 'Stang. From the October, 2012 issue of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords By Dale Amy Photography by Dale Amy
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Raybestos has a recent history of partnering with others in the automotive aftermarket to commission some pretty cool promotional giveaway cars--like its Coyote-powered '32 Ford shop truck, which you've probably seen covered on Hot Rod TV. So what to do for this year's project? Well, since Raybestos is also the brake supplier to Roush Fenway Racing's multi-team NASCAR efforts, a scheme was concocted for Raybestos and Roush Performance to tag up to create a unique ride that is right up our alley, and rather wordily known as the Raybestos Roush '13 Stage 3 Mustang. Think of it as an RS3 with upgraded reciprocating hardware, a bulletproof driveline, and a world-class set of behemoth binders that are themselves probably worth more than a base Mustang. Yes, Raybestos will be giving it away, and the winner will be announced at this November's SEMA show in Las Vegas, so we thought a look at what went into making this a truly special Mustang would be in order. That way, if you win it, you'll know what's in it. Just to build the future owner's confidence in the brakes, our accompanying report on the Raybestos Roush '13 Stage 3 Mustang came from Associate Editor Mike Johnson. As you no doubt read on page 42, he lapped it on a tight, challenging Michigan road course known as GingerMan Raceway. Turning Mr. Johnson loose on a demanding racetrack in an extremely valuable one-off Mustang? The Raybestos folks are really confident in those brakes! Here's a peek underneath.  Make some space in the garage....  Make some space in the garage. Come November, the automotive stars will align for someone when Raybestos draws their name to win this Raybestos Roush '13 Stage 3 Mustang. With unique styling, tons of power, and utterly humongous brakes, this is one heck of a promotional giveaway.  Here, in all its machined...  Here, in all its machined billet, electroless nickel-plated glory is the mother of all front brake calipers. Engineered specifically for short-track and road-course competition--by far the most brake-intensive events in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series--the Raybestos PC1108 caliper as used by Roush Fenway Racing is no less than 9.24 inches wide, and is loaded with a six-pack of titanium pistons. We're told each caliper is worth well in excess of $4,000. It's a straightforward task to fit this 6.3-pound work of industrial art under the front fender of a Sprint Cup Fusion, but was a more demanding mission for the crew at Roush Performance to mount it within the confines of a '13 Mustang's busy front end.  Only slightly less awe inspiring...  Only slightly less awe inspiring are the project's rear calipers, again compared here to the OEM setup (right). Same plated, billet construction as the fronts, with internal fluid passages and fixed (non-sliding) mount configuration, but with "only" four titanium pistons. Unfortunately, the pads weren't in place for this shot. Though understandably smaller than the fronts, those rear pads are still a meaty 0.87 inches thick. These racy rear calipers have no provision for parking brakes…  Check it out next to the '13...  Check it out next to the '13 GT's capable stock front caliper (right), not just for sheer size but for the enormity of the PC1108's brake pad dimensions. Each pad is an amazing 1.26 inches thick, and there's simply no comparison in swept area to the stockers. That said, Raybestos was careful to spec out a streetable pad compound for whomever wins this Raybestos Roush '13 Stage 3 Mustang.  Which brings us, in roundabout...  Which brings us, in roundabout fashion, to the Raybestos Roush ’13 Stage 3 Mustang’s new rear axle housing, an immensely strong nodular iron 9-inch crafted by the experts at Moser Engineering. More on the axle itself in a minute, but the project’s initial concept included use of a trick Wilwood pinion-mounted parking brake setup (shown here minus its rotor.) It was only when the axle was trial fitted to the Mustang that it became painfully obvious that said rotor would not clear the car’s saddle-style fuel tank. Oh well, who needs a parking brake anyway?  Moser Engineering populated...  Moser Engineering populated the Raybestos Roush '13 Stage 3 Mustang's 9-inch housing with a True-Trac diff, 31-spline axles, 3.89 gears, aluminum Daytona Pro/Street pinion support, and a 1350-series pinion yoke. Configured specifically for S197 applications, this axle was a straight bolt-in proposition and should be impervious to street or track abuse. Oh, and this shot probably clarifies why the intended parking brake hardware had to come off due to proximity of the fuel tank.  Contrasting the Raybestos...  Contrasting the Raybestos NASCAR rotor to Ford's stock counterpart, we see little difference in diameter, but a huge increase in thickness (at 1.65 inches.) To help dissipate heat, the Raybestos discs are also of two-piece construction with a separate hat that bolts to the rotor.  But even the rotor hats are...  But even the rotor hats are special for the Mustang project. The deep dish version leaning on the rotor is the standard NASCAR hat. To clear the Mustang's suspension hardware and help provide proper offset, the project's hats are now hubcentric flat plates, machined especially for the application, as seen bolted in place. Though not shown, the rear setup is similar.  Since the project would be...  Since the project would be getting both a Roush TVS blower and plenty of track time, its stock Coyote engine was being replaced with an Aluminator 5.0 from Ford Racing Performance Parts. It is bolstered with Mahle forged pistons and Manley H-beam rods. In order to maintain off-boost efficiency, Roush opted for the 11:1-compression version of the Aluminator.  But this should handle it....  But this should handle it. By now, you've probably heard of Tremec's immensely strong (700 lb-ft) Magnum six-speed manual. The Raybestos Roush '13 Stage 3 Mustang project will benefit from Tremec's latest variant, the Magnum XL, developed specifically for S197 Mustangs. This extendedlength version brings along with it a swap-specific crossmember, an OEM-quality mount, and an SFI-approved steel bellhousing.  What really makes the XL S197-specific...  What really makes the XL S197-specific is a longer tailhousing that completely does away with the factory's vague semi-remote shifter arrangement, replacing it with an included traditional short-throw, billet shifter.  The project's front and rear...  The project's front and rear suspension (and its vocal exhaust system) are standard '13 Roush RS3 spec, save for the coilsprings shown, which lower ride height by about an additional inch.  Of note is the Magnum XL's...  Of note is the Magnum XL's 26-spline input shaft that will require a new clutch disc (the Coyote's current Getrag MT-82 six-speed has a 23-spline input, while the S197's older Tremec 3650 five-speed had a 10-spline.) Also, the XL's length differs from the MT-82 or TR-3650, so it requires a new one-piece driveshaft in any S197. At this point, our schedule took us elsewhere, but we returned about a week later to see how the project had come together…  Here's the Magnum XL installed...  Here's the Magnum XL installed in front of the one-piece Dynotech driveshaft that Tremec recommends for the swap. Note that Tremec's XL comes with the S197-specific crossmember and mount shown here. The 26-spline issue was solved by using a complete GT500 clutch setup on the Raybestos Mustang.  We told you these Raybestos...  We told you these Raybestos NASCAR road-course calipers were big. The extreme width of these gorgeous chunks of billet made wheel choice critical--not in diameter but in backspacing.  The rim of choice turned out...  The rim of choice turned out to be one of Roush's own design, painted black, and only 18 inches in diameter. (Remember, in competition these rotors have to fit within 15-inch-diameter NASCAR steel wheels.) The spokes just barely clear the calipers. Tires are 275/40R-18 Cooper Zeon RS3s at both ends.  Mounting the front calipers...  Mounting the front calipers required custom fabrication of these billet steel brackets. By the way, the car's winner will apparently also be given the GT's original stock brake hardware, in case they ever want to remove the race pieces and hang them as wall art.  Mounting the fixed rear calipers...  Mounting the fixed rear calipers to the Moser 9-inch axle required these custom beefy brackets, carved from steel billet. Don't try this at home. As mentioned, the car's winner will have to do without parking brakes. Pity.  The cabin is well-appointed,...  The cabin is well-appointed, right down to buckets emblazoned with Raybestos' stylized R.  We'll wrap up this installment...  We'll wrap up this installment with a shot of the engine bay, topped with the Roush R2300 TVS blower. The goal of this combo was to have 650 horsepower on hand to give the brakes something of an on-track workout.
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