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Brake Upgrade
- Thread starter Redheadedmoxy
- Start date
Yes, in fact we have an offer using Jeep SRT8 WK2 (2012+) 6 pot calipers (w/380x34mm rotors) for a 100% bolt on installation to Explorer's spindle - without modification (No spacers, no adaptors, no trim & cut) - All design criteria and OE parts are in possession so no try and error.
WK2 front 6 pot caliper:
This is the same seamless upgrade offer for Jeep WK1 owners to upgrade their small 4 pot calipers (360x32mm rotors) to Hellcat 6 pot calipers with 390x34mm rotors.
Another option is to consider RB 6 pot caliper (380x34mm rotors) kit (including rotors, pads, calipers, adaptors, and hardware.)
WK2 front 6 pot caliper:
This is the same seamless upgrade offer for Jeep WK1 owners to upgrade their small 4 pot calipers (360x32mm rotors) to Hellcat 6 pot calipers with 390x34mm rotors.
Another option is to consider RB 6 pot caliper (380x34mm rotors) kit (including rotors, pads, calipers, adaptors, and hardware.)
We expect to have all upgraded brake components for ST available by end of this month; including the brake pads. Some ST owners already have the brake kits installed.
RB XT910 brake pads are voted by Trackhawk to be the best performer - Easy modulation, no squeaking, very low dust, and never fade for street and spirited driving.
https://racingbrake.com/categories/rotor-pad-brake-kit/select-vehicle/ford/explorer-st-2020.html
Explorer ST is the first "non track" brake development we involved for Ford in addition to Focus RS, the F150/Raptor, or the super muscle cars like GT350 and GT500 we should have all the upgrade equipment you are looking for.
https://racingbrake.com/ford-3/
We look forward to serving your braking needs.
RB XT910 brake pads are voted by Trackhawk to be the best performer - Easy modulation, no squeaking, very low dust, and never fade for street and spirited driving.
https://racingbrake.com/categories/rotor-pad-brake-kit/select-vehicle/ford/explorer-st-2020.html
Explorer ST is the first "non track" brake development we involved for Ford in addition to Focus RS, the F150/Raptor, or the super muscle cars like GT350 and GT500 we should have all the upgrade equipment you are looking for.
https://racingbrake.com/ford-3/
We look forward to serving your braking needs.
Maybe swap brake fluid to Motul RBF 600 which is a DOT4 and at least for me, performs very well in my track car. Have not done a brake flush yet in the ST as it is only 4 months old but I usually do this at every other oil change. If you live in very humid climates then the BF will absorb a lot of water and reduce it's boiling point.
Tommy
Tommy
so is RBk the only option people using for lines? https://racingbrake.com/rbl-051f
What exactly is the real world difference between the street pack brakes, RB 4-pot and SRT/6-pot? I have a base ST and I don't do much track work but I would like the additional stopping power after the tune. Would street pack brakes with upgraded rotors, etc be sufficient here? What exactly do you gain by going from the floating caliper to the fixed besides being more grabby? The street pack setup is much more wallet friendly, especially if you can cop some Police Interceptor brakes.
For those without the Street Pack wanting a value-conscious upgrade (Once you start adding power, these base brakes start to feel sorely inadequate), I ended up getting some take-off PIU calipers from ebay for a very reasonable price, they are the same but much cheaper than the Street Pack brakes if you don't care about the red paint. Or you could always paint them yourself.
The street pack brakes are actually pretty damn good. I did some looking awhile back, and the 70-0 distance (161 ft) are equivalent to some pretty nice performance cars (Bugatti Chiron, 2019 Audi RS 6 and 2006 Corvette Z06!)
But that's stopping one time. On a track, heat soak is the enemy. There, larger rotors and multiple pistons will shed more heat due to surface area, and provide better pedal modulation due to increased leverage and clamping force. Long story short, the stock brakes are very good, but if you want to track your ST and do it consistently, hundreds of times, an upgraded brake package is probably worth it. For the street, it's just bragging rights and looks.
But that's stopping one time. On a track, heat soak is the enemy. There, larger rotors and multiple pistons will shed more heat due to surface area, and provide better pedal modulation due to increased leverage and clamping force. Long story short, the stock brakes are very good, but if you want to track your ST and do it consistently, hundreds of times, an upgraded brake package is probably worth it. For the street, it's just bragging rights and looks.
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I'm a little late to the party, this thread is old-ish, sorry about that. I just found this site 
This is not really correct. While it is certainly recommended to replace rubber lines with SS braided lines, this is not the FIRST thing one does, and it certainly is not the cause of brake fade. If the rubber line is expanding (not super likely on brand new rubber lines), then the brake pedal might feel a teeny bit squishy. But that is all. A firmer feel is desired, and once one is running the proper calipers and pads, then a brake line upgrade is worth it. Not before those others though. And in the case of the ST, if you have the street pack caliper upgrade, then you already have good calipers.
Brake fade is entirely caused by your pads overheating. As the pad gets too hot, it gases, and this gas is trapped between the pad and rotor, and prevents the pad from contacting the rotor. Thus, no brakes.
Boiling brake fluid or old, bad fluid with tons of water in it can cause your brakes to not work...but this isn't really brake fade as most people experience. This is pressing the brake pedal and nothing is happening - your brakes haven't faded, rather they aren't working. Subtle difference, perhaps, but a difference none-the-less.
Brake fade happens when you over-stress pads designed for the street. They are meant to work briefly. You step on them to stop at a red light. They work. You sit there for while, they cool off. You drive off, and the next time you do a hard stop...they work. Because they aren't being overused/abused.
On something like Tail of the Dragon, you will be using your brakes a lot. Repeatedly. They will not have time to cool off. Thus, as you continue to use them, they get hotter and hotter, gas out, which creates that barrier between the pad and rotor, preventing pad material from contacting the rotor, thus...fading brakes.
There are several ways to combat this. Brake ducts which channel cooling air to the rotors/pads is one way. The most common way, however, is to replace your street pads that aren't designed for that kind of "abuse" with more aggressive pads that are. Something like a Hawk HP+ or so. These pads are rated to operate at higher temperatures. So, as you use them, as they get hot...they continue to work. Because they are rated for that temperature. The trade-off, and downside, of using a more aggressive pad on the street is that they don't work as well when cold (they are rated to work when hotter, which means they work less when colder), they have a more aggressive friction material, which will wear down your rotor faster, they tend to produce more dust, and they may produce more noise.
So. If all one does is Trail of the Dragon every now and then, then get a slightly more agressive pad over stock (and I mean slightly), and call it a day. It will work for most of your needs, and still be livable on the street. If you go for a more aggressive pad, you will most likely find yourself getting frustrated when street driving (which is probably what one mostly does), as your wheels will be dirty all the time, and you may get squealing.
The ST Street Pack calipers, rotors, brake fluid, and rubber lines are all good for normal spirited driving, even for occasional Tail of the Dragons. And if you never do Tail of the Dragons, then the stock pads are good enough too.
For reference, I autocross a 2011 STI (and a 95 Mustang GT before that), and I have Hawk HP+'s on the car with Brembo brakes. These pads are more aggressive than OEM, but still "streetable" - as in not race-only pads. The wheels get dirty. And when I drive the car around (to get gas, and to and from the events), they squeal really, really bad. I can live with it because it's not my daily driver. If it were, I would have gone insane by now.
This is not really correct. While it is certainly recommended to replace rubber lines with SS braided lines, this is not the FIRST thing one does, and it certainly is not the cause of brake fade. If the rubber line is expanding (not super likely on brand new rubber lines), then the brake pedal might feel a teeny bit squishy. But that is all. A firmer feel is desired, and once one is running the proper calipers and pads, then a brake line upgrade is worth it. Not before those others though. And in the case of the ST, if you have the street pack caliper upgrade, then you already have good calipers.
Brake fade is entirely caused by your pads overheating. As the pad gets too hot, it gases, and this gas is trapped between the pad and rotor, and prevents the pad from contacting the rotor. Thus, no brakes.
Boiling brake fluid or old, bad fluid with tons of water in it can cause your brakes to not work...but this isn't really brake fade as most people experience. This is pressing the brake pedal and nothing is happening - your brakes haven't faded, rather they aren't working. Subtle difference, perhaps, but a difference none-the-less.
Brake fade happens when you over-stress pads designed for the street. They are meant to work briefly. You step on them to stop at a red light. They work. You sit there for while, they cool off. You drive off, and the next time you do a hard stop...they work. Because they aren't being overused/abused.
On something like Tail of the Dragon, you will be using your brakes a lot. Repeatedly. They will not have time to cool off. Thus, as you continue to use them, they get hotter and hotter, gas out, which creates that barrier between the pad and rotor, preventing pad material from contacting the rotor, thus...fading brakes.
There are several ways to combat this. Brake ducts which channel cooling air to the rotors/pads is one way. The most common way, however, is to replace your street pads that aren't designed for that kind of "abuse" with more aggressive pads that are. Something like a Hawk HP+ or so. These pads are rated to operate at higher temperatures. So, as you use them, as they get hot...they continue to work. Because they are rated for that temperature. The trade-off, and downside, of using a more aggressive pad on the street is that they don't work as well when cold (they are rated to work when hotter, which means they work less when colder), they have a more aggressive friction material, which will wear down your rotor faster, they tend to produce more dust, and they may produce more noise.
So. If all one does is Trail of the Dragon every now and then, then get a slightly more agressive pad over stock (and I mean slightly), and call it a day. It will work for most of your needs, and still be livable on the street. If you go for a more aggressive pad, you will most likely find yourself getting frustrated when street driving (which is probably what one mostly does), as your wheels will be dirty all the time, and you may get squealing.
The ST Street Pack calipers, rotors, brake fluid, and rubber lines are all good for normal spirited driving, even for occasional Tail of the Dragons. And if you never do Tail of the Dragons, then the stock pads are good enough too.
For reference, I autocross a 2011 STI (and a 95 Mustang GT before that), and I have Hawk HP+'s on the car with Brembo brakes. These pads are more aggressive than OEM, but still "streetable" - as in not race-only pads. The wheels get dirty. And when I drive the car around (to get gas, and to and from the events), they squeal really, really bad. I can live with it because it's not my daily driver. If it were, I would have gone insane by now.
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