Brake Thoughts

[Old-Raptor-guy]

Ive never really given a big brake kit much thought. The factory brakes or any brakes can only stop you as fast as the tires have traction. Once that ABS lights up, thats it. The advantage of the bigger brakes is heat dissipation on long repeated stops with high speeds. Ive never felt any brake fade with the stockers. I have seen videos where the big brakes show a clear stopping advantage in Raptors, but they were running different wheels and tires with likely different coefficients of friction. A higher traction/heavier wheel tire combo (37s) likely would be able to take advantage of bigger better brakes, but from where Im sitting, not really with lighter weight methods and KO2s. YMMV

How hard do you push your Raptor, by your comments I would say not very hard.

You are correct, if ABS activates you are done. With stock brakes on dry pavement it is near impossible to activate the ABS system. This tells me there is a lot being left on the table.

The Alcon kit has shown to reduce braking distance from 65mph by almost 50%, (152 ft vs 107 ft) that is huge. That is the difference between hitting the dog that runs out in the street and not.

My 2002 F350 weights 1900lbs more than my Raptor. Running the same size tire (315/75R16 vs 315/70R17) will easily out brake my Raptor (F350 has big brake kit)

Just saying Raptor brakes are poor.

 

[Zeusmotorworks]

I faded the F_U_CK out of the OE F150 brakes on many occasions (on road). They suck ass for MY purposes. Would drive a Tacoma before I'd suffer the OE F150 brakes on a Raptor again. The Powerstop Z36 Kit would be my minimum recommendation. Currently running the Alcon front kit with Alcon rear pads now and don't regret upgrading. However, they are stupid expensive, and not well engineered (pads wear tapered due to pistons being same sized leading to trailing edge). May invest in the Wilwood kit as their pistons seem to be sized for appropriate wear, have more available compounds, and most importantly are VASTLY less expensive to service.

As to the grooves causing any issues, for me no. But I'm not mobbing over in western deserts either.

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

I faded the F_U_CK out of the OE F150 brakes on many occasions (on road). They suck ass for MY purposes. Would drive a Tacoma before I'd suffer the OE F150 brakes on a Raptor again. The Powerstop Z36 Kit would be my minimum recommendation. Currently running the Alcon front kit with Alcon rear pads now and don't regret upgrading. However, they are stupid expensive, and not well engineered (pads wear tapered due to pistons being same sized leading to trailing edge). May invest in the Wilwood kit as their pistons seem to be sized for appropriate wear, have more available compounds, and most importantly are VASTLY less expensive to service.

As to the grooves causing any issues, for me no. But I'm not mobbing over in western deserts either.

When you are ready to mob out west let me know.

The factory brakes are NOT up to what the Raptor is capable of. Like having a ZR1 vette with pinto brakes.

I have Alcons in my garage waiting for a couple other pieces. Alcon are expensive, but I know they fit under factory bead lock wheels and for some reason I like the bead lock wheels.

First time I went mobbing and came to a corner that I had been to 100 times in the F350 and I went through into the sage brush I knew the brakes were shit. Brakes did not lock up, they can barely create enough pressure to activate ABS on ice.

 

[Nex]

Would drive a Tacoma before I'd suffer the OE F150 brakes on a Raptor again.

DON'T ANGER THE @FordTechOne !!

 

[John813]

I dunno, I never have had a huge issue with the OEM brakes, on and off road, even in emergency situations, going back to my Gen 1 trucks.
Could they be better? Of course. But I don't think they are a liability/terrible.

 

[FordTechOne]

View attachment 426220

DON'T ANGER THE @FordTechOne !!

The irony is tacos have drum brakes, talk about ****** OE brakes

 

[shigman]

How hard do you push your Raptor, by your comments I would say not very hard.

You are correct, if ABS activates you are done. With stock brakes on dry pavement it is near impossible to activate the ABS system. This tells me there is a lot being left on the table.

The Alcon kit has shown to reduce braking distance from 65mph by almost 50%, (152 ft vs 107 ft) that is huge. That is the difference between hitting the dog that runs out in the street and not.

My 2002 F350 weights 1900lbs more than my Raptor. Running the same size tire (315/75R16 vs 315/70R17) will easily out brake my Raptor (F350 has big brake kit)

Just saying I Raptor brakes are poor.

IDK i can activate the ABS pretty darn easy. Depends on the pavement surface too (maybe i have slippery dry streets?). I also don't hoon around on the street, it is a F150 for God sakes lol. My hauling ass days in vehicles that aren't designed for it are over. Where I do find the brakes lacking is in feel.

Id love to see a comparison video of a BBK on stock wheels and tires. If generally people aren't able to activate the ABS then yeah go BBK, I've activated it nearly every time i have a emergency braking situation. I can also very easily activate ABS off-road. My assumption then being not much was being left on the table, unless you run into fade.

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

IDK i can activate the ABS pretty darn easy. Depends on the pavement surface too (maybe i have slippery dry streets?). I also don't hoon around on the street, it is a F150 for God sakes lol. My hauling ass days in vehicles that aren't designed for it are over. Where I do find the brakes lacking is in feel.

Id love to see a comparison video of a BBK on stock wheels and tires. If generally people aren't able to activate the ABS then yeah go BBK, I've activated it nearly every time i have a emergency braking situation. I can also very easily activate ABS off-road. My assumption then being not much was being left on the table, unless you run into fade.

I don't hoon on the streets either, but around here speed limits are 80 mph, with traffic traveling together at 90 mph extremely normal. When you are in a traffic and someone makes a mistake, 100 drivers touch there brakes and pretty much every vehicle in the pack stops faster than you, (including pruis) your ass begins to pucker because you are putting ample pressure on the brake pedal but still closing on the car in front of you.

also we have some 8% grade canyon roads around here.

when my wife, who has been offroading with me for 30 years says from the passenger seat "these brakes suck" that should tell you alot.

I just agree with @Zeusmotorworks and others the brakes are lacking. Work for the majority probably, but I would also say the majority do not know better.

 

[mattl600]

Going to give these a whirl.

 

[shigman]

I don't hoon on the streets either, but around here speed limits are 80 mph, with traffic traveling together at 90 mph extremely normal. When you are in a traffic and someone makes a mistake, 100 drivers touch there brakes and pretty much every vehicle in the pack stops faster than you, (including pruis) your ass begins to pucker because you are putting ample pressure on the brake pedal but still closing on the car in front of you.

also we have some 8% grade canyon roads around here.

when my wife, who has been offroading with me for 30 years says from the passenger seat "these brakes suck" that should tell you alot.

I just agree with @Zeusmotorworks and others the brakes are lacking. Work for the majority probably, but I would also say the majority do not know better.

Yeah i mean if you're having trouble locking up the tires on ice...those brakes really do suck....I have had off road vehicles with high center of gravities and brakes that couldn't lock up the tires and yes it is terrifying as hell on the hwy going 85 plus when everyone wants to suddenly come to a stop. Pedal to the floor and hope you have room.