What are some economy front Big Brake Upgrade options?

[FishFreak]

So I'm getting ready to do a front brake job on my 2014 Raptor Screw. I've always wanted to upgrade the brakes, so since the time has come, I'd like to hear what some of you have done to upgrade your brakes on a budget, for example, increased the rotor diameter and relocated the stock caliper outward 1/2" or got some JY 6 piston Brembo's from a mustang for $500 and they bolted right onto my Raptor () or something like that. I tow a bass boat, and in the past, my other 1/2 ton truck brakes have warped brakes struggling to scrub speed on steep downhills, and this is why I'm exploring upgrades.

I know there are Baer, Brembo, Alcon, etc. kits for $4k-$6k, but those don't make practical dollars or sense for my 136k mile mostly street truck (unless you convince me otherwise). I'm thinkin' more on the line of the Wilwood AERO6-DM direct-mount 6 piston front brake kit for $1,800 (slightly out of budget), or the SSBC A414-20R front B8-Brawler direct fit 8 piston caliper upgrade kit at $1,550 (getting warmer!), or the CEIKA big brake kit that starts at $1,100 (suspicious and very imported looking)?

In a perfect world I could buy a pair of caliper relocation brackets and some slightly bigger diam rotors and just run stock calipers to get improved braking power and spend a few hundo over OEM. I've upgraded my last diesel truck to Hawk Talon quiet slot rotors with EBC Green Stuff pads and been very happy, but this 6.2 L Raptor may need more braking power than my diesel, since it's faster and it doesn't have a grade braking Allison trans behind it.

Next best would be a fair priced caliper upgrade like the Wilwood 6 piston or SSBC's 8 piston. I don't know about Wilwood, but SSBC's are made in USA, look sweet, but do they work? Alrighty then, can y'all chime in with your experiences, pros, cons, and brake power feel improvements? Are 'big brake' upgrades that fit behind the stock 17" wheels even worth the price? Is it better to go up to a larger wheel and bigger brakes? TIA...

 

[Ricoman]

Yep,the Bembo and Alcon are super pricey...BUT...Economy and Brakes should never be used in same sentence...If brakes fail,not going to be pretty..IMHO

 

[FishFreak]

Yep,the Brembo and Alcon are super pricey...BUT...Economy and Brakes should never be used in same sentence...If brakes fail,not going to be pretty..IMHO

Well I didn't mean bailing wire and duct tape Rico, just a happy medium between gold bullion and Wal Mart . Bigger bang for the buck! Brakes are simple; I do my own work, so shop labor is cheap but not easy...

If I'd never heard of Brembo or Alcon, I'd swear $1,800 was a LOT to pay for a front brake upgrade, so 'economy' is relative, but if someone had INCREDIBLE results and stopped on a dime, I'd pay that much for the improvement.

 

[pat247]

Food for thought: If you have better brakes than the person behind you, it can be disasterous. There is nothing wrong with OEM brakes if well maintained. The old saying, be careful what you wish for can be applied here.

 

[mprice1234]

Economy and upgrade really don't go together either! Stick with OEM if you want to save some coin otherwise open the wallet and get the true upgrade brake kit, check with Rick at Freedom Motorsports!

 

[Nick@Apollo-Optics]

Honestly, it's hard to beat the Wilwood BBK when it comes to bang for the buck. We've put them on Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3 trucks all with significant improvements over stock. And this is coming from someone who had front and rear Alcons on my Gen 2.

The Wilwood kit is also a little cheaper than you mentioned at $1595.

We have them in stock and ready to ship for the Gen 1 in red and black caliper options along with drilled and slotted and slotted only rotor options. The only option not in stock is black calipers with slotted only rotors. All others are ready to ship.

Ford Raptor AERO6-DM Direct-Mount Truck Front Brake Kit

Buy Wilwood Brakes VAR-WDMF at Apollo Optics: Wilwood Brakes Aero6-DM calipers are forged aluminum six piston Aerolite calipers designed for direct mounting to 2009-2020 Ford F-150, 2010-2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2017-2020 Ford F-150 Raptor and 2021-2022 Ford F-150 Raptor truck spindles, and...

apollo-optics.com

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I'll be happy to answer them.

 

[FishFreak]

Economy and upgrade really don't go together either! Stick with OEM if you want to save some coin otherwise open the wallet and get the true upgrade brake kit, check with Rick at Freedom Motorsports!

I get where you're coming from, and I don't do anything cheap myself. I'm talkin' about $2,000 vs $5,000, or a JY Brembo retrofit?

Realistically, this below is more likely. Has anyone tried these SSBC's? 8 piston calipers, link below. I think Freedom Motorsports is in IL? I'm on the left stinkin' coast...

American Made B8-Brawler 8 Piston Direct Fit Front Caliper Upgrade Kit. Red A414-20R

SSBC-USA is proudly American-made to ensure quality and reliability in our brakes. The B8-Brawler adds significant stopping power, featuring high strength billet aluminum calipers, 8 stainless steel pistons each, stainless steel pad clips and 4 full-size bleeders, 7 bridge bolts, & dual seals...

ssbc-usa.com

 

[FishFreak]

Honestly, it's hard to beat the Wilwood BBK when it comes to bang for the buck. We've put them on Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 3 trucks all with significant improvements over stock. And this is coming from someone who had front and rear Alcons on my Gen 2.

The Wilwood kit is also a little cheaper than you mentioned at $1595.

We have them in stock and ready to ship for the Gen 1 in red and black caliper options along with drilled and slotted and slotted only rotor options. The only option not in stock is black calipers with slotted only rotors. All others are ready to ship.

Ford Raptor AERO6-DM Direct-Mount Truck Front Brake Kit

Buy Wilwood Brakes VAR-WDMF at Apollo Optics: Wilwood Brakes Aero6-DM calipers are forged aluminum six piston Aerolite calipers designed for direct mounting to 2009-2020 Ford F-150, 2010-2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2017-2020 Ford F-150 Raptor and 2021-2022 Ford F-150 Raptor truck spindles, and...

apollo-optics.com

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I'll be happy to answer them.

Hey Nick, thanks for your imput. So you're sayin' for the money, these Wilwoods rival the Alcon kits?

Is there anything else needed or advised to install this, i.e. stainless brake lines? It looks like the SSBC kit does not include the rotors in the picture, but I could be wrong....

 

[Ricoman]

Well I didn't mean bailing wire and duct tape Rico, just a happy medium between gold bullion and Wal Mart . Bigger bang for the buck! Brakes are simple; I do my own work, so shop labor is cheap but not easy...

If I'd never heard of Brembo or Alcon, I'd swear $1,800 was a LOT to pay for a front brake upgrade, so 'economy' is relative, but if someone had INCREDIBLE results and stopped on a dime, I'd pay that much for the improvement.

Was just messing with ya..and dont knock bailing wire and duct tape..have fixed a few things with both over the years in my 63 Vette and Boat...my friends call me McGuyer after drive belt went out in boat mile from shore..grabbed roll of duct tape climbed down to engine as they were rolling on the deck laughing and 10 minutes later we were on way to land...VERY SLOWLY...

 

[Nick@Apollo-Optics]

Hey Nick, thanks for your imput. So you're sayin' for the money, these Wilwoods rival the Alcon kits?

Is there anything else needed or advised to install this, i.e. stainless brake lines? It looks like the SSBC kit does not include the rotors in the picture, but I could be wrong....

It's not quite the same as Alcon, but I'd say it's an 80% improvement for about 1/3 of the price. The Wilwood kit includes everything needed for installation, including SS braided front brake lines.