What are some economy front Big Brake Upgrade options?

[FishFreak]

Anyone had luck with the R1 concepts kit they sell on rock auto?


They have a few kits. all come with drilled and slotted rotors and optimum pads of varying styles.

Thanks for the heads up VTwin! I didn't realize RA had such a decent selection of 'high performance' brake rotors. Although I'm not a fan of straight slotted brake rotors, for $100 ea I'd try the 'S' slot Raybestos or AC Delco (they look identical), because I really liked the Hawk Talon rotors ($270 ea) with the little corvette-style J hook slots, and you couldn't feel them at all, totally quiet! Hard to justify that crazy price for Hawk high-carbon slotted rotors....

S-Slot rotors by Raybestos, AC Delco:

 

[FishFreak]

Ive ised the r1 slotted on my last truck. Idk what happened but the slotted parts got filled in with rust or brake dust idk but it made them into little bumps. Went with powerstop on this truck.

I've never heard of this problem. Anyone else see this? Are you in the rust belt Irregular? I'm on the left coast and my slotted rotors hardly rust, ever.

 

[Irregular F150]

I've never heard of this problem. Anyone else see this? Are you in the rust belt Irregular? I'm on the left coast and my slotted rotors hardly rust, ever.

Definitely am. Plastic rusts here lol

I bet its a rare incident, just didnt wanna chance it again

 

[FishFreak]

I originally purchased the wilwood kit. Easy to install as the bolt up using the factory holes. But…. They didn’t work. I have a rouge stage 4 setup with upper/lower control arms and knuckle. The fabricated knuckle sits closer to the rotor than stock. And the wilwood rotor is more inboard than a stock rotor (how they get that wide caliper with 17” wheels). So the rotors contacted the knuckle and wouldn’t turn with the wheels tightened down. Thank god I “test” fit everything.

So. I returned them (summit racing was great). Then ordered a set of the 8 piston SSBC brakes since they use the stock rotors. (I had r1 concept rotors and pads with the stock calipers). I really like that kit. For me, it works great. I have a little extra travel with the king 3.0 and front suspension setup and already had extended stainless braided lines. The wilwood kit looked like they would work. But just. The Ssbc kit def stops well. I have just the fronts. Prob will do the rear 6 piston setup soon. Bled the whole system with motul 600. It def stops quicker. Way more bite.

We’ll see what the long term says. But for now they are great.

That's GREAT word MPK1996! So you're sayin' the Wilwood kit might work with stock knuckles and their kit has extra thick (heavier) rotors? Lets talk about comparing the stock caliper weight vs Wilwood vs SSBC? SSBC is less expensive, isn't it? Is the SSBC heavier cause of the 8 pistons? Any drawbacks?

What did yours cost since you already had R1 rotors?

I've got SSBC's on my '68 mustang. Their claim to fame for our raptors is they're super low-profile and work better with stock or tighter wheels right?

 

[mpk1996]

That's GREAT word MPK1996! So you're sayin' the Wilwood kit might work with stock knuckles and their kit has extra thick (heavier) rotors? Lets talk about comparing the stock caliper weight vs Wilwood vs SSBC? SSBC is less expensive, isn't it? Is the SSBC heavier cause of the 8 pistons? Any drawbacks?

What did yours cost since you already had R1 rotors?

I've got SSBC's on my '68 mustang. Their claim to fame for our raptors is they're super low-profile and work better with stock or tighter wheels right?

No, the Wilwood rotor isn't any thicker or even larger diameter than the stock (well, my R1 concepts) rotor. They just sit more in board towards the knuckle to gain additional clearance with wheels. They def will work with a stock setup, but if you have aftermarket knuckles (like a mid travel kit), make sure to test fit them first. One company knows they can go out a bit further (the guy making the knuckle lets say) and wilwood knows they have room to go inboard. until you try to use both of them together. basically stacking tolerances.

I didn't get a weight on any of them. the SSBCs are pretty good size. They are 8 piston. they stick out a decent bit further away than stock (towards the spokes of the wheel). I'm not sure they would fit with stock wheels without a say 1/8 or 1/4" spacer. My after market wheels fit and I would imagine most of them would. They tend to sit out a bit more. But if you have a thinner aftermarket wheel without much offset, you could be in trouble. again. its easy to pull your old caliper and hang them with a bungee cord. install the new caliper lightly. and test fit the wheel.

I haven't found any drawbacks yet. They def stop better than the stock brakes with r1 concept pads, on the same rotors.

I think the cost was like $1500 or something. You can buy direct from SSBC with and without rotors and a couple of different colors. I got mine from summitracing.

 

[cabanche4]

Funny you ask, I'm just towing about 5k-6k, would be my guess, however, my old 1/2 ton trucks didn't have as sophisticated a transmissions as this Raptor, with all these modes. I don't go excessively fast, on the left coast I'd be paying an arm and a leg to speed while towing. There's just one grade in my circuit of travel, home from a favorite lake, where it's just too steep for too long and you have to use the brakes too much. I have not tried this Raptor on that specific grade, but my brakes are due for replacement, and I'd like to cry once but buy once.

But I'll take your advice about the 5.1 fluid, can probably handle that extra heat better.

After the 1/2 ton trucks, I went to a 3/4 ton Chevy Duramax diesel with that Allison 1000 transmission with grade braking, and I could tackle those steep long downhills without even touching my brakes, aamof, I had to give gas to get off the grade brake, it was literally awesome, and sad my D-max got totaled. That being said, this Gen 1 raptor, with the exhaust, CAI and Five Star programming, is THE MOST FUN truck I've had, so peppy and responsive, in a way that the diesel could NEVER be, even fully tuned, so I'd like to do these front brakes up right, the first time, such that I never want to sell it or be sad. Love this truck and want to spoil it!!

I’m in the same spot…did u upgrade yet? What did u go with and how is it if so?

 

[FishFreak]

I’m in the same spot…did u upgrade yet? What did u go with and how is it if so?

I'm still searching Cabanche, but here's a summary of this thread:

I went so far as deciding that I like the simple (quiet) slot/dimple pattern of this SSBC rotor the best, and contacted them to just get the rotor for the oem brake setup, and they told me that rotor pattern is no longer available. Only the one with the big giant slots is made. Forehead slap!! So you likely won't get that rotor below if you go SSBC.

From all we've found on this thread, I think the Wilwood would be the way to go if you have oem knuckles, simply because they're lighter and include SS lines. I'd assume the Wilwood would cost more to maintain, because you have to buy their special rotors from them because they're more inboard, presumably to make space for wheels since the caliper is wider.

According to @mpk1996 the SSBC's use the OEM rotor, so that ought to simplify maintenance, but be forewarned they may stick out a few mm more than oem and might not work with all wheels. I'm guessing the SSBC weigh more wet, with the extra piston and associated mass. I personally like the subtle little slots on the Frozen rotor you'll see on page two of this thread, and I'll get those while I save for my SSBC calipers (assuming they'll sell them without rotors). The unknown is if the SSBC will work with my oem SVT BL's....

There's a big thread here on the Wilwoods: https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/wilwood-brake-upgrade-6-piston-fixed-review.103883/

 

[radelow]

Why would you go with the SSBC's when the Wilwood's are the same price? Wilwood is a more tested product and you know it will fit. Just curious.

 

[FishFreak]

Why would you go with the SSBC's when the Wilwood's are the same price? Wilwood is a more tested product and you know it will fit. Just curious.

In my above reply I was actually just trying to buy SSBC's rotor in that pic to use with my stock calipers.

I'm still researching and deciding if I want to go full fixed multi-piston caliper, which I do until exhaustion , but I do see the Wilwood has strong reviews. I'd bet the 6 plunger Wilwood setup is lighter weight than the SSBC 8 piston. In another thread with @Johnny@Apollo-Optics, he told me the BBK for our trucks only works with 20" wheels, so that's out of the question. A consideration is that a brake job, pads and rotors for the Wilwood is about $600. That's a little high, and just a guess, the SSBC kit would be less because of the oem rotor. How much less, I have not determined.

 

[Johnny@Apollo-Optics]

In my above reply I was actually just trying to buy SSBC's rotor in that pic to use with my stock calipers.

I'm still researching and deciding if I want to go full fixed multi-piston caliper, which I do until exhaustion , but I do see the Wilwood has strong reviews. I'd bet the 6 plunger Wilwood setup is lighter weight than the SSBC 8 piston. In another thread with @Johnny@Apollo-Optics, he told me the BBK for our trucks only works with 20" wheels, so that's out of the question. A consideration is that a brake job, pads and rotors for the Wilwood is about $600. That's a little high, and just a guess, the SSBC kit would be less because of the oem rotor. How much less, I have not determined.

Yeah most BBKs except Wilwood and Alcon require 18-20” wheels with the Brembo 8 pot requiring 22s.

But id highly recommend the wilwoods over a standard rotor/pad swap.