time for new rotors, thoughts on lmr package?

mostsmooth

Active Member
Nov 12, 2002
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Hi,
My 95 was sitting idle for many many years.
the brake rotors were really rusty. calipers were rusty but not as bad as the rotors.
i cleaned one of them and it is all pitted. Havent checked the others yet, but i assume they will be as bad if not worse.
So, at a minimum, i want to replace all 4 rotors.
found this on lmr https://lmr.com/item/LRS-61041-KIT/mustang-drilled-slotted-brake-rotor-kit-9404
decent enough? is there something better i should consider? stock rotors from autozone range from $42 to $59 each, so this seems like a fairly decent deal.
is it safe to assume that if later i want to upgrade the calipers, i wont need to buy another set of rotors?

current plan for car is to just get it back into good shape and maybe work on 1/4 times. maybe put supercharger back on it. i had the car as is but with the charger on it and stock brakes, never had any troubles (but i may not have been aware i had troubles).

i think i recall back in the day about people getting larger diameter rotors (but i could be wrong), i guess that would involve some type of conversion kit? i dont think i want to get into that at this time, but i could be swayed.

thanks
 
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They are fine for daily driving/street use. I call them "car show" rotors. I wouldn't recommend them for heavy duty racing use however as they will likely crack.

They are likely R1 concepts rotors as they look similar, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were only a couple China shops making drilled rotors for our cars, so i'm sure some packaging/branding interchange is done. If they are not the same exact rotors, they are likely very similar

Anyway, I have the R1 rotors on my car. Was around $200/set. Mine are for the larger Cobra rotors. The zinc coating has held up for 3 years, but my car is a garage queen and doesn't see rain.
EE5A94A7-373D-4C64-B969-B394ECB2D648.jpeg




To go to the larger rotors, you'll need different calipers up front, and different caliper brackets in the rear. You also would require changing the MC. However....well worth it.
 
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If you're also interested in changing out the calipers, I got the PowerStop KC1300 kit (priced in the $450-600 range depending on where you find it) that has 4 drilled & slotted rotors, pads, 4 really nicely powder-coated calipers, and all the hardware including the brackets. I installed it earlier this year and it's been perfect and looks really sharp (everything stock sized). I've likewise never had a problem with the stock brakes, but then again I don't do autocross or drifting or anything. The car stops as good or better than anything modern I own with the stock setup. Edit: here's a link if you're lazy like me https://www.jegs.com/i/Power+Stop/419/KC1300/10002/-1# - they charge for core, I bought from Amazon and didn't have to return cores (though it was much cheaper at Amazon late last year than it is now).
 
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Best deal on brakes is Callahan brake parts sold on Amazon, remember Tommy boy? Four new rotors and low dust ceramic pads $132
 
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when i was young, i remember steel brake lines being a thing. was that just a fad or are they an actual improvement?
i see some kits come with the steel lines, but im wondering if i might as well go ahead and get steel lines if i go part by part.
i think i am going to upgrade everything i fix along the way to getting the car back in tip top shape
 
Yes, they are an improvement, but a small one. The actual improvement comes more from the forced brake fluid bleed.

realistically, the difference in swell of the rubber lines to the braided is very slight. If you were to do the math of difference in the volume of fluid between the rubber and braided lines, the difference would be so small and translate to maybe 1/16-1/8” less pedal travel. Would you feel that? Not likely.

still...I run them
 
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If you're also interested in changing out the calipers, I got the PowerStop KC1300 kit (priced in the $450-600 range depending on where you find it) that has 4 drilled & slotted rotors, pads, 4 really nicely powder-coated calipers, and all the hardware including the brackets. I installed it earlier this year and it's been perfect and looks really sharp (everything stock sized). I've likewise never had a problem with the stock brakes, but then again I don't do autocross or drifting or anything. The car stops as good or better than anything modern I own with the stock setup. Edit: here's a link if you're lazy like me https://www.jegs.com/i/Power+Stop/419/KC1300/10002/-1# - they charge for core, I bought from Amazon and didn't have to return cores (though it was much cheaper at Amazon late last year than it is now).
So. Do you need 18 inch rims for the install?I'm wondering if these are like the brembo cadillac swaps?
 
do i need any special tools to replace the calipers and such?
im thinking i may need some special tool to deal with the emergency brake cables?

do new calipers come with the everything i need and i just hook up the emergency cable, or do i have to take apart that emergency cable assembly and put it on the new calipers?

i may be a bit confused, so dont yell at me too bad

thanks
 
do i need any special tools to replace the calipers and such?
im thinking i may need some special tool to deal with the emergency brake cables?

do new calipers come with the everything i need and i just hook up the emergency cable, or do i have to take apart that emergency cable assembly and put it on the new calipers?

i may be a bit confused, so dont yell at me too bad

thanks
No special tools required to change the calipers. If you are putting new pads on the existing rear calipers, you need that special little box looking tool to retract the piston. Rebuilt calipers have the spring for the e-brake installed. To retract the spring, you squeeze it with a big pair of channel locks and secure it with a zip tie.

Kurt
 
I have done it with a pair of needle nose pliers. Put the plier tips in the two notches in the piston and rotate as you push.
I can see the working. The right tool is cheap enough that I don't see it being worth getting pinched skin and carpet tunnel.

Kurt
 
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The parking brake cable can be pulled out of the old caliper assembly with a pair of vice grips. Then there's a c-clip that holds the parking brake cable housing to the caliper. Prepare for that housing to be a bit rusty and hard to remove, I found rotating it was more effective than trying to push it out. The brackets unbolt, and the single brake hose connection unbolts. There's nothing to it.

This video was helpful when I did mine, I'm sure you can find others:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXx8YnXTqn4


On the tool, please note that the cube fits-on-your-ratchet retractor at most parts stores won't have any side that works well with the SN95 caliper pistons. You can use a file to make one of the sides work, @revhead347 maybe has a recommendation for one that works well?
 
On the tool, please note that the cube fits-on-your-ratchet retractor at most parts stores won't have any side that works well with the SN95 caliper pistons. You can use a file to make one of the sides work, @revhead347 maybe has a recommendation for one that works well?
Yeah, now that you mention it. You go the side that has 4 round nubs, and cut 2 of the 4 off on opposite corners. I modified mine 20 years ago, so I forgot it had to be modified.

Kurt
 
Yeah, now that you mention it. You go the side that has 4 round nubs, and cut 2 of the 4 off on opposite corners. I modified mine 20 years ago, so I forgot it had to be modified.

Kurt
Useless side story:

About a month ago, I was trying to explain to someone in detail, how to tune an E-cam build with an SD computer.

Same setup I ran for a few years... He was having a hell of a time getting it to come together when it hit my brain.... "FISH STORE!" :rock:

I had forgotten a critical component... A brass shutoff valve from a fish store to install in-line with the MAP sensor.

Hell, it had only been 20+ years. :ack:
 
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The parking brake cable can be pulled out of the old caliper assembly with a pair of vice grips. Then there's a c-clip that holds the parking brake cable housing to the caliper. Prepare for that housing to be a bit rusty and hard to remove, I found rotating it was more effective than trying to push it out. The brackets unbolt, and the single brake hose connection unbolts. There's nothing to it.

This video was helpful when I did mine, I'm sure you can find others:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXx8YnXTqn4


On the tool, please note that the cube fits-on-your-ratchet retractor at most parts stores won't have any side that works well with the SN95 caliper pistons. You can use a file to make one of the sides work, @revhead347 maybe has a recommendation for one that works well?

NOTE: Many people will use a floor jack under the differential to lift the entire back of the car up at once. People have done it this way for years with no ill effects. But here is the reason why they tell you not to; on live axle setup - mustangs.
 
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looking at options now, seems lead time is a month or more on what i have seen. bummer.

i had my rear brakes apart over the weekend and noticed they had those little springs as part of the pads. i guess they keep the pad pressed downward. the packages i have been looking at dont seem to have pads that have that spring on them or at least a way to add a spring. is that spring necessary or is it possible the kits come with some other type of spring hardware to do the job?

the springs on my pads are like a thick wire looped once or twice.

thanks