How to Install 14 Inch Brakes on an A-Body (or B/E also)

72bluNblu said
Same set up I have now, well, except for the hydroboost. 13" fronts and 11.7" rears, car stops GREAT. But I do have a Challenger that might be getting a big block before it goes back on the road. The DoctorDiff 13" Cobra set up works great, but if the GT500's got 14's and those calipers I would wager it's still an upgrade. :D

Plus I like that someone took the time to engineer their own solution. With the hubs from DoctorDiff available now it makes doing a brake upgrade of your own choosing relatively straightforward. That's not to say easy, even just making a caliper bracket is a ton of trial and error, lots of time and test fitting invested. Which is why I haven't done it myself. Having access to a 3D printer is super handy too!

So @Reddartowner, have you considered making a run of these caliper brackets? You did the hard work already...

Yeah, I mean I have worked in OEM braking systems for 15 years, though the last 9 have been brake controls, not calipers. I'm merely pointing out pros and cons here.

The big advantage of opposed piston calipers like these are volume consumption because they are stiffer, and taper wear. Otherwise caliper output is basically a function of pressure, pad mu, moment arm, and pad area. In a road race or heavy use application the extra mass to take the heat of a bigger rotor helps a lot. Something like street driving or autocross this isn't a huge issue.

So now, we get into piston size, which has a big effect on brake bias. Since we don't have any electronic brake force distribution or ABS like a modern car it's a pretty big deal. The Cobra setup is well matched to the F/R weight distribution and weight of most of our cars because they are largely similar in weight, weight bias, and wheelbase. As a result you get really good proportioning and therefore good braking performance. How will this turn out? Not sure honestly. If the cobra ones aren't enough on your own, the booster will take care of the rest. A 94-04 Mustang cobra is also a hydroboost car FWIW.

At the end of the day the tires are the limit for the brakes anyway, so if you can lock them at will at any time, and have good modulation, they are enough.

The big downside I see here is the unsprung and rotating weight. The cobra setup with the aluminum hubs is lighter than the stock 11.75 iron setup by at least a few lbs from what I remember. The OE brakes are also garbage for anything except cruising around town.

Of course they do look more racey so there's that.