I've got an 03 Marauder with a Trilogy s/c (#75 for those interested). I also have a K&N cold air induction mod as well. The widened tires are going to have to wait for now. I am planning on installing Baer 14" cross drilled and slotted rotors with accompanying two piston Baer calipers up front and replacing the rotors with matching rotort on back. The rotors in back will be the same diameter as the stock, I believe they are 11", and the stock calipers are supposed to fit the rotors in back. It should be an overall easy install, especially the rears, since I am only swapping the rotors. I will need to bleed the fronts as well as install an included intermediary bracket for the calipers up front. I believe the model is called the GT Plus by Baer and is specific for the Marauder. It should look and perform awesomely. My question is...........has any of you Marauder enthusiasts done this mod yet. If so what kit did you go with? and how did the install go?? I am also planning on adding a "dead pedal" and getting the rear spoiler. Which raises another question. For those of you who have the spoiler, or if you just know, how is it attached. Does it screw onto the trunk, or is there adhesive, or both? Any input would be great. :beer:
Has anyone done brake mods??
- Thread starter wildbill
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Trilogy will be selling the Baer Brake kits. Check with Jerry about it.
3 choices on brake upgrades: Baer, KVR (almost exactly the same) and TCE (uses Wilwood calipers but stock wheels won't fit without spacers). I believe KVR and TCE also offer caliper upgrades using stock rotors. Lots of the 14" Baer & KVR kits have been installed (I have the KVR) and mostly satisfied customers. A few have needed to have the rotors turned (or replaced: turning would have worked) but that's about it as for complaints. Much better pedal feel and stopping power, especially if you upgrade to braided stainless steel lines too. Installation is pretty straight forward. Most have removed the dust shield but some claim it still fits ok, it's just smaller than the rotors. The Baer requires a little bit of grinding on the steering knuckle where the calipers (or brackets) need a little more clearance. The wheel weights need to be very thin stickons or they must be installed far enough back that the calipers don't pull them off the wheels (yes, they are that close).
The spoiler requires holes to be drilled.
The spoiler requires holes to be drilled.
Let me first say Going to the Souther SuperHeavyweight Shootout would be a great time. Having said that, it is not possible due to life situations at this moment. Therefor, I will be there in spirit only. I enjoy my Marauder very much and enjoy following this forum with all the discussions about the Marauder. I don't post much but I enjoy reading all the posts, especially BillyGman's. I mean this with respect to all but I consider him Mr. Marauder. Billygman you tell like it is, and have a view on pretty much everything. Which I am surprised you have not given some feedback here. 2Marauders thanks.......I am surprised re: the wheel weights. Things must be pretty tight in there and the steering knuckle grinding possibility doesn't sound like fun. What is actually being ground, the caliper or the steering knuckle, and how much might we be talking here? This was conveniently not mentioned by the rep @ Baer. He made it sound pretty much a no brainer install. Did you do the braided lines?? If so it must look great. Thanks........2Marauders said:
I drove a MM in Gainesville with the KVR kit installed, and it feels much better. Unfortunatly, I do not have experiance with the Baers.
I know reinhartautomotive.com sells the kit, I'm not sure if KVR has anything on their site, as it is a rare kit. I'm not sure on the pricing compared to the Baer, I believe they were priced around $1450 for the rotors, braided lines, calipers, kevlar pads, and new fluid. But that info may be out of date.
Direct from KVR or from Dennis Reinhart.wildbill said:
I have the KVR kit and it comes complete with the braided lines.
The Baer kit does not come with the braided lines. The steering knuckle grinding is very minor and may not be absolutely necessary on ALL installations. But I've seen several installs and the tech just does it on all of them so he doesn't risk the install, find clearance problem, remove, grind, reinstall process.
Thanks for your kind words, and it's good to know about your appreciation for the info I try and share with everyone here. I really do attempt to help out my fellow car enthusiasts as much as I can, because many of you have helped me alot too with my car by the info that you've provided. So I just try and put into the board atleast a fraction of what I get out of it.wildbill said:
As far as the brake upgrades for the Marauder goes, I haven't opted for that. But that isn't because I feel it wouldn't be beneficial. It's merely because I drive my car daily all year round, and because that includes winter driving in the snow, I have 16" steel wheels for that, and the factory stock front brakes just barely clear the 16" wheels as it is, so bigger brakes would be out of the question for me.
The only thing that I can offer you in this thread is that I drove John's car (aka "Jet" from the Marauder board) when him and I met at the dragstrip in Atco, NJ last year to race one another(three of the closest races I've ever been in, and they were all great despite the fact that I lost to him since it was only by 5 hundreths of a second in one race, and less than one tenth in another). And after we had raced a few times, he let me drive his car to the resteraunt all of us went to, and I had not even known about his brake upgrade that he did to his Marauder.
But as soon as I stepped on the brake pedal for the first time, I immediately noticed how rock hard the pedal was, and how little travel it took of the pedal to stop his car. In fact I commented on how great his brakes work, and he then explained that he did the brake upgrade. I believe that he has the Baer brakes on his car. But it was such a drastic and noticeable improvement over the factory brakes, that nobody had to tell me that he did something to his brakes. I knew. BTW, I've also heard that cross drilled brake rotors have to be broken in correctly, and not allowed to heat up too much for the first several hundred miles. Otherwise the rotors will warp, and that has happened to some Marauder owners who opted fpr the brake upgrades. Perhaps they didn't observe that rule of thumb.
Another option that you have is to stay with the stock rotor size, and go with different brake pads. Someone on the Marauder board (I forget who it was) told me that he went with some type of special pads that he bought from Wes of "Innovative Interceptors" who has a forum on the Marauder board, and that they work better than the factory pads did, and that he can feel a difference in the way his car stops. I hope this info helps, but I cannot speak from experience from any of these brake upgrades being on my own Marauder since I still have the stock brakes.
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Very good results here with the TCE kit. 13.1" gas slotted rotors up front, and Wilwood 6 piston fixed calipers. I also put PowerSlot gas-slotted rotors on the back (stock size) and braided stainless steel hoses and Hawk HPS pads all around.
The setup was easy to install and the difference in braking power is unbelievable. After driving my car I really notice how poor stock brakes are when I drive other people's Marauders. I'd definitely recommend a brake upgrade from one of the suppliers. Especially with your go-fast mods.
The setup was easy to install and the difference in braking power is unbelievable. After driving my car I really notice how poor stock brakes are when I drive other people's Marauders. I'd definitely recommend a brake upgrade from one of the suppliers. Especially with your go-fast mods.
Bill, call me before making a decision. I have some info for you. You should still have my cell number. If not, PM me.
yeah i like this myself ..it's in the future for my car.. :thumbsup:Fourth Horseman said:
Thanks BillyGman...I knew you would be good for a few ideas. I am going to go with Baer set up. I spoke with Jerry Barnes today, and those are the kits he has on his Marauders. Sounds like the way to go. I also heard that there is a 5-600 mile brake in period so as to not warp the rotors. I'll keep you posted. It will take at least a month to get them. :??: Hopefully it will be sooner..........Thanks againBillyGman said:
wildbill said:
I'm glad to help out, Bill. I always enjoy talking to you. Stay in touch...
My sig has the mod but since I've been banned by a certain .net for my political views, I won't tell you exactly where I got the awesome brakes I have today. They've gotta know there's a price to pay for political censorship. Let their vendors suffer if the administrators there want to censor political views.
The KVR 14" drilled front rotors, matching stock size rears, SS braided hoses and DOT 5.1 fluid made this car the fastest stopping thing on 4 wheels in Bradenton, and I suspect a few bikers wish they could stop as fast as this thing does.
Under maximum effort the ABS computer goes into panic mode trying to keep the rears from locking up and the front end dips so low you think the front fascia is gonna bite the pavement.
But you get used to the ability and soon learn to modulate the amount of pedal effort to right at that sweet spot where decelleration g-force and traction are at their maximum, and brother, it's a feeling like no other.
I only thought I had good brakes before.
The KVR 14" drilled front rotors, matching stock size rears, SS braided hoses and DOT 5.1 fluid made this car the fastest stopping thing on 4 wheels in Bradenton, and I suspect a few bikers wish they could stop as fast as this thing does.
Under maximum effort the ABS computer goes into panic mode trying to keep the rears from locking up and the front end dips so low you think the front fascia is gonna bite the pavement.
But you get used to the ability and soon learn to modulate the amount of pedal effort to right at that sweet spot where decelleration g-force and traction are at their maximum, and brother, it's a feeling like no other.
I only thought I had good brakes before.
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