I want 14" brakes, I don't want 18" wheels..

[Jimmysidecarr]

It would be cool as hell if I could make a living using my car guy knowledge.

I don't think it would be realistic, especially in this depressed economy.
There is a much softer market right now for go fast items.

 

[cobra-boss]

Well gang I went to Carlisle Pennsilvana this weekend for the big Ford car show and swap meet. While walking around I found a set of GT500 calipers for a price that was so LOW I was oblgated to buy them. Stay tuned as I will try to mount them and see if the 17"R will work, along with other 18" wheels.

I will also get the mesurment of the Alcon brackets in the next few days.

Jim

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

Well gang I went to Carlisle Pennsilvana this weekend for the big Ford car show and swap meet. While walking around I found a set of GT500 calipers for a price that was so LOW I was oblgated to buy them. Stay tuned as I will try to mount them and see if the 17"R will work, along with other 18" wheels.

I will also get the mesurment of the Alcon brackets in the next few days.

Jim

RUT RO!:rockon:

 

[Back-N-Black]

That's right, that is a 4 piston Roush/Alcon 14" Big Brake set up squeezed inside a 17" genuine FRPP R58 95R wheel!!! No grinding, just stick on wheel weights removed... yes it's that close.

Do you realize the implications of this finding?
Well I do, and I can tell you that although 18s are all the rage today in the Cobra wheel fashion world, THEY ARE NOT CHEAP!!! Neither are the tires! I have been pricing both.
Then there is the issue of rotating weight!!! OMG! In order to acquire an 18" wheel that isn't pushing 30 pounds, you have to drop some serious ching!

These wheels I already own, win #!
These wheels weigh 23 pounds, win#2
no need to buy new tires either, win#3
Although everyone says they are old school and totally played out, they are the elusive, unobtainable wheel dream formula, which is LIGHT, STRONG, and CHEAP!!! OK maybe not all that light, but definitely track proven and readily available if barfed. WIN #4

Go easy on the R58 hating.

Jimmy, I like your rational here. I just purchased my first Mustang, the 03 Terminator. I need a set of wheels and tires for autocross/track days and am looking to the future to possibly get 14 in brakes. I don't want to have to purchase new wheels when that time comes, unless of course 18" tires get more popular and also prices start to come down.

That being said I am seriously thinking of getting some FRPP R58 95R 17x9 wheels, like you are running. One question though, since I am new to mustangs I was wondering what you meant by R58 hating. Are there problems with this wheel that I should know about?

The CCW's are really nice but not sure if we had concluded that there was an affordable 14" brake setup that would fit that one of their 17" model wheels.

 

[gmsux]

I was able to sell my Stoptech rotors and buy 2 sets of GT500 rotors with cash to spare and simply use a piece of 1.5" by 1/8" thick flatstock to shim the caliper bracket out and center up perfectly with the GT500 rotors. Yes, they're 8lbs heavier than the Stoptech rotors buy for 25% the cost, I'll take it. :banana:

Ouch. You could buy two 13" Coleman rings for that price.

Racing and Car Products - Coleman Racing - Brake Rotor, Custom Solid Mount

 

[TXPD]

r58's are just heavy. they are not shiny either. thats it

 

[Jimmysidecarr]

The R58 haters are people who are sick of the 95R wheels from an appearance vantage point. They are viewed to be an over used played out design.
But they are functional, cheap, strong, and for the money fairly light.

A 14" Brembo Gran Turismo 4 piston kit will require about a 1/4" spacer to work with this wheel.

The Roush/Alcon 14" kit, even converted to GT500 rotors I'm pretty sure still works without a spacer.

17" CCW classics definitely need a spacer.

14" brakes on an SN95 is almost a necessity on anything fast.

The GT500 rotors are extremely robust and very affordable, lots of folks have converted other brands of 14" kits through mild shimming or machining to center the calipers over the GT500 hat offset.
From what I have read they are holding up really well on track also.

I am probably not going to do this now since learning of the new BOSS being released.

Guys building fast SN95 based cars are going to wish they had a robust 14" front brake after about one busy season on the 13s, even if they have the Y2KR Brembo caliper and cooling ducts.

They are now fairly affordable.