2nd generation front brakes upgrade?

I'm considering upgrading the front brakes on my 2000 Explorer Sport with 2WD. I have 15 inch diameter stock rims.

I seem to remember seeing a thread years ago about using larger diameter Sport Trac rotors but after searching for a couple hours can't find it. I have an opportunity to purchase a set of Explorer used 16 inch diameter stock aluminum wheels which I think is required for the larger rotors.

I've searched a little on the internet for Explorer performance rotors and was overwhelmed by the number of brands and options available: slotted, cross-drilled, chamfered, zinc plated, chromed, etc. There is also a multitude of brake pad types available: metallic, ceramic, etc.

I don't race nor do I tow anything heavy so I'm looking for a modest improvement in braking performance at a reasonable cost with no machining required. I've noticed since adding my M90 supercharger that the pedal effort has increased which may be due to my idle vacuum changing from 22 in Hg for NA to 16 in Hg for FI. I don't want brake pads that increase pedal effort since I have a bad back and weak knees in my old age.

Any help will be appreciated!

 

[explorinitup]

yes you will need bigger wheels. the only things you need are a set of sport or sport trac knuckles with the bigger brakes on it. 2x4 to match. the rotors, pads, calipers and hoses are the same.

 

[2000StreetRod]

what year Sport?

Thanks for the quick response! What year Sport has the larger brakes? Do I need to wheels to match?

 

[explorinitup]

i think just 16" explorer wheels will work fine. as for year i think you can find them on 2001 and newer but i could be wrong. but kinda hard to find.

 

[swshawaii]

Are '01 Sport Front Brakes Same As SportTrac?
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=381870

The 01-03 Sport has EXACTLY the same front end as the 2001-2005 Sport Trac .....NO difference. They are totally different from the regular 4-door Explorer.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2622504&postcount=9

 

[2000StreetRod]

not the Ranger

Thanks for the links. One of the posts in the linked thread indicates that the brakes on the 2001 and later Rangers have the larger front brakes. According to brakeperformance.com my stock 2WD 2000 Sport has 11.28 inch outer diameter rotors and the 2WD and 4WD 2001 thru 2003 Sports and the 2WD and 4WD 2001 thru 2005 Sport Tracs have 12.01 inch rotors. Only the 4WD 2001 and later Rangers have the larger rotors.

According to Rock Auto my and the later Sports and Sport Tracs have the same specifications for the calipers (bore = 1.81") but Raybestos has some different part numbers for kits that include the brackets and pads.

Used 2WD rotors, spindles/knuckles may be hard to find.

 

[2000StreetRod]

wait on the wheels

I decided not to purchase the used wheels currently available locally. I eventually plan to purchase a 2000 4 door Explorer. Hopefully I can find one with stock 16 inch diameter wheels. Then I'll swap my Sport's 15 inch with the 4 door 16 inch for the brake upgrade.

 

[CDW6212R]

Hi Dale, I was the first to do the OEM brake upgrade, and I think I only posted of it in my 93/99 Explorer build thread. So it's buried in that long thread somewhere.

What you'd want are the 2WD spindles from any 2WD Sport or Sport Trac from 2001 to their end(2003/2005) models.

You can use either caliper, but I suggest using the calipers from the older 2nd gens, the pads for them seem better. Plus there is no chance of a phenolic piston caliper with the older type, evidently some newer type could be. Phenolic pistons are great for any usage except extreme duty, where they will disintegrate due to the high heat.

So what you need is the pairs of spindles, rotors, and dust shields if you can get those too.

I made the conversion in 2005 and then drove the truck through 2008, before buying new rotors and pads. I was delivering mail, so I spent a little extra for the cryo-treated rotors the Tire Rack carried back then. They are slotted but not drilled, your call on that, it's more for looks than anything else.

Initially I only bought new rotors, cheap eBay specials, and the SS lines. I used the pads that came with the truck since they were like new. When I installed the higher quality rotors, and EBC pads, the brakes were better than the stock smaller 11" brakes. Before those parts the brakes felt very close to the stock brakes I was used to before.

For anyone considering the upgrade, don't skimp on the rotors or pads, or brake fluid. The stock 11" brakes are not bad at all when the parts are high quality, with nice clean brake fluid. To actually notice a good improvement in brake power, the truck should get all high quality parts, and brake fluid.

 

[2000StreetRod]

used rotors?

Thanks for the reply Don. I didn't get any response to my Sport Trac spindles wanted post so I'll try to purchase a pair with dust shields from salvage yards online. As far as I know my 2000 stock calipers are in good condition.
It sounds like it would be a waste of money to have used rotors shipped and that I should just purchase new ones. I've read a little about drilled rotors and slotted rotors. I think I remember that drilled rotor holes should be chamfered, slots should be rounded and ventilated rotors have better heat dissipation than solid. Some rotors are plated to prevent rust. Does that reduce friction and braking effectiveness?

 

[just1me]

My 01 Sport is 4wd and has the larger rotors, I know cause I purchased brand new ones just a few months ago, but it runs 15" rims no problem.

 

[CDW6212R]

The spindles I bought were about $110 for me plus the 35 mile drive to the salvage yard. I spent maybe $80 shipped for the first cheap rotors.

EBC still makes a spot faced rotor I think, they were not drilled all of the way through, looks good and made with good steel.

Unless the vehicle will see a good bit of hard braking, drilled rotors shouldn't have problems cracking. I was super hard on mine and the pair I took off had no cracks with mail delivery. Some people have worse experiences.

I'd stay with smooth rotors unless the slotted kind are an equal option. Note the holes of a drilled rotor do create a unique noise during braking which annoys some people. It took a while to get used to.

The plating some rotors have is for the surfaces the pads don't touch, to reduce rusting, a good idea if it's solid and doesn't come off due to the heat. Slotting and drilled just slightly reduces surface area, basically a wash since the extra bite provided supposedly gives better braking. I'd bet testing would show no real difference in performance, for rotors with or without holes or slots.

All of those thoughts are why I ended up with the cryo-treated rotors the last time. I decided that brand was going to be a very high quality metal versus the countless lesser brands, an all around well made product. They do fit that description, I was going to buy a pair for the rear before the USPS forced me to start using their vehicle.

Here's a link to the Tire Rack choices for 2WD, they've raised prices for the slotted version; http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/resu...Explorer+Sport+2wd&autoYear=2001&autoModClar=

The first one is only $36 each as a closeout, a great price to get a pair to start with. ATE is a premier braking company, they are the biggest OEM brake parts supplier I believe. It's a good brand, and that's a unique slotted pattern.

 

[4pointslow]

Ebc

Don,
What EBC pads did you use and how was cold verses hot braking power?

 

[CDW6212R]

I have used the green EBC pads about 6-8 times between my three vehicles, those are very good from just cold, to warmed up. I suggest those for almost any Explorer.

I used the EBC red pads for my first custom brakes after the Hawk pads came apart in three months. Those red pads were better than the Hawk things, which were their hottest race pad. The red pads began to let go(they moved off center) of the backing plates after about a year, and I then swapped to the yellow pads I tried this last time.

I believe every pad maker alters their pad compounds over the years, and sometimes they mess up(like Nascar when in some odd races the tires fall apart, but not the next time). I had one set of green pads not last as long, about nine months delivering mail and they began to come apart. That was over five years ago, and I think EBC has revised their pads again for the better.

Both the EBC red and yellow pads don't bite that well when cold. It takes 2-3 brake applications to build some heat into them. After that they are fine.

 

[2000StreetRod]

out of stock

. . . Here's a link to the Tire Rack choices for 2WD, they've raised prices for the slotted version; . . . The first one is only $36 each as a closeout, a great price to get a pair to start with. ATE is a premier braking company, they are the biggest OEM brake parts supplier I believe. It's a good brand, and that's a unique slotted pattern.

I tried to buy those last night but there were none left. The only online retailer that still has them seems to be Amazon and they want full price for them. I'll wait until I get the spindles before buying the rotors unless a great deal comes first.

 

[CDW6212R]

That's a shame, that price was excellent and deals like that are rare. You'll find something very good by being patient.

I bought three sets of a tire from them about 15 years ago, when they were clearing them out for a new tire model. I had paid $160 each for a set in 1997, and their clearance price later was $49 each.

 

[2000StreetRod]

impulse purchase

I normally do a lot of research before purchasing an item for my Sport but this time I purchased on an impulse:

They're made by Power Stop AR8585XPR (pair) that are 12.01 inches in diameter. I noticed that some of the rotors listed were 11 9/16 inch dia. so I hope these aren't too big to fit my stock calipers. I got them for $133 (includes shipping cost) using the Rock Auto Explorer Forum discount code. It seemed like a pretty good deal and there were only a couple pairs left.

 

[4pointslow]

Rotors

They look nice.
I forgot, is your explorer 2wd?
Edit - never mind I just read your sig.

 

[2000StreetRod]

brake pads

I spent a little time researching brake pad sizes and the 2001+ are a little larger than my stock pads. I assume that since I plan to use my stock calipers I should purchase 2000 pads instead of 2001+ pads.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, and I do have a spare pair of the 01+ calipers if you'd like to try them. I played with the pads between the two types, and even tried to swap the pads between the different calipers. They will almost swap, but not really. I settled on the originals, I like the shape and size of them better.

The extra calipers I have are in very good shape, little corrosion and fairly thick pads. I think these have steel pistons IIRC. If you'd like to go that way, make me an offer.

 

[2000StreetRod]

2001 spindles

I've been watching spindles on ebay for a few months. The going rate for the 2WD units are typically $70 each with free shipping. I found a pair in Missouri on a 2001 Sport and asked about the dust shields. I just purchased the spindles with dust shields for $126 with free shipping. I was afraid to purchase ones from the northeast due to potential rust from winter salt. I hope the ones from Missouri are in good condition.

I've started doing research on brake pads and learned that drilled rotors are more apt to be noisy unless the correct pads are used. I'll ask Power Stop if their pads are quiet with their rotors.

Thanks for the offer on the 2001+ calipers Don. It would be less confusing if all of my brake components were from the same generation. I may make you an offer once I get farther along with the upgrade. I don't really need high performance brakes because I don't race. I'm just trying to make up for the loss of braking due to my decreased vacuum after installing the supercharger.