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Performance Upgrades - Maintenance - Modifications - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street Trucks. Covering the Explorer, ST, Sport, Lincoln Aviator, Sport Trac, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Aerostar. Featuring H.I. - Human Intelligence.
Anyone do any upgrades yet? Slightly worried about messing with traction/decent control and anti sway.
Would love bigger calipers, braided lines, and rotor upgrades.
Thoughts?
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I'm really starting to think you did no research before buying a vehicle. I'm sure you can find some company to make you a custom brake kit if you have money to waste, but you're looking for frivolous modifications to the explorer. Unless you are regularly towing large loads (which is basically not what the explorer is good at), or driving downhill 90% of the day, you have nothing to gain w/ a big brake kit on this car.
Because it's an SUV, and you're not going to be able to make it go faster. It's not build for what you're looking for. you can replace the engine, transmission, linkage, and wiring, and then you'd have your race car, but .. well.. you could just go buy a different car that was built for performance.
Contact Brembo, Baer, or Stoptech and see if they are bringing something out. If not yet, have them develop on your truck.
Not sure what the hate is all about on this tread or your other. Sure, maybe you should have researched a little more, but if this is the truck you like, you are free to do what ever you want to it.
I am currently trying to scrounge up a Saleen Series VI supercharger and a set of Baer 14" front and rear brakes for my Sport Trac Adrenalin. Why do I need that? Same reason I need a 600Hp engine in my Ranger - that's just what I want. If you don't like it or don't understand it, you are more than welcome to suck and egg.
Good luck with your projects. I will look forward to seeing the progress.
They did it as a one-off prototype and haven't done it as a kit for sale just yet. Cost on that would be close to $4K before they mass produce. Certainly looking for a better deal.
I drove a Flex Ecoboost a couple of days ago and that thing needs better brakes regardless of the engine. I'm guessing the Explorer will be the same. By saying, "needs better brakes" I may may be showing a bit of ignorance. When I simulated a panic stop from 50 mph on dry concrete the Flex stopped quickly but without any sign that I was close to the limits of adhesion for the tires/conditions. Maybe I am too old-school in thinking the abs should at least be tripped once?
What other Ford's share the same platform? Maybe the big Lincoln MKXYZ has big brakes that fit?
If you want to keep things OEM you may wish to consider the Interceptor Utility (Explorer) brake system designed by Ford engineers for Law Enforcement. Its all bolt on components.
Everything is oversized with 20% more swept area, high performance pads, and very big NASCAR sized callipers and rotors.
Parts should be available by end of the year or early 2012 when the Interceptors are in production at the Chicago Assembly Plant.
That should be a decent upgrade at a reasonable cost. Any good speed shop should be able to make you a set of braided lines, there is a company that make dot approved lines, can't remember their name but they might have something that works. I'm sure hawk and others had better pads out now or will shortly, as well as some slotted rotors.
I just don't understand the hate about better brakes, I hate the stock brakes on most vehicles, they are usually just good enough to stop under normal conditions with nothing left for a panic stop. I think the stock brakes on my 2nd gen are just plain scary, I did the hawk and powerslot upgrade and it helped a lot, still wasn't happy though. I just recently bought a used set of Baer (made by Alcon) front calipers with some brackets that use a 13" vette rotor and can't wait to be able to really stop when I need to. Good luck in your search for better componets.
Does anyone have information about upgrading the brakes on a 2013 Explorer 2WD?
Sgt1411 posted all the part numbers for the Interceptor's brakes (thanks very much BTW) but the Interceptor is an AWD and Ford will not tell me whether they will fit a 2WD because they cannot help an owner modify the brakes on a vehicle.
So, if anyone has any information about replacing the stock brakes with Interceptor, Brembo, Baer, or Wilwood parts, or knows someone who has done it, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Previously I thought the Interceptor brakes were made by Brembo but I found out recently they were supplying some of the development test brake components and the final production components are made by Akebono.
There wasn't anything on the Akebono website about the Interceptor brakes.
The information below is from the fordparts website. It took some digging because all the information for any particular part was not available on a single page.
I *think* the parts listed below are what would be required to upgrade the brakes to what are on the Interceptors. The pieces that have the same part number under Standard and Police Version/SHO (EG. the caliper brackets) are listed multiple times because there was a difference in price.
The pricing seems counter intuitive. Why would the bigger/better parts for the Interceptor cost less than smaller stock parts?
Anyway, for anyone interested, here are the part numbers along with some of the dimensions.
At some point in the near future I'll probably end up buying the parts for one wheel to see whether they'll fit.
2013 Explorer
Standard Duty
Front
Disc Brake Rotor Standard Duty (Front) - 1125 (BRRF-75) Dimensions: 2.25 IN x 13.00 IN x 13.00 IN
Front Disc Brake Caliper RH (Right) - 2B120 (BRCF-70) Dimensions: 4.44 IN x 7.31 IN x 11.31 IN
Front Disc Brake Caliper LH (Right) - 2B120 (BRCF-71) Dimensions: 4.44 IN x 7.31 IN x 11.31 IN
Disc Brake Caliper Bracket RH (Right) - 2B292
Disc Brake Caliper Bracket LH (Right) - 2B292
Brake Splash Shield RH - 2K004
Brake Splash Shield LH - 2K004
Brake Shoe or Disc Pad Less Hvy Duty (Front) - 2001 (BRF-1385)
Rear
Disc Brake Rotor Standard Duty (Rear) - 2C026 (BRRF-70) Dimensions: 1.88 IN x 13.00 IN x 13.00 IN
Rear Disc Brake Caliper Standard Duty RH (Right) - 2552 (BRCF-234) Dimensions: 3.8 x 6.5 x 6.6
Rear Disc Brake Caliper Standard Duty LH (Right) - 2552 (BRCF-235) Dimensions: 3.8 x 6.5 x 6.6
Brake Backing Plate Standard Duty RH - 2C028
Brake Backing Plate Standard Duty LH - 2C028
Disc Brake Caliper Bracket RH/LH (Rear) - 2B511
Brake Shoe or Disc Pad Standard Duty (Rear) - 2200 (BRF-36)
Brake Shoe or Disc Pad (Rear) - 2200 (BRF-1380)
Police Version/SHO
Front
Disc Brake Rotor With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Front) - 1125 (BRRF-112) Dimensions: 14.50 IN x 3.25 IN x 14.00 IN
Front Disc Brake Caliper With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Right) - 2B120 (BRCF-208) Dimensions: 5.25 x 8 x 12.63
Front Disc Brake Caliper With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Right) - 2B120 (BRCF-209) Dimensions: 5.25 x 8 x 12.63
Disc Brake Caliper Bracket With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Right) - 2B292
Disc Brake Caliper Bracket With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Right) - 2B292
Brake Splash Shield With Non Painted Brake Calipers; RH - 2K004
Brake Splash Shield With Non Painted Brake Calipers; LH - 2K004
Brake Shoe or Disc Pad Heavy Duty (Front) - 2001 (BRF-16)
Rear
Disc Brake Rotor With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Rear) - 2C026 (BRRF-92) Dimensions: 14.50 IN x 3.25 IN x 14.00 IN
Rear Disc Brake Caliper With Non Painted Brake Calipers; RH (Right) - 2552 (BRCF-210) Dimensions: 4 x 6.4 x 6.7
Rear Disc Brake Caliper With Non Painted Brake Calipers; LH (Right) - 2552 (BRCF-211) Dimensions: 4 x 6.4 x 6.7
Disc Brake Caliper Bracket With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Rear) - 2B511
Brake Backing Plate With Non Painted Brake Calipers, Heavy Duty RH - 2C028
Brake Backing Plate Heavy Duty, With Non Painted Brake Calipers LH - 2C028
Brake Shoe or Disc Pad With Non Painted Brake Calipers (Rear) - 2200 (BRF-1383)
Brake Shoe or Disc Pad Heavy Duty (Rear) - 2200 (BRF-1384)
I think there is some confusion here about stopping power. The brakes on the new Explorer are well beyond the adhesion capability of the tires. So the burden of hauling-down the Explorer in a panic situation is on the tires, not the brakes. You may shorten the clamping time by a milisecond with braided lines, but once full line pressure is achieved, it would be the same.
Now if you are talking about competition use, where the brakes are red hot for hours on end, that is a different matter. That is where huge systems used by NASCAR and Porsche are needed. Your Explorer will never see those temperatures.
I think a set of Brembos on the front of my Explorer would look cool, but it wouldn't be worth the money as far as improving my commute.
Has anyone researched where to source the interceptor upgrades? Also I read somewhere that at some point during 2013, all explorers were getting the interceptor brakes.
I would love to upgrade the brakes on mine. We live in the mountains at 4000' elevation. There are no straight or level roads. I have experienced several times where the rotors get hot enough to vibrate.
Looking a bit down the road, but does anyone know of any after market drilled or slotted rotors that support the '13 Explorer Sport?
Had heard that the stock OEM's are the same as the Interceptor. Not sure if this is true and / or whether this would be considered more or less custom part specific to this model only.
Pad composition is different, Interceptor gets a composition more for heat and stopping power vs retail noise reduction.
Callipers only difference is Interceptor one has silicone high heat seal on piston vs retail rubber one. But that might be moot as they were transitioning all Interceptor parts to the Sport for commonality.
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Excellent idea, Sgt1411
