Front brake upgrade

[06bluez]

i understand, thanks. my remaned calipers are ok, but not thrilled with the quality. they seem a little cheap on the slides, etc. i think the casting is in good shape on mine.

the important question though, has the braking performance improved?!!?

 

[Floordford]

I say in my case it improved vastly because my old stockers were dragging and basically glazing and cooking the pads and rotors. Both sides were glass and my rotors were dark and microfractured.
I actually picked up a little MPG due to my brakes not dragging.
The overall upgrade drops weight off as well because of how light the aluminum spindles are over stock steels. Not that you can feel that difference but its nice to think about.

 

[06bluez]

I finally got around to installing these, turned out to be an ordeal due to my 17" winter wheels not clearing the bigger brakes! Stock mustang 17's will not fit over aviator brakes, FYI...

The wheel and tire situation was a mess for me, because I had my 20" wheels broken down to get powercoated this winter. I had to scramble to get new tires put on them when I discovered my winter wheels would not fit.

anyway, here are a few pictures from my swap. I had to buy a ball joint remover to break the lower one free, but the upper and tierod end were easy.

before - winter 17" wheels and stock brakes:

painting the new parts:

disassembly of stock parts:

removed the fragile ABS wire from the hubs:

The tie rod ends are a different size. New Aviator size on top, OEM 4th gen size on bottom:

New Aviator brakes installed:

Bleed the brakes, this tool makes it easy!

new brakes, with 20" oem wheels installed:

 

[Partsman109]

Pics aren't showing up for me

 

[06bluez]

thanks, should be fixed..

 

[USMCBuckWild]

That looks awesome!! I love those factory 20" wheels and want them for the wife's Explorer.

All in all I believe this is a worthwhile upgrade and plan on completing it once we get past the "Holiday slump"

 

[06bluez]

definitely worthwhile, especially if you are coming up on needing a regular brake job soon. these are the size brakes the 4th gen trucks should have come with, especially the sport trac's which are longer, and a little heavier I believe.

 

[Partsman109]

Looks great, nice job!...definitely on my list of mods!

For some reason the 1st, 2nd and 5th pics aren't showing up for me, but the rest look great!...thanks for posting!

 

[CDW6212R]

The Explorer has its mounting bolt spacing further apart than the Aviator. The bolts are the same size. The calipers are different, the pistons on the Aviator are slightly larger. The banjo bolt is the same size and thread for both calipers.

Bump for this helpful thread. The Aviator calipers have bigger pistons, that is the primary gain for the brakes if you do the swap to the Explorer. The larger rotor is a minor gain, unnoticeable if the caliper was the same(piston size). This is good to recall, I recently had an Aviator turn up in the JY. I don't know if I'll have time to go there before they scrap it, but I'll want to see it if I get there.

 

[jd4242]

Bump for this helpful thread. The Aviator calipers have bigger pistons, that is the primary gain for the brakes if you do the swap to the Explorer. The larger rotor is a minor gain, unnoticeable if the caliper was the same(piston size). This is good to recall, I recently had an Aviator turn up in the JY. I don't know if I'll have time to go there before they scrap it, but I'll want to see it if I get there.

I would argue that the larger disc have a greater impact than larger pistons,the leverage is much greater,think like a breaker bar longer the better. .aviator is 13" rotors,depending on what explorer thats a huge difference from like 10-11" rotors (cant remember the size,know sport track has 12")

 

[CDW6212R]

I have experience with changing rotor sizes a few times, and caliper piston sizes twice. The bigger rotors going from 11" 2nd gen Explorers, to the 12"(01 Sport Trac) isn't much you feel in power or brake balance. It's minor so most people won't notice it. That's what this thread is about, moving from a 12" 3rd/4th gen rotor to the Aviator 13" rotor. I rely on the other's posts for the accuracy of swapping those parts.

The piston size is critical to brake power, and balance. I first went from 2nd gen brakes to my custom parts, over 1.5" bigger rotor, but the caliper pistons were about 1/8" larger each. That would lock the brakes at any speed, without ABS. My ABS didn't like it at 80mph. That power gain was the calipers, not the rotors. I later changed to a smaller caliper(piston size). The almost stock piston area resulted in a great balance, near normal but with still better than stock power. The bigger rotors are better, no doubt, but slight changes of caliper size(piston area) make big changes to the power and balance. I'm going to a bigger caliper again to gain pad size(volume), and I think it will require a "smaller" master cylinder. I'm planning to try a Ranger MC to slightly lower the fluid pressure with the bigger calipers.

 

[Partsman109]

Are you able to use an adjustable proportioning valve?

 

[CDW6212R]

Are you able to use an adjustable proportioning valve?

You should avoid an adjustable proportioning valve if at all possible. Make that a last resort, after changing everything else to maintain the proper balances. You don't want to cut any brake line, that adds two more connections that may leak later. Race cars use them because they need to for track conditions, and any other changes they make occasionally for their usage(tires etc).

 

[Partsman109]

I'm not sure where you learned about adjustable proportioning valves, but I think you may be a little confused.

Why would you need to cut any lines?...if you know how to double flare it can be plumbed right under the master cylinder...

...or any where you want to put it, for that matter.

You are correct as far as race cars adjusting for track conditions, but they are used mostly for big and little tire combinations and rear disc swaps, etc...and obviously front to rear brake bias.
I don't see why it wouldn't work for our applications if you are swapping bigger front brakes.

 

[CDW6212R]

Hey, if the PV can be plumbed close to the MC and use flared ends, that's a positive step. Those are nice example pictures of what is possible.

 

[Partsman109]

Absolutely...some guys even use them if the one for their stock application is NLA.

 

[06MountaineerPA]

Time to bring this from the dead for quick question. The rear spindles/knuckles for the Avaitor are...iron or aluminum? What size brakes are they, etc?

 

[jd4242]

Time to bring this from the dead for quick question. The rear spindles/knuckles for the Avaitor are...iron or aluminum? What size brakes are they, etc?

Fronts are 13 and rears are 12.7" and spindle/controll arms are aluminum

 

[boominXplorer]

The rears are iron, just like the explorer

 

[jd4242]

The rears are iron, just like the explorer

You sure?? Swear when i was doing all mine they were aluminum