quote:Originally posted by LF - TP 2511:
Hi Kirk and others,
A few things, as I have installed the reproduction OEM-style separate rotors on all four corners of 2511.
Rotors I used were made by Centric. This is the company that Mike Drew approached for the short run of just rotors. I suspect what Mike received from them was the same as the ones I bought, prior to their switch to the one-piece combo castings.
Those rotors are a bit smaller than the Pantera rear rotors, and a bit larger than the Pantera front rotors.
As my car has a Quella Wilwood Superlite II upgrade, I do not know what the rotor size differences may do with the stock Girling calipers. On my car, there was no noticeable issue on the front with the larger size. However, on the rear the smaller diameter placed the caliper pads outside the circumference of the smaller rotor. This causes a ridge to be created on the outer portion of the pads. I noticed no noise or other issues, and just remove the pads and sand off the ridge now and then. Of course, this has also decreased the pads' contact area, and in theory, reduces braking performance.
Does your offering match the stock front rotor diameter? I suspect it may be a bit larger, from my previous experience. Even if so, I don't see a problem, as long as they still clear the Girling calipers.
Another issue owners have found with the repro one-piece units is the diameter of the stock metric wheel studs was smaller than the SAE wheel studs used on the repros. The stock metric studs would not correctly swap over to the repro's larger hub holes. Thus, you wound up with SAE threads up front, with the stock metric on the rear.
You say you have found metric studs that properly install to the repro hubs, which is great!
Another issue is the Pantera dust caps do not fit the repro hubs. You've solved that issue simply by including proper-sized caps.
A lot of owners have done this swap with success.
Your offering, one that overcomes some of the shortcomings of the one-piece swap, should become a great option for owners wanting the added safety offered by vented rotors, that do not retain the heat held by the stock solid rotors.
I almost took 2511 off the track at the end of the front straight at the LVMS track course due to caliper fluid boiling, with those stock solid rotors. Headed into a strong right hander the pedal went to the floor. Pure damn luck I had just slowed down on the straight due to the final lap flag having just been displayed. Otherwise.....
Are you an owner who drives your Pantera hard with a lot of heavy braking? You should consider swapping to vented rotors.
Larry
Kirk. You are on the right track. Thanks for doing the work.
Larry. Vented rotors sure are going to help BUT one could go one step further. A vented 1.25" thick rotor.
If you look at the racing history of the Mustang, you will come across the fact that both KarKraft and Shelby discovered that the "big Lincoln" calipers and rotors virtually retrofitted to the car.
Initially the rotors were 12"x 1.25". The calipers were larger bore 4 caliper versions of KH that were on the 65-67 Mustangs.
Going to a 12" rotor doesn't necessarily add more braking but going to the larger bore calipers exerts more clamping force AND (here's the main advantage) the 1.25" thick rotors do better at staying cool under hard Trans Am racing conditions.
If you ever saw one of those races, I'm sure that what you saw gave certain fiction writers "death wish" story thoughts?
As one engineer from Ford put it, "these brakes were engineered to stop 7,000 pound Thunderbirds, Lincolns and Galaxies. On a Mustang, it's half the weight..."
To those critics that are going to say, "Hey Doug, We are talking about Panteras here". We are talking about using Mustang brakes on a Pantera aren't we?
