Early Superformance Brake Calipers

[MikeConnors]

Does anyone know what/who's brake calipers were used for the front of pre-160 Superformance Cobras?

[Blas]

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Blas

[eschaider]

The rotors were 1978 Granada with an 11" diameter and 0.810" minimum thickness and 0.870 maximum thickness. The calipers were 1975 - 1980 Granada. These brakes were used on cars 1 through 699

[MikeConnors]

Thank you, Ed for the response. The info on the rotors is correct but there must be more to it on the calipers. I need new hoses for my SP101 car and the ones for that era Granada calipers do not work. The male end on my car is 9/16-18 and much longer than the 7/16-24 male end on the hoses you get for those calipers. No joy.

[1795]

Mike,

If you cannot figure out the correct ones, you might want to contact classic
tubes (classictube.com) and see if you can send them the old one and have them make a set for you. They are in Lancaster, NY. I used them to have some brake lines made for the conversion from the Wilwoods to Girlings on my car.

Jim

[eschaider]

The other possibility, Mike, would be to use rotors and calipers from a different point in the SPF production run. For example:

Cars 700-2636

Front Rotors: 1978-1990 Redrilled GM Full size
Rotor Diameter: 12 inches
Min Thickness: 0.965 inches
Max Thickness: 0.980 inches
Pads & Caliper Application: Wilwood JL-120-1504

Rear Rotors: 1989-1992 T-Bird
Rotor Diameter: 10 inches
Min Thickness: 0.950 inches
Max Thickness: 0.896 inches
Pads & Caliper Application: Wilwood FS-120-6805


Cars 2637-2792

Front Rotors: 1978-1990 Redrilled GM Full size
Rotor Diameter: 12 inches
Min Thickness: 0.965 inches
Max Thickness: 0.980 inches
Pads & Caliper Application: Wilwood 4 Piston (I don't have a p/n but SPF or Wilwood will)

Rear Rotors: Wilwood 160-0471
Rotor Diameter: I don't have this data
Min Thickness: I don't have this data
Max Thickness: I don't have this data
Pads & Caliper Application: These brakes are the Australian single piston brakes with an integrated parking brake. I would avoid these just because of the challenge in getting service parts. Stay State-side and life will be easier


Cars 2638- Present

Front Rotors: 1978-1990 Redrilled GM Full size
Rotor Diameter: 12 inches
Min Thickness: unspecified
Max Thickness: 0.810 inches
Pads & Caliper Application: Wilwood 4 Piston (I don't have a p/n but SPF or Wilwood will)

Rear Rotors: Wilwood 160-5840
Rotor Diameter: 11 inches
Min Thickness: 0.810 inches (This thickness is as the rotor comes new. Wilwood allows for no machining of this rotor)
Max Thickness: —
Pads & Caliper Application: Wilwood single 34mm piston w/integrated parking brake. Two part #s are shown. The first is 120-10246 and the second is 120-10247. I think it is a left vs right sort of thing but I can't recall anymore.


Probably the easiest retrofit would be the car 700-2636 brake system. It is all Wilwood except for the rotors which are all US retail market service items.

If you elect to use the 700-2636 approach there is a flat plate that bolts to the spindle to position the Wilwood caliper correctly for the rotor. Wilwood calls these items bracket kits. The plate might be a Wilwood or might be an SPF item. You can be fairly certain which ever way is more difficult for you will be the way the everything sorts out. That plate would need to be ordered from Hilbank or sometimes they might give you a print copy for you to make the item yourself. With brakes they might be a little touchy about your making parts yourself because of the risk of brake failure if there were a whoops.

The other thing, I didn't think of but should have is to ask Wilwood to supply one of their bracket kits to mount their calipers. They might have a kit. The Wilwood calipers work very well, especially if you go up one step in their pad line up, which is rather extensive.

Hope this helps. Superformance used to publish a bulletin with all this data. I don't know if they still do. The CC website rejects the pdf file otherwise I would post it.

p.s. Another thing to keep in mind is the fact this SPF info is twenty or so years old. That means some of the Wilwood part #s may have been superseded with more recent product. If they have, Wilwood can easily do the crossovers for you.

[MikeConnors]

Thanks again Ed. A wealth of info.

I'd like to stay with my 11" rotors and the pads on the calipers still have a lot of life in them. Think I'm on a path to get a set of brake lines that fit.

When I pulled the brake line that needed replacing the date on it was 10/95. Believe I read recently that SPF just started making the roadsters in 1996 so I must have a very early car. That plus the fact 1) Bob Bondurant put the car on the road, and 2) the first owner had a Side Oiler build for it makes me want to hang on to it. Also, my son has a space picked out for it when I die.

[Mark IV]

We have the Wilwood 4 piston calipers with the attaching bracket to update the front brakes. The Granada single piston calipers are not bad, they work well for street use with some decent pads.

[MikeConnors]

Thanks"Mark IV" for the info. My calipers and pads are still serviceable so not ready to make the conversion at this time.

[eschaider]

Mike,

Something worth considering in the choice of caliper decision cycle is not just serviceability but efficacy. The OEM calipers while certainly capable of stopping the car are not as easy to work with, don't have as many brake pad friction material alternatives, increase unsprung weight etc. etc. While they worked well in general for a Sunday Go-to-Meeting car they simply are not as well suited for / matched to a vehicle with a race car heritage and even more significantly, race car capabilities.

This might be a good time to take advantage of SPF's brake R&D and step up to a more modern stopping solution.

[cobragene]

Looks a little like mustang ll