Upgrading a street rod with modern brakes

Custom Bay brakes street rods street rod brakes brake system upgrade Wilwood Engineering specialty parts vehicle accessories In the old days, hot rodders were more concerned about going fast than slowing down. The rule of thumb was first to get your ride to run — then worry later about stopping. That's all well and good if you're on a dry lakebed with an endless open expanse of salt flats in front of you, but hardly makes sense on the public roads. Besides, today's rodders expect more than straight-line speed from their street machines. They want a car that has overall performance.

Even so, performance brakes might sound like an oxymoron — like "jumbo shrimp," "pretty ugly" or "happy Monday." The term performance conjures up images of impressive forward motion, the ability to go from 0 to 60 in jaw-dropping time. Brakes, not so much.

But it helps if you think of a vehicle's braking system as a handling component. After all, racers value high-performance brakes for fine-tuned cornering, as well as a way to maintain speed longer into each turn.

For instance, testing from one aftermarket brake company found that a driver in a production vehicle with factory brakes had to hit the pedal 500 feet before a turn in order to negotiate it safely. With the company's system installed, the same vehicle could stay at speed an additional 300 feet. Even though it's unlikely that you'll drive a street rod on a road course, those extra feet can be critical, especially in a hopped-up ride that's trying to avoid an accident. Stopping straight and true is clearly an asset when you're trying to keep your high-dollar project car from piling into a tree or diving into a ditch.

Replacing stock pads and rotors with high-performance pads and slotted rotors not only can cut stopping distances several feet, but also can dissipate heat better. Add to that improved directional stability that helps keep the vehicle traveling in a straight line.

Now let's dig into the details of a specific brake install on a 1934 Ford, equipped with a 502 hp, 502 cubic inch Chevy big-block engine. Back in the '30s, the original production vehicle's Flathead V-8 was 85 hp that year, obviously a mere fraction of the 502's output. So clearly some chassis enhancements were needed, along with the brakes.

The vehicle's original suspension was upgraded to an Art Morrison independent front suspension with airbags and GM-style brakes. Even so, the car's owner felt that the disc brakes could be improved, since he admitted to having a heavy right foot.

After doing some research, he chose Wilwood Engineering's Superlite Six Big Brake Front Hub Kit (part No. 140-10739). As shown in the accompanying install photos, the system features 13-inch diameter, cross-drilled rotors, six-piston calipers, mounting brackets for Mustang II spindles and all of the hardware needed to make the conversion.

Note, however, that many street rods run a radical camshaft, because big power is what rodding is all about, and an extreme lobe shape can cause reduced vacuum at low engine rpm. So your customer might encounter a problem with slowing down if your street rod relies on a factory-style, vacuum-powered hydraulic brake assist unit. Depending on your customer's particular application, you might need to consider adding a brake assist to reduce the pedal pressure required to stop a car.

We left aesthetics to last, but let's face it, with some trophy vehicles it's the primary reason to pull off the clunky stock brakes and replace them with upgrades. "With all the new billet wheel designs, drilled and slotted looks are very important," points out Jeff Baluyot, Wilwood's customer sales rep and technical advisor.

Upgrades are available with low-dust pads, plated rotors and powder-coated calipers, so those now-exposed brakes are as spiffy as the wheel/tire package. It doesn't matter why your customers opt for an aftermarket brake package. Even if it's just for style, let them know they can get performance too, with the ability to stop on a dime.

Braking Parts

THE PART Brake System Upgrade

THE DISTRIBUTOR Wilwood Engineering 4700 Calle Bolero Camarillo, CA 93012 805-388-1188 www.wilwood.com

THE CHALLENGE: Improve stopping performance on an older chassis

TIME TO COMPLETE Wilwood claims that the system is fairly easy to install, and that anyone with mechanical ability can make the conversion in about a day for both front and rear. All you need are typical hand tools such as a floor jack and jack stands, an assortment of hand wrenches and sockets, an inch-pound torque wrench, a foot-pound torque wrench, an impact gun and safety wire pliers. Because a majority of street rods with independent front suspension systems are based on the Mustang II, you will find that this brake installation will apply to them as well.

COST TO YOU An entry-level system consists of basically four-piston calipers, master cylinder, proportioning valve, drilled/slotted rotors and red calipers. That system retails for about $2,600, and the jobber price is $2,300. Buy-ins of $8,000 to $10,000 (roughly five to six complete brake systems) will net a shop owner the deepest discount price (costing $2,000, about 10 percent over WD), notes Jeff Baluyot with Wilwood. With the tougher economy, though, Wilwood has decided to offer wholesale pricing to established companies with good credit and proper credentials, to make its brake products more accessible.

PROFIT POTENTIAL Baluyot says custom rod shops are very strong of late and a good profit center for the company. Muscle-car restomods are a close second, with imports and competition packages not far behind. Trucks and SUVs are currently the smallest segment of Wilwood's business. Retail pricing on brake components and packages range from the low $900s to high $3,000 or more.

Steve Temple is a freelance technical writer and photographer with more than 25 years' experience. He has served as director of sales and marketing for Shelby American and as online editor for major magazines such as Hot Rod, Car Craft and Rod & Custom.