Performance Brake Rotors

[Nick]

The Continental needs new rear brakes so I am thinking of just slapping the rotors and pads from the LSC on it and then getting new rotors and pads for the LSC later when the salt and crap is gone. Who has performance brake rotors for the VII? I'm looking for slotted rotors. SN95 brakes aren't an option yet.

Stillen doesn't list anything for the VII on their site, but SVPU has/had Stillen rotors available for the VII with ABS rings I believe. Does Power Slot have anything? I definitely want to keep the ABS. Can't the ring be retrofitted and pressed on?

[90LSC]

Get on E-bay, do a search for Lincoln mark VII rotors. I have swapped emails with r1concepts and rotorworks and they DO have slotted rotors -front and rear- for all years Mark VII. Good prices, too.

As for Stillen, who knows? Although they ~should~ carry them as the 84-90 Mark and the 84-85 SVO are the same. The only difference is that the SVOs did not have ABS rings on the front rotors. I've not tried it, but it appears that if necessary, the rings could be bumped off of a Mark rotor and onto an SVO.

One more thing...The 91-92 rear rotors/calipers are different from the earlier years.

I'll leave the debate over crossdrilled to someone else.

Have fun.

Armond

[Nick]

Thanks for the reply, Armond. Do you know what kind of quality the eBay rotors are? I think I'll give PowerSlot and Stillen a call after the holidays too.

[90LSC]

I have no knowledge of their quality. I do recall that one of them assured me the rotors were made in USA. Just can't remember which one.

[pro-five-oh]

If you plan on SN-95 parts in the future, why bother? Any money in these rotors isn't gonna help a whole lot in street or track use (remember Lscman open tracked like a madman with stock rotors) and only reduces your budget for 13" cobra front rotors. I'd recommend saving up for the Cobra fronts. That's the real bang for the buck.

[NYC LS8]

I have the Stillen rotors on the front of my '87 with the Metal Matrix pads, from SVPU. Definitely a noticeable difference in stopping power - less brake fade, too.

[Nick]

I didn't know he used stock brake discs. I'll have to reread the rules then to make sure what I want to do qualifies. Cobra R brakes would be the ticket, but I am thinking that if I just slap on the rear brakes from the VII on to the Continental, I can get a brake upgrade for the VII now and only pay for one set of brakes for both cars.

Thanks for the heads up, Tommy.

[pro-five-oh]

Rick used stock rotors but used some sort of Carbon Metallic pad in the front and Wagner pad in the back. I think he used the base-level Performance Friction Carbon metallic pad, not the PF Z's that are $30 more.

What pads are you running now? That's a major part of a high performance braking system. Switched to PFs on my Cougar, generic metallics on our 2002 Cougar, and Ceramics on our 2000 Town Car...all made a HUGE difference in high speed braking.

[Nick]

I used OE Motorcraft parts when I bought the car to get a baseline.

I do agree pads are the big factor and the rotor is really for heat sinking. I remember he gave me his pad combo before. It was indeed the Performance Friction carbon metallic pads and the Wagner MX204 or something like that in back.

[pro-five-oh]

Stock pads? Oh man, you are in for a treat. Save your rotor money for SN95 brakes, get the better pads right now and do an otherwise conventional brake job.

[90LSC]

A few things....
1) When doing a brake job, turning the rotors is a VERY good idea. EVEN IF they don't appear to be warped, have them machined. You need to present fresh rotor to fresh pads. Otherwise they do not bed properly and you do not get the performance you could.
2) I have had excellent results with the brand Thermo-Quiet (Wagner). I get them at O'Reillys. Great bite and very little dust.
3) When you install fresh pads (w/fresh rotors), take the time to bed them properly. Find a road or area where you won't be in the way and do a boatload of controlled stops. Baer suggests the 30-30-30....30 stops from 30 mph with at least 30 seconds in between. This does seem a little extreme, but at least go do 15-20 controlled stops from no faster than 40 mph and give the rotors time to cool in between stops.
4) Have fun.

Armond

[Nick]

Thanks for the reminders, Armond. I didn't bed them last time and my rotors warped under my heavy braking. I'm definitely going to bed them this time.

[justindwright]

are this cross drilled, non slotted rotors turnable on a lathe..?

[90LSC]

They are turnable. The guys at some shops may say otherwise.
The holes and/or slots means the person running the lathe will have to take smaller "bites" and run the rotor(s) through more time than usual.

Let me add, though, if stress cracks appear on a crossdrilled rotor, it should hit the garbage can.

Have fun.