Tod Ennis

[Tod Ennis]

Hi All,
I'm new to the forum and have recently purchased a Factory Five 65' Cobra roadster. I have corrected the engine issues and got it running cool and dependable now but the brakes Do Not inspire confidence at all. I'm looking for any advice in improving the stopping power. They are unassisted brakes, Willwood pedal assembly and cylinders with Baer Calipers and rotors. I'm hearing the parts are good but finding the right pads are critical...Any feeback on this ???

[i.e.427]

First check to make sure the push rods for the master cylinders are adjusted snug against the pedal mount. Second make sure there is no air in the system by re-bleeding the brakes. If neither of these things help, check the rotors for glazing. Lastly, you may want to upgrade to a more aggressive brake pad.

[Tod Ennis]

Thank you for your reply. I have done the first 3 steps and I believe more aggressive pads should be the next step. Who has any recommendations for what pads would work best?
Everything is tight, no leaks, Cylinders are full and pedal is firm and solid. They surely won't skid under any conditions but they will stop the car eventually but you will need to change your shorts by then...

[cob427sc]

I experienced the same situation, but before replacing the pads I went back to adjusting the bias bar on the Wilwood pedal assembly, putting more bias toward the front. Was like night and day! pedal pressure went down, brakes will lock with a solid pedal. Might want to try that out. Instructions are in the FFR assembly manual.

[J R Jones]

I am with cob's suggestion. It is hard to make brakes that bad with basics. The majority of braking happens in front, and if they are not being applied......
Empirically if you can adjust the fronts to slide the tires with max pedal application, then you can back the bias off to get a good balance. Just choose your skid pad carefully.
jim