Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes Baer Brakes

Has anyone installed the 13" front brake kit made by Baer?

Any comments on the product, and which pads did you select?

I don't have Baer brakes, but I called them yesterday and asked if they had a complete kit for the Contour SVT. They said no, just the 13" front. I said, what is up with a 13" front offering and nothing for the rear? Doesn't that look stupid and create a unbias braking condition when the system is under heavy load and heat? Baer said, "well, 80% of the braking is in the front."

I asked why they did not offer a rear mod? Baer said that the whole Contour set-up is not a fast seller. I said, gee I wonder why? and followed by saying thanks for the information.

I am installing AP Racing brakes from Sean Hyland Motorsports in October. Baer is a whatever...

Time to eat my words about Baer. I am totally mistaken on the AP Brake Kit. It is front only also. Why, there seems to be a clearance problem with the rear brake system and the inside inside edge of the wheel even if you have larger wheels.

I have to consider the Baer units again due to cost and usage. AP is really a racing only application. If I get more information on the rears I will update the post.

Guy, that sucks. Sorry to hear about that on the Baer's. This is just my general guess/opinion on this, but the Baer's are only a 2 piston unit as compared to the factory single piston. Assuming the Baer rotors are a larger area and are a better design than stock, they'd be definitely better than stock, but not leaps and bounds. I'd also try to make damn sure that they cool better than stock. They don't come with vents as far as I know, so how are they going to cool better than stock except for the cross drilling? That's the major problem I'm having with my SVT on the track with track brake pads is brake fade as a result of poor cooling. I am going to be upgrading to powerstop drilled rotors in the next week, but even those probably won't change much. However new rotors combined with some agressive brake pads could acheive alot of what the Baers will do (my guess). At a hell of alot cheaper.

Good luck with it all. If I were you, before I plunked down $1300 for the brakes alone, I'd make sure they're really going to do something for ya. Did anyone but me notice that the pics of the orange SVT pace car from Detroit on the CEG pictures gallery had some Brembo brakes on it that were mighty serious looking? Check it out. I wonder how they got those to fit on there.





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Adam Wilson
Chicago CEG member
http://www.automotiveinfopage.com]http://www.automotiveinfopage.com]http://www.automotiveinfopage.com]http://www.automotiveinfopage.com

Dude I wouldn't reconmend the Power Stops, I had a set installed and I took it easy on them for about 400 miles and that weekend I took my car to a 3mi road race and into the 2nd session they started to warp (I also torqued the nuts before I installed them and before I raced). I sent them back and the guys told me that three other SVT owners had the same problem...


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David Z.
Silver E1 #4808 w/stuff
http://daplace.spedia.net

Baer is right in saying that 80% of the baking is accomplished by the front brakes. This is especially true with front wheel drive cars that have a higher weight distribution to the front. During braking, weight transfer increases the weight on the front wheels even more.

As for quality of the Baer Product, the local performance shop I deal with says they are good and don't cost and arm and a leg.

As far as cross drilling goes, it has negligible effect on cooling. It does through improve performace when the disc are wet, or if the pads being used produce gases under hard braking. Other than that, cross drilling is just for looks. On the negative side, cross drilling makes the rotors prone to cracking. My shop says the only cross drill brake rotors that don't have this problems are Porche's.

At less than $900, the 13" Baer Brake Kit seems good value for the money. A quote I got from KVR was over $1600.

To date, does not sound like anyone has done much in the way of installing larger brakes.

I dont know what you really gain from the rotors and pads compared to new calipers , but I also am thinking of upgrading, Id like to get 4 piston calipers but thats alot of denero, I looked at the bat kitt group N rotors with tuv approval, I dont know about the power stops for this application, but I know people who have used them and didnt have good results. Iam not mechanically enclined but if you got front calipers for your svt could you then put those front calipers on the rear.

A guy here in So. Cal just installed some Baer's last night. He loves them, he can't wait to break them in and really romp on the brakes.. He said it was a direct bolt on, the only problem was he needed to flair the hardlines a little more. It clears his 17" Focal F5's with no clearance problems.

Thanks Dion, I'm going to order a set from Baer.

The calipers that come with the 13" rotor are 2 piston, which should be an improvement over the single piston calipers which come stock on the SVT.

Just a heads up on the porsche 'cross drilled' rotors. they aren't cross drilled, they're cast with the holes in them, that's why they hold up so well. It'd be nice if some aftermarket companies could do the same trick.