Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes SVT BRAKES???

i have a 98.5 SVT. I bought it used a year ago from a ford dealership. Just the other day i changed my front pads and rotors. I went to murrays and told them what kind of car i have and he gave me the parts, but when i went to put the new pads on they didnt where too big for the caliper. I took the old pads in to murrays, and found out the they were for a regular contour. So basically, i have an SVT with a standard contour braking system. The guy at murrays said that Ford does this all the time... when they run out of parts, they just use what they have instead of making, or waiting for the right parts... anyone have any ideas on this?

From 98.5 E1 SVT Contour, Ford changed the front brake calipers. Prior 98 SVTs used larger pads which covers entire rotors, but newer version of calipers on SVT is designed to use regular size (non SVT) pads which leaves some inner part of rotor unswept. It's one of the way to save cost i guess.
So you have a right set of pads.

The BAT catalog gives an excellent description on the difference between the early and late SVT brakes. www.batinc.net BAT says that the change date is 5/99, but I believe that their information is based on incorrect information from Ford. The actual date of the change was much earlier, purhaps as much as a year or even more earlier.

Basically the late SVT still uses the large front rotors but uses the same calipers as the non SVT. The caliper mounting brackets are the same for all SVT's. Also most of the 99 and newer Cougars use the large calipers with the smaller calipers. A few Cougars use the smaller rotors and calipers, mostly the 4 cylinder cars with drum rear brakes.

A non SVT Contour can be converted to the large rotors by using the SVT/Cougar caliper brackets. The big brakes will fit under the factory 15" wheels. Either the large or small caliper can be used. Even cars with drum rear brakes benefit from this modification.

So basically, SVT's have a larger rotor then a standard contour, but the same calipers and pads? If so, Isnt that basically pointless?

Nope!

Brakes convert kinetic energy to thermal energy, so a larger rotor can "sink" much more heat energy than a smaller one.

I believe I've seen on this site somewhere that the surface area of the two different pads are essentially the same, perhaps with a bit of advantage going to the "standard" style pad.

I have the E0, and have really considered going to the "standard" caliper, because it seems there are more choices in pads for that caliper.

Not to mention the costs are generally lower.

If I have to change calipers for any reason, the later E1 style calipers will probably find their way onto my car, if not something bigger.

TB

Most the guys at Murrays are idoits. They told me the same thing after giving me the wrong pads. They also had the wrong part number in their computer for the rotors. I go to Autozone now.

Thats why you come an visit me at PEP BOYS and remember i own one of these cars and I will make sure i get the right part ...

The late SVT has the same calipers and pads as the non SVT. The early SVT has larger calipers and pads.

The larger rotor has several advantages. The larger mass is a better heat sink so it provides better cooling. The larger rotor provides more leverage and thus better braking. The non SVT's that I have helped convert to the larger rotors have definitely benefited from the change.

So, no, I would not say it is pointless. As to if the early SVT with the larger calipers and pads stops better than the late SVT, perhaps marginally so. The published specs for stopping distance are the same.