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Big brake kit for 08 F250/350

30K views 41 replies 19 participants last post by  Todd TCE 
#1 ·
Who has upgraded their brakes? With an 8,000lb kerbweight the stock 13.5" brakes are somewhat lacking. It seems this has always been a failing on Ford vehicles. The c.15" brakes on the F450 are far meatier but there are fitment issues so aftermarket seems to be the answer.

With the stock 20" rims, there is room for 16.5" brakes with a little to spare. I don't need that big but would like at least 15" but the one proviso is I do not want cross-drilled as with this much weight they have a greate liklihood of splitting. So, does anyone have any good recommendations for the SoCal area?
 
#2 ·
Who has upgraded their brakes? With an 8,000lb kerbweight the stock 13.5" brakes are somewhat lacking. It seems this has always been a failing on Ford vehicles. The c.15" brakes on the F450 are far meatier but there are fitment issues so aftermarket seems to be the answer.

With the stock 20" rims, there is room for 16.5" brakes with a little to spare. I don't need that big but would like at least 15" but the one proviso is I do not want cross-drilled as with this much weight they have a greate liklihood of splitting. So, does anyone have any good recommendations for the SoCal area?

This is a great subject and would love to know more if anyone knows something? We do need more suitable braking components for our trucks.
 
#5 · (Edited)
So it seems we're at a dead end of sorts. My web research has led me to sites where the brakes are either even smaller than the stockers, available only on older SDs while a recommendation to look at another brake maker showed brakes with bizarre cross drilled pattern that look like they wouldn't last five minutes.

Caryt- Hawk pads recommendation is certainly a sound one, but would be nice to combine these with big rotors.

Are there any vendors out there who can help? Two very interested customers here.:read:

Ben- nice stable and it sounds like your problem is similar to mine in that 13.5" brakes on an 8,000lb unloaded rig just aren't giving you much confidence. I also have an 08 M5 where stock 15" stoppers are employed to stop 3,900lbs. Now, like you, I'm not expecting an SD to stop like that but certainly want more than factory. Let me know if you find anything.
 
#12 ·
Ben- nice stable and it sounds like your problem is similar to mine in that 13.5" brakes on an 8,000lb unloaded rig just aren't giving you much confidence. I also have an 08 M5 where stock 15" stoppers are employed to stop 3,900lbs. Now, like you, I'm not expecting an SD to stop like that but certainly want more than factory. Let me know if you find anything.
Thanks for the compliment!

After reading the below post about the wilwood brake kit, im VERY disappointed. I just lifted my truck on 18" wheels and NOT 20" like I should have. Otherwise I seriously would have ordered the brake kit 10 seconds ago.
I just cant justify reselling my wheels and tires at a loss just to buy another set.
 
#6 ·
one thing to remember, is its not the outer diameter of a brake that matters, it is the swept area of the pad.
 
#9 ·
WOW!!!!! Those Wilwoods look incredible! I wonder what the durability is like on a tow rig that actually see miles?e
 
#10 ·
Thats todd's brakes. he sells a ton of kits to the guys on the lightning board im on. I've heard nothing but good reviews, and these are from guys road racing 5,000lb trucks.
 
#13 ·
Yes, 16" rotors will fit behind our 20s.

Ben- your 18s with lift sounds perfect for off roading. Just put some miles on the new tires and consider a brake change in 10k or so.

Going to call the shop tomorrow. Trying to work out if I should get just fronts or front and rears (assuming availability). Any opinions?
 
#14 ·
Yes, 16" rotors will fit behind our 20s.

Ben- your 18s with lift sounds perfect for off roading. Just put some miles on the new tires and consider a brake change in 10k or so.

Going to call the shop tomorrow. Trying to work out if I should get just fronts or front and rears (assuming availability). Any opinions?
Id say do just the fronts and feel it out. Both front and rear "might" be overkill.
 
#15 ·
#17 ·
FWIW,

18" wheels could be fit with up to 14.25" rotor kits. The value of such a BBK will be diminished slightly however as you'd do well to have more rotor than this.

There are plans on file for a rear kit to match the front if anyone wants to do so. A rear kit is a real plus for towing apps where rear weight is a greater issue.
 
#18 ·
sorry for bringing up an old thread but did the front brakes change for the 2009 F350? Brake Pros has a listing for big brakes that fit 2005-2008.

I would have thought 2008 and 2009 would be the same and if anything would not fit 2007 and older!

Applications for AP5200R / AP5200 Front Big Brake Kits:
• 2005-2008 Ford F250 Super Duty 4WD
• 2005-2008 Ford F350 Super Duty 4WD
• Matching Rear Rotors also available - Part# FOR5850XS
 
#27 · (Edited)
#28 ·
What's important is the centerline of the swept area (diameter), the coefficient of friction of the brake material, and the clamping force (total piston area). With opposing piston calipers, use only half of the pistons (one side for the calculations.

You might be surprised.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Here's the calc's. So the Wildwood calipers need to be using a higher COF friction materiel, a larger swept radius, or a combination of both.
 
#31 ·
WOW, you took me back to college..

I am not sure what the figures are for the WILWOODS, i do know that my wifes brother who is burning up my fuel so that I can ship it said that the truck brakes felt spongy. I am going to do the pads, lines and rotors first to see if that helps. If not then I am forced to move to this setup. I am guessing the 22" rims and 40" tires are making it hard to stop the truck.
 
#30 ·
mine had big brakes when I got it. 114,000 miles and still on original pads.
 
#32 ·
Changed the graph adding titles.

Going from the stock size to 40" tires puts a way, way larger amount of leverage against the brakes.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Changing tire size puts the brake leverage at a greater disadvantage.
 
#34 ·
Jack,

Bottom line is what exactly?

Stock F350 system is really that good ?

I, as most plan on lifting the truck. Really want to do it properly ( stopping included ) and I do tow.

What would you suggest.

I am going 6" lift and 37" Toyo Mt all on 22" wheels.

Thanks!
 
#35 ·
Jack's correct: the larger tire has a huge effect on the required brake torque.

The data's a bit off on comparing them however. (no offense meant just giving it correctly)

Wilwood front have 1.88/1.62/1.62 bores. Netting about 6.9sq". Combine that with the 16" rotor, factor equal pad Mu and you have about 7% less rotor torque still. Say what? Correct, but to achieve the same final value you'd need only add 5lbs of leg effort to recover that.

The flip side is that you also shift the bias back about 2% making the rear brakes work a bit harder for the same given leg effort. Not a bad thing at all.

Now...combine front and rear big kits and you actually pick up about a 1% total torque gain. Sure, that's not huge. But it doesn't need to be. The issue for most truck owners is not about more torque or shorter distances- most are "tire limited" as was already discussed- it's about repeated stopping and durability. Stopping as well on that twisty hill road five miles in as you were two miles in.

Here more rotor mass, a better rotor design, lower operating temps and tactical feedback trump most factory systems all day long. That's the true benefit. You want to stop quicker; run a shorter tire and a very sticky compound.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Sorry Todd, I thought I had read in another forum you were using the mid sized pistons, hence what I used in the clamp calc.

Glad you stated bring up the rest of the data, I was trying to stay out of that area.

Not sure you want to push that rear bias too much though. There was a lot of debate about right where it is stock. Pickups with light rear axles don't like rear braking in wet turns. Unless you've got the stability option, which pickups should have had long ago. Still trying to figure out how -7% = 2%.

To the rest of you guys, going to larger then stock tires are a big deal with braking. Even the change within the stock 18" to 20" tires was enough to have some people feel very, very uncomfortable.

Mongus,

The stock setup was designed for the weight mass, it's the leverage that gets problematic. The same amount of thermal energy is being dissipated (rotor heat load). To keep the stock rotors and calipers and maintain the same pedal effort (other then a big rotor kit) you need to up the friction level. As CaryT stated earlier in this thread, you best stock choice of pads would be to go with the Hawk LTS front and rear. They are a high met compound of ancient times, but the friction coefficient is higher and like all decent high metallics, they get way more aggressive under high temperature conditions.

You brought up towing, so I'll do my standard soapbox that truck brakes are designed around the capacity of the truck, not an unknown weight of a trailer. If you don't want to go overcapacity on the truck brakes everyone needs to make sure the trailer brakes are designed and working correctly to do their share. It's always amazing to me how many trailers out there are do doing their share.
 
#37 ·
As CaryT stated earlier in this thread, you best stock choice of pads would be to go with the Hawk LTS front and rear. They are a high met compound of ancient times, but the friction coefficient is higher and like all decent high metallics, they get way more aggressive under high temperature conditions.
What is the difference between the Hawk LTS and the Hawk SuperDuty Brake Pads?
 
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