Ok, so Mustangs are heavy and fast. That combination means mine eats front brake pads at a costly rate. At CMP last fall I started the weekend with brand new Hawk DTC-70's and they were on the plates when I removed them. At over $220 per axle that's damn pricey for ONE event.
I've known for a while I need to get some cooling to the brakes. Several companies like Ford Racing and Agent 47 make bolt-on kits, but they are very pricey. The FR kit is $600 and doesn't even have a proper inlet to 'funnel' the incoming air. The Agent 47 kit is about the same price, but at least it does have a proper design. Either way, my $600 could be better spent on something else IMO so I decided to build it myself.
First I started building the spindle mounted outlets to the rotors. I used a piece of 3" diameter exhaust tubing and marked the portion to be removed to clear the ABS ring:
My bandsaw made short work of the cuts:
I cut the other side to match, then cut the piece in half to make the left and right pieces:
I used a couple of magnets to hold the pipe in place while I mocked up the brackets that will hold it to the spindle:
Next I drew the brackets onto some sheet stock for the bracket ears:
After cutting out the mounting ears and drilling the holes, I did a test fit, tacked it together, then did the finish welding. Here's the result:
Bolted in place:
The rear view shows how all the air will be directed to the center of the rotor:
There is about 1/16" clearance, Clarence between the duct and rotor:
Next up was building the bumper inlets. The GT has two "faux" inlet areas beside the opening for the radiator just above the chin spoiler. I decided to open up these areas and use them for the bumper inlets.
Now I could have simply cut a 3" hole using a hole saw (that's how the Ford Racing kits is designed), but that really doesn't work as well to force air into the tube. It works better if the air is "funneled" from a larger opening into a smaller one increasing the velocity. With that in mind, I decided to use the plastic lower grill insert as a mold to utilize the empty spaces beside the openings for the radiator.
First up, the angle of the dangle so I can cut the exhaust tubing to use as part of the mold:
After a few attempts I found the correct angle. Here I'm test fitting it to be sure it's right:
I taped up the lower bumper insert to use as the mold:
I welded a couple of tabs on the tubing so I could attach it to the bumper insert:
I decided the foil tape would make a better mold release so I re-taped it and mounted the tubing:
I decided to use fleece as opposed to actual fiberglass mat. It can be stretched and forms a nice smooth compound curve with the aid of a few clips:
Now it was time for the wet work. I used polyester resin with MEKP catalyst and applied it to the fleece with a paint brush.
Once the resin had hardened I was able to pop it off the mold pretty easily:
Next I taped a line around the perimeter so I could cut the excess away using the Dremel:
With it all cleaned up it fits the bumper insert pefectly:
I decided it would be easier and look better to leave the honeycomb bars in place. I don't think theire area will block much of the air flow at all. I used a coping saw to cut through the plastic. It took quite a bit of time and effort, but it turned out well.
The plan all along was to build the fiberglass around a short section of 3" steel pipe just like the ones I used for the spindle ducts. I added them to each inlet then mounted everything back on the bumper. It's a tight fit, but it works out nicely. Here's a shot from inside the fender:
Driver's side rear view:
Passenger side rear view :
Passenger side front view :
Overall front view:
As you can see the inlets are almost invisible unless you know what you are looking for.
I used high-temp 3" silicone hose to route the air from the bumper inlets to the spindle outlets.
Here are the finished pics:
It's took me a good bit of time to get it all done, but in the end I'm pretty happy with how it has turned out. I have about $150 in this total so I did save a good amount of cash.
Time will tell if it helps my front pads last longer, but I think it is going to prove it warranted the effort.
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