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PBR Upgrade for BA XR8

12K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  BossyXR8 
#1 ·
I want to upgrade the pathetic Std brakes fitted to my XR8 are starting to shudder again. They are not worthy of this otherwise great car.

I noticed a PBR upgrade advertised in the latest Repco catalog (of all places), for Falcons AU - BA for $2435 (or thereabouts).
Called Repco and they confirmed that this is available for my car. Anyone know how much brake specialists charge for fitting a sytem like this ?

Although I know I can get a RDA and QFM package for under $500 (fronts only), this does not inlcude new calipers. I've heard reports of pieces of rubber or plastic on the std callipers melting when the pads get too hot.

Has anyone upgraded their BA with a PBR package. I know PBR make the performance brakes for my model, is this the same product with badging ? (I'll contact them myself of course, but I'd like to hear from people who have done this).

I'd be keen to hear from anyone driving in competitions like the east coast targa or Dutton rally for advice in brakes & tyres.

Thanks
 
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#2 ·
If you're considering events like targa and duttons, I wouldn't muck about with PBRs - go straight for 6 piston Brembos, APs, Alcon or Wilwood calipers with a suitable rotor upgrade, ie aluminium hats and big slotted rotors. I have the PBR's on my XR8 from the factory and they are a very good setup for the street. With higher co-effecient pads such as Ferodo DS3000 or Hawk Black or Blues they should be better again but you need consistent, high temp brake performance if you are considering any type of performance oriented tarmac rally event. I actually drove a 350z track last week and I reckon my XR8 has better stopping power than it but for how long...who knows? You will also need braided lines and a brake fluid like Castrol SRF. Don't rule out either changing the rear as well or installing an adjustable proportioning valve too to ensure your bias is still OK.
 
#4 ·
BossyXR8 said:
I want to upgrade the pathetic Std brakes fitted to my XR8 are starting to shudder again. They are not worthy of this otherwise great car.

I noticed a PBR upgrade advertised in the latest Repco catalog (of all places), for Falcons AU - BA for $2435 (or thereabouts).
Called Repco and they confirmed that this is available for my car. Anyone know how much brake specialists charge for fitting a sytem like this ?

Thanks
I fitted that upgrade kit to my AU Fairmont Ghia. Same kit as the BA upgrade: New rotors and calipers front and back and braided lines and fittings. Didn't pay that much for them though.

I got a performance shop in Newcastle to fit them. Cost, like, $150 including
bleeding and fluid.

The four wheel kit works with existing ABS - doesn't require bias adjustment or anything.

The brakes are awesome. Huge stopping power which you really notice at high speed with three passengers and a boot full of gear. So the xtra weight of the BA would be no problem. But in a race or rally situation I would be worried about heat and fade.

On the road they're brilliant.

Problems I find are they're real dusty. And just this week, the dust's built up and they've started to squeal. Now I gotta high pressure hose the dust out.

regards

b pig
 
#5 ·
75Hardtop said:
If you're considering events like targa and duttons, I wouldn't muck about with PBRs - go straight for 6 piston Brembos, APs, Alcon or Wilwood calipers with a suitable rotor upgrade, ie aluminium hats and big slotted rotors. I have the PBR's on my XR8 from the factory and they are a very good setup for the street. With higher co-effecient pads such as Ferodo DS3000 or Hawk Black or Blues they should be better again but you need consistent, high temp brake performance if you are considering any type of performance oriented tarmac rally event. I actually drove a 350z track last week and I reckon my XR8 has better stopping power than it but for how long...who knows? You will also need braided lines and a brake fluid like Castrol SRF. Don't rule out either changing the rear as well or installing an adjustable proportioning valve too to ensure your bias is still OK.
Thanks
I saw a guy in a GT with these brakes absolutely cane it at wakefield park for a full 20 minute session, and he had no problems at all. That's why I thought these might be good enough with good pads & fluid. To buy a system like you are suggesting is gonna cost big Bikkies isn't it ?

What did ya reckon about the 350Z. I've driven one as well, and was a little dissapointed (mainly because I had also just driven a STi, which made the Z feel a bit sluggish. They have a brembo performance brake pack option also.
 
#6 ·
Just spoke to Rob Herrod about the PBR kit. He was very helpful and looks after FF members price wise too !

If you need advice I recommend giving him a call.

I'll post back on this forum once fitted and track tested.
 
#7 ·
BossyXR8, I found the 350Z was an excellent drive spoilt by very poor cabin ergonomics - nothing falls to hand. The clutch also had a long travel which I wasn't expecting in a Z. The engine note is to die for though and I really like the way it just got up and boogied! Handling was very predictable and stable. A very competend vehicle.

Back to the brake issue, in my experience which consists of supersprinting, motorkhanas and now racing, brakes are something that needs to be done 100% correctly. That starts with your real requirements. The race pads I use on the race car do not work when cold. By that I mean, it's like touching glass on paper - no friction at all. I drive the whole warm up lap with my foot on the brake (50% travel) to get heat into them. Once hot, they are savage and really throw you thru the windscreen. My XR has the PBRs and slotted rotors and I reckon they stop really well on the street. When I am towing the race car, they still feel OK but make me wonder how much it would really take to get them to fade. The best fluid is a must, I use SRF in my race car and road cars because it really is that good - overkill for the road but I like some insurance with brakes.

The question you need to ask the guy in the GT is, what were they like at the end of the day when he was leaving? A 20 minute session is a good test but 4 x 20 minute sessions is a better test. Good luck with it.
 
#8 ·
75 HardTop

Good advice

Thanks
 
#9 ·
I was going to go the PBR Performance kit, that would be the ideal solution, but it was a bit expensive at the moment, $2k+ (inc installation).

The option I chose was:

RDA Slotted rotors
Braided lines
Lucas Street pads
Racing Fluid (Dot 4 I think)

I will also get a set of EBC Red Stuff pads for race days, but my supplier couldn't get them at the moment.

The total cost (Without the racing pads) was $660 fitted.

I'm still bedding in the pads so I'll post on the forums after a couple of 100 Km's and then again once I've hit the track with the red stuff.
 
#10 ·
BossyXR8 - sounds like you've gone a good direction. Not sure about the EBC choice for the track but again it's all opinion. I prefer Ferodo DS2500s for street/track compromise or for an all out track pad, DS3000 or Hawk Blue or HT10s. You will be amazed at how big a difference a set of pads can make. I look forward to you next report. :)
 
#11 ·
75Hardtop said:
BossyXR8 - sounds like you've gone a good direction. Not sure about the EBC choice for the track but again it's all opinion. I prefer Ferodo DS2500s for street/track compromise or for an all out track pad, DS3000 or Hawk Blue or HT10s. You will be amazed at how big a difference a set of pads can make. I look forward to you next report. :)
Thanks mate
Look, I know you can spend big $ on brakes but I'm trying to devise an affordable option for enthusiasts who have had the curse of the BA std brake system thrust upon them (particularly drivers of the heavier and more powerful XR series who deserve better for their extra money).

I'm keen to hear feedback on pads for the track. I'm going off this one guy's advice for track pads, but have read that EBC's chew the rotors. which of the options you mentioned is your preference ? Also anyone else's opinions welcome.
 
#12 ·
Track/road pad = DS2500
Track only = Hawk HT10s or Blues or DS3000 (all pretty strong pads)

All pads will wear rotors if they are not operated in the correct heat range and I assume the EBCs struggle as I know a number of guys who report poor wear. I would speak to www.bsmsport.com.au - the do pads for Brutes and V8s and know what they are talking about. I think the brutes run Ferodos from memory too.
 
#14 ·
75Hardtop said:
Track/road pad = DS2500
Track only = Hawk HT10s or Blues or DS3000 (all pretty strong pads)

All pads will wear rotors if they are not operated in the correct heat range and I assume the EBCs struggle as I know a number of guys who report poor wear. I would speak to www.bsmsport.com.au - the do pads for Brutes and V8s and know what they are talking about. I think the brutes run Ferodos from memory too.

Ta

Heres an interesting thread from another forum:

http://www.mrtrally.com.au/forums/post.asp?TOPIC_ID=36&method=Reply
 
#15 ·
I spoke to my local Ford Dealer today, and discussed the brake upgrade from PBR, and they had no problem with it. it is still compliant with ADR. Need to be cautious some brakes componets will need enginerring mod certifications. FD believes 2-3 hous to fit. Repco can get them for just under $2400.00. Pity being in QLD only a couple of Herrod Motorsport dealers.
 
#16 ·
NOBOUNDARIES said:
I spoke to my local Ford Dealer today, and discussed the brake upgrade from PBR, and they had no problem with it. it is still compliant with ADR. Need to be cautious some brakes componets will need enginerring mod certifications. FD believes 2-3 hous to fit. Repco can get them for just under $2400.00. Pity being in QLD only a couple of Herrod Motorsport dealers.
Yep, the PBR kit ( and the rebadged ford version) are ADR compliant. You should be able to get them from HERROD way cheaper than Repco even if theres no local distributer. Talk to Rob.

My brake dealer told me the pads were crap, but then how much worse than the standard system could they be !!!.

Life would have been so much easier if I had just known about this when I leased the car, and the costs could have just been incorporated in the lease. I've had to go with a cheaper option for financial reasons.

My setup is bedded in so I'm gonna go for a run down a mountain in the next couple of days to see how they go.

New Falcon buyers beware, get the brakes sorted pre-delivery
 
G
#17 ·
Bossy XR8 - I have had the standard (crap!) brake package on my XR6T and went for DBA 4000 series rotors and Ultimate pads. The rotors were A$195.00 each and the pads around A$ 170.00. I don't do any track work so a caliper upgrade was not a consideration for me. The difference with the new rotors and pads is HUGE! They dont fade and even without braided hoses the initial bit is much stronger.
 
#18 ·
I've just gotten home from work, and took a slight detour up Black Mountain, and more importantly down Black mountain :wnc:

The objective was to push the new brake system (not the PBR system, a cheaper option, see my previous posts) to see at what point they start to fade. Rather than hammer all the way down the mountain (very unsafe) I would accellerate hard, and then brake hard to pull up almost to a stop, then accellerate... and so on you get the picture. Going down a long steep twisting hill like this one it doesn't take long to get the brakes very hot very quickly.

I'm very happy to report that there was no brake fade at all. The brake system performed without fault. I startedc to get whiffs of burning pad about 3/4 of the way down, but there was no deteriation in performance. The standard brakes on the car originally would have completely failed by that point as I've experienced in the past, the rotors were warping at about the half way mark and teh system was fading badly.

I stopped at the bottom and did a quick check to make sure that there was nothing wrong and yep, those lucas pads were smoking.

Without a doubt this is a massive improvement on what Ford fit as standard brakes and at a cost of $660 I think is an excellent solution (to a problem none of us should have to fix) for those of us on a budget.

The next phase is to acquire some track pads and see how the system performs under track conditions.

That will hapen in the next four weeks at some point. Any further feedback on track pads would be greatly appreciated.
 
#19 ·
Just had a quick look at the Repco deal, They dont look like the C6 caliper as used on th BA factory upgrade. From memory, they seem the same as the T-series/ early HSV setup which were not regarded highly by Journo's. Just a thought to those who may see it as a cheaper-than-factory upgrade. :fraz:
 
#20 ·
Interesting, I've been told they are the same.
 
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