2023 GT Brakes Fixed?!

[Jstang23]

Hey all, I recently picked up a 2023 GT (new from the dealer) and I'm panning on getting into a few (1-3) HPDEs a year with it. I have spent the greater part of the month reading a much as I can about these cars and how they handle the track. I've come to the conclusion that managing heat (brakes, transmission, diff, and engine) is the key to success. I have noticed a few things for the 2023 MY that differs from the rest of the 2018+ models.

First: The front brake rotors have been corrected. Previously the vents were facing the outside causing the cooling ducts under the car to basically not cool the brakes. The rotors on the '23 are now facing the inside of the car. I haven't been able to overheat the brakes up in the mountains yet, I'm wondering how they'll hold up on the track.

Second: The engine/transmission stays remarkably cool. I haven't tracked it but I have taken it to the mountains and to autocross and not once did it ever get hot. For y'alls awareness I did spec miata for a few years so, yes I know that I was actually pushing the car hard for mountain roads. I'm not sure if they changed something... or just because now the engine says to run 5w-30 on the cap now.

Third: The rear diff... also does not overheat. I run an autocross for my area and have taken it to two events now. I put in 4 back to back runs hard driving to see what it would do and it seems like the car handled the heat perfectly. I do not have the diff temperature gauge in my car but I never got the warning. Also my CHT never got above 210.

I'm just wondering if anyone thinks they might have changed things, and not told anyone. With the new s650 coming out soon I bet Ford is trying to empty the parts bins for the s550... wondering if they have put any parts from the higher models to improve things a bit for the final production year. Just looking for possible opinions on this and since the rotors have been flipped would anyone still recommend changing the brakes/fluid for a track day?

Thanks!

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[WD Pro]

I can't help you with a lot of that but ref :

"I do not have the diff temperature gauge in my car"

Have a look underneath at the diff cover. I (like most of the euro spec cars) got the temp sensor but not the gauge - but based on my experience with a digi dash car, you can turn the gauge on with ForScan

WD

 

[Jstang23]

I can't help you with a lot of that but ref :

"I do not have the diff temperature gauge in my car"

Have a look underneath at the diff cover. I (like most of the euro spec cars) got the temp sensor but not the gauge - but based on my experience with a digi dash car, you can turn the gauge on with ForScan

WD

Cool! I'll take a look later.

 

[EFI]

I'm just wondering if anyone thinks they might have changed things, and not told anyone.

The brakes sounds like an improvement, but unless they actually add brake deflectors on the control arms and channels on the underbelly pan then those probably won't make much of a difference.

However, to me it more sounds like you're not actually pushing the car beyond it's cooling capabilities. A few 40 second runs of autocross or some runs in the mountains isn't going to overheat the most basic of Mustang cooling systems.

I don't know of anyone overheating the diff, trans or engine (in stock form) on the street and moving. Maybe if you're running a big Whipple and doing back to back to back pulls to 160mph you might push the CHT up high. Or if you're sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for hours in Florida summer heat.

 

[Jstang23]

The brakes sounds like an improvement, but unless they actually add brake deflectors on the control arms and channels on the underbelly pan then those probably won't make much of a difference.

However, to me it more sounds like you're not actually pushing the car beyond it's cooling capabilities. A few 40 second runs of autocross or some runs in the mountains isn't going to overheat the most basic of Mustang cooling systems.

I don't know of anyone overheating the diff, trans or engine (in stock form) on the street and moving. Maybe if you're running a big Whipple and doing back to back to back pulls to 160mph you might push the CHT up high. Or if you're sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for hours in Florida summer heat.

I can confirm it has the air deflectors on the control arms. I know I was pushing the car to the limits up in the mountains, so if the cooling can handle that I won't be too worried about the track day! Learning to drive a car on a track with 90 hp has taught me to carry speed through the turns, which means light on the brakes lol!

 

[txgt]

Interesting about the brake rotors! Are they still the same size as the ‘15-22 rotors? I wonder if they would fit 15-22 GTs… Not that it matters for me since I’ve already done the 15” Brembo upgrade but would have been an interesting experiment to try out.

 

[Jstang23]

Interesting about the brake rotors! Are they still the same size as the ‘15-22 rotors? I wonder if they would fit 15-22 GTs… Not that it matters for me since I’ve already done the 15” Brembo upgrade but would have been an interesting experiment to try out.

As far as I can tell they are the same size. Still the same 4 pot calipers. So, I'd assume they'd fit all the 2018+ s550s.

 

[luc]

I can confirm it has the air deflectors on the control arms. I know I was pushing the car to the limits up in the mountains, so if the cooling can handle that I won't be too worried about the track day! Learning to drive a car on a track with 90 hp has taught me to carry speed through the turns, which means light on the brakes lol!

What was the outside temperature?

 

[Jstang23]

Also!!

To my knowledge, the performance pack optional upgrade is "not" available for the 2023 model. What I mean by this is its a very limited package. Only coming with the 6 piston brembos, front springs only, larger radiator, and the 19 inch wheels and tires. So, maybe the control arms and sway bars are stock on the '23 model??

 

[Jstang23]

What was the outside temperature?

Roughly 75 degree F.

 

[EFI]

Learning to drive a car on a track with 90 hp has taught me to carry speed through the turns, which means light on the brakes lol!

Very true about brake management, however you can't really compare a 90hp Miata to a Mustang and expect the latter to take turns and braking zones the same way. You'll find that 460hp will get you much higher speeds prior to the start of a braking zone than the Miata and it will require a lot more brake input.

It does sounds like braking won't be as much of an issue as previous 4 piston brake setups if it does have cooling vanes and air deflectors. A good driver will still be able to overheat those as 1) the stock fluid isn't great and 2) it's still got less mass than the bigger Brembo brakes

 

[luc]

Roughly 75 degree F.

That’s why. Do the same ( autocross don’t count) in 100*+ , that is the real test
Also regarding the deflectors, without the specific, much smaller, dust shields and channels in the front belly pan, they will not do much
Do you also have those parts ?

 

[Jstang23]

Very true about brake management, however you can't really compare a 90hp Miata to a Mustang and expect the latter to take turns and braking zones the same way. You'll find that 460hp will get you much higher speeds prior to the start of a braking zone than the Miata and it will require a lot more brake input. The same with corner speeds, you can't expect a 2 ton car to take it the same way as a car half its weight and will once again require more brake input.

It does sounds like braking won't be as much of an issue as previous 4 piston brake setups if it does have cooling vanes and air deflectors.

Fair. My previous mustang was a '16 v6 which put 300 to the wheels (heavily modified and tuned for tracking). While 300 is no comparison to the 460+ hp this car makes the weight is comparable. I changed the stock rotors on the v6 to ones with vents on the inside too. Never overheated them(just ran SRF fluid).

 

[Jstang23]

That’s why. Do the same ( autocross don’t count) in 100*+ , that is the real test
Also regarding the deflectors, without the specific, much smaller, dust shields and channels in the front belly pan, they will not do much
Do you also have those parts ?

I'm race at Road Atlanta and CMP. It'll never get to 100+ there so looks like I'll be good there!

 

[KingKona]

Also!!

To my knowledge, the performance pack optional upgrade is "not" available for the 2023 model. What I mean by this is its a very limited package. Only coming with the 6 piston brembos, front springs only, larger radiator, and the 19 inch wheels and tires. So, maybe the control arms and sway bars are stock on the '23 model??

I can't understand what point you're making here, or what question you have.

2023 production is long over at this point.

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