CaliperFexion Shout Out

[16Kobra]

I agree the Caliperfexion studs are the BEST mod for our brakes. I had dont my GT350 back in 2017 and did the R a few months ago. Like @Tomster , last week I serviced the R getting it ready for Daytona and it made the front brake swap easy. Thanks @Epiphany

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[kilobravo]

Part Deux...

Quite an enlightening afternoon around here filled with a couple of unexpected (and unwanted) surprises. I'll cover that next.

Finished Tob's Better Half's <smile> absolutely wonderful product and my friend and I both had to slide one back and forth about ten times just because, you know? :-) Some ARP lube on the barrels/sleeves and they were like buttah. My bud checked, nothing similar for his MOPAR Brembos but he wants one in the worst way.

Before he arrived, I took the time to clean up the hubs and picked up some Moly Grease as per Mel's suggestion. Got as much rust off the hubs and whatever the steel plates attached to the knuckle are called, lathered everything up, rubbed it in, let it set for half an hour, then wiped it off. (Funny, but I use the same concept on firearms to protect them in this serious humidity.)

So Mel, I can easily see where this simple protocol could save thirty years of hubs, ..thanks again and I bet mine won't rust at all now, even down here.

The only oddity with the front was that the PowerStop hardware just didn't make sense. We spent a good while with that, checking The Toob, etc., and finally I decided to just go with the OEM clips and pins. The PS pins seemed too long and the springs seemed too big and not contoured where they should have been. Probably just me but with only 1500 miles, I think the factory hardware will do and meanwhile, since I'm returning the rear pads and hardware, I'll let them know about the issues we had with their front hardware. Still kinda pissed that they wasted both their time and mine sending me the wrong pads despite them knowing the website had a problem. Oh well.

Here are a few photos of the cleanup and install then the surprises will follow in a subsequent post...

An UNBELIEVABLY EXCELLENT idea for a product! Hat's off to Caliperfection...

Thought I had grabbed a comparison photo of the OEM hardware next to the PS hardware but I guess I didn't, (and I'm too tired and lazy to go get one.)

KB

 

[protraxduner]

I also used factory hardware.....agree what powerstop sent didn't seem right...i didn't even take out of bag

 

[kilobravo]

And now for the surprises...

Some of you may remember me complaining about the rough ride in this car more than a few times.

Look what I found (and obviously should have found much sooner,) on the driver's side rear....

and on the passenger rear...

No doubt those of you who have dealt with shipping these cars in the past would all have been on top of this but I don't have that experience and never noticed either of them. They aren't particularly visible with wheels and tires on the car and why WHITE, why not International Orange or Grabber Lime like some of the printer manufacturers use for discardable parts.

I'm guilty though as I have had the wheels off once before and I should have caught it then.

Obviously, the PDI did not get completed as it should have.

Don't know if damage has been done or not but I would think this would mandate warranty replacement of all affected parts...yes? What do y'all think? Car's been driven many times in the past ten months.

And then there are the brake pad/rotor rust issues that were much more serious than I thought initially.

I think I posted the rear, but here it is again...

No similar degradation or material transfer on the front rotors BUT, look at these two pads...

That's passenger side on top and driver's below. The other two pads were in pretty decent shape compared to these two anyway.

So, I get that folks who are experienced with the platform or similar know all about wet rotors and pads. I appreciate the insight but from just a Joe Schmucatelli owner off the street, this amount of degradation seems totally unacceptable to me and should absolutely require at least a replacement set of factory pads if not a couple rotors, too and a complete replacement in the rear.

My belief is, you should be able to wash your car, Shelby or not, dry her off, and put her in the garage without worrying about ruining the brakes. Maybe I expect too much.

I don't know how thick the pads are when new but here are a couple measurements of mine.

Obviously, I will be contacting the Service DeePartment in the morning and I am not going to drive her (probably) until the brake assembly comes in. Then, I can get all this stuff taken care of and in the mean time, if they need to order some parts, they can.

I can't imagine that driving the car now would be any worse than with the blocks installed but if y'all think otherwise, lemme know, please and TIA.

KB

 

[kilobravo]

agree what powerstop sent didn't seem right.

Many thanks for that confirmation, Tony.

 

[Tomster]

The pads and rotors are not ruined. Just go for a drive and clean them off.

Yes, this is a well known issue from the GT350 side. I've made the mistake before and just went for a drive to clean them up.

 

[Grant4514b]

When I sent RockAuto an email telling them they sent the wrong rear pads they sent a refund without me returning them. They also said in the email it was basically my fault that I didn’t check to verify the correct part numbers. You may want to email them before you try to return.

I also used the original pins and hardware instead of the Powerstop pieces.

 

[Jmeo]

Kent, when we were hanging out at the Track Attack, you mentioned to me that your car rode WAY worse than your 2014. I was in disbelief, as the S550 is far superior than previous mustangs, suspension wise.

You had me concerned that I was not going to like driving my car when I get it back from Shelby, S/P the suspension work they will be doing. Glad to find out it was not related to CFTP suspension -vs- base suspension.

I would definitely make the dealership replace the rear shocks. Didi you make sure the front spacers were removed????

Nice work on the rust removal. I will have to get me some and do the same when she comes back home.

 

[Warpath]

KB, this happened to me as well. The car rode like a log wagon and I was in disbelieve when I left the dealership. Luckily I took it straight to the detail shop and I asked them to remove the rear wheels and lo and behold there they were.

 

[Saratoga87]

And now for the surprises...

Some of you may remember me complaining about the rough ride in this car more than a few times.

Look what I found (and obviously should have found much sooner,) on the driver's side rear....

and on the passenger rear...

No doubt those of you who have dealt with shipping these cars in the past would all have been on top of this but I don't have that experience and never noticed either of them. They aren't particularly visible with wheels and tires on the car and why WHITE, why not International Orange or Grabber Lime like some of the printer manufacturers use for discardable parts.

I'm guilty though as I have had the wheels off once before and I should have caught it then.

Obviously, the PDI did not get completed as it should have.

Don't know if damage has been done or not but I would think this would mandate warranty replacement of all affected parts...yes? What do y'all think? Car's been driven many times in the past ten months.

And then there are the brake pad/rotor rust issues that were much more serious than I thought initially.

I think I posted the rear, but here it is again...

No similar degradation or material transfer on the front rotors BUT, look at these two pads...

That's passenger side on top and driver's below. The other two pads were in pretty decent shape compared to these two anyway.

So, I get that folks who are experienced with the platform or similar know all about wet rotors and pads. I appreciate the insight but from just a Joe Schmucatellie owner off the street, this amount of degradation seems totally unacceptable to me and should absolutely require at least a replacement set of factory pads if not a couple rotors, too and a complete replacement in the rear.

My belief is, you should be able to wash your car, Shelby or not, dry her off, and put her in the garage without worrying about ruining the brakes. Maybe I expect too much.

I don't know how thick the pads are when new but here are a couple measurements of mine.

Obviously, I will be contacting the Service DeePartment in the morning and I am not going to drive her (probably) until the brake assembly comes in. Then, I can get all this stuff taken care of and in the mean time, if they need to order some parts, they can.

I can't imagine that driving the car now would be any worse than with the blocks installed but if y'all think otherwise, lemme know, please and TIA.

KB

This is what I noticed at all 4 corners on my buddy's CFTP car while unloading it at his house.
He had no idea what they were.

 

[Saratoga87]

KB, this happened to me as well. The car rode like a log wagon and I was in disbelieve when I left the dealership. Luckily I took it straight to the detail shop and I asked them to remove the rear wheels and lo and behold there they were.

Are they difficult to remove?

 

[Warpath]

Are they difficult to remove?

No, once you have the shock extended you just pry it open and pops right out.

 

[Epiphany]

KB, I hate seeing that much corrosion. This was why I went crazy when my car was stuck due to a hold and sat out in snow/rain for a month last December in Missouri at the train Depot. When I finally had my car home and up in the air it kind of angered me to see similar corrosion starting in numerous places. That's why I spent a week or so disassembling and cleaning the entire under carriage - that shit is like a cancer that grows exponentially over time.

 

[kilobravo]

All: Many thanks for the extra information and, confirmation on the PS stuff.

Tob: I too detest the damn corrosion but have come to accept that it's a fact of life in the Tropics and to learn to deal with it as best I can. So glad Mel mentioned the grease eye deer, that hit home with the old memory box as I mentioned.

Jaime: I'm chuckling at myself and your question...yep, I'm a dunce but even I wouldn't have missed those blocks in the front springs. <smile> And thanks for letting me know our thinking is similar regarding the rear shocks. Considering that it was the store's fault leaving them in, I can't imagine that they'll balk at replacing the shocks. I guess Mother Ford might make the store pay for it though vice warranty.

Tom: I hear ya on the idea of just letting the pads clean up those back rotors but there is clearly metal transfer from the pads to the steel and is more than a few thousanth's in multiple places. But you're saying just some judicious braking will turn both the pads and rotors back to smooth?

WP/Steve: I see that Ford DID decide to use International Orange on some of the blocks after mine was shipped. Took that pointer directly from HP me thinks. :-)

Gonna take my first stab at ceramic coating today and only on the wheels. Then I'll put her back togethah.

Gotta make a note to remind myself to do the PowerStop bedding procedure.

 

[Venom52]

@kilobravo What did you use to clean up the hubs?

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