The Not Quite BBK Brake Upgrade for our Fiesta ST

"RightFootDown" (rightfootdown)
04/14/2016 at 12:55 • Filed to: None

As light and nimble as the Ford Fiesta ST may be, it’s still known to cook the brakes when subjected to track days. And we’re going to be on track in just a few weeks so to ensure our time spent chasing !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is as fun as possible, we opted to proactively address potential braking issues now with a thorough brake upgrade. Rather than spend big bucks on a big brake kit, I opted for a more cost effective solution: increase cooling and swap to pads that can take more heat.

The Install

Starting with the front, new backing plates for the rotors were sourced from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . These new backing plates include a built in duct that allows us to pipe fresh air from the front of the car directly to the rotors. We used a plastic 3 to 2 reducer and 2 hose to route fresh air to the new backing plates. See our install video below (it’ll be up shortly so just subscribe to the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in the meantime). This setup has been proven to reduce brake rotor temperatures by 60 degrees on an autocross course. We suspect the margin will be significantly higher on a road course and if all goes well, this means we’ll be able to stay within the operating temperatures of our new brake pads.

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So on to the brake pads. We replaced the stockers with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which are mild enough for street use but intended for the track. Read: mild enough for the street. This means we’ll expect some increased brake dust and noise between stop lights – likely something between a 3 AM cat fight and a wild pig in heat.

After securely mounting the caliper back in place with our new Carbotech pads, we removed the rubber brake lines and replaced them with stainless steel lines from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . The primary reason for this modification is to keep a consistent brake pedal feel. Rubber can expand or even burst (more common with older vehicles) and stainless lines are cheap insurance.

To finish it off, we cracked the bleeder screw and flushed the original brake fluid with high temperature !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . If not for the pads, the brake fluid may be the most critical piece of our puzzle. When pressing the brake pedal, hydraulic fluid is forced through skinny metal and rubber lines, which in turn compress the pads to the rotors by pushing small cylinders in the brake calipers against the pads. Unbelievable amount of heat is transferred from the rotors to the pads to the calipers and to the fluid in the process. If this fluid gets hot enough it can boil. When that happens the fluid can no longer be compressed and the brake pedal goes to the floor. Now you’re in no-man’s land speeding in to the sand traps, or worse. Not a great ending to a track day.

Read the Full Story Here...

With the front buttoned up, we moved to the rear. We didn’t route any additional cooling but we did install High Carbon rotors. But honestly, this was more to have pads bedded-in exclusively to one set of rotors more so than anything else. You can probably skip this.

Parts List

All said and done, this setup cost less than $750 and should provide plenty of bite under the extreme track conditions. The true test comes in May when we lap the brand new !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . If you see us out there be sure to stop and say hi and ask how the brakes are working out.

//Follow RightFootDown on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (23)

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 13:08

The amount of heat is far from unbelievable

yitznewton > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 13:09

Is there a way to disable torque vectoring for the track? I can’t imagine that helps with brake longevity...

Ooh, there’s a thread for that

http://fiestast.net/threads/disabl…

EL_ULY > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 13:13

Right Foot Down.... on the brakes!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 13:20

In my limited thermodynamics study in college, I was told that you can’t measure the temperature of a solid. The surface temp, perhaps...

I would think that to really make a difference, you would want to force the air through those tubes. Get a couple of 12V squirrel cage fans. Then you’ll be disipating heat even when you are stopped.

Gone > yitznewton
04/14/2016 at 13:27

Better to just put a Quaife in it to resolve the tirespin issue in the first place. Brake torque vectoring/brake biased traction control is stupid.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 13:29

So are you just going to cap them during daily driving?

BigBlock440 > ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper
04/14/2016 at 13:40

Why would you?I can’t think of any disadvantages to just leaving them open.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > BigBlock440
04/14/2016 at 13:58

If it’s a track pad it might not get into operating temps during street driving.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
04/14/2016 at 14:06

Exactly. Also cold track pads usually squeal like the devil.

Clearly you thought this out. So are you just going to swap pads after a track session down to street performance pads or something? Also I would have gone bigger, Its cheaper than you think if you piece it together. I pait 300 for my 6 piston brembo calipers, which were considerably lighter than the oem cast one.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper
04/14/2016 at 14:08

Haha not my Fiesta, but yeah if you are already getting new pads and rotors, why not also get a lighter setup?

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
04/14/2016 at 14:11

Lol sorry for the mix up, but you know what, a FiST wouldnt look bad on you.

AfromanGTO > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 14:30

I have a set of brake cooling ducts for my GTO waiting to go on. I did 6 piston brembo front and 4 piston brembo rear brake upgrade a few years ago.

BigBlock440 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
04/14/2016 at 14:30

But it likely wouldn’t even without the ducts, so you’d cap them off only to make no difference.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper
04/14/2016 at 14:33

Haha I do have a FiST, just not this one

nafsucof > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 15:15

I feel the air would be better directed at the veins than the rotor surface. On my fost the LSD really helped braking temps. Considerably less brake dust too. I’m working on some ducting my self but will be opening up the vein area on the dust shield and aiming the plumbing there. My goal is to increase the pressure of the wheel well by adding cold air from the front because factory they are still designed to be aero and dirt air around the wheels. There are three flaps at the bottom of the well liner, I trimmed the middle one ala focus rs and will have air deflectors on the control arms.

I’ve read, though I don’t know from experience that air directly at a hot rotor can cause cracking and uneven cooling! Good luck I hope this works out well!

Ps. Get an LSD. You'll love it!!:)

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 16:22

Are you guys in the VA area? Dominion is like 30 minutes from my house!

ateamfan42 > nafsucof
04/14/2016 at 16:29

Traditionally, brake cooling ducts direct air at the center of the rotor, which then flows down the rotor vents and out the edges of the rotor.

RightFootDown > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
04/14/2016 at 16:41

Three of us are in Northern VA. Soon to be four.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > RightFootDown
04/14/2016 at 22:10

Awesome! I co-run Japanese Classics of Virginia car club, and we are having a meet/cruise out in the Blue Ridge this weekend. I know a couple people are coming down from NoVA, you all would be more than welcome to join.

nafsucof > ateamfan42
04/14/2016 at 23:58

Well, traditionally it cracks the rotors because you are only cooling one side of the rotor directly. Ideally you’d want to direct the air at the veins so the air is evenly distributed through the rotors. Here are some examples, note how close to the hub the ducts are pointed:

Kinja'd!!!

RightFootDown > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
04/15/2016 at 17:31

Did I speak with you on the phone the other day? M3 for a GTR? I think our EIC, Will, is going to try to stop by and see you guys at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > RightFootDown
04/18/2016 at 08:18

That wasn’t me, but I know a couple of our guys like to go up to the festival every year.

B_dol > RightFootDown
09/13/2016 at 19:48

Interested in reaching out about the ability for an average joe to contribute a written article from time to time. Contact form on RFD isn’t working, let me know where to reach you guys.