[GooseUK]

Hello all, I am considering at some point some more power for my focus. So naturally I was thinking to uprate the brakes as well.
I have read many of the threads regarding this, and there are so many directions you can go.

EBC Dimpled & Grooved Front Brake Discs Pair for Ford Focus MK2 ST225 - A&E Motorsport

Where castings or finished rotors have been bought in to complement the range, the strictest quality controls you can imagine ensure the safety and quality of the parts we sell. EBC adds value to its products by strictest quality controls and specifications and a 100% run out and dimensional...

www.aemotorsport.co.uk

I came across these, and thought with EBC pads and braided lines. How much better would this be over a stock set up ?

I will be looking at the cp3 map from Collins and maybe LSD also. Thanks for any input, really appreciate it

 

[NickFST3]

The standard brakes on the Mk2 are actually quite good - even for fairly big power increases. I am 'heavy' on my brakes & on my Mk2 I ran standard OEM discs with EBC yellowstuff pads, braided lines, & uprated fluid. I never had an issue with fade or anything even when worked hard. I run the same on the current Mk3.5.
Getting bigger & more powerful brakes might look good but can actually be detrimental to a car if it over brakes it. Hence slotted etc discs might again look good but I have never had the need for them as due to the way they work the 'degassing' is not really needed, & they just generate more noise & more pad dust/wear again due to the design cutting your pad surface quicker.
If you are running original brake components on a Mk2 by now these will be well past their sell by date! Hence my suggestion would be better pads, new hoses, & new fluid - as long as your current discs are still good. Just with that you are likely to see a big improvement. Then look at the compliance bushes etc underneath as if they are original & soft they will also be compromising things.

 

[FastEddie]

Watch if you just re-new the discs for OEM ones - what you get now from Ford are Motorcraft ones and they're not as good as those that were factory-fitted.

I'm just running a Stage 1 ST and these discs are only just good enough.

 

[NickFST3]

Which is why the best person to go to is Andy at A&K Motorsport on here. His discs are good & you get the best prices & service to boot as well!

 

[FastEddie]

I was really happy with the factory set-up so that's why I thought OEM replacements were the way to go. The Motorcraft ones my garage fitted have got better over time but they still dont have the stopping power I was used to. Lucky I dont use the ST so much or so hard these days !

 

[teflonbilly]

As a rule of thumb, Ford branded discs will be supplied by ATE and Motorcraft will be something like Bosch.

You can buy ATE discs for about £60 each if you look in the right places. It's quite possible that you will be able to see where the Ford logo has been buzzed off them before supplying to aftermarket.

 

[Andy and Kirsty]

Ford have only ever supplied one type of disc for the ST225 and its still the same as the factory fitted ones.

 

[Alb]

There were two types of pad.
Perhaps that's the mix-up?

 

[teflonbilly]

There were two types of pad.
Perhaps that's the mix-up?

I think you might be right Alb, and after all cast iron is cast iron for the purposes of brake friction (I know the carbon and other metal content can vary between different alloy types).

I would also propose that any differences between braking performance are much more likely to be down to the pad friction material as opposed to the disc.

I fitted some Motorcraft pads to the rear of my wife's car (C-max but same rear brake setup as ST) and despite being fitted correctly with the 3M adhesive shim they squealed all the time when braking to a stop in reverse. As a last ditch I tried some Ceratec on them but still very noisy, in the end I ditched them and replaced with a £20 set of Pagids and they have been completely trouble free.

 

[FastEddie]

Yes, when I referred to the OEM set-up its the pads too. I agree its probably more them (Motorcraft ones) than the discs that are the weakness.

They are ok in normal use but not if pushed. The other day I had cause to brake hard to a stop from 70mph and they only just made it !

 

[Andy and Kirsty]

To be honest i found the Motorcraft pads performed slightly better than the factory fit ones but didnt last as long. Good enough for an 8.59 lap at the Nurburgring in a car with lowering springs and 285bhp anyway.

 

[FastEddie]

To be honest i found the Motorcraft pads performed slightly better than the factory fit ones but didnt last as long. Good enough for an 8.59 lap at the Nurburgring in a car with lowering springs and 285bhp anyway.

Was this fairly recently or many years ago ?
My discs/pads were changed in 2019.

 

[Andy and Kirsty]

Was this fairly recently or many years ago ?
My discs/pads were changed in 2019.

Many years ago but the pads dont look to have changed much.

 

[FastEddie]

Many years ago but the pads dont look to have changed much.

I dont know how much you can tell by looks - have you looked at any of the Motorcraft ones lately ?

But I know for definite that the performance of the ones my ST was fitted with aren't a patch on the original Ford factory ones.

 

[Andy and Kirsty]

I dont know how much you can tell by looks - have you looked at any of the Motorcraft ones lately ?

But I know for definite that the performance of the ones my ST was fitted with aren't a patch on the original Ford factory ones.

I look at them most days lol im a Ford parts supplier.

 

[Bigayal]

I look at them most days lol im a Ford parts supplier.

And imo one of the best 🥰

 

[FastEddie]

I look at them most days lol im a Ford parts supplier.

OK, but do you know what they're made of and if its changed... maybe to cheaper, inferior or more eco-friendly material ?

Do you sell Motorcraft pads as A&K if an individual orders OEM-spec pads from you ?

I see you website gives a choice...

PADS

MOTORCRAFT FORD OE

FACTORY FIT FORD (+£30.00)

 

[Andy and Kirsty]

OK, but do you know what they're made of and if its changed... maybe to cheaper, inferior or more eco-friendly material ?

Do you sell Motorcraft pads as A&K if an individual orders OEM-spec pads from you ?

I see you website gives a choice...

PADS

MOTORCRAFT FORD OE

FACTORY FIT FORD (+£30.00)

As far as i am aware they have not changed in compound. As is normal with stuff like brake pads one persons opinion is often the opposite of anothers. Im just telling people my opinion based on having used them on road and track quite a lot. We offer both Motorcraft Ford OE and Factory Fit options. A lot of people preffer to fit the Factory Fit especially at the rear where they are supposed to be less prone to knocking.

 

[FastEddie]

I asked my garage to fit OEM and got Motorcraft.

But you confirm there are factory-fit available also which are dearer. They're the ones I would've expected and what my car came with that were excellent.

 

[Andy and Kirsty]

I asked my garage to fit OEM and got Motorcraft.

But you confirm there are factory-fit available also which are dearer. They're the ones I would've expected and what my car came with that were excellent.

The Factory Fit pads have only been available for about six years if memory serves me right. At one point you could only get the Motorcraft ones but for some reason Ford ressurected them. To be fair to the garage Ford would probably supply the Motorcraft ones as OEM fitment as thats what they would fit as OEM at a service unless the car was still in warranty.