No adapter Big Brakes

[dbmason67]

My bad on not clarifying. I found a 2003 focus that I can get for next to nothing that I was going to strip for the interior. I was wondering if the brakes from it will work? This is not a track car. It's a dd. So I'm not as gung ho on the biggest brakes I can fit. Just something better than stock.

[thesameguy]

The 1st gen Focus has totally different brakes. The brackets are built into the steering knuckles.

[DPDISXR4Ti]

I found a 2003 focus that I can get for next to nothing that I was going to strip for the interior. I was wondering if the brakes from it will work?

I doubt you'll find anything you want to use from that Focus. 2005 is when the rotors were increased from 10" to 11" and 2008 is when the calipers were improved to the ones I'm suggesting here could be used.

[John V]

WORK GOOD---and they should since they probably cost more than what most XR's are worth now-a-days...

I modified your post...

What's your worth?

Actually the rationalisation of what a car might theoretically sell for as a basis for doing something to it is fundamentally in error.

Did you marry your wife with a thought for how much you could eventually sell her for?

The question correctly put is how much fun are you eventually get out of the car and the mods put into..
And that presupposes that people are not just buying a car intending to flip it..

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Actually the rationalisation of what a car might theoretically sell for as a basis for doing something to it is fundamentally in error.

I understand and half agree with your point John, but since it's a personal decision, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "in error". Everyone has to make their own valuation decision. And the overwhelming majority of the population has a hard time throwing much money at a car that isn't worth much. It just feels wrong to a lot of people, and I understand that feeling. It would be like buying a house in the ghetto for cheap and then rebuilding it for more than it's worth. Even if you did the re-hab with a plan to live there, it feels like money not well-spent.

Any way, for those who can "invest" in their car without thought of resale value, there is a place for "premium" upgrades such as your Wilwood brake kit. Reality says there is a far greater number of people who are looking for less costly solutions, either because they don't have the money to spend, or they can't justify it.

[thesameguy]

Actually the rationalisation of what a car might theoretically sell for as a basis for doing something to it is fundamentally in error.

I understand and half agree with your point John, but since it's a personal decision, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "in error". Everyone has to make their own valuation decision. And the overwhelming majority of the population has a hard time throwing much money at a car that isn't worth much. It just feels wrong to a lot of people, and I understand that feeling. It would be like buying a house in the ghetto for cheap and then rebuilding it for more than it's worth. Even if you did the re-hab with a plan to live there, it feels like money not well-spent.

Additionally, it's a cost:value proposition. If the cheaper solution meets your needs, why spend money on the academically superior one? I doubt most people are going to truly push "mild upgrade" brakes like the Focus or PBR option. If you're never maxing them out, why spend money on more? You can buy some cheap land in the ghetto and built a comfortable home without breaking the bank and end up with a very financially defensible move.

For some, car ownership is love and the best option is always the only option. However for some, cars (like relationships) are a balance of pain and benefit. You can love a person but find them impossible to live with. You can find the difficulties of the relationship make the emotional attachment not worth it. Lord knows I've been there. Similarly, you can have a very fruitful and totally mercenary relationship with your car - treat it well and enjoy the $#!* out of as long as it continues to be financially defensible to do.

[John V]

Actually the rationalisation of what a car might theoretically sell for as a basis for doing something to it is fundamentally in error.

I understand and half agree with your point John, but since it's a personal decision, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "in error". Everyone has to make their own valuation decision. And the overwhelming majority of the population has a hard time throwing much money at a car that isn't worth much. It just feels wrong to a lot of people, and I understand that feeling. It would be like buying a house in the ghetto for cheap and then rebuilding it for more than it's worth. Even if you did the re-hab with a plan to live there, it feels like money not well-spent.

Any way, for those who can "invest" in their car without thought of resale value, there is a place for "premium" upgrades such as your Wilwood brake kit. Reality says there is a far greater number of people who are looking for less costly solutions, either because they don't have the money to spend, or they can't justify it.

Ok I agree I shouldn't have said "error" This is Merikuh, nobody can ever do anything wrong, its always the other guys fault in Merikuh..

Perhaps i should have said "It is a superficial, unreflective, nearly certainly un-thought-out case of everybody repeating the same tired bilge-water has you've heard everybody else repeat, because after all we all are a consumer with a consumer's mentality..., but never in error.."

or something equally succinct.

As to the kit being "premium" or not, not it is not by any means premium...You can easily pay 3 times what it costs for prettier and probably nicer AP Calipers and maybe a different color bell all on a convenient easy to shop web-site... and yes there IS a greater number of people who are looking for lower costs solutions and unwittingly proving the old inflexible Law of Nature that it is the stingy man who pays the most...

The droning bilge from the must be a computer drone about "academically superior", reflects an inability --once again---to distinguish between his 100% desktop/keyboard oriented view of everything and practical reality...
How does a keyboard genius even know if a physical thing--that he has never touched, much less used much less understands----meets his "needs" better or worse than some other thing he has not seen, touched, used--or is capable of using?
But as always he can write a bunch of essentially contentless opinions, but gotta agree nobody is ever wrong, so everything must be right...

There is posed an intrinsically interesting question

How does any know what generates this: ?

And what generates this ?

When a person is unable to personally experience things.

[thesameguy]

John, I have $2500 worth of Wilwood on my Saab, I know exactly what they bring to the table.

[my8950]

I have a $200 car, it needs front brakes.
I am interested in updating to more current parts to keep it going.
This car does not need anything more than stock, the Focus parts would be a nice touch and more readily available.
I 100% understand the need for having a killer brake setup on a car that has upgraded performance.
I have a $200 car, it needs front brakes...

[John V]

John, I have $2500 worth of Wilwood on my Saab, I know exactly what they bring to the table.

$2500's worth.

This I want to see..Piccies and reciepts or it didn't happen. (No idea what Saab you have but if its a real 900 then its kind of ironic since their brakes are much better than Xratty's little front disc/monster drum set up, so the need is much less..And if it is a earlier--pre 88 4 1/2 bolt circle 900 the front is a virtual direct bolt on aside from hoses and reducing the 14mm bolt to something more realistic on the knuckles ears.

But since you are this forums Champion of the Assertion, which caliper? what sizes, which pad? And how do you know it is the optimum set up? You use the the phrase 'acedemically blah blah" but you offer a mere assertion that some set up you have tells you everything without any explanation of how or in comparison to what..

[John V]

I have a $200 car, it needs front brakes.
I am interested in updating to more current parts to keep it going.
This car does not need anything more than stock, the Focus parts would be a nice touch and more readily available.
I 100% understand the need for having a killer brake setup on a car that has upgraded performance.
I have a $200 car, it needs front brakes...

Rockauto..get stock
.Focus stuff hat is too shallow. simple as that.

[thesameguy]

John, I don't need nor am I looking for your approval.. I may be the Champion of Assertion, but you are the Arch-Duke of If I Didn't Make It, It's Garbage. Suffice to say I have a fairly well built '85 faux-SPG and have had dozens of nicely equipped c900s before it. You can believe me or not, I couldn't really care less either way.

[John V]

John, I don't need nor am I looking for your approval.. I may be the Champion of Assertion, but you are the Arch-Duke of If I Didn't Make It, It's Garbage. Suffice to say I have a fairly well built '85 faux-SPG and have had dozens of nicely equipped c900s before it. You can believe me or not, I couldn't really care less either way.

No you silly boy...There's lots of stuff made that is wonderful....Of course there's a lot of junk as well and then there's stuff adequate but overpriced..
Very odd you again assert something so obviously false.


Oh don't worry whatever your name is....I am not offering or even suggesting that I should bestow approval...On anybody..

I was, what is called in normally developed mature humans, "curious"...

Look it up...It implies that a person doesn't know something and is desirous of wanting to find out, or of "learning"..again, look those up..

I still am curious how a guy could spend $2500 on a 85 900 brakes..It must be just short of amazing..
And I really like brakes--that comes from having owned so many Saabs over a 35 + year span.. lost track how many but over 120 93, 95, 96!!!!, 97, 99, 900s---real 900s not the Vectra.

See the thing since you've been on this forum I am mainly curious about is why you think you are such an expert--or expert enough to continually 'explain" or correct others on every area of car performance..

There is a smugness bordering on arrogance in every thing you write, coupled with an enormous chip on on the shoulder, and I don't understand either.

You say you have some cool stuff on an old 900 and I spontaneously respond---having spent years on Saabs full time 12-16 hour days..always trying to make them better, stronger, more fun.

And you come back with "Blah blah I don't need your approval"..

Dayum I'm glad i didn't ask what engine work you have done--or paid to have done..

Others reading are probably not interested in why you always lecture, why I wonder why you are lecturing, but they may be interested in fun parts for motors like these connecting rods i just a short run of elate last year for a FIA Appendix K Historic Saab 99 rally car:

Standard 99/900 134mm c-c rod


JVAB Soooper Bitchin I profile--for FIA Appendix K Historic class cars @144mm c-c


Rod about 75g lighter, but the nice modern piston was about 300g lighter--per hole...

Nice stuff for some Saab crazies in Sweden....

And the connection to this forum here is that that rod can go straight into a Lima and 139mm versions DID go right into a Pinto 2,0..

So what sort of engine mods you do on those 900s?

[thesameguy]

I love how even when off on an insult rant you never fail to miss an opportunity to pitch a sale. Eaton diffs are a waste of money because I sell Supra diffs. Who wants Focus brakes when I sell Wilwood? You're a dumb idiot, I sell con rods. Good times.

[timxr8]

The diameters of the 2 are slightly different. The Contour SVT is 278mm vs the Focus 275mm. It equates to a little over 1mm difference, which could put the pad over the edge. Unlikely, but possible. I have a set of these calipers and an extra hub, I just don't have a rotor right now. Nor the free time. OH, forgot to mention the piston is 57mm vs the Merkur 60mm.