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BA Brake Upgrade

The PBR front and rear brake upgrade for Ford BA Falcons.

Words by Michael Knowling, Pix by Julian Edgar

Click on pics to view larger images

At a glance...

  • Bolt-on front and rear brake upgrade for BA Falcons
  • New grooved discs, calipers, braided lines and high-performance pads
  • AUD$2800 fitted
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Own a BA Ford Falcon with a few power-up mods? Wishing you had splurged on the Premium Brake option when you bought the car? Well, here’s your solution – the PBR brake upgrade for BAs...

The PBR BA Falcon Upgrade

The PBR brake upgrade for BA Falcons (part number PK5-9) is essentially the same as the Premium Brake option, and the FPV GT and Pursuit Performance Brakes.

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At the front, the PBR kit provides Rossini grooved rotors measuring 325mm x 32mm. This is a substantial upgrade over the standard 298mm x 28mm rotors. The grooves on the external faces of the new rotors are designed to expel hot gases that are generated between the rotor and pad during braking. This improves brake efficiency and pedal feel.

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The front rotors also feature pillar-style internal venting which is used under licence from Brembo. PBR claims that the pillar-style venting "aggressively sucks in and expels cooling air through the rotor".

The new rotors combine with PBR’s C6 twin-pot calipers. The C6 calipers are a very rigid design and employ twin 40.5mm pistons. The dual large diameter pistons help ensure the caliper remains square to the rotor during hard brake applications – this provides even pad wear and maximum pad contact. The caliper is finished in high temperature and brake fluid resistant red enamel.

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At the rear, the standard rotors and calipers are also replaced as part of the PBR upgrade. The new solid rear discs are the same size as standard (303mm x 16mm) but come with cooling grooves on the external faces. The rear calipers use a single 40.5mm piston and are the same as the original parts except for their red enamel coating.

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The supplied brake pads offer greater friction and high temperature stability compared to the standard Falcon pads. The new C6 front calipers also provide space for the fitment of larger pads – front pad swept area is increased from 71 to 73.2cm2.

Street-legal braided stainless brake hoses are also included in the PBR upgrade.

Differences to the Ford Premium/FPV Performance Brakes

The PBR brake upgrade is essentially the same as used in the Ford Premium Brake option and FPV Performance Brake system. But there are a couple of differences...

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The PBR kit includes braided stainless hoses while the Fords and FPVs come with low expansion rubber hoses. Only the Brembo-equipped FPVs come with factory braided hoses.

The cooling groove pattern is also different between the PBR and Ford/FPV product. The PBR rotors use six straight grooves while the Ford/FPV uses twin circle grooves.

Oh, and the PBR calipers are enamelled red while the FPV parts are enamelled blue with a FPV logo.

Fitment

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The PBR BA brake upgrade is compatible with any BA Falcon but there is a requirement that the car is fitted with 17 inch or larger wheels. Note that some 17 inch wheels don’t provide enough clearance for the C6 front calipers so PBR offers a Wheelcheck template which can be found on the PBR Performance website www.pbrperformance.com.au. Use this template to check clearance before handing over any money.

Fitment of the kit is a very straightforward process that shouldn’t take any more than a couple of hours.

Click for larger image

At the front, the standard brake hose is disconnected and blocked at the master cylinder end of the hose. The caliper can then be removed with the hose attached. Next, the standard rotor is removed, the hub surface is cleaned and the new rotor is installed. The new calipers can now be installed and the braided hose is installed using a new support bracket, washers and banjo bolts.

Click for larger image

At the rear, a same process is undertaken except in relation to the braided hose. The standard brake hose support bracket must be removed by drilling out a rivet in the vehicle body. A replacement bracket must then be riveted into position.

The final process is bleeding the brakes and bedding-in the pads.

Results

AutoSpeed had the opportunity to road test the Jim Mock Motorsport BA Falcon equipped with the PBR brake upgrade.

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With the new brake system, brake pedal pressure remains virtually standard – you’d never know anyone had touched the brakes. Under hard brake applications, the car pulled up powerfully and without bias problems. Repeated hard brake applications showed no signs of fade and brake pedal feel remained excellent.

So what’s the fitted price for the PBR BA Falcon brake upgrade?

Well, Jim Mock Motorsport currently charges AUD$2800 for supply and fitment. This is AUD$150 cheaper than the Ford Premium Brake option (which is almost identical).

When you consider this monetary saving and the addition of braided steel hoses, the PBR BA Falcon brake kit is a very attractive upgrade.

Contacts:

JMM (Jim Mock Motorsport)
+61 3 9399 4401
www.jimmockmotorsport.com

PBR Performance
www.pbrperformance.com.au

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