[ZTWsquared]

(11-10-2010, 08:17 AM)plutoz Wrote: Dunno if I wanna wait till early Dec :/

Are Brembo Blanks really much better than the Motorcraft OEM?

Just a small point of distinction here ... Motorcraft is not exactly OEM ... OEM is what comes from the factory (and also the Ford Racing SVT conversion kits) - Motorcraft is Ford's version of a somewhat less expensive aftermarket service parts program; which is why Motorcraft has a completely different numbering system and also why you can buy Motorcraft at retail outlets like Walmart.

In some cases - spark plugs for example - Ford uses the Motorcraft part for installation at the factory - but not rotors.

Having said that - I think both Ford OE and Motorcraft rotors are just fine.

In terms of Brembo blanks they are excellent quality, but probably no better than Ford's OE. There is in fact the possibility that Brembo is Ford's OE supplier.

A better buy, and also an excellent rotor, is the EBC blank. I've tried Brembo blanks and every combination of slotted, dimpled or cross-drilled rotors by three or four manufacturers... for both street use and extensive track use and three things stand out for me:

1) between the rotor and the pad the pad is the more critical of the two in terms of how your brakes work,

2) I always get better results changing the rotors when I change pads,

3) I always get better results when I take care to bed the pads in correctly. That's why I prefer EBC frankly because of the special coating they use that almost forces you to do it properly.

Although they create a lot of dust, my stock OE SVT brakes on my ZX5 are a source of real joy for me, especially on the track (and surprises the hell out of the bimmer boys) ... but when it comes time to replace them I will be going with the EBC blanks and EBC pads.