Definitive AU1 to AU2/AU3 brake upgrade thread

[BlueBear]

I believe they were a twin piston and an even larger disk than the BA, though I can't remember the actual size.
It should fit up, but you will need at least 17" wheels.

Cheers.

[auxlr8]

Thanks for the info mate. For them it's like looking for a needle in a haystack full of ford calipers. Anyone perhaps have a serial no or caliper model no or exact disc size I can pass onto them to help look. Would they have tickford or premium printed on them? Painted? Would seriously turn a massive job into an hours job with the same result

Cheers

[BlueBear]

http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/x...47/fbrake2.jpg

Taken from this thread. https://fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?p=5328384

Also check here. https://fordforums.com.au/showthread...premium+brakes
Painted red.

It also saays they are 329mm disks.

Please note I have never come across these, so my info is not to be taken as gospel.
Hopefully others with experience will be able to help out.

I reckon though, that if these wrecker guys didn't remove the disks and calipers they would be long gone.

Cheers,

[auxlr8]

Thanks heaps for the help. He thinks he has them laying around so fingers crossed. You guys are like the Wikipedia of au falcon!

[lotus]

Originally Posted by auxlr8

Thanks heaps for the help. He thinks he has them laying around so fingers crossed. You guys are like the Wikipedia of au falcon!

The factory rotor size for premium brakes is 329mm but aftermarket ones are listed as 330mm. They use C4 calipers (twin piston) and have a "TICKFORD" logo on them. The actual size of the C4's are smaller than the calipers used on BA's but not sure if the piston sizes are different or the same. The pads are bigger on the BA calipers.
I think there is a bracket that goes between the upright and caliper to allow the caliper to move out for the bigger rotor. They used a bracket for the C4 calipers that mounted at the front of the wheel on Ser 2 & 3 .

[superroo]

Yep premium brake uprights. Sought after but useless without the calipers.

Was C4 corvette calipers with the tickford symbol.
Discs were 329x25mm

Second best non brembo combination and is period correct

[auxlr8]

Great news if the wreckers can still find them. I'll know more today but if not, finally got a set of the right parts now anyway

Thanks all

[auxlr8]

So the guys at the wreckers remember taking the premium tickford calipers off and put them aside as originally I asked for ba calipers...They have been looking hard and come to the conclusion that the tickford calipers have been stolen as they didn't sell them and they are now gone.... That leaves me back to the original plan of the full series 3 conversion with 322mm carrier, discs and ba calipers...... unless.....anyone might know where I can get a set or tickford premium front calipers that face the rear as I've now got a spare pair of uprights that will fit them

Cheers

[auxlr8]

If anyone wants ford premium brake uprights off a series 3 xr6 with the calipers facing rear, your welcome to them.... FREE. Happy to post at cost or welcome to come pick them up

[macman]

EDIT: Just seen this was yonks ago...

[Xr302]

Hey guys,

If anyone is still following this I need some help!
I have a au2 xr8 I have recently fitted front premium brakes off a ba xr6 turbo, they are 325mm x 32mm and apparently use a c4 caliper.
I obviously bought them second hand, when I fitted them, the pedal was terrible! It nearly has to be on the floor before the brakes work... The old 287s worked better but they were warped to the **** house...

Has anyone that has done a brake upgrade had this problem or know a fix for it?
Cheers 👍🏻

[Ken_AUXR8]

Hi All, just completed this upgrade almost successfully.

However, my brake lines are wayyy too short. These are the S1 original brake lines. I've changed to BA bits incl calipers but they look the same as the S2/3 calipers at the start of the thread.

Does it need the S2 lines? Wreckers cut them off...

Cheers
K
IMAG0644.jpeg

[Climaxxx]

Originally Posted by Ken_AUXR8

Hi All, just completed this upgrade almost successfully.

However, my brake lines are wayyy too short. These are the S1 original brake lines. I've changed to BA bits incl calipers but they look the same as the S2/3 calipers at the start of the thread.

Does it need the S2 lines? Wreckers cut them off...

Cheers
K
Attachment 99952

Late reply...yes you need Au2/3 Lines or BA front lines.

[Peuty]

Hey team - can anyone confirm that BA rear caliper bracket slide pins are the same as the AU ones?

I'm doing a cheap BA rear brake upgrade on the XR8 and one of the BA caliper brackets has a dodgy slide pin, so I was hoping to be able to use my existing AU pins. I could take the wheel off and disassemble to check, but I'm being lazy for now.

[Climaxxx]

Originally Posted by Peuty

Hey team - can anyone confirm that BA rear caliper bracket slide pins are the same as the AU ones?

I'm doing a cheap BA rear brake upgrade on the XR8 and one of the BA caliper brackets has a dodgy slide pin, so I was hoping to be able to use my existing AU pins. I could take the wheel off and disassemble to check, but I'm being lazy for now.

That's a go for launch mate. They are the same.

[Peuty]

Excellent news, thanks mate!

[ebv8]

i just put on AU2 brakes on my AU1 and I can confirm the stock master cylinder does a fantastic job with no issues with a longer pedal at all
my AU1 is a March '99 build and I read that in May '99 they all got the revised larger master cylinder to help with long spongy pedal feel when hot
how can i tell if mine has the larger master cylinder? its 100% and never been touched before


also i'm going to fit a full set of PBR upgrade brakes once i get my 17in wheels refurbished as they don't fit under my 15's currently
the fronts i know will just bolt on but how about the rears? will the caliper bolt onto the live axle rear of my AU1? if so is it just spacers i need? and what size? they are 328mm x 26mm wide where as the AU1 is 287 and 10.5mm wide
or should i sell the upgrade rear calipers and just fit BA-FG rears with 303mm x 16mm rotors and forget the vented rear calipers, the AU is alot lighter than any BA-FG anyway

[xeeclipse]

The only problem I see in all this is that the ABS module is calibrated to the smaller volume calipers which will effectively cause a delay in the operation and possibly a long pedal.
I know that the wiring harness changed from model to model so you probably can't even adapt a series 2/3 ABS unit to a 1.

[FOMOCOAU]

Originally Posted by ebv8

i just put on AU2 brakes on my AU1 and I can confirm the stock master cylinder does a fantastic job with no issues with a longer pedal at all
my AU1 is a March '99 build and I read that in May '99 they all got the revised larger master cylinder to help with long spongy pedal feel when hot
how can i tell if mine has the larger master cylinder? its 100% and never been touched before


also i'm going to fit a full set of PBR upgrade brakes once i get my 17in wheels refurbished as they don't fit under my 15's currently
the fronts i know will just bolt on but how about the rears? will the caliper bolt onto the live axle rear of my AU1? if so is it just spacers i need? and what size? they are 328mm x 26mm wide where as the AU1 is 287 and 10.5mm wide
or should i sell the upgrade rear calipers and just fit BA-FG rears with 303mm x 16mm rotors and forget the vented rear calipers, the AU is alot lighter than any BA-FG anyway

I have done a s1 to s2 front swap on my sept 99 xr8 previously..now wanting to upgrade to ba rotors and calipers. is there anything else required for this swap? tia.

[ebv8]

Originally Posted by FOMOCOAU

I have done a s1 to s2 front swap on my sept 99 xr8 previously..now wanting to upgrade to ba rotors and calipers. is there anything else required for this swap? tia.

BA are only 11mm extra dia (287 to 298) so its just calipers and rotor
for $140 you can get new caliper brackets and run 322mm rotors with BA calipers, if you need to buy rotors anyway the extra $140 is probably worth it

[FOMOCOAU]

I might do that..is the upgrade to ba calipers straight forward? Nothing else need changing or spacers added?

[ebv8]

just need calipers and rotors, pretty sure the brake lines are the same (same parts on ebay anyway)

[PG2]

Originally Posted by FOMOCOAU

I have done a s1 to s2 front swap on my sept 99 xr8 previously..now wanting to upgrade to ba rotors and calipers. is there anything else required for this swap? tia.

Originally Posted by ebv8

BA are only 11mm extra dia (287 to 298) so its just calipers and rotor
for $140 you can get new caliper brackets and run 322mm rotors with BA calipers, if you need to buy rotors anyway the extra $140 is probably worth it

I've done the BF turbo upgrade on my XR8 - 322mm on the front and 303mm on the rear.

You can use your old rear calipers for the rear but will need some brackets off a B-series for the calipers. They swapped straight over though you will need a spacer (a suitable size washer will do) to centre them over the rotor.

For the front, when I fitted my 322mm calipers the brakes lines were at their absolute limit in terms of being long enough. I have since changed the lines over to braided.

[Peuty]

Originally Posted by PG2

I've done the BF turbo upgrade on my XR8 - 322mm on the front and 303mm on the rear.

You can use your old rear calipers for the rear but will need some brackets off a B-series for the calipers. They swapped straight over though you will need a spacer (a suitable size washer will do) to centre them over the rotor.

For the front, when I fitted my 322mm calipers the brakes lines were at their absolute limit in terms of being long enough. I have since changed the lines over to braided.

Spot on.

And to confirm, it's a 3mm spacer that is needed.

[ebv8]

Any tips on mounting the vented rear pbr upgrade brakes on the back of an AU? Id assume its just the caliper thats dufferent and the same 3mm spacers to be used

[Peuty]

Sorry mate, i only have experience with the solid rear, but from what i have read, the 3mm is a consistent measurement across the board.

Uncle_Ken may be able to elaborate? He has done the Terry upgrade (I think)

[Uncle_Ken]

Originally Posted by Peuty

Sorry mate, i only have experience with the solid rear, but from what i have read, the 3mm is a consistent measurement across the board.

Uncle_Ken may be able to elaborate? He has done the Terry upgrade (I think)

Yeap thanks what I used for my Rear Terry brakes on my XR8
3mm
UK

[NCII40]

what brake upgrade can i do that will fit inside my LTD 16's for AU2

[ebv8]

I have an update based on my AU S1 Futura

first i fitted AU2 twin piston calipers with 287mm rotors and they fit under 15in alloy wheels easy, plenty of room, not sure about steel wheels as they have a lip where the spot welds are so may rub, or may not rub

some notes about the swap
it all just bolts on but to get the lower arms in, the front sumframe needs to be dropped, plenty of penetration fluid and a rattle gun helps those studs get dirty and they are long, i left the nut on and use a lever to drop the subframe 1 side at a time.
i also only bolted the sway bar bracket on the outer side using the factory threaded holes and i am using my AU1 master cylinder and have noticed no travel difference in the pedal and brakes work awesome compared to the S1 brakes.
I may have issues when i fit the BA calipers but a new late '99 AU ute master cyl should fix that

second i fitted BA twin piston calipers and 298mm rotors and the 15in alloy futura wheel will bolt up but it scraps in the outer edge of the caliper and mounting bracket, i'd say a pretty easy task to trim but i'm not going to bother as i now have a set of FG turbo 322mm brakes and 17in wheels to go on the old girl as 16in steelies won't fit over 322mm brakes



also if you want to know the different between AU, BA and BF/FG Turbo brakes
here is a set of images
note the turbo caliper bracket sits about 15mm off the rotor hub (has a clear gap) where the BA caliper bracket is only about 5mm off the rotor just like the AU, also the turbo caliper bracket has tear drops where the bolts hole are



AU



BA



FG Turbo

[ebv8]

Originally Posted by NCII40

what brake upgrade can i do that will fit inside my LTD 16's for AU2

stock BA brakes will fit under 16's, calipers are about $90 a set from a wrecker or ebay, any cheap 298mm rotor will work ok, another $90 a set there and pads like bendix HD another $90 a set
not sure there would be a huge difference between 287 and 298mm rotors though