Wilwood Disc Brakes has long been known for its commitment to racing. These days, Wilwood asks performance enthusiasts what they would like for the street when delivering race-level disc brakes for '05-'11 Mustangs. Wilwood offers 13 different front disc brake kits for S197 Mustangs and 14 more kits for the rear, which enables owners to dial in just the right disc brake package for their Mustang super car.
Ryan Peter at Stang-Aholics knew what he needed for his '05 GT coupe. He ordered the Wilwood #140-10830-D monster sized W6A six-piston caliper front disc brakes in black powdercoat with 14-inch rotors and #140-10159-D rear discs, also in black powdercoat with 12.88-inch rotors and BP-10 pads for brute stopping power.
Wilwood W6A front disc brakes are also available in red powdercoat in either slotted or drilled and slotted rotors depending on the type of driving. Black powdercoat is also available in drilled and slotted. The same can be said for Wilwood rear discs in red or black powdercoat in either slotted or drilled and slotted.
Classic '65-'73 and '79-'04 Fox-body owners aren't left out of the fun because Wilwood offers the same kind of high-performance disc brake kits for older Mustangs as well, designed to fit a variety of vintage applications.
1 This is the Wilwood W6A...
1 This is the Wilwood W6A front disc brake kit in black powdercoat with billet six-piston calipers, 14.00x1.25-inch directional staggered vane rotors, and all installation hardware, including adjustment shims. Everything you need is shown here, including the #220-9111 line kit, which is not included in the kit. The W6A disc brake kit offers outstanding performance for any kind of driving thanks to huge rotor, six-piston power, and race-proven friction material.
2 The original equipment...
2 The original equipment S197 front disc brake does a good job of providing stopping power. In fact, it’s the best factory disc brake ever installed on a Mustang. However, there’s nothing quite like the confidence of knowing you can modulate hard braking in just about any situation without fade using extra-large rotors and pads that love heat. Wilwood also offers high-performance pads for factory ’05-’11 brakes if the Wilwood discs are beyond your budget.
3 Ron Peter of Stang-Aholics...
3 Ron Peter of Stang-Aholics removes the factory caliper and bracket as a unit, including brake hose. This is a simple task because we’re using the original hub and spindle.
4 Once the caliper and bracket...
4 Once the caliper and bracket are removed, the factory rotor slides right off.
5 The dust shield is next....
5 The dust shield is next. Note the sealed hub and spindle with antilock braking reluctor wheel and sensor. The days of repacking front wheel bearings and replacing seals are over. When sealed hubs are worn out, you replace them as a unit. Hub lifespan is 100,000 to 200,000 miles.
6 Ryan checks the new black...
6 Ryan checks the new black anodized WA6 14-inch rotor for proper fit. It slips right onto the S197 hub without modifications. Use two wheel lugs to keep the rotor properly positioned.
7 Once proper caliper positioning...
7 Once proper caliper positioning is established, Loctite 271 is used on the bracket bolt threads, then the bolts are torqued to 47 ft-lb per Wilwood’s instructions. The caliper slides onto the pins, with locknuts being torqued to 28 ft-lb.
8 Install the W6A six-piston...
8 Install the W6A six-piston caliper bracket on the bracket studs, with flange nuts torqued to 28 ft-lb.
9 Pads are installed next...
9 Pads are installed next and retained with slide pins and clips. These are undoubtedly the easiest brake pads in the world to install.
10a Wilwood fittings replace...
10a Wilwood fittings replace the factory brake hoses at the chassis brackets...
10b ...Fittings provided...
10b ...Fittings provided in the kit get hydraulic pressure to the calipers.
11 The W6A front disc brake...
11 The W6A front disc brake installation is complete, including braided stainless brake hoses.
12 The Wilwood #140-10159-D...
12 The Wilwood #140-10159-D Rear Disc Brake Kit for ’05-’11 Mustangs comes with a 12.88x1-inch rotor, 41mm single-piston caliper, and all mounting hardware. Not included is the #220-10417 brake line kit and #330-10791 parking brake cable kit shown here, which must be purchased separately.
13 The S197 rear disc brake...
13 The S197 rear disc brake is quite similar to the SN-95 (’94-’04) Mustang disc brake.
14 The parking brake cable...
14 The parking brake cable is disconnected first, then the brake lines. Make sure you have a container to catch fluid and be certain it never touches your paint. A pair of 7⁄16-inch bolts retain the caliper.
15 As with the front brakes,...
15 As with the front brakes, remove the dust shields. We suggest keeping all factory brake assemblies and parts for safekeeping.
16 The rear brake caliper...
16 The rear brake caliper brackets are installed first, with mock-up work performed before permanent installation.
17 Shims are used to center...
17 Shims are used to center the calipers on the rotors, plus distance from the rotor.
18 Fit the Wilwood BP-10...
18 Fit the Wilwood BP-10 brake pads to the caliper.
19 Carefully fit the caliper...
19 Carefully fit the caliper to the bracket.
20 Once the caliper clearances...
20 Once the caliper clearances are checked, we’re ready for permanent installation. Caliper bracket bolts get Loctite 271, then 35 ft-lb of torque. Caliper nuts get 30 ft-lb.
21a Wilwood brake plumbing...
21a Wilwood brake plumbing ties into the factory brake lines with ease...
21b ...Wilwood offers braided...
21b ...Wilwood offers braided stainless flexible lines for durability.
22 Hydraulic brake lines...
22 Hydraulic brake lines and antilock brake sensor leads run side by side. Notice that late-model Mustang brake lines are powdercoated for corrosion protection instead of galvanized.
23a Wilwood parking brake...
23a Wilwood parking brake cables replace the factory pieces from the transmission tunnel back and should look like this when you’re finished...
23b ...Count on them requiring...
23b ...Count on them requiring adjustment.
24 Stang-Aholics’ Wilwood...
24 Stang-Aholics’ Wilwood brake installation looks terrific. Now the brakes need to be flushed and bled, then bedded for proper break-in. See Wilwood’s website for their recommended bedding instructions.