Topic: Brake cooling

Ok, we are int he process of gutting the interior of the car and working to get the motor running, hopefully it is just the fuel pump.  While doing all this, we have been told that Probes are notorious for running hot.  We have advice on keeping the radiator and intercooler coolish, but I was thinking of the front brakes.  I did some research on how to do a DIY brake cooling system, was just wondering if anyone here (which I am sure someone has) done this before and what advice they may have.

Skip "Mongo" L.
Team DadBod

Re: Brake cooling

We attached some spare firehose from the front bumper to the control arm. It is just pointed straight at the front brakes, but not directly contacting like a "good" setup with a spindle adapter.

Attached with a mixture of metal zip ties and 3m bonding agent. It works extremely well.

3 (edited by ross2004 2017-02-10 11:45 AM)

Re: Brake cooling

You can get 4" dryer hose from Lowes racing, along with some of these couplers (below) that you can attach the hose on one end and form the other to work with your rotor or at the bumper  for the inlet. Try to point the air into the center of the rotor, not just at the face of the inside. 4" may not work with a FWD car, though.

https://mobileimages.lowes.com/product/converted/063467/063467877516.jpg

Not shown at the rotor end is one of those couplers bent and formed to blow into the rotor center.
https://s29.postimg.org/q07ox5o47/brake_duct.jpg

Re: Brake cooling

Thanks guys, this is what I had thought up in my head but just wanted to make sure it could be done.  I will try and post some pictures when I get it done.

Skip "Mongo" L.
Team DadBod

Re: Brake cooling

I used vent hose from the HVAC system I took out from the car
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/13490868_624529984366403_1915275772881952424_o.jpg?oh=bc706c2bbd92689aa7f285b7863fba4c&oe=594321E4
then I made little scoops that go below the front bumper in blue
https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/13925680_646139868872081_2515363473205614650_o.jpg?oh=36ea8b3193393b10b74ed83ecb177b03&oe=59006CD2
hard to see it. If I remember right I made it with 1.85 ratio. So if I go 50mph, wind speed inside is about 85mphish. Huge difference.

https://www.facebook.com/greatglobsofoil/
This car....Is said to have a will of it's Own. Twisting its own body in rage...It accelerates on.
1978 Opel/Buick Isuzu(C>B>C>B) , 1996 Nissan Maxima OnlyFans (B) , Sold 1996 Ford Probe GT(B),

Re: Brake cooling

We used RV sewer drain hose.

Uh... I really hope that wasn't used hose we used. Ew.

25X Loser - Delinquent Racing - '86 Rust-Tite Merkur - 9 years (when do I get to stop?).

7 (edited by jimbbski 2017-02-10 03:26 PM)

Re: Brake cooling

I prefer to use 3 inch aluminum flex hose instead of 4 inch HVAC hose  as it's easier to route to where you need the cool air.
Also the aluminum flex hose will hold it's shape to some degree while some other hoses won't.

With two hoses you can  with one or two outlets.
A link to some options on brake ducts etc.

https://www.lefthanderchassis.com/v2a/1 … tegory=464

On the front ducts, if your handy with working with fiber glass you can make you own ducts once you make a male mold.  Using some wood and bondo I made a mold and pulled ducts from it that had 6 inch inlets and then split into two 3 inch outlets.

Re: Brake cooling

We used dryer ducting hose routed through the parking light openings.

I welded some exhaust pipe adapters to the backing plates to direct the airflow into the rotor, works great.

Team Sucker Punch: Winner Class B Doing Time at Joliet 2023 Autobahn ,Winner Org Choice award Were the Elite Meet to Cheat 2015
Chevy Camaro (Tiger striped #38)  (1989-2017 RIP old friend)
Chevy Corvette 1984......and still racing!

Re: Brake cooling

Pegasus brake hose for FTW. Brakes and safety, good places to not save any money. That is unless you don't like your teammates.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/produ … oduct=3621

If you have ventilated rotors you can remove the backing plate and fabricate you own that closes off the entire inner diameter of the rotor, weld a 2.5" or 3" tube to that and duct it to the front. That way you pressurize the rotors own air flow when driving. This is a lot more effective than just aiming a duct at one side of the rotor.

We drive the wheels off the Alfa and this is the only cooling mod that made a big difference in rotor temps and kept our Carbotechs from melting down.

I have some photos if you are interested

Greg

1987 Alfa Milano (Bellissima since 2008), Racing since 2008 Stafford Springs,  2nd overall 2011 NJMP, 4th at NHMS 2011, 2nd at Summit 2011, Into the wall hard at Stafford Springs 2011, 2nd at Monticello 2013, 3rd at NHMS 2013, 2nd at NHMS 2016. 2nd at NJMP 2018

25,000 racing miles in 32 races in 10 years. Yes its the same motor. Tell me again how Alfas suck? Update: Big moneyshift = new motor

Re: Brake cooling

Greg,

Thanks so much, that would be very helpful

Skip "Mongo" L.
Team DadBod

11

Re: Brake cooling

We salvaged some of the duct work from the stock air/heat system and have mocked up a brake cooling system.
Will it work?  Who knows, but we feel good about ourselves.

Re: Brake cooling

I've used the aforementioned RV Sewer hose - 20' for $12 WallyMart. It's flexible, and 3"-ish diameter.
Combine that with a 4" to 3" plastic downspout adapter screwed into good airflow spots on the front bumper and it'll work.

Even having it blow toward the rotor center makes a big difference over nothing at all.
For our rear drum brakes, a teammate cut and bent the backing plates at the forward
edge for a scoop-effect, and at the rear edge for a vent. That dropped rear brake shoe
wear to two races per set, rather than 3/4 of a race per set.

Capt. Delinquent Racing
RUST-TITE XR4Ti - '21 ARSE-FREEZE-APALOOZA  I Got Screwed
The One & Only Taurus V8 SHO #31(now moved on to another OG Delinquent)
'17 Vodden the Hell - (No) Hope for the Future Award, '08 AMP Survivor, '08 ARSE-FREEZE-APALOOZA Mega-Cheater

Re: Brake cooling

billybobster wrote:

We used RV sewer drain hose.

Uh... I really hope that wasn't used hose we used. Ew.

That would explain the shitty braking.  Somebody had to say it.

bs

Re: Brake cooling

Greg S wrote:

Pegasus brake hose for FTW. Brakes and safety, good places to not save any money. That is unless you don't like your teammates.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/produ … oduct=3621

Wait a minute - are brake ducts really considered a "brake component" and therefore budget exempt?

Electric Mayhem Racing

Re: Brake cooling

mgavro wrote:

Wait a minute - are brake ducts really considered a "brake component" and therefore budget exempt?

Counts as 'safety equipment' in my opinion...therefore it is exempt from budget

In my opinion...

45+x Loser.....You'd think I would learn......
5x I.O.E  Winner   1 Heroic Fix Winner   1 Org Choice Winner
2x  I Got Screwed Winner    2x Class C Winner
(Still a Class B driver in a Class A car)

Re: Brake cooling

mgavro wrote:
Greg S wrote:

Pegasus brake hose for FTW. Brakes and safety, good places to not save any money. That is unless you don't like your teammates.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/produ … oduct=3621

Wait a minute - are brake ducts really considered a "brake component" and therefore budget exempt?

It's unlikely I'm going to look at brake ducting and give you penalty laps for it, no. Or brakes in general, for that matter.

THAT SAID, if you have a $7,000 brake setup from a Porsche GT3 Cup car or something on your Lemons car, it's a good bet the judges are going to start looking at every single thing on that car that is not budget-exempt and adding those numbers together.

Eric Rood
Everything Bagel, 24 Hours of Lemons
eric@24hoursoflemons.com

Re: Brake cooling

No no, nothing like that.  Stock rotors, EBC, Porterfield, or Hawk brake pads is all.

Skip "Mongo" L.
Team DadBod

Re: Brake cooling

I used to race a 626, very similar to the Probe, and we had no brake overheating issues.  We kept the drums on the rear and got a decent set of pads and rotors on the front.  Do not buy cheap pads, they will not last an entire weekend.  This can be extremely dangerous when you realize they are suddenly gone as you try to slow down from 100mph. 

Also, I think I gave you the link in the past but check out mazda626.net.  There are a couple Lemons/Chump threads there that you can follow the brake set-up us I believe it is the same.

Team Glue Sticks
00 Firebird, 02 X-Type, 93 NX2000, 00 Mazda 626 (Sold)
2016 NJMP Heroic Fix, 2017 NJMP Near Heroic Fix except we can't drive, 2017 Thompson I Got Screwed, 2019 Pitt Heroic Fix

Re: Brake cooling

Yes you did, I have them in my favorites.

Skip "Mongo" L.
Team DadBod

Re: Brake cooling

The one guy took brakes from a Mazda 6, which is a larger rotor but requires 17" rims.  If I remember correctly it is a straight bolt on for the front.  You likely have drums on the rear, but I don't think that the swap to disks is too terribly difficult.  I was happy with my set-up though and no driver complained.

Team Glue Sticks
00 Firebird, 02 X-Type, 93 NX2000, 00 Mazda 626 (Sold)
2016 NJMP Heroic Fix, 2017 NJMP Near Heroic Fix except we can't drive, 2017 Thompson I Got Screwed, 2019 Pitt Heroic Fix

Re: Brake cooling

We have the Probe GT which is disks all the way around.  we want to keep the 15" rims so we are staying with the stock rotors, better pads, and just cooling the front rotors.  Hopefully we can get it fired up this weekend, major rehab on the fuel system.  (15 year old gas in the tank and lines.....yum)

Skip "Mongo" L.
Team DadBod

22

Re: Brake cooling

mgavro wrote:
Greg S wrote:

Pegasus brake hose for FTW. Brakes and safety, good places to not save any money. That is unless you don't like your teammates.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/produ … oduct=3621

Wait a minute - are brake ducts really considered a "brake component" and therefore budget exempt?

We were still in budget when adding in the cost of ducting. It was our first Lemons and car, so we were somewhat clueless, but made sure to document all the costs for them.