Newton's third law states: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." This applies to our hot rods just like all the other laws of physics. The faster you go, the longer it takes to stop.
Right after we mounted our new Nitto NT555 tires ("Attitude Adjustment," Apr. '07), we took the Fairlane out to the test track to get some baseline numbers. Our best stopping distance from 60 mph was 194 feet, which isn't short by any stretch of the imagination. Since the goal with this car is to run around 11.70 in the quarter-mile, we expect a trap speed of around 120 mph. And at that speed, we weren't comfortable with how long it would take us to stop, since we estimated a distance of greater than two football fields. That's a bit far-even if we don't mind seeing Elvis at 1,000 feet.
We wanted strong brakes, but we also needed them to fit behind the 15-inch Summit Sport front runners and work with our $1,000 budget. After a few calls, we ended up talking with Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation (SSBC). In addition to their line of high-end big-brake systems, they also put out drum brake conversion packages that are better than your average "stock replacement" deal. Best of all, they had a kit to fit our Fairlane with a price that didn't give us sticker shock. So how did the SSBC brakes perform? We'll be going back to Fontana for more testing next month, when we'll also bring you the results of our suspension rebuild kit from Just Suspension. Don't forget to check out the July issue for all the stats.
Stuff you'll need:
Jack and jackstands, or lift
Torque wrench
Mallet
Lug wrench
Socket set
Screwdriver selection
Wrench set
Brake fluid
Brake cleaner
Wheel bearing grease
Tubing cutter
Double flare kit
Hacksaw or cut-off wheel
Break-Free or WD-40
