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SPECIAL

Ford Territory

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

Putting the Brakes on the Boss

Staff, Friday January 24, 2003.

Page 1 of 1

The GT and Pursuit are fitted with a Performance Brakes system, while the top-of-the-range GT-P has a Brembo package as standard. The Brembo package is optional on the GT and Pursuit.

The Performance Brakes package builds on the wide-ranging brake system enhancements introduced on the BA Falcon.

FPV managing director David Flint said high performance brakes were a key element of the FPV driving experience.

?The stunning performance of the FPV Boss 290 engine demanded an equally advanced and capable braking system.

?FPV braking is characterised by a firm, progressive pedal feel that is engineered to remain consistent under high braking and suspension loads, adding a reassuring safety margin to Boss 290 performance,? he said.

Mr Flint said that while stopping power was the primary objective of FPV brake development, other customer issues were also considered.

?When so many FPV models will be driven long and hard across Australia, wear rates and brake residue build-up on prized alloy wheels are as important to some owners as ultimate brake performance. Ensuring that pad and rotor wear rates are commensurate with today?s extended service intervals was also an important FPV engineering target,? he said.

The brake system in detail

The starting point for the Performance Brakes is the brand new C6 calliper manufactured by PBR in Australia for premium high performance applications in export markets. FPV is the first Australian manufacturer to fit this new PBR calliper.

The calipers are designed to provide better contact between the pad and disc, improving performance and increasing pad life.

The C6 features an improved sliding calliper design guided by two pins, lubricated for life, which are totally separated from the pads.

The pads are activated by two pistons of 40.5mm diameter. This design ensures that the calliper remains square in relation to the rotor, ensuring even pad wear on both sides and optimum pad contact.

Much larger than earlier designs, the new calliper allows a 20 per cent increase in pad area for longer life and better braking performance. Its extra size is clearly visible through the alloy wheels. Pad replacement is also easier and quicker when calliper operation is independent of the pads.

The C6 design is far more rigid than its predecessors and contributes to shorter pedal travel and better feel. Because it stays square and rigid under extreme applications, rotor flexing and distortion are minimised.

The front calipers are painted in a special FPV Blue high temperature brake fluid-resistant enamel and feature the FPV logo.

The Performance Brakes package also features new low expansion rubber brake lines resistant to stretching or swelling under high temperatures and brake loads.

To match the new C6 calliper?s capabilities, the brake rotors and pads were also upgraded.

A new Rossini grooved front rotor, designed in the US and supplied by PBR, incorporates pillar-style internal venting under license from Brembo.

The front rotors are 325mm in diameter and 32mm thick, compared to 298mm and 28mm on the standard BA Falcon. The rear rotors are also grooved.

Compared to conventional straight or curved vane venting, Brembo pillar venting acts as a powerful internal exhaust fan that aggressively sucks in and expels cooling air through the rotor.

The Performance Brakes rotor also features twin circle grooves in the swept surface to expel hot gases generated within the contact area of pad and rotor. The system effectively gives the rotor a larger useable surface, enhancing braking effectiveness.

The most visible sections of the rotor are finished in black enamel to complement the GT and Pursuit?s open spoke alloy wheel style.

Braking performance is further enhanced by a new high performance pad material that offers more friction and consistency in brake performance as temperatures increase.

The new Textar TX4045TB high performance pad has the added advantage of generating less residue and because it is a lighter colour material, build-up of brake dust is less obvious.

The Performance rear brake is a single piston (1 X 40.5mm) pin guided sliding calliper design also in FPV blue. The disc is 303mm by 16mm with twin-circle grooves. The brake pad is a JBI B3014. Low expansion brake lines are also used at the rear.

Power assistance is provided by a twin diaphragm 8 inch/9 inch PBR vacuum booster with a boost ratio of 7.5:1.

Bosch Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) takes care of brake proportioning and does far more than a simple front to rear proportioning valve. In conjunction with the standard ABS system, it provides infinitely variable rear braking effort as it determines the exact proportion to suit each individual braking action. As well as improving brake performance, it generates more even pad wear for extra life.

The Brembo package

A new Brembo brake package pushes the performance limits even further.

The package offers more enhancements to pedal feel and travel, as well as increased resistance to brake hose swelling and stretching, internal rotor cooling and stiffer, more even calliper operation.

There are also more escape routes for trapped gasses.

The Brembo front calliper is a four-piston fixed calliper design with twin pistons on each side of the calliper, each pair dedicated to a pad. This advanced design features a smaller 40mm piston diameter at the front of the calliper to reduce the force on the leading edge of the brake pad. A 44mm piston in the rear of the calliper then exerts extra force on the pad to compensate for the tendency of the pad?s leading edge to bite into the rotor. This radically improves brake life and performance.

The same principle applies to the four piston calipers at the rear with a 28 mm piston ahead of a 30 mm piston.

Brembo calipers are painted in heat and brake fluid resistant red enamel and feature the white Brembo logo. Stainless steel braided brake lines all but eliminate brake hose swelling and stretching under high temperatures and loads.

The front calipers are mounted along the neutral axis, the optimum position to minimise pad knock-off through suspension movement, thereby reducing pedal fade.

The Brembo rotors feature pillar venting inside the rotor and a cross-drilled swept surface.

The pillar venting aggressively draws and expels cooling air through the inside of the rotor while the cross-drilled rotor surface allows hot gas to escape quickly.

The Brembo front rotor is 355mm by 32mm, offering an increase in diameter over the Performance front rotor. Textar T4000 high performance pads offer consistent braking performance at high temperatures with low wheel residue.

The rear brakes in the Brembo brake package display the same attention to detail. The four-piston rear Brembo calliper is again combined with the Textar T4000 pad and finished in red enamel with the white Brembo label.

Rear rotors are ventilated and cross-drilled DBA discs with curved internal cooling vanes. At 330mm by 28mm, they represent an additional boost in swept area over the Performance rear brakes. Flexible brake hoses at the rear are also stainless steel braided.

The detailing on front and rear rotors where visible through the alloy wheels is painted in grey. The Brembo brake package is only available with 18-inch wheels, due to the size of the rotors.

?The Performance Brakes set a new benchmark for an entry braking system in this price range while the GT-P?s Brembo braking componentry is shared with cars up to four times its price,? Mr Flint said.

?It is a fundamental commitment of Ford Performance Vehicles that a performance car must be safe and behave predictably. A reassuring, consistent pedal feel adds to the enjoyment of the driving experience and therefore was a key part of the FPV strategy,? Mr Flint said.

For further information, please contact:
Sinead McAlary
Ford Australia Communications
Phone: 03-9359 8498
Fax: 03-9359 8900

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