The Racing Puma braking system is known for its awesome stopping power. Why are my brakes so poor?
There is no quick answer to this as involves a broad range of topics, most FRP owners already know The Alcon calipers need quality maintenance carried out on them (every two years ideally), the biggest problems with the front brakes usually occur when a new front pad kit is fitted and the pistons are forced back into the bores. This is disastrous on these calipers as no matter how well you think you’ve cleaned them there will almost certainly be some dirt pushed back which will then ruin the seal kit and spoil the movement of the piston across the seal. You just cannot get away with any shortcuts with this brake setup, when it’s time for work to be done, they MUST be removed from the car and worked on properly.
If you remove pistons fully and clean up the bores/guides etc you’re never going to have an issue with poorly moving pistons. Many calipers I restore need all parts changing simply because they have not been properly worked on for ten or more years!
Condition of disc and pad is also critical. if you fit a disc that isn’t the correct size and thermal capability then don’t expect them to work well! The front discs can also suffer from dirt/contamination issues on the inside of the disc due to not having any splash guards. Regular exercising of the brakes should help prevent this, remember it’s a performance setup that needs working hard occasionally.
The condition of the rear braking system also plays a big part in the overall performance and pedal feel too. Poor contact and movement in the rear pads can cause a very mushy feel on the pedal at the front of the car. Again, when left for long periods of time the back carrier sliding pins can get very seized, the caliper itself can seize up too. People are often quick to blame the handbrake cable when the rear brakes don’t operate correctly. The correct pad kit for the rear is a Ford part F1075565. Cheap motor factor copies are not as good. Buy once, buy it right!