Hot rodding has come a long way over the past few decades. Advances in everything from turbocharger design to tire technology have allowed today’s builds to deliver performance that was unheard of not too long ago. And although that’s made thrilling capability more accessible than ever, it’s important to remember that well-balanced performance requires a holistic approach to modifications.

“These days horsepower is practically free,” says Rick Elam of Baer Brakes. “If you had a 400 or 500 horsepower car back in the day, it was running on specialized fuel, the cam was unbearable, and it probably didn’t get driven on the street a whole lot because it behaved like a full-blown race car. And there was no real difference between brake systems. Drum brakes were drum brakes, and disc brakes were disc brakes.

“Now you can get production motors that make 700 or 800 horsepower,” continues Elam. “And the suspension parts that are available today are far better than what was around when these cars were new, so they handle a lot better, too. But when you make those improvements, the weak links start to become more evident. All the horsepower in the world isn’t worth a whole lot if you aren’t confident the car will stop.”

Although this realization has convinced countless builders to seek upgrades for their projects’ brake systems, the wide range of choices available – and the number of related factors to be considered – can be daunting for the uninitiated. As a result, many end up abandoning the idea altogether.

“Some of it is a good problem, in a way. Today we have an array of choices when it comes to how we modernize the brake system of a vintage car. We didn’t have that luxury back in the day,” he notes. “But the problem is that in order to do a brake upgrade properly, you have to take other aspects of the car into consideration and be aware of what you’re working with. Suddenly that turns into this internal dread, like ‘Oh no, what am I supposed to be doing here? Is there a right way and a wrong way? Will this actually fit on my car with the other components that I’m using?’ And that can get some folks into a panic that potentially leads to them selling the car, or just giving up and not doing anything at all.”

While there are a lot of things to consider when choosing a brake kit, Elam tells us that the process of homing in on the right system for a particular build is relatively straightforward, and it starts by having a good understanding of what you’re working with.

Establishing Guidelines

The first step in determining what brake upgrades make the most sense for your project starts with an honest assessment of your needs, goals, and preferences. “Typically, the first thing we like to know is what you want to do with the car,” says Elam. “For a lot of folks, these cars are weekend drivers, or maybe daily drivers. But others may be focused on autocross performance, or maybe they’re planning to do track days regularly. Or maybe it’s going to be a street/strip build.”

Each of those situations requires a different type of brake package that will perform the best in that application. But before diving straight into component selection, there are a few variables you need to consider.

As with any major performance upgrade, your budget will be a crucial factor in determining your options, and it’s probably where you’ll start the brake-kit selection process. That said, there’s really no such thing as overkill when it comes to brake systems.

“At the end of the day, the more you spend, the better the braking performance is going to be,” Elam says. “You can’t overdo it with brakes. It’s not like putting too big of a cam in the engine and losing street drivability as a result. I can put the biggest brake kit that we sell on any car that’s driven on the street and it’s going to work awesomely. But we also need to understand what those constraints are so we can work within those boundaries.”

From there the discussion moves to the mechanical setup of your project. This aspect of the process is perhaps the biggest obstacle for folks who are interested in upgrading, Elam says. But knowing what you’re working with is crucial to ensure proper fitment and prevent any unpleasant surprises.

“Wheel size is going to be your biggest mechanical constraint, and it can also have a significant impact on the costs involved. If someone has a 15-inch wheel on the car and they want to stay with a 15-inch wheel, that eliminates six-piston stuff from the equation because it simply won’t fit in a wheel diameter that small.

“But it’s also important to make sure you’re not compromising on your wheel choice if that’s a priority for your project,” adds Elam. “Wheels are one of the most visually significant elements of a car, and it’s usually one of the first purchases people do as a result. So, I always tell people to stick with the wheel that they want on the car. If they deviate from that and choose something they don’t like, it can really mess up the project.”

For car owners who are limited to smaller wheel sizes, Baer’s Classic Series brake kits can be a great solution. They’re a direct bolt-on for vintage GM, Ford, and Mopar applications. Classic Series kits are compatible with stock-diameter factory wheels and come with red powder-coated calipers, slotted-and-drilled rotors, and an array of modernizations that allow these systems to provide better and more consistent stopping power than OEM hardware.

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Those seeking ultimate performance often find that their choice of wheel size depends largely on tire availability. “Some folks will go from 16-inch wheels to 17s – or down to 15s – because they can’t get the tires that they want to use in a 16-inch size, for example,” says Elam. “So when I’m considering a wheel, I always start with the tire. I’ve been in situations where there’s a type of tire and an optimum tire size that I want to run, and they just don’t make it for certain wheel sizes. In that type of situation, you may want to make your wheel selection based on the size availability of the tires you want to use.”

The vehicle’s suspension setup should be taken into consideration, too. “Everything is going to be dictated by the spindle that’s being used, because our brake systems bolt directly to the spindle,” he points out. “So, for example, if someone has a Chevelle with a Detroit Speed suspension, that suspension system uses a drop spindle that’s based off the factory design, so our stuff will bolt right up to it. But if that person is using Speedtech components instead, a lot of their suspension is built off their ATS spindle, which is modeled after the Corvette design. And in that case, they would use a Corvette brake system that fits the Chevelle rather than one that’s designed for the factory Chevelle spindle.”

Built for the Task

Baer uses street, dual-purpose, and race categories to help determine the general use case for a given build. But it’s important to note that the recommended setup for the latter two types can vary substantially depending on the motorsport discipline the car is going to be used in.

“The most common goal is simply to improve drivability – people want to make the car more modern, they want to feel safer about putting their family in it, and they want their spouses to be able to drive it without issue,” says Elam. “The next step up from that is the person who wants all of that, but they also checked out a Goodguys autocross and they’re really interested in giving it a try. Maybe they don’t plan to go often, but they want to have the ability to do it whenever there’s an opportunity to do so. The next step from there are the folks who also want to do the occasional track day with the car. And beyond that, you’re basically getting into full-blown race cars.”

Elam is quick to point out that the brake package for a drag car also differs substantially from a system that’s been designed for road course use. “It’s very different from what you’d typically use for a street application, too. Drag setups often focus on weight reduction, and the race format also has a unique set of circumstances. You have a car that’s sitting in the staging lanes with completely cold brakes, then suddenly it’s going to go 180 mph. The brakes need to be robust enough to immediately pull it down from those speeds. And since you usually have very little tire contact patch at the front of the car, it’s common for us to put more brake in the rear of the car – where there’s more grip – so it’s easier to control the car. But that doesn’t work well on the street. So it’s important to educate folks, so they understand that. You can’t shed 100 pounds of weight from the brake system and expect it to function the same as the stock setup.”

Road-course setups, meanwhile, tend to go the other way, with larger rotors and more robust calipers for improved heat management and quicker system recovery. Pad selection plays a pivotal role in how the brake system will respond, too. “Different types of pads will emphasize different priorities,” Elam says. “For a street application, most folks want a pad that’s low-dust and low-noise. But if you’re taking that car on a road course, you need a pad that’s designed for that type of driving, to avoid brake fade and issues like that. Driving style comes into play as well; your friend may swear by a certain type of Hawk brake pads, but that doesn’t mean they’re ideal for the way you drive.”

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Along with these factors, determining the right brake package for a given application also requires an understanding of the hardware that’s currently on the car. “Our website has pictures of all the different spindles – we do that so you can identify what’s on your car if you’re not sure. And if someone’s unsure, they can just send us pictures of what they have, and we’ll help them identify it. The important thing is not to make any assumptions about what’s on the car because that can affect whether or not a brake package will fit.”

Above all else, choosing the right brake upgrade kit for your car requires a crystal-clear vision of what it is exactly you want to use the vehicle for. All of your choices build on that. “Zeroing in on what you want to achieve with the car will minimize the potential need to make changes down the road,” says Elam. “Think about things that you might actually want to do with the car. If you’re not sure whether or not you want to try autocross, drag racing, or something else, consider going to an event and seeing if that’s something you really want to pursue.

“Once you have a good idea of what’s on the car and what you want to do with it, you can reach out to someone like us, and we can put you on the right path.”

SEE THE FULL LINE OF BAER BRAKE KITS, COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES AT holley.com/brands/baer_brakes