628HP LS7X BUILD
June 19, 2025
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
SPRING TO ACTION
Dean Brown, a longtime rodder, was in the market for a new project car and stumbled across this ’52 Chevy panel truck, which turned out to be one of the original Helms trucks. The bakery cabinets had been removed but the body was in good condition, and it was still running with the original six-cylinder engine. Brown thought the truck was very cool, so he made a deal with its owner and drove it home. He formulated a plan of attack and started acquiring the parts he needed to turn it into a hot Chevy panel. The parts included a strong-running V-8 engine, a Turbo 350 transmission, a Fat Man Fabrications IFS front suspension and a new rear suspension that would provide a softer ride quality.
Ridler Award: THE GREAT EIGHT
In 2002, we rushed to print “first-look” coverage of the cars in contention for the 2002 Ridler Award. Since the number of finalists totaled eight, we elected to call them “The Great Eight.” The folks in Detroit liked the term so well that, beginning this year, the “official” name for the chosen finalists has become The Ridler Award “Great 8.”
HIDDEN HORSEPOWER WITH E85 FUEL
Advanced Fuel Dynamics has developed kits for many makes and models, and our focus today is installing a PROFLEX DX Adaptive Flex Fuel System on a 2022 Ford Mustang GT Premium.
Spotlighter
THEM’S THE BRAKES
Installing Baer’s Latest Extreme-Plus Ford Brake System on a Ford F-150
Author
Matt Emery
Story & Photography
There is no other more important system than braking, so when the folks at Baer told us at the SEMA Show that they were finishing up their latest kit—one designed to fit the Ford F-150, as well as the Expedition, Navigator and Navigator 4WD—we wanted to see one installed. Baer has been producing high-?performance braking systems since 1986. The company specializes in high-performance, bolt-on brake systems that radically enhance the ability of the otherwise stock brake systems.
With the advent of 20-inch and larger wheels, not to mention that more and more enthusiasts are using their trucks for towing large toy-filled trailers, the need to upgrade the stock braking systems has never been more important. The additional size and weight of the larger wheels makes exponentially more inertia than the stock wheels do, making larger, more purpose-built brakes a must. If the trailer you are towing is not equipped with its own trailer brakes, then the truck is required to slow down that weight as well, so pay attention to your rig, front and rear, because when these two factors are combined the result is that the stock truck will require much longer distances to come to a complete stop.
Recently we were on hand as the crew at Extreme Automotive in Canoga Park, California, installed one of the very first kits that Baer released. In fact, this was literally the first one released. Extreme Automotive is a Ford specialist with more than 11 years in the business, and is also a longtime Baer distributor. We love to be in on things like this, and the chance to see a new product installed for the first time is exciting to us. When that new product is safety related it’s all the better.
Though larger brakes may be on your list simply because they are really cool looking, there is much more to the Baer Extreme-Plus system than simply improved aesthetics. As cool as oversize rotors look, when you are trying to get your overloaded truck to slow while rolling down a steep incline you will be more happy with the way they perform than with the way they look.
Remember, safety is no accident.
With the truck on the lift, the wheels are removed. This install doesn’t require a lift, so those at home can do it with a hydraulic jack and some sturdy jackstands.
Measuring 12 inches, the stock brake system is fine for those who are not going to be adding larger wheels or doing any serious towing, but for the majority of the truck enthusiasts out there fine simply isn’t good enough.
There is a bracket that holds the hydraulic line to the lower arm. This should be removed to allow the stock caliper to be placed out of the way.
When the caliper is removed, it should always be tied up with a zip tie or a piece of wire so that it is not hanging on the hydraulic line.
With the removal of the cotter pin, nut and washer the stock rotor is removed.
Any and all grease should be removed from the spindle, and the spindle itself should be inspected for any damage such as cracks (unlikely but possible) or grooves worn into the metal of the tip. Also check the threads to determine that all is okay.
The pickup for the antilock brakes should also be cleaned. After carefully wiping off the grease, a shot of brake cleaner is all that is needed to prep it for the next step.
Normally the Baer hub will be equipped with the antilock sensor ring. But for those who need to install one, or whose ring has been damaged in any way, here is how you install it. First put the hub into the freezer for a good while. Being aluminum, it takes about an hour until it’s really cold. When it’s cold enough it will constrict slightly.
Normally the Baer hub will be equipped with the antilock sensor ring. But for those who need to install one, or whose ring has been damaged in any way, here is how you install it. First put the hub into the freezer for a good while. Being aluminum, it takes about an hour until it’s really cold. When it’s cold enough it will constrict slightly.
With the ring hot and the hub cold, all it takes to get the ring seated is to tap it onto the hub. Be careful not to get the ring bound up, and make sure that it is completely seated. You can tell by the sound that the punch will make when the ring is seated. It will sound solid and not tinny.
Baer greases the hub and bearings for you, so it is as simple as slipping it onto the spindle. One note is that Baer uses synthetic grease on its parts, so you may want to get some for future packing jobs.
When tightening the nut, it is important not to overtighten it. Of course, too loose is not good either, but if the nut is too tight the bearings will prematurely wear, and the heat caused by the friction may damage other components such as the antilock brake mechanism. The rule of thumb is to tighten the nut “hand tight” and then back it off ever so slightly. Only a few degrees of a turn is needed.
Then tug on the hub to see if there is any movement. If not, spin the hub to make sure that it spins freely and is not bound up in any way. Remember: no play and no binding and you should be good. Under ideal circumstances, you would go back and check the hubs after a few weeks of driving. This is a job that you want to do right the first time.
The cage nut and the new cotter pin are installed. Always use a new cotter pin when installing the hubs.
After a thorough cleaning the cap is tapped back on. With that the hub is on.
The Baer kit uses a post-style mount for the caliper. It goes in front of the spindle and the bolts are placed from the rear. A few drops of Loctite are applied to the supplied mounting bolts before they are installed.
The mounting bolts are torqued down.
There is a definite direction that the rotors need to turn, but Baer clearly marks them so that they can be installed correctly.
With a lug nut in place to hold the rotor tightly in place, Saul Gutierrez turns the rotor while watching to determine that there are not any obstructions and that the rotor turns freely.
The six-puck Baer caliper is slipped over the mounting posts and the nuts are installed. Also, know that the calipers come equipped with pads and are ready to install.
It’s time to pull the hydraulic line from the stock caliper. This was not done earlier on to keep the spilled hydraulic fluid to a minimum.
Baer also supplies two new brass washers for the mounting bolt of the hydraulic line. These should be replaced whenever the line is pulled off the caliper or the coupling may leak, and that is not what you want in a brake system.
The line is attached to the caliper and the bolt is tightened up.
Cleanliness is important in a shop, and because hydraulic fluid is very slippery, any that is spilled should be cleaned up quickly. One nice thing is that it is water soluble, and so only water and a rag are needed to clean it up.
The Baer system is on. With the addition of the larger rotor and a full six pucks to apply the pressure, the Ford will have no other choice but to stop on a dime.
With a heave the wheel is installed, and the Ford is nearly ready to roll. All that is needed is to bleed the brake system. One note: The Baer website has detailed instructions not only on how to bleed the brake system, but also on seasoning the rotors. Follow these recommendations carefully.
ARTICLE SOURCES
BAER Brake Systems
3108 W. Thomas Rd., Ste. 1201
Phoenix, AZ 85017
602/233-1411
Extreme Automotive
7901 Canoga Ave., Unit E
Canoga Park, CA 91304
818/883-8184
