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brake upgrade questions

I should add that aluminum alloy has no endurance limit, meaning the calipers are more likely to fatigue in their old age.

WPOD, do you happen to know if the calipers that failed for you were high mileage units?
 


asite57 said:
WPOD what do you mean Spread pair?
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Look at the pics I posted earlier, there's one with a pair of straight edge rulers, and if you look at the left of the pic (it's dark) you can make out the piston on top and the outer pad mounting face towards the bottom. Mine were "spread" at a rate of 1/4" over a 5" span. It's my understanding that this is not uncommon on theses calipers because they are gravity cast from dead soft aluminum, they don't have much reinforcement on the bridging, and they have large pistons, so they flex measurably if the car is simply standing still and you stomp the brakes hard. Now if you get them hot enough, the aluminum gets even softer and they take a "set". Also, you may well buy rebuilts and find they are "spread" and companies such as Cardone will tell you that they are within acceptable specs...Now the C5/C6 don't suffer this (except on endurance racing vettes on slicks) because they are pressure cast from a much better grade of aluminum and they have more than twice the cross section in the bridge where the flex takes place. They also have smaller pistons so there is slightly less force exerted by them for a given line pressure. In any event there's still plenty of clamping force available for even the stickiest street tires, especially if you run a real aggressive pad like the Hawk HP Plus...
 
Here's a better pic

P1010320-1.jpg
 
mechguy said:
I should add that aluminum alloy has no endurance limit, meaning the calipers are more likely to fatigue in their old age.

WPOD, do you happen to know if the calipers that failed for you were high mileage units?
Click to expand...

They were "Premium" rebuilt from Carquest, and they Weren't Spread until I started Torturing them. I got them hot enough the darken the fluid (after bed in and bleed) with just a few 110 to 30mph decel's before my off ramp...According to Tobin they really were substandard for their original App., and everyone that had a track day or autocrossed found this out right away.
 
Knowing how I drive, I would have gone to the C6's from the start had I known how common this problem is- and when I say 110-30mph, that's on the abs the whole way...
 


asite57 said:
WPOD what do you mean Spread pair?
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They clam shell. It does happen but unless your billy bad ass its very rare.
KORE3 also is supposed to be making a bracket so we can run 13" vette rotors with c5 calipers..

C6 calipers are supposedly work, but a guy on clubgp tired them and they didnt. Im still trying to find the thread. ****ty search.
 
I can't see how C5 would work but not C6, they have identical profiles, the C5's just look like they'd have more clearance since they have raised ribs, while the C6 has the open space between the ribs filled in.
 


WPOD said:
I can't see how C5 would work but not C6, they have identical profiles, the C5's just look like they'd have more clearance since they have raised ribs, while the C6 has the open space between the ribs filled in.
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Yeah, thats what I thought. I need to find the thread. Becasue I was dead set on some C6s then after he posted. I said I will just get the C5s.


WPOD said:
$60 but with a $90 core charge. better off paying $80 for new.
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oops, forgot about that..
 
matt5112 said:
You guys can't engage abs in dry with stock brakes?
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if i stood on my trashed stock brakes on dry pavement the abs would kick in and the car just seemed to keep on rolling. (serious brake fade and fast)

since the f body and slotted rotors i haven't felt the abs yet, in wet or dry, and i nailed them good in the wet. i need to find a gravel road and get a good test, or snow would work, but thats not going to happen anymore this year.
 


That's the route I'd go if I didn't prefer to stay with 16" wheels....and I like brakes that squeal!
 
WPOD said:
$60 but with a $90 core charge. better off paying $80 for new.
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You can get brand new loaded PBR calipers (C5) WITHOUT the Corvette lettering for around 270 shipped for the pair if you are intent on going new and don't want the Corvette logo. I will post the link when I find it. Only problem with this route is you need to source F Body bracket that are discontinued by Cardone. That means you will have added cost of buying the extra brackets. This is the route I went. I found a used pair for $25.00 and bought new PBR's and just rebuilt the brackets after I had them tapped/drilled for $25 more.
 
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