Another C5 brake upgrade, rear calipers too
03-22-2010, 01:16 PM
#1
Another C5 brake upgrade, rear calipers too Like many others I've seen, I bought all four calipers before finding out that rear dont need upgrading. Oh well they are the Z06 bright red so I might as well use them. Here's the list of parts I used:
Z06 front and rear calipers
Front C5 rotors, LS1 rear, both Napa Ultra Premium blanks
Hawk HPS pads F&R C5
guide pins, boots, pad clips from AZ
Goodridge C5 braided caliper hoses, hotpart chassis to axle hoses
ATE super blue fluid
I went with the Napa rotors after reading on the Vette forums thats what most people use street or track HPDE and they hold up well, or you can drop the cash on higher end stuff. The Napa ultras are painted on the hats and inside the vanes and edges which is nice and saves some effort since I was going to do that anyway.
I used C5 pads front and rear. They fit perfect just trim the rattle clips (as shown in the pics-left trimmed, right stock) so they dont rub on the rotor. Also the pads grab the rotor slightly further out, not sure if that changes anything.
AZ guide pins and boots and rattle clip kits were cheap and convenient but I used the GM caliper bolt not the AZ, as you can see in the pic it is a bit larger.
The front C5 lines are long but not too much, the rear C5 lines are way too long! I ended up wrapping around the axle to fit, tho I had to bend the mounting tab a little.
Bleeding was very easy, contrary to a lot of posts I've seen. No scantool, just turned on ignition, count to ten, turn off for a sec or two, turn ignition on for another ten seconds all while NOT touching brake pedal or starting engine. I read that somewhere for GM vehicles to put the ABS module where it needs to be for bleeding. I also used a air compressor vacuum tool ($20 harbor freight) and the blue fluid made it easy to tell when it was all flushed.
Pad bed was easy too, just followed instructions on Hawk box and it was done.
Results were amazing! Very firm pedal, engages almost immediately after pressing pedal. Stop on a dime no matter how fast I'm going. Only problem is they stop too well! If I press too hard it will envoke ABS. I got new tires that help a little but I have all seasons (drive too much to get low treadwear) so with some good summer tires it probably wouldnt be bad. I ran autox and it was a lot of bite, requires attention to not lock it up. Plan to get a set of DT-10 for the front to run HPDE later on.
Anyways, I saw lots of threads asking questions while researching this so I figured I'd post my experience, too bad I didnt take more pics but I get focused on working and thats it. On another note, the pics are of the calipers painted over with duplicolor red caliper paint, not the torch red of the Z06, long story but I plan to fix later.
Z06 front and rear calipers
Front C5 rotors, LS1 rear, both Napa Ultra Premium blanks
Hawk HPS pads F&R C5
guide pins, boots, pad clips from AZ
Goodridge C5 braided caliper hoses, hotpart chassis to axle hoses
ATE super blue fluid
I went with the Napa rotors after reading on the Vette forums thats what most people use street or track HPDE and they hold up well, or you can drop the cash on higher end stuff. The Napa ultras are painted on the hats and inside the vanes and edges which is nice and saves some effort since I was going to do that anyway.
I used C5 pads front and rear. They fit perfect just trim the rattle clips (as shown in the pics-left trimmed, right stock) so they dont rub on the rotor. Also the pads grab the rotor slightly further out, not sure if that changes anything.
AZ guide pins and boots and rattle clip kits were cheap and convenient but I used the GM caliper bolt not the AZ, as you can see in the pic it is a bit larger.
The front C5 lines are long but not too much, the rear C5 lines are way too long! I ended up wrapping around the axle to fit, tho I had to bend the mounting tab a little.
Bleeding was very easy, contrary to a lot of posts I've seen. No scantool, just turned on ignition, count to ten, turn off for a sec or two, turn ignition on for another ten seconds all while NOT touching brake pedal or starting engine. I read that somewhere for GM vehicles to put the ABS module where it needs to be for bleeding. I also used a air compressor vacuum tool ($20 harbor freight) and the blue fluid made it easy to tell when it was all flushed.
Pad bed was easy too, just followed instructions on Hawk box and it was done.
Results were amazing! Very firm pedal, engages almost immediately after pressing pedal. Stop on a dime no matter how fast I'm going. Only problem is they stop too well! If I press too hard it will envoke ABS. I got new tires that help a little but I have all seasons (drive too much to get low treadwear) so with some good summer tires it probably wouldnt be bad. I ran autox and it was a lot of bite, requires attention to not lock it up. Plan to get a set of DT-10 for the front to run HPDE later on.
Anyways, I saw lots of threads asking questions while researching this so I figured I'd post my experience, too bad I didnt take more pics but I get focused on working and thats it. On another note, the pics are of the calipers painted over with duplicolor red caliper paint, not the torch red of the Z06, long story but I plan to fix later.
Last edited by mikedamageinc; 03-22-2010 at 01:22 PM.
03-28-2010, 07:41 PM
#4
The rear rotor is stock (~12?) and the vette rear caliper is basically the same as the LS1.
03-29-2010, 09:02 PM
#5
Thats hugely overkill...those are the size of ZR1 brakes.
The stock vented 12" rotors on LS1 F-bodies are more than adequate.
04-09-2010, 11:34 PM
#7
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...Results were amazing! Very firm pedal, engages almost immediately after pressing pedal. Stop on a dime no matter how fast I'm going. Only problem is they stop too well! If I press too hard it will envoke ABS. I got new tires that help a little but I have all seasons (drive too much to get low treadwear) so with some good summer tires it probably wouldnt be bad. I ran autox and it was a lot of bite, requires attention to not lock it up. Plan to get a set of DT-10 for the front to run HPDE later on...
Since you mention AX and HPDE, what do you have for shocks and springs?
EDIT: Just looked at your garage page under suspension, and you don't list shocks. That's likely the root of the cause.
EDIT2: I just finished seeing your thread over at frrax and see a more updated setup, including Koni SA's. Maybe try readjusting them?
Last edited by Foxxtron; 04-11-2010 at 10:16 AM.
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04-11-2010, 09:13 AM
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04-11-2010, 09:52 AM
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I've usually seen them for the fronts, like ones from Racing Brakes co. only have them curved for the front. Baer may have them, maybe some others.
If you're having temperature problems for the rears, it's practically down to poor or old pads and/or cheap rotors having insufficient rotor plate thickness. Curved and/or directional vanes for the rear won't really help much.
If you're having temperature problems for the rears, it's practically down to poor or old pads and/or cheap rotors having insufficient rotor plate thickness. Curved and/or directional vanes for the rear won't really help much.
11-29-2010, 12:06 PM
#16
Wow, I havent checked this thread in a while!
Foxxtron, I recently went from Eibach springs to Strano and the dive is much less! I think a torque arm will finish the job.
00cls1camaross, Front C5 pistons are smaller but further out on the rotor, rear are the same piston size but a few mm out on the disc.
ROCNDAV, those are C5 clips.
Foxxtron, I recently went from Eibach springs to Strano and the dive is much less! I think a torque arm will finish the job.
00cls1camaross, Front C5 pistons are smaller but further out on the rotor, rear are the same piston size but a few mm out on the disc.
ROCNDAV, those are C5 clips.
