Specific big brake upgrade comparision questions?

[JAM]

Questions for all the kits to compare:

1. Can you only run pads from only the manufacture of the brake kit? Meaning I can't buy pads anywhere else.

2. How much extra brake dust did you get?

3. How much extra stopping power did you get at the track/street/etc?

4. How was the installation of the kit? Example, dificult and had to cut parts of the spindles vs. Easy to install and re-used stock spindles, or bolted on new xxx parts.

The brake kits I would like to compare are the wilwood 6 piston brake kit, the new Stainless Steel brake corp. 3 piston set up, and the Baer 2 piston GT+ set up.


Additionally, I saw in summit and jegs where they had oversized GM calipers with a 2 3/4" piston that is supposed to give like 20% more stoping power... Is this only true for the older cars? I thought 98+ had 2 3/4" pistons?

If this is not true has anyone used this simple upgrade. If yes, how did you like it?

Thanks guys and gals,
JAM

[img]smile.gif[/img]

[JAM]

Ok Duh! Ignore last part about stock caliper piston size. I found it in the tech data bases here on the web site. (see below)

In 1998 GM redesigned the brakes for all F-Bodies. Completely new, considerably larger brakes were introduced on all 98 models, both V6 and V8, and for the first time four wheel disc brakes were standard on all V6 models (the same brakes as used on V8 models, on all four wheels), rather than being standard only on V6 models equipped with the Y87 Performance Package as it had in previous years. The front discs were upgraded to use 11.9" rotors and dual-piston PBR calipers. The rear discs now use 12" rotors and single-piston calipers.

[Dominic]

Why not go with cheaper 13" Corvette rotors and calipers? LG sells an adapter kit that works. Most guys running tracks say its sufficient for 140mph stuff (insane). Is the stock not enough for you with 12" all around discs? I personally dont have any issues with brake fade and can 60-0 in 114ft, so... Im not sure what a $3,000 brake kit will get you [img]smile.gif[/img]

Also, 13" brakes means 17" wheels minimum, Baer's si the largest and sometimes wont clear some wheels (like borbet Ts)

[JAM]

Well when you need to stop suddenly from 100mph the stockers are ok... but I wanted to get some better stopping power.

I didn't know that you can use corvette rotors. What would be the advantage of GM corvette calipers? Aren't they also a 2 piston set up that is the same?

So far from my research it seems that the wilwood 6 pistons have the best clamping force. But hopefully someone here has tried it...

[MustangEater8251]

I was just gonna suggest Corvette conversion. MUCH cheaper, but still not cheap, a friend of mine jsut did a Z06 conversion on his 99 SS, I believe he did it with new parts for ~$800 total. Thats not that bad might be able to do it cheaper, skim the corvette boards and see if anyone is selling their stock setup.

Advantage of the corvette setup, is they are high perfromance, BUT still very streetable, and you still have lots of options for replacement pads and rotors, not just stuck with one set from an aftermarket setup.

Only problems with this, I heard its harder to get the adapter bracket cuz one of the main guys that did it stopped, and you will have to use 17"s 16 in rims will not clear the brakes, this includes the spare tire but I believe peopel are using Spare tires from C4 vettes to fix this problem.

[Arctc Wolf]

There's something you have neglected to address, and that's tires. you can have all the clamping force you want, but if the tires can't grip enough to not go into horrible ABS pulsing, it's not worth it. Making sure the tires are sticky enough, and if you have the stickiest one's, then wide enough, to take advantage of the greater clamping force. I'm looking at getting the wilwood kits front and rear eventually, but it won't be untill after I upgrade wheels and tires to take better advantage of the better braking power. some things to remember:

bigger disks mean better leverage when braking, reducing stopping times, also there's more surface area and longer times when the pad isn't hitting one spot on the rotor, meaning cooler rotors, less chance of warping and/or breaking.

pads matched to the driving your doing. some pads grip really well, but only after theyr'e warmed up, meaning the first time or two you try to stop, you won't cuz theyr'e not warm enough to grip.

if brake dust is a concern, the type of pad u use will determine how much dust occurs.

match the front brakes to the rear. big front brakes will work a lot better if the rears are upgraded in propoertion as well.

[FirebirdGT]

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/perform...ATID=1385.html

[John_D.]

Agreed, if you can lock the tires up now, then a bigger better brake won't help you stop any faster, becuase you can't lock the tire up any more than it already is...

If you plan to go with bigger tires, race rubber, or do repeated high speed stops, then it might help to upgrade.

A bigger brake will resist fade better, if you are doing repeated braking (for example on a road course). Brake vents will also help with brake fade.

(I'm doing both, the C5/Z06 upgrade, and a set of Severn brake ducts from the fog light openings to a plate that mounts to the spindle and directly feeds into the rotor.)

The C5 caliper resists spreading better, and the C5 rotor is a bit bigger so it resists fading better. You do need a new bracket, and the spindle does need to be trimmed in one spot on the 98+.

Bob Bishop was making the brackets. He had stopped, but came back for a final run of 22 (and had enough interest to make it 2 runs of 22). They are getting the final participants to pay up for the second batch.

Here is the link if anybody is interested in getting in on this. A few people volunteered to buy more than one set just to make sure there were enough buyers for this run. So just because it says all 22 sets are sold doesn't mean you can't get one of those spares. I'm getting mine today from the first batch.

http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?a...9e60ff06bd198b

[John_D.]

I meant to also say that one of the advantages of using a GM factory setup, is wide availability of replacement parts. I've heard of people getting a fresh set of C5 rotors for something like $20 each... And that the C5/Z06 performance pads can be bought cheaper than the f-body pads.

[FirebirdGT]

Originally posted by Dominic:
Why not go with cheaper 13" Corvette rotors and calipers? LG sells an adapter kit that works.

Would you provide a link? I can't find it on their site.

[JAM]

I couldn't find it either on the site. So no one here runs a big brake kit of any kind? Only the vette mod?

[MustangEater8251]

Originally posted by JAM:
I couldn't find it either on the site. So no one here runs a big brake kit of any kind? Only the vette mod?

Likely not most people woudl invest ~$1500-2000 int something else besides brakes [img]smile.gif[/img]