Simon C

Folks,

I have a standard C6 with stock calipers. I do a fair number of HPDEs as an instructor and I am continually having to rebuild the *#@*# calipers due to cracked and torn caliper boots.

Does anyone know of a replacement caliper boot that is heat resistant or better yet fire proof? I burned through my freshly rebuilt (3 days old and the car was trailered to the track) 'rubbers' in 3 x 30 minute session at Watkins Glen this week...

For those who will ask, I have:
1. Cooling ducts and hose to LG Spindle ducts.
2. Stainless Steel Pistons
3. Titanium heat shields mounted on the brake pads
4. Running PF01s at this event and Carbotech XP12s previously..

So, IF there is no other material to use for the caliper boot then I can, with my own opinion and the things I have tried, safely say that there is no other solution but to get a BBK ?

As an aside my NAPA rotors cracked front and rear, but then that wasn't entirely unexpected.. Regardless of what kind of rotor used if the caliper boots won't last one day then what's the point of sticking with the stock system...

"186MPH car with 100MPH Brakes"

Ok that feels better.. I am all ears..
Regards

Simon

Bill Dearborn

The easiest solution is to forget about replacing them. You can run for a couple of years without replacing them. Their only purpose is to keep outside dirt from getting into the inner seal. Just make sure you spray some brake clean on the caliper pistons before you press them back into the caliper when changing pads.

If you go to a big brake kit like Wilwood there will be no external seal around the pistons.

Bill

Z06Fix

LG wilwoods are going to be your best friend. $1600 for the cailpers, pads, and lines. This will resolve your issues and increase you pad life 10 fold.

John Shiels

I can't keep boots on my Dodge dooley Forget the boots they will never last.

Gary2KC5

BBK's for the C5, IMHO, are more for reducing pad cost than increasing braking performance. In my C5 experience the stock caliper's had the same stopping power; they just tappered the pads and caused you to replace them too often. My Wilwood 6LR's were great and the pads life was fantastic.

John Shiels

May be on the first stop they are equal. After you run a hard session stock caliper are no match for the Wilwoods in the second half.

davidfarmer

So you aren't melting the pistons or the seals, just the boots????? That's nothing, just take them out and forget them. Just make sure you blow the pistons off with brake clean or compressed air before doing a pad change.

This is HPDE 101, somehow you missed that lesson. If you are having actual brake problem on track, let's re-address the problems.

meldog21

I know, I know, here I go again with the motorcycle stuff compared to cars, but hang on a second since this has a direct application.

Motorcycles(at least the fast ones) don't have dust seals. I have rebuilt my calipers a bunch of times on my R1. Upon inspection of the pistons you can usually see some amount of crud, pitting, and corrosion. Not much, but enough to eat the outer seal. On the car the dust boot protects the piston from this crud, protecting the outer seal. The dust boot is designed to protect the piston and seals for longer life and less maintenance.

If you run with no seal or a torn or melted seal, all you are doing is allowing the crud and atmosphere to get on your piston. It is not a big deal, you just have to know about it and take the proper precautions.

When you change pads clean the pistons like David said. Make sure you do this before pushing the pistons in. If you notice crud or corrosion you can't blow or wipe off you can polish the pistons. You should do a rebuild kit with new seals and dust boots at the same time. Of course you can leave the dust boots off if you know you're about to go to the track and you're just going to burn them off. I do this procedure once or twice before having to buy new pistons. The polishing is easy, use fine green or white compound on a buffing wheel.

It's always the same thing, if you want to play you have to pay. In other words, if you're instructing and going fast enough to burn up your stock brake components you have to do more maintenance or upgrade to race quality hardware. Of course race quality stuff is not designed for low maintenance so you'll still be doing the work it'll just be on better stuff. The race stuff holds up much better at extreme levels of use.

I got tired of trying to make my C5 brakes work so I finally broke down and spent the bucks for Stoptechs. The car is still apart and I haven't tried them yet, but I have confidence they'll work and need little maintenance for street and track duty.

Dog