In my 1977 vette, my front right brake was dragging. Both my front calipers are leaking, they are original and it is likely due to the lip seal design and lack of SS lining the piston bore. What are some preferred brands for new calipers? Also, are remanufactured calipers worth a purchase or not?

 

Lonestar Caliper is what I've used in the past. Just put 4 rebuilts on a 79. No issue so far. Obviously new pads and rubber lines as well since you have it that far apart.

I have not used the O-Ring design, so no experience there. As far as lip seals, I've always changed the brake fluid every 3 years. Helps keep the water out.

http://lonestarcaliper.com/

 

As far as dragging is concerned, the problem could be clogged rubber brake lines. They clog up with old brake fluid and it acts like a one way check valve. If they are old, replace them all. Jerry

 

Welcome to the Corvette Forum Nick Smith!

This is the place when you have questions or thoughts regarding your older Corvettes. It appears that you had answers in just 15 minutes from you original post.

As far as Calipers are concerned there are different varieties out there. The original ones did not have a sleeve in them. As the calipers were used and abused they got rust pocks inside the bores so someone came up with a Sleeved caliper where they used a sleeve pressed in to give the caliper a good solid bore. Today it is harder and harder to find calipers that have not been sleeved. My 1968 Corvette has sleeved calipers on all four wheels as it is 54 years old. The sleeves clean up and have no pits or scratches in them so I use a Brake hone and clean the bores before installing new O-Ring type seals. I bought a kit that had all the parts to rebuild and convert all 4 calipers to the O-ring style seals. It was a bit difficult to separate the two halves of each caliper but doable.

If you are not up to having all the fun and grime with rebuilding the calipers there are several companies who do quality work. Lonestar Caliper as suggested by gcb1966 is one of the better companies from what I have read.

There are rubber hoses that connect from the brass block on the frame to the Caliper and these have to be able to flex easily. The original rubber lines are good for 10-15 years and then they should be replaced. When you do replace them be sure that you buy parts that are D.O.T. certified to ensure that they are safe for the use on cars on American Highways. Another option is to buy a set of the hoses that come with the SS braided covers over the rubber hoses. These are superior to the standard lines because they they do not flex when you apply the brakes hard. I have them on both of my Corvettes and they don't cost much more for the extra protection. The SS Braided hoses still need to be replaced every 15-20 years as they do age and crack.

Once you have good solid calipers and new hoses then you come to the next chapter which is going to be "Bleeding your Corvette Brake System". Like anything there are several ways to do the job, find the one that "Works" for you and go for it. If the fluid is not changed often (every 3-5 Years) you will see corrosion in your brake lines. There are Pressure Bleeders, Vacuum Bleeders, Gravity Bleeders and Reverse Pressure Bleeders. I have at least three of bleeding systems if not all four. I use a Phoenix Reverse Bleeding system and it is so easy to get ALL the air out. The easier it is the more likely you will do it as part of the regular maintenance.

If this Corvette is new to you be sure to get the parts and fix your Parking/Emergency Brake. Many of us have chosen to use the SS hardware and shoes to prevent them from rusting in place.

Another couple items you might want or need is the Factory Service Manual (FSM) and a copy of the Assembly Instruction Manual (AIM). The FSM is critical as it has the best and most accurate information regarding your particular model year. The AIM shows parts break-downs and can be extremely helpful when re-assembling parts. Rock Auto has the FSM on DVD's for about $30 and the hard copies are about $100 from Helm Publishing. Corvette parts suppliers have the AIM's, mine came pre-punched so I have it on a 3 ring binder near the Corvette.

As you re-assemble your brake system be sure to flush the entire system very thoroughly and get all the crap out of the lines.

Best Regards,
Chris

P.S. Again, WELCOME!!

 

Did you open yours up to see if they are lined or not. I like CSSBinc https://www.cssbinc.com/ for any brake system replacements. I used their o ring conversion kit and havent had a brake leak or issue since. I also used stainless braided lines to replace the rubber lines. I replaced my booster and master with a complete set from TuffStuff. If you replace either yo have to make sure that the master is for power versus manual a d you have to make sure the plunger is the correct length..https://www.tuffstuffperformance.com/
you should look into the advanced search options for finding info as well

 

I have not had any issues using remanufactured calipers from various FLAPS, O'Reilly sells calipers exchanged for $83.00.

 

Calipers from Autozone are no good. They sandblast and paint the bores.

 

Guess those would be the Duralast brand, are they all being rebuilt at the same location and just re-branded????