Brake Caliper Spring Elimination
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
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From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
I seen several comments about removing them on this forum and here's a paper that suggests eliminating them:
http://iotech.no/corvette/technical/corvette_brakes.htm
http://iotech.no/corvette/technical/corvette_brakes.htm
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
I seen several comments about removing them on this forum and here's a paper that suggests eliminating them:
http://iotech.no/corvette/technical/corvette_brakes.htm
http://iotech.no/corvette/technical/corvette_brakes.htm
Man that hurt to read...white on black like that. Anyway, if you have a big runout problem I doubt it's the spindle. The rotors are the culprit more often than not. Pull them and have them turned at any Oreilly with a brake lathe. $10 each. If the spindle is warped...replace it. Older calipers should have either o-ring seals or lip seals installed or replaced with newer calipers that have been sleeved and sealed. I would leave the springs in if I were tracking down a problem like that, and solve it with new parts and true rotors.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
Likes: 439
From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
Man that hurt to read...white on black like that. Anyway, if you have a big runout problem I doubt it's the spindle. The rotors are the culprit more often than not. Pull them and have them turned at any Oreilly with a brake lathe. $10 each. If the spindle is warped...replace it. Older calipers should have either o-ring seals or lip seals installed or replaced with newer calipers that have been sleeved and sealed. I would leave the springs in if I were tracking down a problem like that, and solve it with new parts and true rotors.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
I think the springs keep the pads slightly pressed against the rotor so that when the fluid travels back to the master it doesn't suck the pads completely away from the rotor. That would start to cause problems when you eventually mashed the brake again. Probably be noisy too.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
The spring is there to keep the pads lightly touching the rotors and eliminate the "Delay" that you would have if the pads were allowed to retract very far from the rotor. 1/32" might not sound like a lot, but multiply that times 16 pistons with an Inch and whatever bores and you can see that the fluid volume would be a lot, requiring multiple pumps on the brakes to get it to stop
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,387
Likes: 2
From: Meriden CT
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Team Owner
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From: Orange Park Florida
When rebuilding my brakes the first time, some dozen years ago, I noted I allready had SS calipers.....by now I think everyone does, cna't imagine a shark that has moved anywhere in the last 25 years that DONT have them.....
having said that, I could see no reason to use the springs, and so I tossed them.....the lip seals worked fine for about 5 years.....so down here in Florida, I rebuilt with O ring pistons/seals from VBP, once again no springs....
just recently, wouldn't I know it, a driver's side front brake hose got locked up but good, woud not release the caliper....so another O ring kit, set of hoses, and rotors and pads.....
on the road again....
hey brakes, see you in 5 years...
having said that, I could see no reason to use the springs, and so I tossed them.....the lip seals worked fine for about 5 years.....so down here in Florida, I rebuilt with O ring pistons/seals from VBP, once again no springs....
just recently, wouldn't I know it, a driver's side front brake hose got locked up but good, woud not release the caliper....so another O ring kit, set of hoses, and rotors and pads.....
on the road again....
hey brakes, see you in 5 years...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Europe , Luxembourg
Hi
When I installed the O-ring kit, I also left the springs out. With the O-rings, they apparantly don't serve any purpose anymore because the O-rings are stiffer than the springs are strong.
The idea was to keep the pads slighlty touching to keep the pads warm in order to eliminate/evaporate nay water that could affect the first stopping effort. ( heavy rain etc ).
I don't have any problems for the 3rd summer now without the springs.
Leaving them in there with the O-ring kit will not harm anything either, I guess.
Before I installed the O-ring kit, I had rear brake problems with air. The spings and slight bearing wear caused air to enter through the lipseals. After installing the O-ring kit, leaving the spings out, the brake problem was solved. Drove like that for an other 2 summers before I installed new aft wheel bearings.
There are many brakes out there on other cars not using any springs and they still work fine. I think it is up top the individual to install them or leave them out, don't think that any method harms the safe operation of the system.
Günther
When I installed the O-ring kit, I also left the springs out. With the O-rings, they apparantly don't serve any purpose anymore because the O-rings are stiffer than the springs are strong.
The idea was to keep the pads slighlty touching to keep the pads warm in order to eliminate/evaporate nay water that could affect the first stopping effort. ( heavy rain etc ).
I don't have any problems for the 3rd summer now without the springs.
Leaving them in there with the O-ring kit will not harm anything either, I guess.
Before I installed the O-ring kit, I had rear brake problems with air. The spings and slight bearing wear caused air to enter through the lipseals. After installing the O-ring kit, leaving the spings out, the brake problem was solved. Drove like that for an other 2 summers before I installed new aft wheel bearings.
There are many brakes out there on other cars not using any springs and they still work fine. I think it is up top the individual to install them or leave them out, don't think that any method harms the safe operation of the system.
Günther
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
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From: Columbia Missouri
Unless they are hurting something why remove them?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
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From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
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From: Meriden CT
Instructor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 229
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From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Any brake expert in the forum????
Pacha
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Columbia Missouri
Could it be a difference in the master that allows the springs to be taken out? Maybe the master keeps the pads pressed on the rotors.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,202
Likes: 10
From: cincinnati ohio
St. Jude Donor '09
The business of omitting the springs came about with the advent ogf O-ring pistons...the springs would no longer serve their intended purpose of maintaining piston/pad contact........