O-ring or Lip Brake Calipers
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
O-ring or Lip Brake Calipers
Getting ready too order new brake calipers from VBP and need advice on getting the o-ring or lip brake calipers. I don't drive the car all the time and my buddy at work says the o-rings can leak. Thanks for any Help!
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Your buddy dunno jack about vette brakes.....if your calipers are already SS lined, just get the O ring rebuild kits....new hoses, and street pads....do a m/cyl also, but those are common local, not worth shipping fees....
I bet you calipers are SS lined already, the last shark with factory stock calipers without linings was spotted 25 years ago...on the roadside with no brakes....
I bet you calipers are SS lined already, the last shark with factory stock calipers without linings was spotted 25 years ago...on the roadside with no brakes....
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 11,520
Likes: 13
From: CORVETTE 77 385 C.I. TEXAS
Your previous topic on this:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-calipers.html
The lip seal are supposed to be more likely to leak if not driven regularly.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...-calipers.html
The lip seal are supposed to be more likely to leak if not driven regularly.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I'd go with O-ring calipers- especially since you don't drive it much. As the car sets, the lip seals don't have as much surface area against the bore of the caliper. Due to that, the pistons will "sag" in the bore. Not much, but they will settle a little and be off-center. The O rings have more surface against the bore and won't sag as much. When you push the brakes, the hydraulic pressure is equal all over the inside of the bore and will shove the calipers' pistons back to center. Lip seals have more sideways motion and possibly leak quicker than the O rings. FWIW, I haven't had mine out in 8 months and the pedal is still as good as it was right after I rebuilt the system with O rings.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 91
Not contest.... "O" rings for sure. BTW, my stock calipers with O-ring, alum pistons, and NO SS SLEEVES are working perfect since 1996.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,176
Likes: 3,991
From: Connecticut, USA
Well I'm on the other side of the fence, the old school side. I never use O rings and never had a brake problem, I can leave passengers teeth in the dash pad. I do setup the rotors,bearings,and bleed the system every couple of years. When the stock system is correctly set up it works,no gimmicks, tricks, special deals.
If you have rotor runout over 005, bearing endplay over 003 then maybe those will be the best option unless you fix the problems.
If you have rotor runout over 005, bearing endplay over 003 then maybe those will be the best option unless you fix the problems.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 952
Likes: 0
Well I'm on the other side of the fence, the old school side. I never use O rings and never had a brake problem, I can leave passengers teeth in the dash pad. I do setup the rotors,bearings,and bleed the system every couple of years. When the stock system is correctly set up it works,no gimmicks, tricks, special deals.
If you have rotor runout over 005, bearing endplay over 003 then maybe those will be the best option unless you fix the problems.
If you have rotor runout over 005, bearing endplay over 003 then maybe those will be the best option unless you fix the problems.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,000
Likes: 1
From: Minneapolis, Mn USA
O-ring for sure.
You'll see once you rebuild them how much of a better seal they will provide. The friction of the o-ring crush makes the piston harder to move in the bore, similar to todays caliper.
This has the benefit of making it harder to leak.
It also makes it harder to flutter the piston, due to any small amount of runout of the rotor (warping), which makes it harder to acheive the bad phenomena known as air pumping of the seal. Read up on this. O-rings are better all the way around, IMHO.
B.
You'll see once you rebuild them how much of a better seal they will provide. The friction of the o-ring crush makes the piston harder to move in the bore, similar to todays caliper.
This has the benefit of making it harder to leak.
It also makes it harder to flutter the piston, due to any small amount of runout of the rotor (warping), which makes it harder to acheive the bad phenomena known as air pumping of the seal. Read up on this. O-rings are better all the way around, IMHO.
B.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I've never had a problem out of the old style Stainless Steel Sleeved Calipers. We do offer the o-ring calipers and our customer seem to love them.
A set of four is now listed in the forum special section with no core charge $540.00 for the set.
If you need the hoses I think they are around 29.00 for the set of four.
http://willcoxcorvette.com/advanced_...keywords=brake
The calipers are made by Lone Star Caliper.
Willcox
A set of four is now listed in the forum special section with no core charge $540.00 for the set.
If you need the hoses I think they are around 29.00 for the set of four.
http://willcoxcorvette.com/advanced_...keywords=brake
The calipers are made by Lone Star Caliper.
Willcox
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
I am not sure which way to adivse you, but I can tell you installed VBP SS O ring brakes on the front in sprng of '04 and I am now in the process of rebuilding a leaking caliper. On the other hand, I have SS with lip seals in the back, older than the fronts with no issues. I store the car winters and only put 1k to 2k miles per year on the car. I do change break fluid every spring. Bottom line for me is that O'rings aren't bullet proof either.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
Regardless whether you use one or the other there not bullet proof. Moisture from the brake fluid causes rust and that's what destroys the seals. The stainless sleeve in the bores protect them but the seals go away from the rust and they too have to be rebuilt.....the solution is to bleed the systems completely every couple of years and setting in a garage dont help.....the brake fluid attracts the moisture. A catch 22 maybe....
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 3
I had had problems with my '69s brakes for over 20 years until I went to SSBC aluminum calipers. I tried NEW GM caliper components, stainless steel brake clipers, and O-ring pistons all had problems over 120,000 miles. The O-ring pistons (from Zero Tolerance) NEVER worked, the pistons retracted when the brake pedal was released so they never worked!!
I would trash the factory calipers and start fresh with a better design....
I would trash the factory calipers and start fresh with a better design....
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 286
Likes: 0
From: Pensacola Fla
"O"rings
O ring design has been around a long time mostly in aviation and they work! I have installed them on my 79,I am an original owner,have had some problems over the early years with it.I would keep a bag of seal kits purchased from Chevrolet on hand for whenever they would start leaking.I started a PM program on brakes about a year and half,would change seals and fluid still have original calipers,no sleeves,nothing against them but have no need to use them yet! But the best thing I did for my 79 was the conversion to the o rings,have not replaced them since installed but still change out fluid on a time schedule.Also about the second mod I did to my car back when it was new changed to silicone fluid which has helped the longevity of my calipers plus the constant PM of the brake system. You can not go wrong with the o rings.Also ask VBP what they use in their calipers,bet they use the o ring design anyway,your friend is wrong,unless the o ring seals are cut or damaged some how.
Last edited by 69elky; Apr 20, 2009 at 12:53 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
I just purchased 4 new calipers (s/s sleeved with O-ring seals) from Willcox with a s/s braided hoses and installed them along with a hydroboost conversion, and the results? .. absolutely astonishing! .. it was really day/night difference, and comparing it to my 2007 Yukon, the vette's brakes is more responsive. I used a DOT4 fluid and a Motive power bleeder to put in the new fluid and bleed the air out.
