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I did twice and like I said the "I know everything and I'm right attitude on this forum is tiresome and so are those who only read a portion of a thread and then interject their own BS is all to common and frustrating.
And yes you are one of the ones beating the dead horse.
Separating the wheat from the chaff is just part of the deal. Lot's of urban myths out there, and clearing that up is just one aspect.
Well, I am replacing my TA bushings and this was a timely post. One of my rear calipers is leaking. The OP asked the same questions I was going to. From the comments it does appear the stock system is quite good as long as SS sleeves are present. My thought was I am better off putting money into better tires than aftermarket calipers alone.
To answer your question, yes, I would keep the stock system for the street and invest in ultra high performance summer only 17/18 inch tires with the money saved. The stock system with SS stock calipers with SS braided hoses along with high performance brake pads will quickly overcome a standard S rated low performance 15 inch tire on a C3. A W/Y rated tire will not only transform the threshold braking ability of the car in both wet and dry but will also greatly improve the handling/steering response and ride (UHP tires have a superior ride to the S rated 15 inch tires available for these cars)
I agree with the wheel & tire torque comments above. The one thing almost no one mentioned is that stock corvettes rely on the different front/rear piston diameters to balance the system front/rear. A balanced brake system is only balanced for one specific stopping force / G-loading. Any change that could possibly result in stronger braking will result in less load on the rear tires due to weight transfer, and they will then lock-up early, for basically no real increase in overall stopping distance. Tires stickier than stock are the biggest contributor to this rear-lockup dilemna. This is exactly the situation the adjustable proportioning valves, and balance bar master cylinders, are designed for, so the fr/rr brake balance can be re-tuned, and very easily. And you have to believe Chevy knew about this, and did not want any car locking it's rear brakes first, so the factory balanced system always locks the fronts measurably before the rears for both safety, control, warranty and litigation reasons.
My recommendation: Any car that has had any change that could potentially increase the braking power (this includes tires) should be safelytested to insure the fronts still lock-up first. For best performance the rears should lock up immediately after. If you need to change your braking balance 2 or 5 or 10% to achieve this, that is how much you just decreased your stopping distances. Just don't flat spot your tires doing this!
While adding the prop valve to the car is not a bad idea it shouldn't be done as a bandaide solution either. Meaning the design balance should be pretty well thought out first. The comment on the piston sizing is spot on also. Figuring a roughly 2:1 ratio of area you'll be close. Assuming the same size rotor and same pad compound you'd have that bias ratio also. But if the rear rotor is smaller also in many cases that further reduces the rear % of course.
The prop valve should be a more fine tuning part. Not a way to prove you can uses C6 stock calipers on both ends of the car just because they fit.....doh! (you'll have to search it if you don't know what I'm talking about)
I did twice and like I said the "I know everything and I'm right attitude on this forum is tiresome and so are those who only read a portion of a thread and then interject their own BS is all to common and frustrating. And yes you are one of the ones beating the dead horse.
Is it your preference/position that erroneous information should just stand, and possibly misdirect/misinform younger or less knowledgeable members of this forum?
While I have your attention, and apparently while I was beating that dead horse, do you think I posted any incorrect information in this thread?
To answer your question, yes, I would keep the stock system for the street and invest in ultra high performance summer only 17/18 inch tires with the money saved. The stock system with SS stock calipers with SS braided hoses along with high performance brake pads will quickly overcome a standard S rated low performance 15 inch tire on a C3. A W/Y rated tire will not only transform the threshold braking ability of the car in both wet and dry but will also greatly improve the handling/steering response and ride (UHP tires have a superior ride to the S rated 15 inch tires available for these cars)
Thanks, currently I am running 255/50ZR 17 Riken Raptors. Z rated but I am not real impressed with them.
I hope I'm not beating a dead horse, but here it goes;
I just noticed that my front calipers are beginning to leak in my 1974 convertible and I am contemplating the best repair path. I noticed that Wilwood has a very nice kit that is quite lightweight, assumed to be high quality, and comes with the pads and SS lines for about $500. My question is, has anyone else used the Wilwoods, and are they worth the extra money, or am I better off going with something else? Of course, I would value any other suggestions as well.
Thanks in advance!
I advise reading the following threads before you make your decision.
I don't regret buying and installing them. Just wish they would take care of the known issues.
Me too. Probably scared off 'shurst', but really all the messy stuff is at the rear and if he just replaces the fronts as mentioned, it is an easy install. The rears are not that much worse and one baby step forward in front makes it easier to contemplate the rears.
Didn't you used to live in Santa Cruz? Guess we'll never have a beer!
I decided to pull the seals out of mine just to inspect....GLAD I DID..lots of gunk and rust. Local remans are $80, non SS sleeves. The caliper kit from Van Steel is $439 but I need to call them about shipping as they want over $300 for that and a $200 core. Im in Alaska... The Van Steel kit is reman, SS, O-Ring calipers. I may just fly standby to Clearwater FL and buy them in person and check them as luggage.
Me too. Probably scared off 'shurst', but really all the messy stuff is at the rear and if he just replaces the fronts as mentioned, it is an easy install. The rears are not that much worse and one baby step forward in front makes it easier to contemplate the rears.
Didn't you used to live in Santa Cruz? Guess we'll never have a beer!
Yep, lived in Santa Cruz from 2010 to 2018. Moved there for a job, now back in SW Michigan (retired). But if you're ever in the area I'll be glad to buy you a cold one!
The thing that is so frustrating about the Wilwood rear calipers: All they need to do is change their CNC machining program and it would all be good.
Well, as long as they're machining they could add an external connection so it could be used as a parking brake also. Then we could toss those crappy drum-parking-brakes.... I really like my Wilwood brakes, but this would make them optimum.
Well, as long as they're machining they could add an external connection so it could be used as a parking brake also. Then we could toss those crappy drum-parking-brakes.... I really like my Wilwood brakes, but this would make them optimum.
The willwood e-brakes are the same exact drum setup, i have the piston style on my mustang and i dont care for it vs the drum style, far more surface friction area on the drums than the piston
The willwood e-brakes are the same exact drum setup, i have the piston style on my mustang and i dont care for it vs the drum style, far more surface friction area on the drums than the piston
My 2 cents. Anytime you can reduce unsprung weight it is a win. It helps both handling and ride. And I also agree that the Wilwood calipers look better so there is two reasons to go to them. I don't have them but wish I did.
I've had Wilwood brakes on my '69 for so long I can't remember (at least 15+ years). I got them for one reason only.....to save weight. They came as a bolt-on kit from Precision Brakes Co. (out of business now). The Dyna-Lite calipers weigh 4 lbs. each compared to the stock ones at 13 lbs. apiece. These are not the calipers that are C3 specific like the ones offered today. They were the light ones usually used for racing that were offered in a kit with bolt-on hardware to install them. One other bonus.......they are so thin that you can install Cragar SS rims without the need for spacers. If you want to custom install them, the calipers are Wilwood # 120-6804 4-piston calipers.
Here is what the kit looked like.......
An old pic, but you can see the caliper....
Last edited by C3 Stroker; 03-20-2019 at 04:34 PM.
03-17-2019, 07:07 AM
