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Looking at rotor options. I see some kits that have rotors with wheel studs and some do not. I didn't really pay it much attention when I had it apart. If you get ones without the wheels studs, how hard is it to take the old studs out and swap them? Should you just buy new studs when you get the rotors?
I have only replaced wheel studs when they are broken. The front hub comes off easy, and you can change those without any issue. The rear's though require disassebling the trailing arms and it requires some special tools.
I have only replaced wheel studs when they are broken. The front hub comes off easy, and you can change those without any issue. The rear's though require disassebling the trailing arms and it requires some special tools.
Really? When you take the nut off that holds the bearings in place, the rotor doesn't come off at that point? I haven't taking the rears off, just the fronts up to this point. I would have thought the rears came off just like the fronts. You remove the nut that holds the bearings and the rotor comes off. Assuming you have the brake caliper already removed. Is this because of the E-Brake? I have never messed with that either, but I think I need to. I don't think my E-Brake works and I would like to re-route the cable since I put 18" rims on it and it's really close to the cable and I think rubbing the tire on one side.
Is there a good thread about rear brakes and how to take them apart and fix issues?
I thought the wheel studs were pressed or screwed into the rotor somehow. I'm just not sure how.
The studs are on the hubs not on the rotors.
Fronts aren't bad
Rear are a problem as it's not simple like the front to get off and there's not really enough room to change the studs out (but it's possible, just a PIA)
M
Looking at rotor options. I see some kits that have rotors with wheel studs and some do not. I didn't really pay it much attention when I had it apart. If you get ones without the wheels studs, how hard is it to take the old studs out and swap them? Should you just buy new studs when you get the rotors?
if oem rotors and not too thin i would keep them.. they seem very 70's hard steel.. vs chinesium..
they can machine on car if needed.. and thick enough
Really? When you take the nut off that holds the bearings in place, the rotor doesn't come off at that point? I haven't taking the rears off, just the fronts up to this point. I would have thought the rears came off just like the fronts. You remove the nut that holds the bearings and the rotor comes off. Assuming you have the brake caliper already removed. Is this because of the E-Brake? I have never messed with that either, but I think I need to. I don't think my E-Brake works and I would like to re-route the cable since I put 18" rims on it and it's really close to the cable and I think rubbing the tire on one side.
Is there a good thread about rear brakes and how to take them apart and fix issues?
I thought the wheel studs were pressed or screwed into the rotor somehow. I'm just not sure how.
The studs are pressed in. The front has all the room in the world. To get a better idea of the rears, go try and find pictures of a trailing arm rebuild. The parking brakes are in the way of the rear as well as the brake shield. The rear spindle often requires a press or spindle knocker to remove.
All a mute point. you don't need to change or remove studs to change rotors. Front or rear. You may however have to drill out the factory rivets if they've never been off.
I had a broken stud on the back drivers side. I've read several threads about how to swap it. I was all stressed out after reading them but it was a piece of cake. Just drill a hole in the backplate at the bottom big enough to get the new stud through. I bought this tool at Harbor Freight. I used it to pop the old stud out and press the new one in. Nothing to it.
It seems I have mislead a little. Not on purpose. My desire is to change rotors. I put new wheels on and they show the brakes as opposed to the originals that cover up the brakes. So I am wanting rotors that dress up the car some. When I took the brakes apart doing the suspension rebuild it was this:
The studs are not broken, but this was one assembly. Now looking at rotors, some of them are just the rotor and some include the hub with the studs. Most are just the rotor. So I need to separate the hub from the rotor. This, I have never done before. That statement is a common theme with me as this is my first "project" car.
Sounds like I just drill the rivets out to get the thing apart. I can probably handle that part. Then what? How do I get them back together? Do they need to go back together? Or, do you just sandwich the rotor back on by tightening the lug nuts?
The goal is to make this look a little better and up to date.
I would love to put bigger brakes and fill the wheel more, but that would be a lot of money.
Just drill out the rivets, you do not need to re-rivet the new ones
BUT
You need to have the new ones run true so they need to be indicated and probably shimmed so they run right when installed. The calipers are fixed on these so if the rotor runs out it moves the pads in/out
M
Just drill out the rivets, you do not need to re-rivet the new ones
BUT
You need to have the new ones run true so they need to be indicated and probably shimmed so they run right when installed. The calipers are fixed on these so if the rotor runs out it moves the pads in/out
M
I don't quite understand. I know the brake pads will take care of themselves. I don't understand what you would have to shim. I would expect the rotors to be machined straight so they don't wobble. It's not a line dance at a party baby.
I would have thought you take the old one off and put the new one on and your done.
I don't quite understand. I know the brake pads will take care of themselves. I don't understand what you would have to shim. I would expect the rotors to be machined straight so they don't wobble. It's not a line dance at a party baby.
I would have thought you take the old one off and put the new one on and your done.
Almost. The hubs and rotors were assembled (riveted) and then the rotors were machined so that the runout of the rotor was true with the hub. When you drill out the rivets to replace the rotor, you need to get the rotor back so it runs straight with the hub. If not the very slight "wobble" in the rotor will push the brake pads back and possibly cause the calipers to suck in air. That's the reason to shim the rotors to get that pesky runout as low as possible.
It not only will potentially suck air......but it will wear the seals out quicker than ****......anything more than a .005 runout on the rotors will cause problems......
One thing you CAN do is take that whole assembly and get it turned at a parts store that still has a brake lathe........Clean them up good with a wire wheel and solvent....then shoot the whole damn thing semi-gloss black.......when you take it to get it turned, the lathe will shave the paint off the disc surface and the vent around the outside stays black as well as the hub......looks good with a see through wheel and dirt cheap.
If you leave the hub on it is just like machining the rotors on the car.....
EDIT: Of course the rears are not like this......you could paint them and have them machined, mark the placement on you hubs and clock them the same way, but you are at the mercy of the cups on the brake lathe and how concentric the center hole is on your current rotors......
Jebby
Last edited by Jebbysan; Feb 10, 2021 at 12:22 PM.
I think you need to read up a bit more on the corvette brakes before you go too much farther. I'm guessing based on your first post that you're looking for drilled/slotted rotors for looks, maybe a painted/powder coats caliper or something.
The system these use with the fixed calipers will "pump" the pads in and out if the rotor is running out, typically pumping air into the brake lines and wearing out the seals as Jebby says
New rotors are probably not machined as good as you're thinking and the out hubs aren't as well, they were all machined together (hence the rivets) so it worked from the factory
Turning them as an assembly can be done if you can find someone to do it, and that will only really work on the fronts
Some places (I don't actually know any) can turn them on the car
Anyway, you're in pretty deep now so might as well keep going.
M
I get the physics of all that. Makes total sense. If I were to get a rotor and hub with lug studs as a complete unit, that would take all this guess work out, correct? It will cost some more money, but I just pull the rotors and swap the bearing and put it back on. Assuming it doesn't come with new bearings.
If the mating side of the hub and rotor are not turned to tight tolerances, I don't see how you can sell these as separate pieces. Seems like it would never work or you maybe just always have to grind quite a bit of material of the rotor.
I don't have any issues with the brakes now, just looking for a cosmetic upgrade.
I didn't even know you could buy them with the hub already attached but then again I've never looked for them either. Shimming corvette brakes has been the normal process for decades so most of us don't think twice about it and you certainly don't want to take the rear bearing assembly apart to change the rotor.
M
I get the physics of all that. Makes total sense. If I were to get a rotor and hub with lug studs as a complete unit, that would take all this guess work out, correct? It will cost some more money, but I just pull the rotors and swap the bearing and put it back on. Assuming it doesn't come with new bearings.
If the mating side of the hub and rotor are not turned to tight tolerances, I don't see how you can sell these as separate pieces. Seems like it would never work or you maybe just always have to grind quite a bit of material of the rotor.
I don't have any issues with the brakes now, just looking for a cosmetic upgrade.
There would be no reason to buy the hub.....unless you just want both pieces brand new.....but I have never seen them sold as a unit. If you buy them new separate, then buying the hub is not necessary at all....you have to machine them together anyway....
ok. Do you take them somewhere to get them shimmed? l assume I need to get a local shop to do it.
I think I saw a picture like this and thought it was one assembled piece. https://www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Br...tte&option=C-3
ok. Do you take them somewhere to get them shimmed? l assume I need to get a local shop to do it.
I think I saw a picture like this and thought it was one assembled piece. https://www.wilwood.com/BrakeKits/Br...tte&option=C-3
That system is totally different that stock. The Dynapro caliper has a piston surface of 5.06 in^2 compared to 5.56 in^2 for the stock caliper. So you will lose about 9% of clamping force compared to the stock caliper. Not a good deal.
The stock rotors are good. Very good. I have never seen any definitive tests that prove that slotted or dimpled rotors are any better for street use. I did replace mine with new NAPA rotors but only because we did the trailing arms at the same time. For my rears, Gary set the run out to .0025" on both my rear rotors. One required a .003 shim, the other did not. He then fastened the rotors to the hubs with bolts so they don't move.
I replaced the front rotors myself. Drilled out the rivets, fastened the new rotors to the hubs with lug nuts. Check run out using a dial gage. Took a couple of shims but got it down to ~.002 on both.
Last edited by SteveG75; Feb 10, 2021 at 08:51 PM.
changing rotors lugs studs difficulty
