Why can’t quality calipers be affordable?
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Joined: Oct 2015
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From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
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Still can from cssbinc.com
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2020
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From: The frozen wastes...
Hahaha... you'd have to meet him. He's just a spaz... as i did mention. You've never seen a guy harder on cars. He's 40 going on 16. He can drive, and he can definitely build a car, but man... some people are smooth, some others...
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,729
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From: Seattle Washington
The way I understand it most if not all of the good old Corvette brake companys are getting there Calipers done by Lonestar. Not because they can't do them themselves any more but due to enviormental reasons. Texas is one of the few States that this stuff can still be done in.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,193
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From: Connecticut, USA
The way I understand it most if not all of the good old Corvette brake companys are getting there Calipers done by Lonestar. Not because they can't do them themselves any more but due to enviormental reasons. Texas is one of the few States that this stuff can still be done in.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2007
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I personally chose to go with slotted rotors and keep the calipers stock with stainless sleeves. The only drawback is I have to press the brakes hard every week to keep the lip seals pressurized. I'm hovering over a set of Wilwood's myself, it's a total pain if I don't drive it every few days.
The front and rear bearings in the C3 have also been an issue for me. The front spindles tend to form groves and the trailing arms are usually shot by 25k miles. Either issue negates any caliper upgrades.
The front and rear bearings in the C3 have also been an issue for me. The front spindles tend to form groves and the trailing arms are usually shot by 25k miles. Either issue negates any caliper upgrades.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
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Cruise-In VIII Veteran
After nearly 100 thousand miles and over 45 years I have to say repacking the front wheel bearings every couple years has been all I have had to do up front.
Rear Axles and bearings, well, I've never run them 25 thousand miles between rebuilding. Way to many years pass and I get paranoid. Timken bearings and a couple seals are fairly inexpensive. Shims and a few center spacers I stocked up on years ago.
Rear Axles and bearings, well, I've never run them 25 thousand miles between rebuilding. Way to many years pass and I get paranoid. Timken bearings and a couple seals are fairly inexpensive. Shims and a few center spacers I stocked up on years ago.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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Gary says he surface grinds his shims.
I put a center spacer in a lathe and trim a couple thou off of it. Access to a lathe I have. Surface grinder I do not.
End result is bearing end play at .001 -.002.
I put a center spacer in a lathe and trim a couple thou off of it. Access to a lathe I have. Surface grinder I do not.
End result is bearing end play at .001 -.002.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
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From: North tonawanda NY
Ive also been seeing the bad reviews from current chain store rebuilds. If you want stock style USA made go with CSSB inc. Either rebuild what you have or buy theirs. THe difference between these and Wilwoods besides the cost is the weight savings being aluminum for wilwoods. I will eventually go to wilwoods for the weight when therre isnt any more important things to fix.
https://www.cssbinc.com/
https://www.cssbinc.com/
I rebuilt mine and it was fairly easy with a youtube video and cheap. I did have one that was damaged that I needed to replace and now 10 years later its the only one on my car that still looks shiny and new with no rust.. I was stainless sleeved and even retrofitted with stainless pistons vs alloy by whomever rebuilt it. I bought it at advance auto and it was about $70 at the time... likely rebuilt overseas but personally I care more about reliability and cost than politics...
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 1,568
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From: Wisconsin
I tried the Delcos from Rock Auto and one leaked before I got it off the jackstands. Then when it’s replacement also leaked while still on the stands, I sent all 5 back and took my car to a local Corvette specialty shop. He rebuilt all four originals with lip seals, trued the rotor runout and bled everything for $1,100. Oh and he put in a door spring he noticed was missing.
This guy built his business literally on doing Corvette brakes exclusively starting about 25 years ago. Suffice to say he knows his $h1t. He said everyone and their brother gets into remanning calipers and they don’t know what they are doing. As an example, SOP for remanning the average caliper is bead blasting the bores. No problem on a caliper that has the sealing surface on the piston. Big problem on Corvette calipers that have the sealing surface on the bores.
Corvette bores have to be absolutely pristine no scratches, pits or corrosion of any kind.
This guy built his business literally on doing Corvette brakes exclusively starting about 25 years ago. Suffice to say he knows his $h1t. He said everyone and their brother gets into remanning calipers and they don’t know what they are doing. As an example, SOP for remanning the average caliper is bead blasting the bores. No problem on a caliper that has the sealing surface on the piston. Big problem on Corvette calipers that have the sealing surface on the bores.
Corvette bores have to be absolutely pristine no scratches, pits or corrosion of any kind.
Race Director
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From: Virginia
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Virginia USA
The original 4 piston caliper are just as good as most aftermarket calipers when setup properly. Of course they are heavier but to me that is the only advantage. My '71 Vette still stops the best out of all my modern cars. Think about it, in 1965 when 4 wheel disk brakes became standard on Vettes with 4 piston calipers it was light years ahead of what was available at that time. Not only that they are 4 piston calipers on all 4 corners where as other disk brake offering at that time were usually only on the front and single piston calipers. It took the aftermarket years to start producing their own 4 piston calipers where the Vette has had them for almost 60 years.
Don't flame me, just my opinion of course. I just like to spend money where I need to not because I can say I have Willwood brake calipers which may or may not be superior to stock. I'd love to see if aftermarket 4 piston brakes can out perform the stock 4 piston calipers. That would be a cool test.
Don't flame me, just my opinion of course. I just like to spend money where I need to not because I can say I have Willwood brake calipers which may or may not be superior to stock. I'd love to see if aftermarket 4 piston brakes can out perform the stock 4 piston calipers. That would be a cool test.
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 20,259
Likes: 9,397
From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
If your cylinders are pit free just convert them to o-rings. I did last mine in May of 2020 and havent had a drop leak since.
https://www.cssbinc.com/corvette-bra...rsion-kit.aspx
https://www.cssbinc.com/corvette-bra...rsion-kit.aspx
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,729
Likes: 559
From: Seattle Washington
Muskegon told me it was going to cost them insane money to upgrade there fire system to continue boring brake calipers. Didn't make sense to me but when has building codes ever made sense.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,193
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From: Connecticut, USA
I didn't think they were doing machine work, pretty sure it's Lone Star parts- but again, don't assume. I'll have to ask the next time I call them.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 43,136
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From: Thomson Georgia
If your cylinders are pit free just convert them to o-rings. I did last mine in May of 2020 and havent had a drop leak since.
https://www.cssbinc.com/corvette-bra...rsion-kit.aspx
https://www.cssbinc.com/corvette-bra...rsion-kit.aspx
Thanx,
Should I buy the $54.00 standard conversion kit? As you said earlier, mine only failed or leaked due to lack of use. This kit should fix and resolve the calipers with current and future issues, right?
This problem only arose because I had a bike wreck was leaving the car parked.
I will give this a try before I spend $500.00 on new Calipers.
Thanx
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Just another prospective: My SS sleeved o-ringed stock brakes with the best carbon metalic pads and 600 degree Motul fluid with 17 inch wheel and air ducting completely failed with boil over on the first day of the track season within a couple of laps with my new motor and 5 speed. I came into a 90 - 100 mph turn and my brake pedal went to the floor. I had a Porsche on my rear end and I just pitched it sideways to scrub off some speed and did some 360's and off into the gravel traps and didn't hit anything.
I determined to find the best brakes that would not fail even with glowing rotors. In talking with people the best brakes on the market at the time was Porsche calipers, aluminum hats and 14 inch steel rotors for the front. I cheeped out and bought the Wilwood GT1 brakes for only $5000 instead of the $9000 Porsche setup. Never another brake failure even when trying to see what I could do to them late braking even with the most aggressive "H" pads that destroyed the first set of rotors in one weekend. Like under two hours of total track time. I have stacks of rotors at home just so I'm not out
Why are trying to save pennies on one of the most important safety items on your car? Maybe you need to buy a Honda Fit used and get 55 mpg.
I determined to find the best brakes that would not fail even with glowing rotors. In talking with people the best brakes on the market at the time was Porsche calipers, aluminum hats and 14 inch steel rotors for the front. I cheeped out and bought the Wilwood GT1 brakes for only $5000 instead of the $9000 Porsche setup. Never another brake failure even when trying to see what I could do to them late braking even with the most aggressive "H" pads that destroyed the first set of rotors in one weekend. Like under two hours of total track time. I have stacks of rotors at home just so I'm not out
Why are trying to save pennies on one of the most important safety items on your car? Maybe you need to buy a Honda Fit used and get 55 mpg.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
I'm getting older and grouchy, today I saw a roached out C-3 that was so pathetic looking and blue smoke that I was thinking if it was a Dog I would take it to the vet and have it put down!
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 43,136
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From: Thomson Georgia
Why are trying to save pennies on one of the most important safety items on your car? Maybe you need to buy a Honda Fit used and get 55 mpg.[/QUOTE]
I know you are right. I am being cheap. I just want the best deal for the “right” part. I am a Sunday driver at best. I just want to Cruise safely.
I know you are right. I am being cheap. I just want the best deal for the “right” part. I am a Sunday driver at best. I just want to Cruise safely.