so im getting all new brake rotors and pads (and stainless steal lines) all around pretty soon here.. and i was thinking of going with the 13" rotors up front.. so i have a few questions..

1: is there really that much of a difference with the bigger rotors (is the conversion price worth it)?

2: exactly what parts will i need? i was trying to piecemeal everything together between mid america motorworks, rotorsonline and ebay, but if theres one place i can go to get everything, that would be preferable.. (although i am a fan of not spending all of my money.)

if i decide not to get em, ill go with the cheapest new slotted (and drilled if i cant find just slotted) rotors, and decent pads.

i loves me some links guys, so help a brotha out!

 

1: is there really that much of a difference with the bigger rotors (is the conversion price worth it)?
Depends how you drive; most swear by them

2: exactly what parts will i need?
13" rotors , J55 /GS caliperS and the J55 caliper brackets;prob hardest part to find

if i decide not to get em, ill go with the cheapest new slotted (and drilled if i cant find just slotted) rotors, and decent pads.

Slotted / drilled generally considered waste of time for street use.
Good for looks

 

Don't get any drilled they have been known to crack if you do any track time.

 

Ya don't need links, use the search function! That's what it's there for.

 

I did a similiar upgrade a couple years ago, but went with the Grand Sport Calipers. When I went from 12" to 13" it was like night and day. The drastic difference in performance more than likely was from the overall modification and not just due to the larger rotors. Simply flushing and replacing old brake fluid will give a noticeable improvement as well. I changed calipers, caliper brackets, rotors, pads, installed SS brake lines, and flushed the entire system.

I bought the calipers and brackets from Chris May at Superior Chevrolet. He still works there and can help you. I just ordered some parts from him two weeks ago. He knows the parts and can set you up quick. Sorry you will have to do the search on Superior Chevrolet and find a phone number to the parts department. Thier prices are better than any other for factory components that I know of.

I went with inexpensive eBay slotted and drilled rotors. I have over 25k miles on them with no warpage or cracking. I have driven this car in stop and go traffic on the Washington DC beltway as a daily driver up until last May when I took the car off the road for engine mods. Some guys will tell you that your life depends on your rotors and you should buy the very best. Do what you feel works for you and your driving style. If you plan to track the car, then I guess you know what kind of components to buy. When I finish my engine mods I will probably go to a good slotted rotor so I can autocross, but I will probably just let these burn up first.

Good luck with whatever you do. It is a great modification if you have stock 12" brakes up front. Another caveat to think about. It is cheaper to do a C5 brake upgrade than J55 or Grand Sport brakes. Just keep that in mind.

Cheers

 

In short, yes. Make sure to do the DRM bias spring as well. That fixes the bias after you pur the 13" rotors up front and will take out a lot of the nose dive under braking.

Search for Superior Chevy to get the GM part numbers you'll need, there is a nice exploded view of all the parts. Then price them out as well as gmpartsdirect.com and rockauto.com. You should be able to get everything you need from one of those sources.

flush the system, install SS lines and put fresh rotors & pads in the back as well and you'll notice quite a difference.

Don't bother with slotted or drilled rotors, it's all just bling. Inexpensive solid rotors that are well cared for will be just fine.

 

First, is this for looks or for racing? If this is for racing, don't bother with the J55. The C5 parts are cheaper and work better. IMO the 13" is not going to give much change in stopping distance. Spend the money on great pads which will make the most difference. You don't need stainless lines either.

 

Why not just go straight to the stock C5 rotors with hawk pads and ss lines. It will probably cost about the same as the J55 upgrade and the C5 pads are larger. You should see a huge difference in stopping.

 

I would think the stopping power would go down, larger pad and piston area with the same size M/C. Pads and tires make the biggest difference in stopping distance.

If you don't need the C5 setup for track use, then it's just extra weight making your car slower.

Most won't need the braided lines but that is a for looks mod for people too.

 

With a coefficient of friction less than 1 I believe that the pad size doesn't change the stopping power, only the amount of area to dissipate heat. It would also affect how fast the pads wear. The larger rotors provide more leverage and also make it easier to modulate the braking force. Of course this is all theory stuff.

 

okay, well lemme start responding

i was only gonna go with drilled rotors, cause all of the slotted ones i can find (save a few) are drilled as well. id prefer to go just slotted, but what can ya do.

and i hadnt realized that the c5 upgrade was comprably priced to the j55.. thats definitely something to look into..

i did a search to see what parts i would need, but i didnt find what i was looking for. im basically so lazy at this point that i just want someone to tell me what to get

haha, okay, so im not really that lazy, but im sick, so gimme a break. ill have to check with superior chevy out.

when swapping up to c5s, do you just need the same parts youd need for a j55? (ie, rotors, calipers pads, a bracket), or do you need new spindles too? (im kind of an f-body guy, and thats how we had to do it )

thanks for all the responces guys

 

The C5 pads, rotors abutment bracket and caliper are all cheaper than C4 parts.

The only real added cost up front is the adapter bracket.

 

oh, i forgot to say, this is for my DD, but i do try to have some fun with it, so it is more go than it is show.

i cant seem to find anyone who sells the adapter bracket.. i know where to get calipers/rotors/pads, but other than that im at a loss..

also, with the c5 upgrade, what SS lines would i need?

 

Now that I'm home I have access to this so I can post it. Here is the exploded view of the J55 upgrade I mentioned earlier. Those are all GM p/n's shown.



You'll need C5 rotors, C5 pads, C5 calipers, C5 caliper brackets and an adapter plate to make the caliper bracket work. Your spindles should be fine.

 

i know i can get the rotors, pads, calipers and caliper brackets from gmpartsdirect.. whereabouts can i get the adapter plate?

 

Superior Chevrolet will be less expensive and quicker to ship.

 

... and the cost for new wheels!!

It is important to note the C5 conversion will NOT fit under stock 17" C4 sawblade (or other stock C4) wheels... (I think the exception is the 5 spoke ZR1 & knockoffs).

I went with the GS caliper setup on mine due in large part for the desire (and savings) of keeping the stock wheels.. otherwise I would have used the C5 stuff..


Yes the difference is noticeable.. But so would just a pad upgrade on your current setup.. I think the biggest advantage the larger rotors offer is they are thicker with direction cooling vanes so they resist brake fade better for track use... if this is a street only car I think keeping the 12" rorots is the way to go... you will notice the extra mass on the wheels in the handling and 'feel' of the steering wheel... I did! It took about 3 days for me to get used to the new feel..

 

well i guess that seals the deal.. im gonna go with new 12" rotors all around and new pads

ill get the c5 brakes if they fit behind my new wheels and i decide that thats the better place to spend money (vs go fast stuff, which i notice im pretty addicted to)

i appreciate all the help guys. thanks again

 

Still have my J55 calipers, rotors bolts etc. if you are interested. PM me.

 

I agree with Aardwolf. Save your money for a couple months and get the C 5 calipers and new wheels. BUT...
I converted from base brakes, 12", to the 13" several years ago. (NOT C 5). Probably the best improvement I've done to the car. I put on Hawk HPS pads, SS hoses, High temp Fluid, GS calipers. Works great, even on track days. I suggest slotted rotors. Check out VB & P also. Don't know where the best deal is at.