C5 Rear brake adapters?
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,961
Likes: 707
From: WI
I started a thread about the same thing a week or two ago. Here and in the race section. Nothing turned up. I am hoping to get a used C5 rear caliper and see what the issues are. Do you have some to trial fit? I can get the C5 rotors and calipers for cheap so I'd rather use the C5 stuff as well.
Oh BTW while prepping I experimented with rear C5 pads on the rear C4 caliper.
A picture of the C4 and C5 rear pads:
A picture of the C5 rear pad in the C4 rear caliper. As you can see it fits well upside down. It would fit correctly with the side ears ground off but then there would be something needed to keep the pad from moving up. Such as the C4 pad has with the tower and wires that spring against the gap in the top of the caliper. If something were made for that then C5 rear pads could be used.
Oh BTW while prepping I experimented with rear C5 pads on the rear C4 caliper.
A picture of the C4 and C5 rear pads:
A picture of the C5 rear pad in the C4 rear caliper. As you can see it fits well upside down. It would fit correctly with the side ears ground off but then there would be something needed to keep the pad from moving up. Such as the C4 pad has with the tower and wires that spring against the gap in the top of the caliper. If something were made for that then C5 rear pads could be used.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 4,283
Likes: 0
From: Houston Texas
Well, if you have to make an adaptor, and you don't care about an e brake, why don't you put a C5 front caliper back there like the C5 guys do for an upgrade? When I get a chance, I am going to see if my Baer 14" C5 rotors fit back there. I got a good deal on them. If I can get them to fit I am going to use the stock C4 caliper to retain e brake. It is more for aesthetics.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,961
Likes: 707
From: WI
Well, if you have to make an adaptor, and you don't care about an e brake, why don't you put a C5 front caliper back there like the C5 guys do for an upgrade? When I get a chance, I am going to see if my Baer 14" C5 rotors fit back there. I got a good deal on them. If I can get them to fit I am going to use the stock C4 caliper to retain e brake. It is more for aesthetics.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 4,283
Likes: 0
From: Houston Texas
I don't know that you would need a bigger m/c. C5's guys don't when they put front calipers on rear. Atleast it doesn't mention it in the corvette catalogs that sell them. And for balance, inline proportioning valve. Just a thought.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,107
Likes: 0
From: RI
I think it's alot of work for hardly any noticable difference in braking. Surface area on the pads looks the same and if you compare a rear C4 caliper to a rear C5 caliper, they look almost identical. IMO, put your money into the front brakes, stainless lines and a bias spring.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 8,950
Likes: 4
From: Lafayette LA
I think it's alot of work for hardly any noticable difference in braking. Surface area on the pads looks the same and if you compare a rear C4 caliper to a rear C5 caliper, they look almost identical. IMO, put your money into the front brakes, stainless lines and a bias spring.
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Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
I think it's alot of work for hardly any noticable difference in braking. Surface area on the pads looks the same and if you compare a rear C4 caliper to a rear C5 caliper, they look almost identical. IMO, put your money into the front brakes, stainless lines and a bias spring.
It looks like the diameter of the C4 and C5 rear rotors are very close and the swept area looks about the same. The only things you might gain is rotor thickness and possibly a wider variety of performance/race level rear pads with the C5 calipers.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 256
Likes: 0
From: Boulder City NV
I built my own adaptors for the rear C5 brakes. For the E-brake I took a stock set of C4 shoes and had them re-lined adding 1/4" of material and had them sized to the C5 rotor (the C5 rotor e-brake is 1/2" in dia. larger than the C4). The car isn't on the road yet so I can't comment on how it works. I'm also using the early ABS on the car (Newman frame63 SW) from an 89 C4. It'll need all the woa I can find with a 600+ hp LS 402 and 2500lbs.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 4,283
Likes: 0
From: Houston Texas
I built my own adaptors for the rear C5 brakes. For the E-brake I took a stock set of C4 shoes and had them re-lined adding 1/4" of material and had them sized to the C5 rotor (the C5 rotor e-brake is 1/2" in dia. larger than the C4). The car isn't on the road yet so I can't comment on how it works. I'm also using the early ABS on the car (Newman frame63 SW) from an 89 C4. It'll need all the woa I can find with a 600+ hp LS 402 and 2500lbs.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 4,283
Likes: 0
From: Houston Texas
Here is a bump for you. I don't think your gonna find these as there is pretty much nothing to gain from going C4 to C5 in stock sizes. I say this as last weekend I tried putting C5 Baer 14" rotors on. I learned alot about the differences in the two braking systems. I was going to make custom brackets, which is what you might have to do. Stock C5 pads are a little, not much, thicker and barely any larger than the C4's. The rotor is also just a little thicker. BTW, it didn't work out for me as the stock C4 caliper bracket wouldn't clear the rotor and the caliper with the pad, because of parking brake mechanism, wouldn't clear either. Keeping parking brake was a must for me. I am going to buy the Baer 13" rotors for the rear and caliper bracket that allows use of stock caliper. Seems like there is more too lose than gain by going C4 to C5. But good luck to you and keep us informed if you do it.
