STILL WAITING ON HARD SPECS 
Performance Brake Bias Spring
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 18
From: Panhandle FL
Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons
So you're right, you probably won't notice any real decrease in braking distance unless you're in an all out panic stop, but in that event it will help dramatically. If the front wheels are still locking up, the rears will have significantly more force applied to them.
Nathan, I trust you, do a real test and put this subject to bed.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,202
Likes: 9
From: St. louis, MO
Originally Posted by all4c4lt4
I was told (by a reputable fellow forum member) that the 96 (and maybe the 95) cars already had a spring with close, if not the same pressure, i.e performance. Can anyone confirm?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 4,623
Likes: 2
From: Ohio
Originally Posted by Gary96LT4
I put it in my 96, ran a track that I had ran before. And I noticed that the front end did not dive as much as without the DRM spring. The car stays level during braking and seems more controllable.
Originally Posted by all4c4lt4
I was told (by a reputable fellow forum member) that the 96 (and maybe the 95) cars already had a spring with close, if not the same pressure, i.e performance. Can anyone confirm?
It's my understanding that GM did change the bias at the tail end of the C4 run.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
I installed the DRM bias spring in my 95 and there was a definite physical difference between the two springs. Braking was changed as well as the front end as mentioned above didn't seem to dive as hard. But I am no expert on this as I don't race the car. But braking did seem improved in hard 75 to 0 MPH stops.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,202
Likes: 9
From: St. louis, MO
Originally Posted by h rocks
I think it might have been your imagination.
Originally Posted by all4c4lt4
I was told (by a reputable fellow forum member) that the 96 (and maybe the 95) cars already had a spring with close, if not the same pressure, i.e performance. Can anyone confirm?
It's my understanding that GM did change the bias at the tail end of the C4 run.
Originally Posted by all4c4lt4
I was told (by a reputable fellow forum member) that the 96 (and maybe the 95) cars already had a spring with close, if not the same pressure, i.e performance. Can anyone confirm?
It's my understanding that GM did change the bias at the tail end of the C4 run.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
First I'll say that this mod was on my list to do with my brakes, and it is cheap. But I don't want to bother tearing the m/c apart if there is no real benefit. I can see how it will reduce nose dive, but what I am really after is a shorter stopping distance. Somehow I'm having a hard time picturing how my car will stop faster by taking brake pressure away from my 13" fronts and adding it to my 12" rears. I'll buy one if it improves braking. I just can't see it. However, to be the other devil's advocate, why would GM bother adding more rear brake bias to the later C4's if there wasn't some benefit? Maybe because of standard J55 brakes? 
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Originally Posted by 93Quasar
First I'll say that this mod was on my list to do with my brakes, and it is cheap. But I don't want to bother tearing the m/c apart if there is no real benefit. I can see how it will reduce nose dive, but what I am really after is a shorter stopping distance. Somehow I'm having a hard time picturing how my car will stop faster by taking brake pressure away from my 13" fronts and adding it to my 12" rears. I'll buy one if it improves braking. I just can't see it. However, to be the other devil's advocate, why would GM bother adding more rear brake bias to the later C4's if there wasn't some benefit? Maybe because of standard J55 brakes?
It logically can improve your braking, if my post makes sense you can see how that could happen. I'm gonna just make up numbers to try and make a better example.
Assume you hit your brakes in an all out panic stop, the front brakes start to lock up and the ABS has to kick in. Now lets just say it takes 10 PSI of pressure to lock up the front brakes, the rears have signfiicantly less pressure applied to them, let's say 3 PSI. This isn't enough to make them lock up, in fact, let's just say that it takes 5 PSI for them to lock up under these conditions.
Now change the brake bias more towards the rear and keep the conditions the same. It takes the same 10 psi of pressure to lock up the front brakes. However by the time you apply that 10 PSI of pressure to the front, lets say the spring makes it so you're applying 4 to the rear. The front brakes may still begin to lock up but the rears are applying more braking pressure, yet still not locking up. More braking pressure without locking up means you are slowing down faster, no questions asked.
Now this is an overly simplified example with overly simplified numbers but it should serve to illustrate the point.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Yeah everyday driving isn't really super critical. You're gonna press your brakes whatever amount you need to get you stopped where you want. It's the full out panic situations that the spring is intended to help, as well as keep more of the weight balance on the rear for better suspension setups headed into corners and such.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 5,362
Likes: 3
From: Delray Beach FL
To let you know...the brake bias spring sold by Mid America is a DRM spring. If you have other parts to get from Mid America, buy from them, otherwise, I'd by from DRM (If I remember, the price is the same). Nathan has the spring I had ordered for my 93 that never got in it. It was bought from Mid America, since I had other parts to get and the price was about the same.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
I just ordered the spring from DRM, as well as some s/s brake lines for my C5 calipers. I figured that since I'm adding more bite in the front, I might as well put more bias in the rear. Going with Hawk HPS pads.
