The
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
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From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
The
Finally put my 85's stock brakes where they belong, on the shelf. Put these on weekend before last... still have a few odds and ends to finish up.
Ed Salinas helped me out on getting the adapter design, and Nelson V from the C5 forum was instrumental in finally getting them made. Other machine shops had put me off and delayed it. Big thanks to both of em!!!
Before:
After:
Wilwood does not make a brake kit for the 84-87 C4s... This is the C5 front Wilwood kit, 6 piston calipers and 13.07x1.25" rotors, which sounds impressive compared to a single piston on a 11.5" rotor. Looking at it next to the stock one is amusing.
I've faded my stock brakes too many times and risked it all on too many occasions, so it was either them or me. I still need to safety wire the bracket bolts, always a good idea when going into aluminum which can't take as much tightening torque as the stock steel.
The brakelines are Earl's, and I pieces them together with the appropriate fittings since Wilwoods are a ripoff and aren't even made for this appication. It ended up being about 40 bucks for the front pair. I also shrink wrapped the SS lines. Some new lines are being sold with a sheathing over the SS, apparently grit getting caught in the braids gets abrasive on the teflon line and chews holes in it.
I haven't had time to bed them in yet... but I'm going to install the DRM bias spring still, so I'll probably wait. The slotted drilled option wasn't my first choice, but the deal was too good to pass up. I get a little more pedal travel from the increased piston area, but the master cylinder is plenty big enough... if anything it gives me more braking control with more pedal to work with. This biased it to the front about 16% also... so hopefully the bias spring will get me back closer to the stock bias. The regular C5 upgrade puts 10% more to the front, and those guys seem to be doing ok.
Also considering new rear rotors to match up.. Custom mounting the wilwoods in rear just wasnt gonna happen. Anyone seriously interested in this setup, I'll let you know what parts you need, and keep you front reinventing the wheel. Might also be able to get you a great price.
This pic is without my 1" adapter in... which I used to push the Y2k out a little to match the original offset.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/phot...lwood2-med.jpg
Ed Salinas helped me out on getting the adapter design, and Nelson V from the C5 forum was instrumental in finally getting them made. Other machine shops had put me off and delayed it. Big thanks to both of em!!!
Before:
After:
Wilwood does not make a brake kit for the 84-87 C4s... This is the C5 front Wilwood kit, 6 piston calipers and 13.07x1.25" rotors, which sounds impressive compared to a single piston on a 11.5" rotor. Looking at it next to the stock one is amusing.
I've faded my stock brakes too many times and risked it all on too many occasions, so it was either them or me. I still need to safety wire the bracket bolts, always a good idea when going into aluminum which can't take as much tightening torque as the stock steel.
The brakelines are Earl's, and I pieces them together with the appropriate fittings since Wilwoods are a ripoff and aren't even made for this appication. It ended up being about 40 bucks for the front pair. I also shrink wrapped the SS lines. Some new lines are being sold with a sheathing over the SS, apparently grit getting caught in the braids gets abrasive on the teflon line and chews holes in it.
I haven't had time to bed them in yet... but I'm going to install the DRM bias spring still, so I'll probably wait. The slotted drilled option wasn't my first choice, but the deal was too good to pass up. I get a little more pedal travel from the increased piston area, but the master cylinder is plenty big enough... if anything it gives me more braking control with more pedal to work with. This biased it to the front about 16% also... so hopefully the bias spring will get me back closer to the stock bias. The regular C5 upgrade puts 10% more to the front, and those guys seem to be doing ok.
Also considering new rear rotors to match up.. Custom mounting the wilwoods in rear just wasnt gonna happen. Anyone seriously interested in this setup, I'll let you know what parts you need, and keep you front reinventing the wheel. Might also be able to get you a great price.
This pic is without my 1" adapter in... which I used to push the Y2k out a little to match the original offset.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/phot...lwood2-med.jpg
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,886
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From: Northern California
Wow! Nice. 
The before and after pics are amazing--the stock 84-87 brakes look tiny.
Kinda wondering why you kept the inner splash shields, though. They're too small now to protect the friction surfaces from water, and just prevents air circulation into the center vent area. (The 88-96 13" brakes don't use a splash shield).
The before and after pics are amazing--the stock 84-87 brakes look tiny.
Kinda wondering why you kept the inner splash shields, though. They're too small now to protect the friction surfaces from water, and just prevents air circulation into the center vent area. (The 88-96 13" brakes don't use a splash shield).
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,793
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From: St. Peters MO Sometimes you have to prove yourself by doing alot of killing or alot of dying...
those look sweet!!! I never realized that there was such a differnce in actual size. I knew that aftermarkets would be bigger, but I've never seen them side by side like that.
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Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Originally Posted by SharkInShark
Wow! Nice.
The before and after pics are amazing--the stock 84-87 brakes look tiny.
Kinda wondering why you kept the inner splash shields, though. They're too small now to protect the friction surfaces from water, and just prevents air circulation into the center vent area. (The 88-96 13" brakes don't use a splash shield).
The before and after pics are amazing--the stock 84-87 brakes look tiny.
Kinda wondering why you kept the inner splash shields, though. They're too small now to protect the friction surfaces from water, and just prevents air circulation into the center vent area. (The 88-96 13" brakes don't use a splash shield).
maybe i will take em off, dunno.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 434
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From: Santa Barbara Minnesota
This biased it to the front about 16% also... so hopefully the bias spring will get me back closer to the stock bias. The regular C5 upgrade puts 10% more to the front[HTML]t[/HTML]
WOW, a thing of beauty .. with my first couple of years AutoCrossing I could never get the brake bias setup correctly. I always had to much bias to the rear & the rear end would always kick out under hard braking coming in a corner. So after new Earls SS. brake lines, cross drilled rotors, new stock calipers, Wilwood Bias Adjuster & currently Hawk pads on the front and some carbon pads from Lingenfelter on the rear, I have the opposite bias, to much to the front Vs. rear. So my next job is to switch the bias adjuster from the rear to the front. I'll be curious to see if the bias spring will get it balanced where you like it. Have you considered the Bias Adjuster Vs:Spring. Boy, if it was in my current budjet I would do the same as you, Congrats on a job well done!
WOW, a thing of beauty .. with my first couple of years AutoCrossing I could never get the brake bias setup correctly. I always had to much bias to the rear & the rear end would always kick out under hard braking coming in a corner. So after new Earls SS. brake lines, cross drilled rotors, new stock calipers, Wilwood Bias Adjuster & currently Hawk pads on the front and some carbon pads from Lingenfelter on the rear, I have the opposite bias, to much to the front Vs. rear. So my next job is to switch the bias adjuster from the rear to the front. I'll be curious to see if the bias spring will get it balanced where you like it. Have you considered the Bias Adjuster Vs:Spring. Boy, if it was in my current budjet I would do the same as you, Congrats on a job well done!
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
That is excellent workmanship and something to be proud of. I'm sure you'll enjoy it every time you look at it, say nothing of when you throw the anchor!
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
So my next job is to switch the bias adjuster from the rear to the front. I'll be curious to see if the bias spring will get it balanced where you like it. Have you considered the Bias Adjuster Vs:Spring. Boy, if it was in my current budjet I would do the same as you, Congrats on a job well done!
Yeah, that goes on whichever end has too much braking to reduce line pressure.
Problem is, the 85 has two front brake circuits, other years have just one... so I'd have to do some creative plumbing to reduce the pressure and still have em equal.
