New Brakes
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands TX
New Brakes
My C5 started to pulsate pretty badly recently, so looks like time for new brakes. How hard is it to do this myself with this car and what should I be buying? Any recommendations or links to other pages with how-to guides would be appreciated. Mahalo from Hawai`i.
TR
TR
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,092
Likes: 0
From: Deerfield VA
St. Jude Donor '07
Most C-5's pulsate from pad material deposition on the rotors. Not from a warped rotor (it is very hard to heat up the rotors enough to warp, unless racing). If you still have a lot of life on the pads, I suggest to get the car up to seventy, and do a real hard stop, do this two more times and your rotors should be "clean". My C-5 did this when I first got it, My buddy had an Audi S-4 that did the same thing, he suggested the cure, it worked like a charm!
John
John
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,189
Likes: 1
From: South of Indy
St. Jude Donor '07-'08
Just curious have you had the front wheels off recently? Sometimes incorrect wheel tightening can cause brake pulsation (especially with front wheel drive, which in this case isn't relevent) due to mechanically warping the rotor. Good luck figuring it out.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 361
Likes: 0
From: Landisville PA
This *may or may not* work on a vette - I've never done it on a vette...but you can give it a try. I've done this to check for bent wheels & warped rotors on my jeep. I call it the *Redneck dial indicator*.....
Get a spray can of anything that has the 4" long little red straw that you stick in the knozzle.
Basically - Whatever your checking - put the straw up againest it and spin the rotor/wheel (or whatever) slowly by hand and watch the straw tip. Make sure the spray can is high enough and sitting on something sturdy enough. Ususlly, check the 'outter edge' of the item you're investigating. If the item is warped/bent - the straw will get closer or far apart from the item.
It's hoaky...but I've diagnosed vibrations on my jeep (at 65mph) using this method. Had a slightly bent wheel- only by like 1/8" out.
Get a spray can of anything that has the 4" long little red straw that you stick in the knozzle.
Basically - Whatever your checking - put the straw up againest it and spin the rotor/wheel (or whatever) slowly by hand and watch the straw tip. Make sure the spray can is high enough and sitting on something sturdy enough. Ususlly, check the 'outter edge' of the item you're investigating. If the item is warped/bent - the straw will get closer or far apart from the item.
It's hoaky...but I've diagnosed vibrations on my jeep (at 65mph) using this method. Had a slightly bent wheel- only by like 1/8" out.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 947
Likes: 1
From: Lower Lake Ca
To try and answer your other question...It is a fairly easy straight forward fix to change the pads yourself with a minimum of expertise and a few common tools. I think a search for brake repair will probably find a good thread showing it in detail.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 58,501
Likes: 1,828
From: Oklahoma City OK
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 618
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
If you're not really racing and its time for new rotors anyway, I would go with a C6 Z51 package upgrade which is surprisingly inexpensive for a "big brake kit". Its just rotors and brackets, as you reuse your calipers so its a quick easy swap.
Increased diameter should mean lower pedal effort for a certain braking, but for racing it may develop small cracks if overheated, but that'd never be an issue on the street even from a 110mph panic stop as you're letting the brakes cool in between hard braking.... and drilled rotors look cool heh. Ceramic pads will cut down on brake dust big time, and tend to be quieter too.
Increased diameter should mean lower pedal effort for a certain braking, but for racing it may develop small cracks if overheated, but that'd never be an issue on the street even from a 110mph panic stop as you're letting the brakes cool in between hard braking.... and drilled rotors look cool heh. Ceramic pads will cut down on brake dust big time, and tend to be quieter too.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: The Woodlands TX
Ya, I'm at 40k on my '04 and it's time probably to swap out...I tried the hard stop but didn't work. Maybe I warped the rotors? I don't know. Have to take the car to the hobby shop lift and find out. Thinking of buying a set of new rotors and pads, and making the swap out. Any further recommendations are helpful of course as this will be my 1st brake job on my own. I refused to pay the 1k suggested by a local brake shop for rotors and pads. Hawaii can be a ripoff sometimes. Thanks!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,058
Likes: 9,820
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
You have to use the brakes hard all the time to keep from getting the pulsation. Put puting around the street or highway driving doesn't get it done. Use them hard and they won't pulsate unless you are doing lapping days and continously slowing from 145 to 60 for 30 minutes or so and then you might crack a rotor.
Bill
Bill