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1998 Rear brake set up.

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Old Feb 14, 2015 | 10:36 PM
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Default 1998 Rear brake set up.

I've seen a thread where a guy installed a Z06 frt. brake set-up on the rear of his C5.
Is it possible to install a front brake set-up (bracket.rotor caliper etc.) on the rear of a 98?
Thanks for any info.
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Old Feb 15, 2015 | 12:29 AM
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Sure, pull the backing plates off and then front brakes will bolt right onto the spindles.
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Old Feb 16, 2015 | 07:28 AM
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Originally Posted by jakecol
I've seen a thread where a guy installed a Z06 frt. brake set-up on the rear of his C5.
Is it possible to install a front brake set-up (bracket.rotor caliper etc.) on the rear of a 98?
Thanks for any info.


Here's a link to my setup. I absolutely LOVE the results!

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...e-upgrade.html

LMK if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Regards,
KoreaJon
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Old Feb 16, 2015 | 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by KoreaJon
Here's a link to my setup. I absolutely LOVE the results!

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...e-upgrade.html

LMK if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

Regards,
KoreaJon
It was your post that peaked my interest around this mod. Your write-up and detail is great.
I'm not really interested in the "Z" parts, I would like to use the stock calipers, rotor's and caliper mount's with stock wheels and tires. I like the reduction in nose diving and believe that 2 extra pistons on the rear would help should the need arise.
As long as 1998 C5 parts will work, I'll have a new mod.
"Thanks for your help". I've looked at your other mods and they are great also.
Hope this gets to you as I have no idea what LMK means.
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Old Feb 16, 2015 | 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by jakecol
It was your post that peaked my interest around this mod. Your write-up and detail is great.
I'm not really interested in the "Z" parts, I would like to use the stock calipers, rotor's and caliper mount's with stock wheels and tires. I like the reduction in nose diving and believe that 2 extra pistons on the rear would help should the need arise.
As long as 1998 C5 parts will work, I'll have a new mod.
"Thanks for your help". I've looked at your other mods and they are great also.
Hope this gets to you as I have no idea what LMK means.

LOL! "LMK" means "Let Me Know."

I am very happy w/ this mod. The only thing that caused any issue at all were some very minor casting / machining issues on the caliper brackets and rotors, and the rotors had some pretty drastic run-out / out of round-ness at the transition of the face (the flat area that the wheel mates against) and the outside of the "drum" area. I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't cause a balance issue, but because the new calipers and caliper brackets fit so closely to the rotors, the run-out was causing some issues. If I still had my lathe, I could have trued everything up very quickly, but I had to use other methods to get the run-out cleaned up. I would guess that more expensive rotors wouldn't suffer the same low standards.

The other areas that I should have paid more attention to initially were the casting flash on the caliper brackets, and cleaning up the areas on the brackets that surround the circumference of the rotors.

If I knew then what I know now, the whole mod would have been a "bolt-on" proposition, instead of the trial and error sequence that I had. Ahhh, but that is the story of my life....

During the back brake upgrade, I noticed that there was some fluid seapage coming from the area between the master cylinder and the brake booster; I decided to replace the master cylinder. Since I was going to have the brake system opened up, I figured that this would be the best time to install the line-lock on the front brakes. Then, since I had all THAT stuff apart, I decided to replace the front pads...and rotors, and overhaul / paint the calipers. Oh yeah, time to install the braided steel lines on the front brakes (I did the rear brake lines last year) I did all that work, and bled the brakes.

Even though I was very thorough in bleeding the brakes, I still have a slightly soft pedal; initially I attributed this to the increased caliper / piston area of the rear brakes, but I've come to the conclusion that that is not the case...just doesn't make sense, as when the pistons stroke out and start applying pressure to the pads / rotors, the pedal should be hard. When I bled the brakes, I bled the rear calipers using the ABS pump. It was easy to do with the car on jack stands. I did not, however, use the ABS pump on the front brakes, because there was no way that I could spin the front wheels and cause the ABS pump to activate. So I relied upon the mity-vac / pump the brakes method. Even though I move more than a quart of fluid through the front brakes, I'm certain that there's still air in the front brake circuit. Don't get me wrong....the brakes work very very well, but the pedal just isn't "hard" like it ~should~ be. I'm going to bleed the front brakes again and see what I get.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful to you.

Regards,
KoreaJon
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Old Feb 16, 2015 | 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by KoreaJon
LOL! "LMK" means "Let Me Know."

I am very happy w/ this mod. The only thing that caused any issue at all were some very minor casting / machining issues on the caliper brackets and rotors, and the rotors had some pretty drastic run-out / out of round-ness at the transition of the face (the flat area that the wheel mates against) and the outside of the "drum" area. I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't cause a balance issue, but because the new calipers and caliper brackets fit so closely to the rotors, the run-out was causing some issues. If I still had my lathe, I could have trued everything up very quickly, but I had to use other methods to get the run-out cleaned up. I would guess that more expensive rotors wouldn't suffer the same low standards.

The other areas that I should have paid more attention to initially were the casting flash on the caliper brackets, and cleaning up the areas on the brackets that surround the circumference of the rotors.

If I knew then what I know now, the whole mod would have been a "bolt-on" proposition, instead of the trial and error sequence that I had. Ahhh, but that is the story of my life....

During the back brake upgrade, I noticed that there was some fluid seapage coming from the area between the master cylinder and the brake booster; I decided to replace the master cylinder. Since I was going to have the brake system opened up, I figured that this would be the best time to install the line-lock on the front brakes. Then, since I had all THAT stuff apart, I decided to replace the front pads...and rotors, and overhaul / paint the calipers. Oh yeah, time to install the braided steel lines on the front brakes (I did the rear brake lines last year) I did all that work, and bled the brakes.

Even though I was very thorough in bleeding the brakes, I still have a slightly soft pedal; initially I attributed this to the increased caliper / piston area of the rear brakes, but I've come to the conclusion that that is not the case...just doesn't make sense, as when the pistons stroke out and start applying pressure to the pads / rotors, the pedal should be hard. When I bled the brakes, I bled the rear calipers using the ABS pump. It was easy to do with the car on jack stands. I did not, however, use the ABS pump on the front brakes, because there was no way that I could spin the front wheels and cause the ABS pump to activate. So I relied upon the mity-vac / pump the brakes method. Even though I move more than a quart of fluid through the front brakes, I'm certain that there's still air in the front brake circuit. Don't get me wrong....the brakes work very very well, but the pedal just isn't "hard" like it ~should~ be. I'm going to bleed the front brakes again and see what I get.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful to you.

Regards,
KoreaJon
As I said before,your communications and details are great. Being a non CNC machinist myself, I totally understand your references as far as towards the machining needs. However I'm still somewhat in the dark as to weather I can use stock front end parts instead of Z parts.
Please don't get me wrong! Your posts have been of very high value.
"Thank You" for all of your help and stay well,my friend.
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Old Feb 16, 2015 | 11:05 PM
  #7  
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Originally Posted by lionelhutz
What Z parts?

The only difference between the base C5 brakes and the C5Z06 brakes are that the calipers were painted red and the brake pads were different.

If you're referring to the C6Z51 rear rotor, then they are necessary if you want to maintain the e-brake and use the front calipers.

If you want to use the complete C5 front brake setup on the rear then you first have to remove the backing plates before it will bolt-on. You will lose the e-brake. The spindles are the same front and rear so whatever fits one end will also fit the other end.

What Lionelhutz said!

Said just a ~little~ differently......

To upgrade the rear brakes to use the FRONT brake calipers, AND retain the HAND BRAKE, you will need:

Two front calipers (C5 & C6 use the same calipers)
Two front caliper brackets (C5 & C6 use the same brackets)
Two rear rotors from the C6 Z51 brake option (these are larger diameter rear rotors, but use the same hand brake setup)
New brake pads for the (additional) front calipers.

That's it!


Regards,
KoreaJon
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Old Feb 16, 2015 | 11:07 PM
  #8  
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Originally Posted by jakecol
However I'm still somewhat in the dark as to weather I can use stock front end parts instead of Z parts.
The C5Z06 calipers are the same as the C5 base calipers except they are painted red.

You've asked twice now about using the C5 front calipers, brackets and rotors yet referenced a thread using C6Z51 rear rotors. So, do you want to use all C5 parts or use the C6Z51 rear rotors????
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Old Feb 17, 2015 | 08:02 AM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by lionelhutz
The C5Z06 calipers are the same as the C5 base calipers except they are painted red.

You've asked twice now about using the C5 front calipers, brackets and rotors yet referenced a thread using C6Z51 rear rotors. So, do you want to use all C5 parts or use the C6Z51 rear rotors????
I would like to use all stock C5 parts and I think that you have answered the "How to" with the addition of the backing plate. KoreaJon's thread was just a starting point for me.
I really appreciate your knowledge and patience in helping me out.
Stay well my friend.
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Old Feb 17, 2015 | 06:03 PM
  #10  
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OK, pull the rear hubs, remove the e-brake parts and then they'll bolt right on.
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Old Feb 17, 2015 | 06:36 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by lionelhutz
OK, pull the rear hubs, remove the e-brake parts and then they'll bolt right on.
Thanks again for the information It really helps.
Maybe some day we can hoist a few brews together.
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