hairymeister

Anyone actually done it? Seems like an easy upgrade.


To be clear, I don't have ABS or traction control...



Heck, don't have most of that stuff. It's an aluminum CJ2 that has been widened and lengthened... and uses fron and rear Corvette cradles and an LS2.


I needed to reaplce the ball joints anyway.

Frank O'Brien

What Ben's does the C7 knuckles have ?

hairymeister

I take it you haven't.


Better/more brake options, stronger, shorter steering arms, so faster turns.

JHrinsin

A lot of folks that have build serious C5 track cars have upgraded to the C6 ZR1 knuckles #88965637 & 88965638 - I had not heard about a possible C7 swap.

hairymeister

Yeah, I like the C7 options for better and more common Brembo brakes.


I think the fronts will go right on, may keep the rear C6 and put front C5 calipers on the back.


To be clear, this is C7 arms and knuckles on a C6 geometry based sub frame that was built for a Camaro we did. Yes, the steering arms are cut off and we use a bump steer corrected arm. Not rocket science. It bolts to the unit bearing bolts, plenty strong.

hairymeister

These are the cradles I am building for a different, all aluminum CJ2A with an LS2.


Yeah, I know, not a C5.


On the last feew Camaros we did, with C7 arms and spindles we used Baer brakes for a C7 in front.



To be clear, the suspension geometry and all the pick points are pure C5/6.



Seems like in the front, a C7 knuckle gives you common brake mounting points for a nice 6 piston caliper and big rotor.


I also think moving the front C5 caliper to the back or using a front C6 caliper in the back would give you decent brakes.


I am also looking at some of the other Brembo variants that use more common caliper pick points.

hairymeister

And we put C7 arms and knuckles on the front and C7 knuckles on C5 arms in the back
.

Steering looks good, have plenty of turning radius with the longer knuckles.

DetroitPlac

VERY interesting. Did they bolt on to the C5 control arms? Any difference in ride height?

hairymeister

Thy bolted on. I did have to re-taper the rear C7knuckle for the C5 toe link.

Have not bolted my sub frames in and i have no ride hieght point of reference

May swap out the rear C7 bushings for C5 ones and run the C7 upper arms.

hairymeister

And this is why you do this:

hairymeister

Oh and total investment is way less than a set of aftermarket brakes, front and rear.

I may return the GM upper and lower rear control arms.

93Polo

The later C6 knuckles were basically C5 knuckles using a better forging process. C5 knuckles have failed under track use. I have done the swap and it is a complete bolt on. I have read that the steering arm changed slightly for a slightly quicker turn it.

It would be interesting to know if the C7 knuckles use a late C6 bearing pack. The late C6 bearing uses a different sensor than the C5 but bolt on to the knuckle without modification. So if the C7 bearing pack is the same as the late C6 then the C5 would bolt on to retaining ABS, active handling etc.


The new Brembos are nice but you can get some nice Wilwoods very reasonably priced or a used Stoptech or Essex designed AP kit. My last car had a MovIt Brembo caliper kit with 13" rotors using the old Brembo Big Reds which worked amazingly well on the street. In my opinion you would need to be on track to notice a change with the bigger brake setup and if you are doing that go with a kit designed for track use.

hairymeister

You can put C6 bearings on the C7 knuckles. It's what's on my front cradle. The rear cradle is a C7/C7 combo, as I needed 33 spline hubs.

I think these brakes will be fine on this car... it's 1950lbs all in and will be raced after SEMA.

93Polo

Good info I was more referring to applying your research/fabrication to a C5.

Very cool project.

DetroitPlac

I had a Cadillac ATS with the 4-pot Brembo brakes on it, and they were some of the best brakes I've ever driven for a street car. They use the same mounting pattern as the C7, and the calipers can be had for dirt cheap. If you can simply swap to C7 knuckles and reuse the C5 bearings, that would be a fantastic cheap brake upgrade. I might try this...

hairymeister

Want a set of 4 pot Camaro Brembos? I have em.

You can swap on C7 knuckles. Easily done.

C5 Pete

hairymeister

The rear got a 2017 Camaro Zl1 diff - has a factory cooler, really nice limited slip and 3.73 gears.

C5 Pete

93Polo

Do we know if the spindle height, and steering arms are the same dimensions and thus geometry does not not change?