Enter your username:
Do you want to login or register?
  • Forgot your password?

    Login / Register



    Results 1 to 8 of 8
    1. #1
      Join Date
      Jul 2020
      Posts
      1

      Needing opinions in choosing brakes.

      Curious if anyone has used various Wilwood sizes and pistons brake systems and can give me some advice. The last few years I have been building a mild autocross truck. Everything I’ve done to the truck, has been done with growth in mind. Right now it’s an 86 C10. Built ls1 and built t56. UMI 2.5 stage suspension kit. Now, next is brakes. I am unsure if I should save a little money and do the 12” on front and back or 14” front and back. I don’t want have too little braking power but also don’t want to pay double for something I would never use. Later down the road the truck will be supercharged. I will autocross it a few times a year and most of my driving is weekend driving other than that. What do you guys think?



    2. #2
      Join Date
      Apr 2001
      Location
      The City of Fountains
      Posts
      15,971
      Country Flag: United States
      I think most people treat brakes like jewelry and most people don't drive hard enough to tax their stock brakes...Save your money and get a good set of pads.

      Andrew
      1970 GTO Version 3.0
      1967 Cougar build
      GM High-Tech Performance feature
      My YouTube Channel Please Subscribe!
      Instagram @projectgattago
      Dr. EFI
      I deliver what EFI promises.
      Remote Holley EFI tuning.
      Please get in touch if I can be of service.

      "You were the gun, your voice was the trigger, your bravery was the barrel, your eyes were the bullets." ~ Her

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Aug 2007
      Posts
      641
      On my 68 C10 LS swapped truck I'm running 12" 93 Camaro rear discs. On the front I started with 13" C5 discs but the 20" wheels I'm running they made the rotors look small so I remade the caliper brackets so I can 14" ZO6 rotors. They fill out the wheel quite nicely. I won't ever drive the truck hard enough to take advantage of the 14" brakes but it stops really well.

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Sep 2016
      Location
      Bakersfield, CA
      Posts
      603
      Country Flag: United States
      I drive my car REALLY hard but most importantly, I do it a LOT.

      I started out with factory power front disc brakes, then went to manual Willwoods with 11" front and GM metrics in the rear. Then went to Willwood + hydroboost and the 12.88" 6R front and 12.88" 4R in the rear.

      Next year I plan on going from a 17" wheel to an 18" just so I can run StopTech 14" 6 pistons. It will also require a spindle upgrade which is great because it will give me a MUCH improved bearing setup over the 50 year old factory design.


      Based on "I will autocross it a few times a year and most of my driving is weekend driving other than that" I would say the Wilwood 12.88 setup will be more than you will need. You would just never need the 14" but your call on how you want it to look with your wheels. You pad choice when you auto-x and drive on the street is frankly more important than if you run 11", 12.88", or 14" brakes - provided of course all other things being equal and operating correctly.
      http://www.TheFOAT.com/92GTA
      1969 Pontiac Firebird
      w/535ci IAII aluminum block, Dailey dry sump, Holley EFI (full road race build). Primer black w/black interior.
      1992 Pontiac Trans Am GTA w/SLP Performance Package. Dark Jade Grey Metallic, grey leather, T-Tops.

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Sep 2010
      Location
      Orange County, CA
      Posts
      665
      I’m kind of adding to the previous comments because they gave you good advise, but bigger brakes don’t necessarily make you stop faster. The right combination of master cylinder, caliper piston area, suspension, tires, etc will make you stop fast. Large rotors will help dissipate heat and allow you to stop fast repeatedly. Now if you’re being a little more technical, larger rotors add more unsprung weight and more centrifugal force. If you were building a race car you would really need to take these thing into considering, but on a primarily street driven car/truck, I would buy something thats fits my budget and looks cool inside the wheel.

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Aug 2007
      Posts
      641
      Yeah I was shocked at how much the 14" rotor weighed. The swept area of the C5 13" rotor is the same as the 14" ZO6 rotor and both the same thickness.

    7. #7
      Join Date
      May 2015
      Location
      Island Lake, IL
      Posts
      815
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by andrewb70 View Post
      I think most people treat brakes like jewelry and most people don't drive hard enough to tax their stock brakes...Save your money and get a good set of pads.

      Andrew
      X2!

      This is why all I'm doing is good front pads and 4 wheel braided line.........with stock calipers and rotors. I appreciate, respect and even admire all the aftermarket and modern upgrades but, like you say, that is realistically not needed for most people.

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Jun 2012
      Location
      Chicago burbs
      Posts
      247
      Country Flag: United States
      Agree with everything above. I will add that the stock D52 GM caliper has way more piston area than the Aero6 Wilwood 6 piston caliper and even with the 11'' rotor it generates really good brake force numbers for running 200TW tires(Nitto NT05, Hankook RS4's...etc). Wilwood makes a dual piston aluminum D52 that has the same area, but looks great and is easier to bleed.

      If I could have gotten a good cooling system routed to the stock 11'' rotors, I would have stayed with my D52 wilwoods and 11 rotors. but since I am looking to track mine more and more now I went with 14'' and Aero6 calipers. This didn't really improve my braking force, just thermal capacity and dissipation.

      1969 442 6.0L LQ9 T56
      Fab9 w/ custom 3 Link conversion
      FAYS2 Watts link
      Thanks to Mark at SC&C for his honesty and passion for the sport, and Ron Sutton for the wealth of knowledge that has helped shape so many of the cars on this site.





    Advertise on Pro-Touring.com