G- body brakes, caliper options

[framedoctor]

Hi all,
I am in the process of a suspension upgrade(SC&C stage 2+) on my '86 442 and want to upgrade the brakes at he same time. What I was wondering is can the four piston caliper from a C3 Vette be adapted and use a 1LE rotor? I don't want to do the LS1 mod, as it cuts a lot of material off the spindle. I've been looking locally for a ZQ8 set up with decent miles so I wouldn't have to buy new bearings for them.
Thanks in advance.

[whitess]

I have the ZQ8 and Stage 2 setup on my '85 SS and they're both good upgrades. The stock brake lines bolt up as well.
Word has it that Kore3 is coming out with a big brake kit for the ZQ8 spindles soon.
The difference in braking from stock is pretty noticeable. I had to hit the brakes hard at 55 the other day and it stopped a lot better and quicker than the stock setup ever would. There was some lockup (I need to check the rear adjustment), with the stock brakes usually it was close your eyes and hope for the best.
Anyways it's a low cost way to get better brakes and later on you can upgrade to the C5/6 brakes if you want either with the Kore3 kit or making an adapter bracket. Then you can just use stock parts.
Larry.

[Skip Fix]

Years ago Guldstrand even welded a bracket for the C2/3 4 pistons caliper on a second gen spindle.

[framedoctor]

Would the 4 pot caliper be as good or better than the dual piston found on the ZQ8? Opinions?

[Apogee]

The 4-piston C2/C3 calipers have some quirks, especially when pushed to their limits. The seals are not mounted in a seal groove in the caliper bore wall like most modern calipers, but rather mounted to the pistons so they travel in and out with the pistons. Without getting into the details of it, they tend to be leak prone when pushed hard. They're also a very heavy caliper by comparison to almost any late model Corvette caliper or aftermarket option out there.

Wilwood does however make aluminum versions of the C2/C3 calipers which have conventional seals and weigh about 27# less for the set...not a bad option IMO if you're looking for braking solutions that will fit inside a 15" wheel. Otherwise, there are better performance options out there for bigger wheels. The ZQ8/Blazer 2-piston PBR units are your run-of-the-mill OE spec cast iron PBR calipers. They're decent units, but don't have near the aftermarket support for rotors or pads that the late-model Corvette stuff has.

How do you intend to drive the car once it's built? The Stage II+ kit from SC&C would indicate that you're building for performance, so I assume you'd like the brakes to be able to keep up with the handling. That said, street use and the occasional auto-x are not going to require the same brakes as a car that's going to be beaten for 20+ minute sessions at your local track.

Tobin
KORE3

[framedoctor]

I don't see myself tracking this car primarily due to lack of time. But it does need to go down the road straight and corner well. I want something that will be dependable and durable. Will better pads help an otherwise average brake setup? Is the F-body caliper better/stronger than the stock ZQ8 units? Will they fit the ZQ8 spindle? I think I have a set of '98 T/A calipers from a previous salvage repair.

[Samckitt]

F body "LS1" calipers will NOT fit on the ZQ8 spindles without a custom adapter bracket made. Same with the C5 Vette brake parts.

[Skip Fix]

Tobin for my Vette buddies is that Wilwood caliper a bolt on? #?

[Apogee]

Tobin for my Vette buddies is that Wilwood caliper a bolt on? #?

Yes, it's a bolt-on direct replacement for the factory calipers...looks almost identical but much sexier and much lighter. It uses the factory spec pads, rotors, etc, so it's just a caliper upgrade. Last I priced them they were pushing $300 each and for a little more money could be supplied with Thermlock pistons if you like. I'm sure a Wilwood distributor like Frank at Prodigy could give you the nitty-gitty on these plus current pricing.

One of our customers inquired with Wilwood's engineering department about offering them with a staggered piston bore configuration since those calipers are somewhat notorious for tapered pad wear and the answer was a fairly definitive no. Maybe if enough people asked it would make their priority list? Then again, maybe not. Almost never hurts to ask though.

Here's a link to the best picture and description of them that I've seen to date: http://www.wilwood.com/PDF/fl213.pdf

Tobin
KORE3

[Samckitt]

Tobin, your PM inbox is full.....

[Apogee]

Tobin, your PM inbox is full.....

You are correct...sorry about that. It's been against the limit lately despite my efforts to clean it out more often. If you get a full mailbox warning trying to get a hold of me, please feel free to contact me directly via the email address (info@) or phone listed on the KORE3 website, www.kore3.com.

Tobin
KORE3