Twin_Turbo
Der Maulwurf
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2008
- Messages
- 7,575
I'm willing to bet Wilwood does the PC before assembly so yes 83$ is steep.
WTF? C2/C3 Wilwood direct replacement caliper
- Thread starter Yellow73SB
- Start date
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
Well, YEH, that a ways....fo sho.....:shocking:
Dunno, Marck, I see so much for these cars, and I wonder how much more money can be spent for marginal increases....
1500 bux/whatever in calipers seems to buy nothing really ....
done as a replacement along side the SS lined versions of stock....woud have been sweet, but outta production some 30 years now...makes it kinda not cost effective....:drink:
Twin_Turbo
Der Maulwurf
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2008
- Messages
- 7,575
Come on now, 1500 in heads is ntohing, calipers are more important than heads IMO.
The fact that they are now making these is testament to 2 things, first the corvette caliper in design when it comes to 4 piston/piston area/pad size is a great caliper, if it was junk they wouldn't directly copy the design. Secondly they too must see the issues that are still there, even with all the o rings and stainless sleeves. There's a potentiallyhuge market for these as all C3s and most C2s sport these calipers. As soon as people realize that these are the definitive answer to shitty brakes, the cure once and for all...they're gonna start selling like hotcakes. I don't even think the price is bad. Check out the pricing on a OEM equipment 4 piston brembo caliper. You're gonna shit your pants!!
The fact that they are now making these is testament to 2 things, first the corvette caliper in design when it comes to 4 piston/piston area/pad size is a great caliper, if it was junk they wouldn't directly copy the design. Secondly they too must see the issues that are still there, even with all the o rings and stainless sleeves. There's a potentiallyhuge market for these as all C3s and most C2s sport these calipers. As soon as people realize that these are the definitive answer to shitty brakes, the cure once and for all...they're gonna start selling like hotcakes. I don't even think the price is bad. Check out the pricing on a OEM equipment 4 piston brembo caliper. You're gonna shit your pants!!
js292
Well-known member
:beer:
It should be done prior to asseembly to begin with, I doubt the vendors are doing the coating. If they are having to pull them apart after assembly then that's just poor production planning on thier part. Other vendors are offering powder coating on thier calipers, are they charging that much? ( haven't really looked to compare)
00fxd
Well-known member
I would buy them because they're lighter:idea: But as I noted earlier my brakes are great right now and have been for some years. Does anyone think these wilwoods have a higher clamping force? I tend to agree with an earlier poster that to really improve the brakes one would want to go to larger dia rotors.
MYBAD79
Moderator
Larger rotors ? The rotors on my Z28 were about the same size, car weighs about the same, roughly 3500lbs.... with a single piston floating caliper the brakes were more than adequate for street use (I do not drive like grandpa btw)....
$1200 for these calipers don't seem too overpriced considering that they are new and a better design (pistons) and used, rebuilt O-ring calipers sell for $500-$600
btw, where's the info on the piston design ??
$1200 for these calipers don't seem too overpriced considering that they are new and a better design (pistons) and used, rebuilt O-ring calipers sell for $500-$600
btw, where's the info on the piston design ??
kwplot34
Heart Attack
We all spend lots of money to make our cars go fast,some faster than others.But all the ponies in the world mean nothing if you can't stop 
h:
I would like to add those calipers to my car,but it's not in the budget at this moment,body work and paint is eating that up
maybe by the time i'm ready for them they will come down in price :yahoo:
h:I would like to add those calipers to my car,but it's not in the budget at this moment,body work and paint is eating that up
maybe by the time i'm ready for them they will come down in price :yahoo:
big2bird
Charter Member, Founder Bird-Run, Cruise-In Bird-R
:lol::lol::lol:Maybe for USED Wilwoods.:lol::lol::lol:
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
We all spend lots of money to make our cars go fast,some faster than others.But all the ponies in the world mean nothing if you can't stop
I would like to add those calipers to my car,but it's not in the budget at this moment,body work and paint is eating that up
Well aside from paint/body, I"m in the same spot, price sensitive....and MY brakes are now fine....fixed/learned how the hard way, one item at a time....
like I have mentioned from time to time, the only further thing I would do is get some used aluminum calipers from a junk yard from similar width rotors, and mate up the mounting brackets.....fix the SOB that a ways, gotta be cheaper than any other route out there.....if it works on a 6000 truck/van it gotta be good enough for some 3400 lbs vette, even at 200 mph.....:crap:
being old square law of physics....
big2bird
Charter Member, Founder Bird-Run, Cruise-In Bird-R
Apparently, Therma-lock insulated pistons add $185. per caliper. It's going to cost $2,000 for losing 40 lbs, and eliminating the old problems. Maybe for autocross...................:crap:
kwplot34
Heart Attack
Curby
Active member
Anybody tried the NISSAN 300ZX calipers
I swapped out my factory single cast iron calipers on my 1994 Q45 with the 1990 300ZX Twin Turbo aluminum 4 piston calipers on the front and the 2 piston calipers on the rear. Fortunately for me, the mounts were exaxtly the same. The rear rotors were vented, where the Q's were a solid disc.
I bet someone with some good fab skills could make a bracket for these calipers to fit on the Vette. They are very similar to the Brembo calipers and the Porsche calipers.
They have NISSAN cast in the sides, but I was able to grind off the letters and add some INFINITI decals on them.
I swapped out my factory single cast iron calipers on my 1994 Q45 with the 1990 300ZX Twin Turbo aluminum 4 piston calipers on the front and the 2 piston calipers on the rear. Fortunately for me, the mounts were exaxtly the same. The rear rotors were vented, where the Q's were a solid disc.
I bet someone with some good fab skills could make a bracket for these calipers to fit on the Vette. They are very similar to the Brembo calipers and the Porsche calipers.
They have NISSAN cast in the sides, but I was able to grind off the letters and add some INFINITI decals on them.
cajos1968
Well-known member
I have been following this discussion for a while and I'm lost.
I see a lot of judgment regarding "chrome" upgrades. Messing around with brakes is not for the lesser skilled, replacing valve covers is!! I think it is a good thing not everyone is messing around with the brake system! Remember not everyone drives the car on a track or to the extreme. Most including me like to cruise the car and go to meetings.
It is still not clear to me if the stock system well maintained if sufficient for that job?
How do upgrade sets compare to stock and to each other, any scientific data on stopping distance, I have looked for it but couldn't find it? Bear/wilwood/brembo
Is there anyone who put ABS in his C3, is it possible?
I see a lot of judgment regarding "chrome" upgrades. Messing around with brakes is not for the lesser skilled, replacing valve covers is!! I think it is a good thing not everyone is messing around with the brake system! Remember not everyone drives the car on a track or to the extreme. Most including me like to cruise the car and go to meetings.
It is still not clear to me if the stock system well maintained if sufficient for that job?
How do upgrade sets compare to stock and to each other, any scientific data on stopping distance, I have looked for it but couldn't find it? Bear/wilwood/brembo
Is there anyone who put ABS in his C3, is it possible?
MYBAD79
Moderator
I agree, however, a neglected stock brake system can be just as dangerous.
I have the stock system with 4 rebuilt lip seal calipers and a new master and new lines. It works but it's not great by today's standards. The system was designed some 40+ years ago, I'm sure back then it was as impressive as the brakes on a new Corvette today.... there is a lot of room for improvement.
ABS ? Nothing is impossible with enough time and money. Tubular frame to accept C5 suspension, a wrecked C5 for the donor parts (engine, trans, all accessories and computer, susp, brakes) ..... yes, it's possible.... then at the end swap your C3 body onto the frame and enjoy....
SmokinBBC
Well-known member
IMO, for guys with stock vehicles who are just cruising, yes a well maintained stock system should be just fine!
But, if you have to change something out because of malfunction, why not look at better components?
cajos1968
Well-known member
I agree with you Smokin replace should be improve. But I suspect a lot of "gut" feeling when it comes to brakes. Again I haven't seen any data on stopping distance etc. and this is what bothers me, complete packages from the big 3 come at 2500 usd. That is a lot of money to spend without any scientific proof. For instance TKO 600 has data proofing fuel economy and improve Launce speed, exhaust systems can be dyno-ed so is there for a lot of other stuff, BUT the most important part of the car "Brakes" where every inch counts there are no test/videos showing with stock vs Wilwood/Bear/Brembo. The only thing they list is the unsprung weight reduction!! Now isn't that strange?
I would settle for a heavier caliper if it stops me 10 feet sooner. I wouldn't vice versa (10 ounces but more stopping distance)
I would settle for a heavier caliper if it stops me 10 feet sooner. I wouldn't vice versa (10 ounces but more stopping distance)
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
I been working on cars for 50 years, been through it all with all sorts of crap, and with brakes, all sorts of combinations....4wd disc, 4w drums, with/without posi, FWD, RWD big and small.....but on this '72 vette is had the most troubles for a stupid brake system I ever had on any car....
first found out about the runout shituation from my old vette shop owner/friend....then the issue about the pistons/seals being in fact inferior and the O ring set cured THAT, my car came with SS lined calipers from many years earlier....so that was covered long ago....
had a rear steel line fail....leaked under the door, nothing, a brake hose failed and locked up a front wheel....fine, 4 new hoses.....have had 2 sets of O rings in the calipers since 15 years now....
All that time fixing and updating the system, even going to larger diameter truck master cylinders....the thing never ever really stopped very convincingly...I could, and did lock em up when really needed a couple times....but have a decent confident feel to the pedal??? hell NO....
have a decent confident pedal feel on ANY car with a vac booster.....no not really, just the opposite.....no matter the brand....
I was and am now further convinced there never was a issue with the hydraulic section of the brakes, other than the outright failures....hoses, seals, line and that distribution/switch block....
but when taking the m/cyl off the booster and not touching any brake hydraulics at all.....installing the HB, and having a solid pedal of confidence for the first time in that car.....
and finding at NO TIME any defect in that booster.....
show me how I"m rong.....been in there 3?+ years now, not missed a day....longest time span ever,....over 3X as long as the previous record....
:bonkers::1st:
first found out about the runout shituation from my old vette shop owner/friend....then the issue about the pistons/seals being in fact inferior and the O ring set cured THAT, my car came with SS lined calipers from many years earlier....so that was covered long ago....
had a rear steel line fail....leaked under the door, nothing, a brake hose failed and locked up a front wheel....fine, 4 new hoses.....have had 2 sets of O rings in the calipers since 15 years now....
All that time fixing and updating the system, even going to larger diameter truck master cylinders....the thing never ever really stopped very convincingly...I could, and did lock em up when really needed a couple times....but have a decent confident feel to the pedal??? hell NO....
have a decent confident pedal feel on ANY car with a vac booster.....no not really, just the opposite.....no matter the brand....
I was and am now further convinced there never was a issue with the hydraulic section of the brakes, other than the outright failures....hoses, seals, line and that distribution/switch block....
but when taking the m/cyl off the booster and not touching any brake hydraulics at all.....installing the HB, and having a solid pedal of confidence for the first time in that car.....
and finding at NO TIME any defect in that booster.....
show me how I"m rong.....been in there 3?+ years now, not missed a day....longest time span ever,....over 3X as long as the previous record....
:bonkers::1st:
turtlevette
The Turdle
I bought a used hydroboost a few years ago. I've been scared to put it on because i don't think the modulation characteristics are very good ie. basically you get on/off braking. Ok for the street, but bad news for track days.
But, hey, when i get to be an old man with no leg strength i'll go ahead and put it on. Or maybe i'll put it on the Suburban.
daveL82
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2008
- Messages
- 231
Those Wilwood direct replacement calipers look like great option however I still went with the Dynalites for the rear of my vette as they were $147ea. and I can fab up the brackets. Already have superlites in the front along with hydro-boost
turtlevette
The Turdle
Heidts hot rod shop sells the rear dynalite bracket for $100 in case you don't don't to mess with fabrication.
http://www.heidts.com/index.cfm/pag...ategory_id=93/home_id=87/mode=prod/prd201.htm
