So.....anybody here ever do the C5 brake swap?
 

Just wondering if anybody has, and if they saw any gains over the previous setup on their car. I just won a set of front calipers with the abutment brackets, and am dying to put those in my parts pile until spring when I bolt everything onto my car. Before you say you'll need more then just the calipers, I know, either im getting the conversion brackets during christmas, or post christmas, but I've been dying to get this setup ever since I got my ZR1 rims that show my dinky ass 10 inch rotors and 1 piston cast caliper.

i believe tim is going to be doing it in his car soon. i thought about it but am also entertaining other options. thats pretty cool that you got free stuff. take advantage man

Did it on a thirdgen....wrote a tech article on it for GMHTP

im doing the LS1 swop, but the same idea is aplied.

My friend has rotors and calipers just sitting in his basement he was looking to dump for cheap cuz they're doing him no good... if anyone needs/can use them shoot me a PM.

/hijack off (i'm not really stealing anyones thunder and figure it all pertains to the thread and anyone else interested...right?)

i did the LS1 brake swap on my LT1.

Spindles, calipers, rotors, lines and hubs for 150.00 from Contemporary Corvette. Just had to use my LT1 hubs since the ABS is different.

I was going to do the C5 setup on the LS1 but just went with the Baer Rotors and Hawk pads. Next time though.

i have the brackets and new lines in my room. eventually i'll get c5 z06 calipers (powdercoated red!) and some nice pads and rotors. make sure you have 17 inch wheels. some still don't clear though so watch out.

I have the stuff to do the install. I got Track Brackets from 1QWIKBIRD, calipers from a local dismantler, and rotors from Autozone.

If I can get a little help with the camera work, I was hoping to get them installed and write up a tech article in the next week or two.

i'm pretty sure i'm gonna try and do this next spring. i thought about other brake ideas but this one makes the most sense being that a skinny can still fit over it as opposed to a huge 6 piston caliper.

c5's need a 17 inch wheel

Becareful if you are concerned about fitting a set of skinnies. The only wheel company that I know of that makes a wheel to fit over the C5 brake package is CCW, and they don't come cheap. Last year I cobbled together a couple GTO spares, ground off all the "temporary use only" markings, repainted them, put metal valve stems in, and mounted up some M&H skinnies (only company that makes a true skinny in 17") and it all fit, but looked hideous and I would not recommend driving them on the road. It was a track only deal, and some tracks won't let you run the GTO spares because it is for "temporary use only". So be warned. If you are doing the drag race thing, I'd steer clear of the C5 swap. Plus that package is heavier than stock anyway.

what would you recommend doing other than the c5 swap?

I'd recommend doing more homework and determine what your ultimate goals are? Is the car destined to be a dragstrip warrior? Are you going to drive on skinnies all the time? Or only at the track? What kind of budget do you have? If you can afford the CCW wheels, then do the C5 conversion and buy the wheels, done. But if the CCW wheels are beyond what you are willing to spend, then your choices are limited. I looked all over the place seeing what the Vette guys do and they pretty much run the CCW drag pack. The cheap way out is what I mentioned using GTO spares (rims are 17" diam), but you still need to put good tires on them, metal valve stems and like I mentioned some tracks won't even let you run on them, so then you are really screwed?

I didn't look in to other brake kits, I only looked for wheels that would fit the C5 setup. I did find out that some Vette guys run rear brake calipers on the front of their car or something like that, so they can fit a 15" or 16" rim (I forget).

Give TTP a call, I am sure they have come across this with the Vette guys? Or call CCW and see what options they have?

I will say this, the GTO spare/MH skinny combo was half the weight of a 17x9.5 rim with 275/40/17's. I wanted to get the car solidly into the 11's, which I did, 11.79 @ 119 (with a ****** 60'). So I was satisfied with that and retired the car from drag racing, but the skinnies made a noticeable difference.

Here's a link to the GTO spares with MH's mounted.....they are fugly....function over form....

http://www.davemilcarek.com/121507/p...%20011.htm

http://www.davemilcarek.com/121507/p...5-R1%20108.htm

Chris

Narrowing a pair of OEM 17's will probably be cheaper then purchasing a set of CCW Drag Packs. Also give you a sleaper look on the outside if you match the rears.

For a thirdgen with dragstrip or moderate street/track goals, I would just pick up a set of Wilwood GM3 metrics and some good pads. They are a direct replacement caliper that was developed for dirt racing when a bunch of classe required stock spindles. Drops a bunch of weight since the caliper is aluminum and I believe they are 2 piston calipers for better clamping.

It is also about the only thing you will fit behind a stock 15 inch wheel. If you look at anything barely bigger than stock, you have to factor a new set of 16's or larger into the equation.

Those GMIIIs have a reputation of flexing.

:wavey:

mmmmm yes that would be the way to do it. not sure about the $$$ but would be a great look.

Somone on here looked into going that route also and you'd be close to $600 into a set. And they still would not be a lightweight drag type wheel. Its an option though. That's why the OP needs to figure out what he/she is really after as far as goals.

Didn't UBG (or someone else?) have a set narrowed by the guys in Florence? I think he was into it for $300 a wheel? So figure another $100 for the wheel (used) and things can get pretty expensive pretty quick and you still have a compromised situation, lots of $$$ and less than optimal setup????

I found it, here's the link....
http://www.njfboa.org/forums/showthr...heel+narrowing

Last time I spoke to USA wheels in Fairfield it was $100 a wheel for widening or narrowing. Before I purchased my Z06's I was looking to have a pair of 18x9 wheels widened to 18x11 but it didn't make sense with the deal I got on my current wheels.

I think $200-300 on narrowing a stock wheel beats the $3,000 for CCW's unless you get lucky and find a deal.

How much do you narrow it? What is the narrowest 17" tire you can get?

I think the M&H skinny i had was 17x4. But that was real skinny (minimal tread and lightweight), so for regular street driving it wouldn't be the best option for longevity.

Here's the tire I ran:
http://www.mandhtires.com/store.php?...on=show_detail

That's just it, you have to figure out the price point where it makes sense. Are the CCW wheels a lite weight wheel? or just a a really nice wheel, but still on the heavy side?

If you troll the Vette forums you'll find them pop up for sale from time to time, but you have to act fast or they're gone.

I even looked at the old Weld XP series, but they have long since been discontinued and they are very tough to find and not cheap when you do.

Chris

i did the swap over the summer. very easy, can be done in and hour or so. get a wider selection of race pads, and C5s have directional rotors

How was the swap over? see any gains in braking power and distance?