I did a search and came up with differing opinions.

Are the ZO6 calipers the same as the regular LS1 F body calipers (i am speaking dimensionally)? I already have the LS1 spindles and brackets powdercoated, but the calipers still need to be coated and rebuilt. I was told that the ZO6 caliper was a direct swap for the LS1 F body caliper, so that may be the better way to go if this is true.

anybody know for sure?

 

just curious but would zo6 rotors be a direct replacement for our rotors?

 

no...dudes....the zo6 have massive rotors....and a helluva lot better calipers....

 

yea but is it possible to put them both on our cars?

 

okay, the consensus I am getting is that the capipers are a direct bolt on to the LS1 spindles and barcketry, but to run the ZO6 rotors you need special brackets and larger wheels.

I am just concerned about the calipers for my application and want to be sure before i buy them.

 

Not sure what the rim size of the Zo6 is, but the factory Vette came with 17s until 2000 I thought which means those calipers/rotors should fit. I assume the Zo6 has some Ginormous (in between gigantic and enormous) rims but if you have 17s on you F bod they shold/might fit. Might be a bolt up and try thing. Get some used rotors and test fit them before getting the calipers as I imagine they would be expensive. Then let us know so we can swap

And you could always change brakes and go with the Z06 rims at the same time to ensure they fit.

Rechtien

 

Actually, since the ZO6 Calipers are supposed to be a direct replacement for LS1 calipers and LS1 base cars came with 16" wheels, then you would think that the ZO6 calipers should fit under 16" wheels.

as stated before, I am not concerned with the Rotors. I have already found out that they fit (under 17" wheels) with the addition of special brackets to let them bolt up to LS1 style spindles.

And ZO6 wheels are out of the question. I like 16" BBS wheels on my car, if I were to step up to a larger wheel I would sell my soul for some HRE 540's

 

I don't know why this never gets through.
There is no difference between the regular C5 caliper and the Z06 caliper aside from color. Both front and rear.
The C5 parts will fit inside the 17" wheel, probably(but not sure) the 16".
you'll need adapters to mount the C5 stuff.
The name that comes up with this conversion is Bob Bishop. He makes parts to adapt the Vette stuff.
Good luck..

 

from what I understand, the ZO6 caliper is stronger than the standard F body (later 4th gen/LS1 style) caliper due to forming/manufacturing differences. The original question here was whether the ZO6 caliper was a direct replacement for the F body caliper, and I already found the answer to be yes.

 

The only demensionally difference between a '98 and newer F-Body caliper and a C5 caliper is the gap between the ears and the caliper body ... the gap where the rotor spins. The C5 rotor is significantly thicker than the F-Body and needs more room.

The ONLY issue I could forsee would be if you allow your brake pads the get really thin, then you might blow a seal around the caliper piston because the pistons have been extended so far.

Also, the fins on the C5 caliper might cause some clearance issues on 16" rims. I couldn't say for sure ...

 

Well, if you read what I wrote, you'd see that I said C5 vs Z06 calipers are the same except color.
Get the C5 calipers and save yourself some money for the same performance.
The Fbody and C5 calipers are not the same, as you've stated.
The gentleman who makes the C5 to Fbody adapters can help you swap the rotors and the calipers.
I'm done with this thread.

 

I believe you've over analyzed something if that post was directed at me ..

Agreed ... Never disputed that. And a Z06 IS a C5 ....

Again, I agree ... never contradicted that

Agreed. I specifically addressed the demensional differences.

The fact that F-Body calipers are gravity cast vs C5 pressure cast; the fact that C5 calipers are ribbed for cooling and strength; the fact that the pistons in an F-Body are larger, but made of thinner material vs the C5; the fact that the C5 uses a larger headed bolt to mount up was not addressed by my post.

Yes ... Bob Bishop (lateapex). But he certainly didn't invent converting C5 brakes to an F-Body. Lou Gigliotti did the same thing about the same time.

As a matter of fact, I installed the first G-Stop kit and beta tested his conversion kit.

The largest difference between the 2 kits was that Bob's didn't require a knuckle change as it bolted to the backside of the knuckle using the hub mounting bolts. Gigliotti's design afixed directly to teh same mounting holes as the abutment bracket.

The cons of each were that Gigliotti's REQUIRED a '98+ F-Body knuckle and Bob's REQUIRED some cutting on the knuckle, regardless of the year.

Don't go away mad ...

 

Lose the attitude.. this place is for sharing information.. no hostilities are needed here.. Some people may need a little more explaination but thats a given...

Mitchntx, must say, very good post and feel like I know something more about LS1 brakes now... Bravo!

I am curious tho.. If the C5 caliper were to fit in a 16" wheel, which seems as it may, would it really benefit the car any? Would the car stop any faster? I can assume that with the fins and the added strength, it would be better and maybe a cheaper alternative (compared to brembo and baer)for a person just starting autox or just has alot of stops in their daily routes..

 

Will you feel an immediate performance gain by changing the caliper alone? Probably not ... minimal if anything.

What you will feel is consistancy and longevity.

F-Body calipers will flex or spread after a certain number of heat cycles.

Also, the C5 caliper will disipate heat better

 

No way will a C5 brake setup fit within a 16" rim! I wanted to install them with my 17" Enkei Winn rims and they won't fit! Bob Bishop has a template page that will let you check for fit. I ended up going with the Baer 13" Track kit that's modeled after the C4 brakes. Fit with only a 0.1" clearance between the caliper and the ID of the rim. Not all 17" rims have the same ID, the Enkei's are tight, SS five spokes have enough clearance for the C5 setup.