maybe it'll be easy to put the technical/installation questions about bob bishop c5 brake upgrade here instead of in the vendor area

i needed the anti-rattle springs and pad abutment shims because i am not buying z06 pads; i'm using HP+. bob gave me the part # for these parts from napa:

http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/nc...1&prmenbr=5806

NAPA part # is 83212 and I'll need 2 of those kits to equip 2 calipers. but on napaonline.com, it says the kit is $19 each. seems like $40 would be way too much money for that. bob mentioned autozone or pep boys might carry a C5 caliper hardware kit available for something like $6 or $8. i already ordered the napa part but i'll return it if you guys know the AZ or pep boys part #.

thanks!!

 

If a car already has the Baer Track (C4) kit installed is it possible to change over to Bishop Brackets?
IE is the spindle cutting for the Baer bracket the same as the cutting for the C5 brackets?
TIA

 

Yes, some of the install sites I reference in my installation instructions are Baer owner sites. If a 4th gen. steering knuckle clears the Baer bracket, then it will clear my bracket also. You can then bolt on the complete front C5/ZO6 braking system.

Bob Bishop

 

Where does one go to buy your bracket?

 

This thread is the only source for my brackets: http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...5&pagenumber=1

Bob

 

I just bought the NAPA C5 brake hardware kit. $21 x 2 (both sides) for a total of about $42-$43.

 

what did it include?

 

was it on the same order as the Bishop brackets?

 

First, its awesome that Bob is making another set> Now, I'm looking at Earl's stainless steel brake lines to go with my upgrade. If I buy the set for my 97 LT1 will the lines fit the C5 calipers or do I need to find stainless steel lines for a C5? If so, where?
Thanks-
Pat

 

Another question-
Anyone know where I can get a quality, race capable replacement for my stock rear rotors that are NOT drilled or slotted? Or should I just get some cheap ones from NAPA and keep replacing them? Thanks-

 

Stock F-body front brake hoses are too short for use with the C5 brakes. I like using the OEM C5 front hoses. Aftermarket stainless steel braided Teflon brake hoses are not as robust as OEM hoses. The general rule of thumb is to replace SS hoses every 2 years in street or street/light-track usage. In true racing they should be replaced every year. On our cars (without ASR) I am comfortable with not replacing SS rears because of the limited flex they see. I would do regular visual inspections though. It is almost always the FRONT aftermarket hoses that burst because of the steering angles added to the greater vertical flex they see.

There are fitment (length) issues with MANY aftermarket D.O.T. brake hoses. Too short a hose will lead to failure. If the car will be used on a race track, there are additional issues, see link: http://www.autoworld.com/news/NHTSA/BrakeHose.htm The solution that Ford came up with was to add a length of steel to the replacement hoses right after the banjo bolt. This provides adequate cooling. By the way, this is the way all front C5 brake hoses come from Chevrolet. The first 3” of the hose after the banjo bolt is steel. We should never look at an OEM part and just say, “they had no reason to make it this way”. We don’t always know.

If the DOT gets its way, there may not be any aftermarket brake hoses, or they may be VERY expensive. There is a new proposed DOT test for automotive brake hoses. I believe it went under consideration in 5/2003 and the deadline for public comment was 7/14/2003. http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2...f/03-11292.pdf

The front brake hard line attachment point (and orientation) is different on the LT1 and LS1 cars. The LS1 cars can use a slightly shorter brake hose because of this. On LT1 cars with C5 front brakes using MY adaptor brackets, the ideal hose length is the same as the C5 OEM hose, approximately 14.75” from the tip of the hose threads to the center of the banjo bolt hole. For anyone using an adaptor bracket which rotates the C5 caliper downward, I don’t know how long the hose should be.

One of the reasons I have recommended avoiding long-term use of SS hoses is because small particles of sand or debris can work their way between the braid and the Teflon inner hose. Through the repeated flexing of the hose, the debris can cut into the Teflon and lead to a rupture under high pressure. There have been brake hoses for years that included a protective covering over the SS braid, but they have just been for motorcycles. This was a serious problem for bike racers because the brake hoses were constantly pelted with debris. I had contacted one of those manufacturers a few years ago to see if they would make up some hoses for my Fbody, but they declined because of liability and DOT certification. Stoptech is now offering such brake hoses, for the front only, and I’ve listed the part # below. Goodridge now offers brake hoses that are made with an outer protective covering over the SS braid, including the rears for the 4th gen F-body. They probably make the Stoptech hoses.

Brake Line Kit, C5 Corvette, Front Stock, $72.00 - Item No. 85-180-4500

Regarding rear rotors, I am on my first replacement set of plain factory rotors. Car is over 10 years old with 133,000 miles, and many high-speed track events. Using the appropriate pad for your type of driving/competition will make pads and rotors last much longer.

Bob

 

Thanks for that great detailed response! But now I've got more questions (sorry).

1. So for a guy (me) who will go to 3-4 track events a year (for now) and otherwise puts 1-2K miles on his car a year (shows, etc) it sounds like you would just recommend the factory C5 brake lines? Thant would make things easier for me anyway.

2. The reason I ask about replacement rotors is that the guy I race with has a 97 bird (his has about 100K, mine about 45K miles) and at his second event on these he had a still original rotor explode on cooling down in the pit lane. And after just one event, my rotors (with carbon metallic pads) have streaky areas where the "polished" surface of the rotor is stripped off, looks like raw iron under there (now rusted since home). The rotors were in good shape before the event (flat surface, no warp) and the pads have been on the car ~5K. The brakes worked flawlessly during the event. My friend says his looked just like that before the one exploded. I've done a few brake jobs and I have never seen a rotor surface like this before. I have seen cheap rotors where supposedly air pockets in the metal get hot and expand and blow small chunks off the rotor surface but this looks different (those were round, these are linear). Any thoughts? Is it ever appropriate to leave rotors on that have areas that arent 'polished'. Sorry so long - thanks
Pat

 

"... at his second event on 'these'..." "these" what?

If you are going to begin high speed track driving, you should ask advice from drivers who have a LOT of experience at that track, preferably with a car like yours. If your friend did not take adequate cool-down laps or cool-down pit road driving and just came into the pits and parked it, I am not surprised that he cracked a rotor. If he put on his parking brake in the pits, ditto. If he used very high-temp rear pads, ditto. If he was using the original 100,000 + mile rear rotors, they were quite possibly under minimum thickness spec, and would reach much higher temperature spikes because of the reduced heat-sinking mass, so ditto. You don’t give any of the necessary information to make a long distance diagnosis.

Factory rear rotors, KFP Gold pads, and common sense will give you great braking, and parts life. KFP Golds (in subsequent street driving) will also polish out the grooves you have put in your rear rotors. The minimum service thickness is cast into the factory rotors; you might check it. If you want to post or email me a well lit, high resolution, macro pic of one of your rotors, I will be glad to give an opinion.