I just got my LS1 front brakes (soon getting new roters + pads) and im going to paint them. I want to paint the rear calipers also to match but im not sure if i should try and take them off or not. My dad told me they are a PITA to get off, but i know that if i left them on that i will probly do a crappy job painting them. Do i need any special tools, and is it that difficult?

To remove is not a problem. To put back is not a problem. Both can be accomplished with a basic set of tools. Question you have to ask yourself is are you prepared to bleed the brake system once you are done and do you feel confident you can handle bleeding the system?

The park brake cable is prob the hardest part of it but if you are mechanically inclined you should be able to handle it.

Here's what I did which may help in painting *without removing the rear calipers completely off the lines and cable.

After the car is safely supported in the rear....
- Remove the Wheel
- Unbolt the Calipers and let it hang by coat hanger for now
- Remove Rotors
- Remove Pads and remember orientation
- Put the Calipers back on and finger tighten bolts (easier to work with mounted)
- Use Simple Green and Wire Brush to clean, then let dry
- Use Masking Tape and news paper wads to cover internal components of Caliper and surrounding areas and wheel well area
- Good paint to use is Dupli-Color Hi Temp "your choice of color and use clear coat"
- After a few coats of desired color and after it's dry, unbolt and touch up the missed spots and *remount finger tight without messing up your spray job. To be safe wait 1-2 hours between sprays before handling
- Spray few rounds of Clear Coat.
- Let Dry for an hour or two and Your done painting. Now put everything back together when it's fully dry.


I found it to be a pain in the azz if you try to piant it while the caliper is hanging off a coat hanger and attached to the cable and brake line. With it mounted finger tight and rotors/pads off...you can spray all around it. Just make sure you mask everything up with tape.

Bleeding the brakes will not be a problem, i have my dad to help. Just another question. The shipping guy **** up one of my bolts on my wheel hub (one of the 5 bolts that attatches to the wheel). Can i replace this part on the LS1 spendles with the hub that i will be taking off the LT1?

Just use a press and push out the bent stud. It is a press fit with knurled shoulder. You can then get a stud from autoparts store and press it in. Doorman and ARP are good names in wheel studs.

The hubs can fail so keep the others as spares they do interchange. They may rust in place and can be very hard to remove from the spindle.

Z28

Thanks, i thought the studs were welded in. And i allready tryed to remove the hubs but they are rusted.

May be welded with rust , but the guys that run 335 tires and spacers replace them with ARP studs that are longer, so it can be done. Very little welding is done around high stress parts and alloy steel. Tipically weakens them alot.


Good Luck

Z28

If you remove the bolts that hold the hub on the spindle, than put them part way back in, you can hit them with a hammer to break the hub loose from the spindle.