alpine247

please tell me im dreaming haha 2 piston aluminum calipers that will bolt on
http://tpiparts.net/inc/sdetail/10206

is there anybody using these?

RAD5

Well, according to the picture it looks like they still use the stock 154 pad so you're not gaining any surface area. Two smaller pistons compared to one larger one is not any more effective if there isn't more pad to put to the rotor. They're not worth the money in my opinion.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

save your pennies a little longer and get a ls1 or better upgrade, they are upgrades in both calipers and rotor size.

dont bother with that SSBC setup, no real gains

UNCLE TOM

iTrader: (1)

well i can see a couple of good things about them . for a daily driver of course . more even clamping press. , use of all stock parts , while not the best , far from the worst . most of all they look damn good . mechanical bling is your thing , they look good . don't think i would bother , but i might .

gearhead0384

iTrader: (7)

Doing an LS1 swap is still a better option for about the same price.

Kevin

alpine247

im just impressed that they make performance calibers for ours cars even though it wont help that much but still impressed lol...

Eagle223usa

Add $110.00 for powder coating? Ouch

spills

iTrader: (9)

ya, $110 seems a little high. I think I charged like $60 for the last calipers I coated.

Ive got less than $250 in my LS1 brakes, including the master cyl/booster. If you've got that kind of money where you can buy the SSBCs like those, I imagine you could take a little time and fab up the LS1s. Only way to go considering its basically a junk yard brake swap, so if you know how to bargain you can get all the parts for a steal

ws6transam

I wonder what kind of braking material they have on those pads. If they are aggressive pads, it might not be a bad deal for someone who wants good brakes for their street car and autocross car. However stock thirdgens are not competitive in F-stock anymore, unless you are a really, really good driver.

draven1018

well what is involved in converting to the LS1 calipers ? and will they work with the stock size rotors?

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

The LS1 is a common brake upgrade (a search will provide a fountain of info), and Ed Miller, brake man extraordinaire, furnishes a kit. The calipers, of course, require a rotor upgrade. The following link details the front and rear 1LE upgrade, which ,if nothing else, will give you a general idea of what's involved.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...iscs-89-a.html

JamesC

spills

iTrader: (9)

there's also a thread under either the Brake or FAQ board with about 7+ pages of info and pics on the LS1s, thats where I got all my info from. To me, it was WELL worth it

TA

iTrader: (1)

Well, to answer the original posters' questions, nobody seems to have tried or used them, so it's all just opinions. 2 smaller pistons can make a difference in clamped area and evenness of clamping over a single large piston, plus a stiffer caliper squeezes the rotor more by allowing less energy to be wasted flexing the caliper, which single-piston calipers are notorious for. The size of the pad is not as important as how hard it is squeezed, how evenly it is squeezed, and it's leverage (distance) from the spindle. Even just changing pad compounds can make a significant difference in brake performance. I can only offer these as generic observations of swapping brake parts on roadrace motorcycles and cars, but I can't make and definitive evaluations of the performance of these calipers until I actually try them!

All things considered, it might be an excellent upgrade for someone who wants a simple bolt-on installation or wants to keep their 15" wheels. If they provide 1LE-range brake performance by just bolting them on and bleeding them, that sounds like a great alternative.

I doubt they will perform as well as the LS-1 upgrade, but are cheaper and MUCH less hassle. To do the LS-1 swap right would include machined hubs, new rotors, calipers, pads, custom carrier brackets, new master cylinder...that stuff really starts adding up! I drove a car with the conversion and just about went through the windshield when I hit the brakes, so it would be hard to beat the Ed Miller setup for all out performance, but the SSBC calipers should be a good upgrade from stock. Until someone tests them, we don't really know.

TA

samiam91RS

well, for that much money, which isnt THAT bad in the first place, just add a few more dollars and get this set-up...im sure you cant go wrong with wilwoods!! im getting this set-up ASAP!! anyone care to know my critique when i get them home and installed??? this set up's got me sold...


http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

anyone rocked THIS set up yet??? im purchasing this in one week.

spills

iTrader: (9)

"Disc Brake Kit Type: Manual"

Is this supposed to imply that it's not intended to be used on power brake systems, or is it supposed to mean something else?

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

ive got them on my car... since my stock ones where shot. they are suppose to increase clamping pressure by over 30% not to mention the stainless components etc. ive always had a brake problem with mine, in my sig ive replaced everything but the lines and my brakes still suck... the lines are goin soon wit the motor. they are a good price that i could have afforded... at the time. im sure they will work great when i get new lines i just cant figure out wat the prob is.... i cant get the front brakes to lock up ever! its like when i slam the pedal its like the calipers arent clamping fully and locking up the wheels.... AUGH!

samiam91RS

hmmm have you done a brake fluid flush? either that or a line is clogged....id go with that first then maybe you can get the pressure to lock the fronts. but anyways are you talkin about the wilwood set up that you have? or do you have the SSBC set up?

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

i already blew out the lines with an air compressor before installing the calipers... the air blew out and didnt seem to be that much of a restriction. the fluid is all new (well like 15,000 ago) idk wat it is. even got rid of the stock proportioning valve for a SSBC one. everything helped but its still dangerous if sumone slams on the brakes i would runinto them lol. its like maybe the booster doesnt have enough vacume to get full pressure with the brakes... idk im stumped.

i have the SSBC setup. with cross drilled/slotted rotors, hipo brake pads, and stainless braided russel lines, SSBC proportioning valve, new booster, new master cylinder.

eeeeeefirebird

iTrader: (3)

its gotta be that rubber brake line. alot of people clamp it with vice grips etc when changing brakes, and it screws up the rubber hose over time. plus brake fluid corrodes that stuff.

TA

iTrader: (1)

2 potential fixes for the lack of brakes.
Replace all rubber only lines with steel braided line.

Especially if you have headers, go over your brake lines out of your proportioning valve very carefully, make sure that they are as far away from header heat as possible, as that will play havoc with your brake function.

Another potential problem is a big cam, it kills vacuum and your vacuum assist will work intermittently, will be especially bad when you chop the throttle.

Good luck

TA

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

stock L98 cam, ive replaced every rubber line with braided as stated before. ive replaced stock proportioning valve with SSBC proportioning valve. new master cylinder, new booster, new calipers all the way round. the only thing i havent done are the hard lines.

the car didnt stop any better before and thats why ive done all that i have... trying to fix the problem.

i blew out the hard lines and they seemed ok but who knows. im gona replace them soon. all new fluid. the only thing i think it could be would be the vacume... even tho its a stock car i havent tested the vacume on it, it idles ok etc... but the brakes are fine at normal braking like below 50% pedal but one i push on them to stop its like they dont clamp any harder... idk and the wheels never lock up.

IROCmenace

iTrader: (1)

Customblackbird:
Did you ever fix this issue? I a running into the same thing; new fluid, new master, Earl's stainless lines, new rotors and pads. I could replace the calipers but I don't think/it doesn't sound like it will help. I can't afford $700+ in brakes. I know the rears are caliper design but the fronts should lock and do the same exact thing yours does, normal up to 50% pedal and then not much more clamping force, scary stuff.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

nope lol. i just gutted the car, no motor, no trans, no rear, no body panels, installed a cage etc. i acutally bent brand new stainless hard lines for the front brakes. bend my own lines from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve etc. also bent my own steel line going to the back brakes. im not taking any chances. my hard lines didnt look all that bad when i took them out. the line going to the rear was rusted but not leaking. so well see if it takes away the problem. idk. theres literally nothing left for me to replace. i even ditched the rotors/pads and got the "extreme performance"brake kit from summit. conisists of dimpled/slotten rotors and ceramic pads for the front. im gona get those things to stop!

when i pulled the car in to strip it they still werent up to par. u have no idea how annoying it is to not fix this! as far as testing the brakes. did u change the booster? are u getting enough vacume? if u want to test the calipers without replacing them.... SSBC sells a brake pressure kit. screws into the bleeder screw and tells u how much PSI ur getting at each caliper. easy and cheap. like 60$ when i got it. i was only getting something like 600 with regular stop and 900 with panic stop. and i believe that is too low, now how to increase that pressure would be.... um IDK?!?

IROCmenace

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the reply. I feel your pain bro. If I ever correct the problem I will let you know as well.

scanman717

Old thread but I thought I would jump in just in case someone else can benefit...

I just installed the SSBC a181 Quick Change aluminum calipers. For me it made a BIG difference. I have had brake problems on this car for years. Always pull left, pull right... I did braided lines a couple years back... Still no big difference. Car sat barely used for a couple of years, just because work had me traveling all over the place.

Anyway, about 6 months ago, I put in a new prop valve, new master cylinder. Still nothing changed. New auto parts store calipers, rotors, brake pads, bearings, etc. No change.... Very Frustrating.

About a month ago I drove my car to work and my passenger caliper froze up...

Bonus check from work, quick search of Jegs and I had a set of SSBC calipers on the way.

I installed them and went back to plain rubber hoses... The difference in NIGHT and DAY... The car stops better and straighter than it has since I bought it in 96. For me the money was absolutely worth it..

Also I have a Master Brakes pressure gauge. The dual bleeder screws on the calipers make attaching this a snap. Anyway it read 1300 psi on regular brake pressure..

Hope this helps someone.... I will try and remember to update as the miles go by.

Now if it would just cool off so I could enjoy the convertible.

IROCmenace

iTrader: (1)

Great info, thanks man. If my latest rebuild of the entrie system does not work I will have to get these.

ERICSCHEVY

Will all the LS1 parts that are needed to complete a front brake conversion bolt right up ?

VAN454

I fitted a C5 setup to my car. If you have big enough wheels it isn't much more expensive than the LS1 and it is a better setup. Personally I would expect that you may get a better pedal and for the first decent stop it would be better, but the real limitation of the standard brakes is the small size of the rotor, and since you aren't changing that you will still get fade

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

Any updates with ssbc a181?

scanman717

Still on the car, still working great.. Even though it's no longer my daily driver, I still drive it periodically and the brakes work great without fail. Probably the single best thing I did to my car was those brakes.

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

What else does the ssbc a181 calipers need to work right ?
I have already installed Russell stainless steel brake lines .

Slotted rotors ?
Prop valve ?
What do you recommend?

scanman717

KITT1983-

If I recall right, you shouldn't *need* any of those things to install the SSBC calipers... but I believe at the time I replaced everything, new OEM Master Cylinder, Tossed the original prop valve, T the lines to the front and used an adjustable valve for the rears, and did the braided lines to the calipers. I was fighting really crapping breaking and a pull to the left, so I just did it all in one swipe. Easier that way.

I never bothered with slotted rotors.. I don't drive her that hard any more to justify the cost. If I was racing or something then yeah, I probably would have, but for regular street traffic, nah.

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

what prop valve did you use ?

scanman717

One from Wilwood. Not sure the exact model, it's been quite a few years.. :-)

Stangski09

iTrader: (10)

Piston surface area is the main factor in brakes. If the surface area of the 2 pistons is larger than a stock single piston then yes they will perform better.
This is the reason why some large 4 piston calipers are better than some 6 piston calipers on the market.

antoine

I know people are installing 98 up s10 pickup or blazer front rotors and two piston calipers and spendles in buick gn a direct install I wonder if they will fit on an IROC

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

Wilwood makes a set that drops 13lbs off the car..they are bolt on and under $400





or you can go full tilt and drop 38lbs off the car with a bit better set

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)