Brake BoardLooking to upgrade or get the most out of what you have stock? All brake discussions go here!
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Anyhoo, I tear into the C4 upgrade on my '91 RS tomorrow. I still need to get the banjo bolts for the brake lines but that's about it. I'll be putting all the pics up again on my web page for all to see if interested. I may wait on some new strut mounts but I'll cover all the basics and stuff.
Well I'm doing the C4 brakes over the winter. A friend of mine did the swap with very good results. He can fab up the bracket for me as well. He used the C4 HD brakes, the ones found on the GS and ZR1's with the 13'' rims and they just barely fit under the 16'' times...just barely but they fit nonetheless
I can't wait...hell even all of the C4 stuff NEW from GM is still cheaper than what you find used 1LE stuff for
__________________ ***89 GTA*** L98, P1-SC procharger, 24# SVO's, Cobalt boost/fuel pressure gauges, AEM wideband O2, ported plenum, Edelbrock TES headers and catback, SFC's, Wonderbar and some other goodies...
Out of curiosity, how $$$ and TIME do you guys have invested in this?
I just want to compare. I have approximately $1100 to $1200 into my front 1LE set-up but that inlcudes:
1) rebuilt PBR calipers from AZ
2) carriers and brackets from SSPE
3) Timken bearings and seals from AZ
4) Modified spindles from a fellow f-bud
5) slotted rotors from ebay
6) Earl's brake lines from Summit
7) EBC brake pads from Tire Rack
8) Caliper retaining pins from AZ
9) New GM master cylinder from Dal @ Vandevere Pontiac
10) New GM prop valve from GM Parts Direct
11) New banjo bolts from local dealership
12) All parts powder coated and/or yellow zinc plated
For kicks, here's a pic of some of my parts:
Last edited by BretD 88GTA; 08-01-2003 at 08:55 PM.
Time: I was fortunate enough to do all my machine work myself but it took me about 12-13 hours for all: spindles (1 hr), machine the rotors into hubs (4 hrs), and make the brackets (8 hrs: I made 4 sets, one set from stainless). Spindles are the easiest, making the hubs takes a bit more time for the lathe to do the work, but since I did the brackets by hand, they were the most time consuming. I am looking into having them made, should I need to do so again.
$$$: My entire C4 setup now installed on the car ran me $252, plus or minus $10 for little things. See my new thread on the install, I gave a price breakdown. I also did the 1LE install on my Iroc and I came up with right around $800 for that system, and they're almost the same, except I have to repack bearings on the 1LE system when I replace rotors.
Ed
Last edited by ebmiller88; 01-25-2006 at 12:08 AM.
Well as I recall I had around $400 in my C4 setup with used wrecking yard parts. And like Ed I used the pads that came with the calipers since they were in such great shape. But I bought extra spindles and rotors to play around with, so that was an added expense.
I did the work myself on the rotors and brackets. I own a machine shop, and Ed had access to machine tools to do to do his work on, so this is the reason why we are in this so cheaply. Otherwise you would have to add around $200 for the modified rotors/hubs, and caliper brackets. I also already had the braided lines, so there was a $70 savings right there.
could we possibly start another and just keep it decent so it wouldn't get deleted , this C4 mod is great but a lot of us has 17" wheels and bigger is better :-) it was a great thread that for some unknown reason got deleted
im going to attempt the LS1 brake swap..... mostly because if i have the LS1 fronts, and swap in a LS1 rear, i then can set everything like a stock LS1 setup... and later on when i have the money, i can get some eradispeed rotors..
then i have big brakes that look cool too...
i just started working at a machine shop, so i can finally cut my own parts.....
now i just need to figure out how im going to do this.....
I was planning on using a bandsaw to rough mine out before I finish the lathe work, I would not try a plasma cutter because it might make the cast iron VERY hard where its cut at and that would make it much harder to machine in the lathe, I've tried to machine some cast iron parts that had been welded on and anytime the carbide tool got close to a weld it would dull the insert.
You won't have to redrill the rotors, they slide right on;
You'll need longer studs but they press into the stock bolt holes with no mods needed;
C4 brakes: Calipers, carriers, pads, guide pins, and longer brake lines;
3/8" brackets for standard 12" brakes, 1/2" brackets for HD 13" brakes;
bolts for the brackets and Metric bolts for the carriers;
modded spindles.
