What's the difference between these. I've read and fully understand the LS1 rear brake conversion and I'm wondering what would keep me from doing same thing with the C5.
Are the C5s any bigger? Different bolt pattern? If no one has a bracket, has anyone tried? Thx.

Ben

 

c5 brake calipers are identical, rotors are slightly bigger

 

Do you know if the rotor offset is the same?

 

they should be...

 

Okay so as long as the corvette caliper mounting bracket has a bolt pattern that's close to the LS1 I should be okay. I know the vette has the caliper on top instead of the front (anyone know why?) so the e-brake will be a little trickier. Anyone know somethin I missing?

 

I assure you that they're not even close.

The C5 rear rotor is much shallower, by about 1/2"
(IIRC it might be more like .625" but I don't have my notes handy at the moment.)

You can make it work with custom spacers to move the backing plate further outboard, but if you intend to keep the parking brake, it's a VERY tight fit to get the brake shoe back in there.

Also, FWIW, the rotor diameter and thickness is the same. The only meaningful difference (besides the offset) is that the C5 rotor is directional, whereas the F-body rotor is not. Calipers are practically the same, too, and are completely interchangeable as long as you use the correct antirattle shim.

I have the C5 rear rotors and calipers installed on my '96 Impala SS, but that's a 4300# car that I do a lot of open track events with, so that extra bit of cooling from the directional rotors was important to me. However, for most thirdgen apps, I'd suggest that the LS1 rear rotor is completely adequate and is a much easier fit. IMHO, for street or auto-x use on an F-body, there's no way you'd ever work the rear brakes hard enough to see a performance advantage between the two.

HTH,

 

oh, I was under the impression that they were almost the same. I stand corrected... The C5 rotors are identical in design to the LS1, except they are pressure cast and not gravity cast, making them resist spreading.

 

So ...

1. Rear C5 rotors have the same thinkness and diameter as as LS1 Fbodys but they are directional. The offset between the rotors is different though.

2. C5 caliper and LS1 Fbody calipers and interchangeable. Are they built differently?

3. I can use calipers, hoses and pads from a vette with brackets and rotors from an LS1 fbody.

Thanks btw.
Ben

 

Correct.

Other than color, they're virtually identical. The only obvious difference is the little "window" that holds the antirattle clip is shaped a bit differently between the two, so the clips won't interchange.

I have never heard of anyone who really knows if the C5 rear calipers are pressure cast like the fronts or not.

F-body pads might be a better match to the F-body brackets. You can use 'vette pads if you don't let them run too thin. (rotor slot is wider on the F-body bracket)

Vette hoses are really long, at least twice as long as the LS1 F-body.