I HAVE 4 WHEEL DISC ON A 83 Z-28, FROM READING OTHER POST IT LOOKS LIKE ALOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE BRAKES SYSTEM ON THIRDGENS. SO DO MY BRAKES SUCK BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO SMALL AND POORLY DESIGNED OR IS THERE ANOTHER PROBLEM.

I HAVE NEW PADS, NEW CALIPERS AND NEW ROTORS, ALL WHICH WERE ON THE CAR WHEN I GOT IT. THE BRAKES ARE ALL BLED AND THERES NO SOFTNESS IN THE PEEDLE. WHAT I NOTICE THOUGH IS THAT WHEN I GO TO STOP IS SEEMS LIKE IT TAKES FOREVER AND I HAVE TO STAND ON THE BRAKES RATHER HARD. IF I GO TO MUCH THE CAR STALLS. JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT STOPS ALL THAT QUICK.

 

YOUR BRAKES SUCK BECAUSE YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPS AS IF YOU'RE SHOUTING AT US!!!!

Seriously, they suck because they sucked when they were new, and they haven't got any better in the last 20-odd years. Especially not when compared to the VASTLY better brakes on most cars these days.

You can make them somewhat better by getting the rears to work at least a little, which I'd be willing to bet they're not.... like, you've probably got rust on the rotors. That brake system REQUIRES that you use the parking brake EVERY TIME you park the car, WITHOUT EXCEPTION; and maybe twice extra on Sundays. The act of using it is what adjusts them. Without that, they might work a little bit with brand new pads, and then once the pads wear a little, they don't move far enough to make up for the wear. Then the whole adjustment mechanism rusts up solid, and they never work again for the rest of the car's life.

I'd recommend getting new (or rebuilt) calipers; installing the "recall kit" in them, since new/rebuilt ones come without it; and modifying the combo valve. If you do all that, they'll almost work as well as drums. Meaning, they'll still suck, just not as bad; but at least they'll work.

If you want them to act like modern brakes, then you need to replace them with modern brakes. It's not too terribly hard to retrofit both fronts and rears from a 98 - 02 (LS1) car onto one of these cars.

 

sorry for the caps, i do excell sheets at work and they make me use caps i forgot to turn it off. thats some good incite. ill take a look at them when i get a chance tonight and see if the backs are doing anything. i know for sure that the brakes weigh a ton and they don't stop the car for beans. if i keep the car im going to have to change those out.

 

You could go the route I'm trying out for the rears. I'm installing an adjustable proportioning valve this weekend and have already bypassed the stock valve. When I just had the combo valve and bleeding the rears I could see the rears had good movement and clamped the rotors as one would expect. I can't say much for the way they worked before because the cars has been sitting for years and its finally about to be back on the road.

 

Before I swapped to PBR's, I had the oldies, like you. The 'fix kit' did wonders by itself (and using the e-brake as Sofa suggested).

JamesC

 

ok, thanks guys