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Dual calipers.....

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Old 09-19-2008, 01:06 AM
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Dual calipers.....

With all the brake upgrades going on, has anyone ever tried to fab up a rear backing plate, that can hold 2 calipers?

Double the clamping force....Wonder how fast a car could stop, equipped that way?
Old 09-19-2008, 04:21 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Dont know about the rear.
On the ZR1 Corvette a company called A/O Enginering made a dual caliper for the front.

I have to look for the pic.

Last edited by Firebird90; 09-19-2008 at 04:25 PM.
Old 09-19-2008, 05:44 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Originally Posted by Stephen

Double the clamping force....Wonder how fast a car could stop, equipped that way?
the car can only stop as fast as its tires, not brakes, once you can lock the wheels (not hard with one caliper), your at max braking power, and you need better tires, not clamping force, now if you cant loc kup the tires, yes it would help having more clamping force. it would look really cool tho!
Old 09-19-2008, 08:59 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

i dont know anything about brakes but i would think you would need a bigger master cylinder/ brake booster if you were be doubling the amount of calipers???
Old 09-20-2008, 02:04 AM
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Re: Dual calipers.....





I have to look for the front ones...
Old 09-20-2008, 09:06 AM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

The pics with the red calipers. What they did in that pic is use the larger caliper for braking. However that caliper has no ebrake so the smaller stock style caliper is there for e brake use only. Some lamborghinis, porsches, ferraris are like that on the rears.
Old 09-20-2008, 09:16 AM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Logically what are the gains? I agree with sailtexas in the fact that once your wheels lock up it doesn't matter how many calipers you have. If you can get the job done with one then why bother? spend money on more beneficial mods in my opinion..
Old 09-20-2008, 09:40 AM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Originally Posted by Firebird90

I have to look for the front ones...
It appears to be a steering knuckle & rod end in that pic.

The 3rd pic appears to show the exhaust pipeor a cooling duct.
Old 09-20-2008, 10:55 AM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Thoese this were the rear.
Here is the front

Old 09-20-2008, 11:08 AM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Well, that site requires signing up just to see the pic. I don't wanna go through all to see 1 pic. But at least I know its been done & not totally stupid.

Just seems more logical to have equally distributed clamping force, rather than just on one side of the rotor, and you get double the friction area.
----------
Originally Posted by camaro430sut
The pics with the red calipers. What they did in that pic is use the larger caliper for braking. However that caliper has no ebrake so the smaller stock style caliper is there for e brake use only. Some lamborghinis, porsches, ferraris are like that on the rears.
Yeah...I suspect those aren't really a dual braking caliper system. But rather, 1 for the e-brake, 1 for driving brake.

Last edited by Stephen; 09-20-2008 at 06:21 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Old 09-20-2008, 12:20 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Those pics wit the red caliper are from a C4 vette if im not mistaken. They are the rears, what looks like a steering knuckle and rod end is part of the vettes IRS. Neat idea to have what looks to be a 4 piston caliper but Ive gotta say my LS1 rears do just fine. Id think something that big would be locking up pretty easily.
Old 09-20-2008, 12:36 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Maybe duals on the front only then? I just figure...More friction stopping = better stopping. Eve if the dual calipers got half the pressure (1 line serving 2 calipers) it seems like the surface would stop better.
Old 09-20-2008, 06:18 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

i am still thinking of upgrading the rotors and then geting the dual piston calipers. that will help with the stopping power. and since there are so many bolt on kits you wouldnt even have to modify anything.
Old 09-20-2008, 06:29 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Originally Posted by theimpaler68
i am still thinking of upgrading the rotors and then geting the dual piston calipers. that will help with the stopping power. and since there are so many bolt on kits you wouldnt even have to modify anything.
Yeah...But larger rotors require large wheels for clearance. A dual caliper system wouldn't.

A dual caliper system would only require a new backing/mounting plate, a 'T' connection (if you simply split the pressure into 2 calipers).
Old 09-20-2008, 06:31 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Unless you upgrade the rest of the system (mainly MC and/or pedal arm) to create more fluid flow through the system you're not going to gain any more actual clamping force.

I would think having two calipers on one rotor would cause cooling issues (especially on a stock or near stock sized braking system.) At least on an agressively driven or tracked car. A street car may never have that issue though.
Old 09-20-2008, 06:33 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

i thought that they had the kits that still fit under the 16" wheels? i maybe mistaken though.
Old 09-20-2008, 06:47 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Originally Posted by theimpaler68
i thought that they had the kits that still fit under the 16" wheels? i maybe mistaken though.
They do...But nothing that could really be considered BIG. Only a 1" increase over stock 89-92 brakes.

"The LS1 brake kit will fit all stock style f-body 16" wheels, except for the TransAm/Firebird crosslace wheel. To use this wheel, minor clearancing or the use of a wheel spacer will be necessary. "

And with 16", that's the biggest you can go. I can't decide if I wanna get the biggest that will fit my crosslace wheels (but still look small in my Snypers) or get bigger ones & just sell my gold crosslaces)
----------
Originally Posted by iansane
I would think having two calipers on one rotor would cause cooling issues (especially on a stock or near stock sized braking system.) At least on an agressively driven or tracked car. A street car may never have that issue though.
Now THAT is a really logical argument against dual calipers. No time for the heat to disipate before heated (friction) again.

Maybe with these that could be combated.

Last edited by Stephen; 09-22-2008 at 11:24 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost-Typo
Old 09-22-2008, 09:51 AM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Originally Posted by Stephen
A dual caliper system would only require a new backing/mounting plate, a 'T' connection (if you simply split the pressure into 2 calipers).
Yes, indeed. There would realistically be more volume but pressure should be the same. You can actually calculate the amount of force being applied to the rotor by figuring out the total piston area (per side). You may actually achieve better braking from a larger/lighter caliper than more calipers, given the amount of sprung weight of 2 calipers. Of course, you'd also have to include the weight of the tire/wheel combination as well.

Food for thought.
Old 09-22-2008, 07:47 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

I'd think it wouldn't be worth the increase in unsprung weight.
Old 09-27-2008, 09:36 PM
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Re: Dual calipers.....

Originally Posted by Apeiron
I'd think it wouldn't be worth the increase in unsprung weight.
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