10.75" rotor vs 11" rotor (brake kits)

[nero]

OK. So Baer and Wilwood (sp?) have a set up in 11 and 10 inch respective rotors. Is the .25" really warrant the huge price difference or is it something else in the kit/quality/reliability/etc that make the price difference?

Any thoughts are appreciated

 

[84TXGN]

I did the LS1 brake swap on my car and am very happy with it. Its just as good as the Baer/Wilwood kits but a LOT cheaper.

 

[nero]

Very true! But, I'm not the most mechanically inclined... I'll readup on those threads again and see if I can gather the parts and have a buddy (owns a shop and gbody) do the machine work and install for me...

thanks

 

[84TXGN]

My dad and I have done 3 sets so far. If you have any questions send me a PM. I can also see about selling you a set if you are interested. That way all you have to do is bolt them on. I'll see what my dad would charge or even if we have/can get another set.

 

[SNOWBIRD]

you can probably make a small side line out of it .....i am interested,,0 will they fit 15 in wheels

 

[nero]

My dad and I have done 3 sets so far. If you have any questions send me a PM. I can also see about selling you a set if you are interested. That way all you have to do is bolt them on. I'll see what my dad would charge or even if we have/can get another set.

I'll buy one!!!!!!!!:biggrin:

 

[SNOWBIRD]

what does a kit consist of

 

[84TXGN]

Stock 86-87 wheels won't fit, and neither will t-type wheels. If you shave off the fins on top of the caliper I think hotair GN rims will fit. I have a set and am going to attempt this soon. I have the Kirban GNX look a like rims and they fit fine as does the GTA wheels.

Everything you need to bolt it right on the car is: modified stock spindles, turned stock rotors into hubs, LS1 rotors, used LS1 calipers, Conversion bracket, seal, bearings, hardware.

Basically If you wanted a whole kit we could ship it to you assembled so all you have to do is take your entire spindle assembly off and replace it with the one we send you. Some of these parts are difficult to come by used so if you want one it may take a while. We can get you new LS1 calipers if you'd like but they cost a little more. If anyone is interested send me a PM and we can see what we can do or if you just wnat to do it yourself and need advice send me a PM too. I'll be glad to help.


Here's a pic of the LS1 set-up on a vice next to a stock assembly.

 

[nero]

AWESOME!! I got GNx lookalikes and plan on going to 17 or 18s later, so either way I'm fine in the wheel department!!! PM me with pricing and length of time to get it out here and all that jazz. I'm 100% interested and 110% appreciative on the offer!!!!!

Thanks again

 

[GNTurbo6]

Here's a dumb question, are these for front or rear?

 

[84TXGN]

Here's a dumb question, are these for front or rear?

Front

There is a way to get the rear LS1 brakes to work on our cars as well but I do not have experience with that. I have seen it though and it looks badass.

 

[xcessiv6]

Save your money and buy the 2 piston replacement calibar from SSBRAKES
works awsome and fits any wheel, the smaller the rotor the less rotating mass
you get the same brake surface as the 11 inch rotor.

 

[nero]

Save your money and buy the 2 piston replacement calibar from SSBRAKES
works awsome and fits any wheel, the smaller the rotor the less rotating mass
you get the same brake surface as the 11 inch rotor.

Wait... so, with a caliper upgrade on the STOCK rotors, I'll have the equivalent of 11" rotors? Link please! Details!! How much?!?!

Thanks!!

:biggrin:

EDIT:::::

Do the ls1 conversion brakes maintain the same bolt pattern and selection of wheels (same BS as if I had stock brakes/bolt pattern/offset etc)??

Thanks

 

[84TXGN]

Save your money and buy the 2 piston replacement calibar from SSBRAKES
works awsome and fits any wheel, the smaller the rotor the less rotating mass
you get the same brake surface as the 11 inch rotor.

I couldn't find a price on the SS brake calipers so I cannot comment of the price difference, but the SSbrakes calipers are 38mm pistons where the LS1 calipers use 44mm pistons. The surface area is not the same either. The SSbrakes calipers are a very good upgrade but I think the LS1 brakes are still a much better option, unless you want to retain the use of 15 inch wheels.

As for offset, The LS1 brakes do add about 5/16 of an inch so thats one thing to consider. I plan to run 17x8 wheels soon and think a 4.5" backspacing will be perfect. I think my Kirban GNX style wheels sit out a little further than I'd like and if I keep them I'll have to modify the inner part of the fender.

 

[GNTurbo6]

I couldn't find a price on the SS brake calipers so I cannot comment of the price difference, but the SSbrakes calipers are 38mm pistons where the LS1 calipers use 44mm pistons. The surface area is not the same either. The SSbrakes calipers are a very good upgrade but I think the LS1 brakes are still a much better option, unless you want to retain the use of 15 inch wheels.

As for offset, The LS1 brakes do add about 5/16 of an inch so thats one thing to consider. I plan to run 17x8 wheels soon and think a 4.5" backspacing will be perfect. I think my Kirban GNX style wheels sit out a little further than I'd like and if I keep them I'll have to modify the inner part of the fender.

Actually that's very tempting because that means I might be able to run GTA rears on the front without a spacer. Do we still need to get longer studs though or would these kits make it so we don't?

 

[84TXGN]

You might be able to get away with stock, but I have the part number for studs that are about 1/2" longer than stock.

 

[83hurstguy]

I am putting a C4 vette 12" conversion on mine... supposed to be lower profile than the LS1's and "more 15" wheel friendly". Just got the calipers in today.

For the LS1 rears, you have to cut the top of the mounting flange off the rear end (where the huge third bolt hole is), bolt up the new backing plate with the bottom two bolt holes, then drill two new upper holes in the rear end. Its not too bad to do, but once again, you need 16" wheels. LS1 swaps are pretty much guaranteed to require 16" wheels or larger.

The SS Brakes caliper is pretty pricey for what you end up getting. I think for the price of those calipers, I'll have my complete 12" brake swap done

also, you'll probably need longer wheel studs on the front with any brake swap. The thickness of the rotor dictates how far the wheel moves out and how much of your thread you lose. I know with the C4 swap its .300". If the LS1 is 5/16", that's a decent chunk of real estate. I don't like messing with loose wheels...

 

[84TXGN]

I am putting a C4 vette 12" conversion on mine... supposed to be lower profile than the LS1's and "more 15" wheel friendly". Just got the calipers in today.

For the LS1 rears, you have to cut the top of the mounting flange off the rear end (where the huge third bolt hole is), bolt up the new backing plate with the bottom two bolt holes, then drill two new upper holes in the rear end. Its not too bad to do, but once again, you need 16" wheels. LS1 swaps are pretty much guaranteed to require 16" wheels or larger.

The SS Brakes caliper is pretty pricey for what you end up getting. I think for the price of those calipers, I'll have my complete 12" brake swap done

also, you'll probably need longer wheel studs on the front with any brake swap. The thickness of the rotor dictates how far the wheel moves out and how much of your thread you lose. I know with the C4 swap its .300". If the LS1 is 5/16", that's a decent chunk of real estate. I don't like messing with loose wheels...

I wasn't aware of a C4 conversion. I think the C4 and LS1 conversions are similar because the LS1 rotor is 11.9"

I think the fins on top of the LS1 caliper are keeping a lot of 15" wheels from fitting, but the LS! guys grind them down all the time without and ill side effects. If I decide to grind mine I'll post the results.

 

[83hurstguy]

the C4 non-HD rotors are only .81" thick, which is one of the downsides to the swap. Should never pose a problem on the street, but it may push the limits if you auto-x it heavily. A lot of guys did the C4 HD swaps, which were 13" by 1.1" rotors....

I was always skeptical of grinding too much on the LS1 calipers. LS1 calipers are gravity cast, while the C5 calipers are pressure cast. Makes a big difference in strength of the part. After I saw a significant amount of grinding was needed to clear a 15" wheels, I decided it wasn't for me...

here is the 12" C4 kit installed on a 3rd gen camaro...
Yahoo! Photos - taramiller72's Photos - C4 brakes

you are right that the C4s and LS1s are similar... the LS1 caliper design is better, I believe it has slightly larger pistons, and the rotors are a little beefier.