I'm going to post pictures then go back and edit since the pics are on my phone so please bare with me here.
I decided I wanted to upgrade my front brakes from the 12" ls1 camaro to 13" c6 brakes on s10 spindles. This is still a work in progress but I have them installed on the car just have to button up a couple other things before I get the car back out on the road. There are a few different options with these brakes which I will go over and try to answer any questions to the best of my knowledge.
It took awhile, but I finally got all the parts together to make the swap to a bigger c6 Vette front brake setup. I got the spindles locally from a junkyard , which seemed nothing less than a miracle. Not many 2wd blazers in these parts. I got the adapter brackets from Kore3(Tobin is a very knowledgable person when it comes to this type of thing and was willing to talk several times before I ever ordered anything). I replaced the wheel studs with arp hardware. I scored a complete front and rear setup including rotors calipers abutment brackets and pads of a c6 with only a couple hundred miles on them off Craigslist. I paid $300 for all of the c6 brakes. Now I won't be using the rear rotors or abutment brackets but will be using the rear calipers and pads. Since I already had converted the rear drums on my car to ls1 12" disc , I will replace the regular gravity cast rear camaro calipers with lighter stronger pressure cast Vette calipers. Just as in the front, mounting wise the are the same as the camaro calipers but with added strength from better clamping force and less weight. That is actually an option to use the ls1 caliper here if on a tight budget and still get the added benefits of the 13" Vette rotor. You would just need the correct abutment bracket. I got a great deal on the Vette calipers so I went this route. I was and still plan on eventually stepping up to either the z51 13.5" front brakes or the c6 zo6 14" setup. Upgrading to the z51 brakes would just take a simple abutment bracket and rotor change. The zo6 brake calipers are a 6 piston fixed caliper like a brembo which would bolt right to adapter bracket.
Remember with bigger brakes you will need bigger wheels to fit them. The 13" brakes require a 17" wheel minimum. I believe the 13.5" brakes will work with some 17" wheels and up and 14" brakes require an 18" wheel minimum. If I post any incorrect info please let me know and I will change it.
I also took this opportunity to replace my lower control arms with the spc units that I've had for a year and a half. I did run into some trouble with the Howe balljoints not fitting and actually popping out. I was aware of this problem before I installed them and just tacked them into the control arms. They only came out when the car was up on jackstands and the front suspension was hanging. With the car on the ground, the weight of the car pushing down on the spring and control arm would actually be pulling the lower balljoints up into the control arm. The reason for this problem in the first place , is that Howe ball joints are made to the exact spec as stock. The spc lower control arms came with moog ball joints that are splined and actually slightly larger than stock and not very precisely manufactured to strict tolerances. The moog ball joints are made with higher mileage slightly enlarged stock lower control arms in mind. But in researching this subject and after speaking with the vendor and spc , I found it very acceptable practice to tack the ball joints into the lowers. Just don't over heat the housings while welding them in.
All in all this swap is very easy and fairly cheap in comparison. Definitely easier to do than the ls1 swap. I chose this route because my car will be more setup for autocross/ road race vs drag. So i wanted a larger front brake. I also believe this will bring my wheel back into the stock location , where as the ls1 brakes had pushed it out a little. It might not be the very best setup but its what I did and how I did it , for now anyways haha.
Here is a comparison ls1 12" on the right Vette 13" on the left.
Here is the s10 spindle with arp wheel studs. I will post the part #s later
Another view
Spc lower control arm installed
Here is the front and rear Vette calipers and the Kore3 adapter brackets hardware and spacer (no dust shield)
After being together for all of 20mins I walked away and came back to this. I was more pissed that I hadn't just tacked the balljoints in before I installed everything on the car as i knew i woukd need to weld them in,but live and learn.
View of the coilspring spacer and shims
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I decided I wanted to upgrade my front brakes from the 12" ls1 camaro to 13" c6 brakes on s10 spindles. This is still a work in progress but I have them installed on the car just have to button up a couple other things before I get the car back out on the road. There are a few different options with these brakes which I will go over and try to answer any questions to the best of my knowledge.
It took awhile, but I finally got all the parts together to make the swap to a bigger c6 Vette front brake setup. I got the spindles locally from a junkyard , which seemed nothing less than a miracle. Not many 2wd blazers in these parts. I got the adapter brackets from Kore3(Tobin is a very knowledgable person when it comes to this type of thing and was willing to talk several times before I ever ordered anything). I replaced the wheel studs with arp hardware. I scored a complete front and rear setup including rotors calipers abutment brackets and pads of a c6 with only a couple hundred miles on them off Craigslist. I paid $300 for all of the c6 brakes. Now I won't be using the rear rotors or abutment brackets but will be using the rear calipers and pads. Since I already had converted the rear drums on my car to ls1 12" disc , I will replace the regular gravity cast rear camaro calipers with lighter stronger pressure cast Vette calipers. Just as in the front, mounting wise the are the same as the camaro calipers but with added strength from better clamping force and less weight. That is actually an option to use the ls1 caliper here if on a tight budget and still get the added benefits of the 13" Vette rotor. You would just need the correct abutment bracket. I got a great deal on the Vette calipers so I went this route. I was and still plan on eventually stepping up to either the z51 13.5" front brakes or the c6 zo6 14" setup. Upgrading to the z51 brakes would just take a simple abutment bracket and rotor change. The zo6 brake calipers are a 6 piston fixed caliper like a brembo which would bolt right to adapter bracket.
Remember with bigger brakes you will need bigger wheels to fit them. The 13" brakes require a 17" wheel minimum. I believe the 13.5" brakes will work with some 17" wheels and up and 14" brakes require an 18" wheel minimum. If I post any incorrect info please let me know and I will change it.
I also took this opportunity to replace my lower control arms with the spc units that I've had for a year and a half. I did run into some trouble with the Howe balljoints not fitting and actually popping out. I was aware of this problem before I installed them and just tacked them into the control arms. They only came out when the car was up on jackstands and the front suspension was hanging. With the car on the ground, the weight of the car pushing down on the spring and control arm would actually be pulling the lower balljoints up into the control arm. The reason for this problem in the first place , is that Howe ball joints are made to the exact spec as stock. The spc lower control arms came with moog ball joints that are splined and actually slightly larger than stock and not very precisely manufactured to strict tolerances. The moog ball joints are made with higher mileage slightly enlarged stock lower control arms in mind. But in researching this subject and after speaking with the vendor and spc , I found it very acceptable practice to tack the ball joints into the lowers. Just don't over heat the housings while welding them in.
All in all this swap is very easy and fairly cheap in comparison. Definitely easier to do than the ls1 swap. I chose this route because my car will be more setup for autocross/ road race vs drag. So i wanted a larger front brake. I also believe this will bring my wheel back into the stock location , where as the ls1 brakes had pushed it out a little. It might not be the very best setup but its what I did and how I did it , for now anyways haha.
Here is a comparison ls1 12" on the right Vette 13" on the left.
Here is the s10 spindle with arp wheel studs. I will post the part #s later
Another view
Spc lower control arm installed
Here is the front and rear Vette calipers and the Kore3 adapter brackets hardware and spacer (no dust shield)
After being together for all of 20mins I walked away and came back to this. I was more pissed that I hadn't just tacked the balljoints in before I installed everything on the car as i knew i woukd need to weld them in,but live and learn.
View of the coilspring spacer and shims
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