C5 brakes and SLP Bilstein shocks on my LT1 Camaro

[TraceZ]

I'd been picking up parts and pieces this winter so that when spring arrived I'd have everything needed to install C5 brakes on the front of my Camaro.

parts required:

1) C5 front rotors
2) C5 front calipers
3) C5 front brake pad abutment brackets
4) C5 front brake hoses
5) C5 to Fbody adapter brakets
6) C5 front brake pads

Everything listed above was purchased used, except for the adapter brackets which were purchased new and the rotors which I happenned to have leftover from another project.

I disassembled everything completely, stripped the calipers down to bare castings and cleaned everything. I used a flat file on all the flat unpainted aluminum surfaces to make them look new. Then the calipers and abutment brackets got repainted with duplicolor caliper paint and then baked in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes.

After the refinishing was complete, they got reassembled with new parts.

1) piston seal rings
2) piston dust boots
3) brake pad clips
4) slide pin boots
5) copper washers for banjo bolts
6) Permatex brake lube

Everything is assembled and ready to bolt onto the car. All I need is spring to arrive so I can bring the car home from storage.

Here is a piston ready to be installed. There is already a new ringseal in the bore, and it is wetted with brake fluid.



Install the seal on the the bottom of the piston



Place the rubber lip onto the groove around the edge of the piston bore


Push the piston home, when the seal reaches the top it will snap into the groove and seal.

[TraceZ]

A single sawblade made all the cuts. In fact, the blade is still in great shape. While cutting, use lots of light oil to lubricate the blade and move the saw in and out and up and down to prevent the blade from getting too hot in one place.

I paid as much for this pack of blades at Home Depot as I did for my sawzall at Harbor Freight.



The first thing to cut off is the little protrusion off the back of the spindle. It's right above the top rear bolt hole and interferes with the installation of the C5 adapter plate. Make sure you get the whole thing. First cut upwards, starting at the bottom of the protrusion so you can make sure it is even with the surrounding area. Then cut down from the top to meet your cutline from the bottom. If you miss any, it will interfere with the bracket and things will not line up properly. If you need to, a file can be used to remove anything left behind after cutting.



The next cut is the top ear. You'll want to raid the crayon or chalk drawer for something to make a mark for this cut.





Here is what it looks like after the cut is made. File the edges to eliminate any burrs you may cut yourself with in the future and hit it with some black paint.


now... on to the bottom ear. slice slice.
First, get out the crayon and make a mark.
Here is a picture of the cut almost completed.



Now, use your file to make it clean and hit it with the black paint.

Here is what it looks like with the cutting done and the adapter plate bolted in place. Don't forget to use red locktite on the 4 hub bolts.



Now button it up like you would any other regular brake job and you get this:



I have not driven the car yet with these installed. I'm still working on the new front shocks.

[TraceZ]

The project is complete. I've driven the car a couple times and the difference in the feel of the brakes is really nice.


Here is what it looks like with the new SLP Bilstein shocks installed with the new C5 brakes






And here is the final product with wheel installed.

[ConElite]

Very very nice!! How much did you spend?

On a side note, Would it of been more cost effective to just do an LS1 front brake swap. You can pick up the spindles and everything for under $200.

[TraceZ]

Adapter brackets: $160 from ebay
C5 calipers, brake pads, abatement brackets, stainless steel hoses - $200 from a member on corvetteforum
C5 rotors - free (I had them laying around) from a prior project.
Misc parts - seals, dust boots, clips, lube, banjo washers, paint, brake cleaner, sawblade, etc... $50

I'm guessing I've got around $410 in the brakes, but they are in essence all new parts given the attention to detail they got.

[Christopherrr]

beautiful! So jealous!