spdislife

You can use a C clamp for both front and rear calipers. Rears do not need to be turned in. If your brake pedal doesn't pulse, keep the rotors. If you're just cruising with the car and occasionally doing a spirited burst, you'll be fine.

calguy

I am going to be rebuilding my calipers, and installing new rotors and pads this summer.
Now I am a bit confused.
Some state the rear caliper pistons need to be turned to seat them while others say a c clamp will seat them.
Which one is it?

Bob

Evil-Twin

Be careful who you listen too here.

if there is no sign of a leak there is no need to rebuild.

both front a rear can be reset to their original position, with a c clamp. They can be reset with your thumbs and an old brake pad.. just crack open the master cylinder and press with your thumbs, IM old and sick and I can still do it this way. just did my wife's car... this way.

Pounder

The rear depends on the e-brake system, some use a screw type that actuates from the piston, others such as my 99 vette uses a brake band inside the rotor drum incorporated into the rotor !!! so the ones with a screw type can't just be pushed back in !!!

3sACROWD

Opening the master cylinder and pushing the pistons back with your hands or c-clamp will work. Be aware that you will be pushing brake fluid back to the master cylinder. If your brake fluid has been flushed as part of your routine maintenance, you may have more fluid than necessary when your new pads are installed. You may have to remove some fluid from the master cylinder so it doesn’t overflow. It is best to remove some fluid with a syringe or “turkey baster” prior to starting your work to prevent the overflow which could damage painted surfaces.

Pounder

you also can just use the bleeder on the caliper ???? that way you get rid of old fluid and not push it back into the system !!!

huesmann

Right, but you still need to press the piston back into the bore anytime you're replacing pads or rotors, since the new pads and/or rotors will be thicker than the old ones--you'll need additional gap between pad faces to get the pads over the rotor.

craig_vette

Thanks Lou, reviews seem good enough. Just ordered.

CaseyJones

Don't replace the rotors unless there is an obvious problem. A pulsating brake pedal is the clue. Corvettes use a hard rotor and soft pads. If your car is a daily driver/weekend cruiser then the rotors will probably last as long as the car itself. Flushing the fluid is probably a good idea, particularly if the cars sits a lot.

Pounder

That is what I mean, you crack the bleeder and then push the piston in !!!!! Easy /pesy !!!

lane_viper

I used Brakemotive pads and rotors I got for less than $200. That made it an easy decision to do pads and rotors. I used a C-Clamp to push the calipers back, but you need to remove some brake fluid, as others have stated, to prevent overflow. Brakes are really easy to do, so just take your time, and you'll be fine.

Evil-Twin

This is a very good point. I sometimes take the very basic idea, and forget who might be listening ( someone with out the very basic skill set )... there is a cap bladder which replaces the volume of fluid as the piston expands, and the pad surface decreases.
when you push the piston back, it pushes the fluid back up into the master. If the master was flushed and filled prior to the brake job, the fluid volume need to be reduced. Once the piston reset, you can refill the master... If this is unclear please, contact me or anyone you feel confident in their advice. This very simple procedure could do a lot of damage to painted surfaces, if this is unclear.
Bill aka ET

calguy

Not that I want too, but I need to rebuild the calipers.
The front ones appear to leak a little, but strangely, the level of fluid in the master cylinder has not dropped one bit in the two years I have had my Vette, and have a decent pedal, but feel it could be a bit harder than it is.
It remains firm with my foot on the pedal, and doesn't sink under pressure, which if it did, would indicate a leak, or air in the system, still no answer as to why the front wheels seem to have fluid on them when I clen the wheels.

Right now, the wheels are clean, did them yesterday.
When the fluid appears again (a couple of days), I will take a picture of what I'M talking about, and see if someone here can explain it.

When I clean the wheels, the black seems more liquid than regular brake dust., and though it doesn't feel wet, it is much heavier in the front, than rear.

Also I am not picking up any brake fluid odor.
I have noticed (just in both front wheels) there is an accumulation of crusty material, which resembles dried out brake fluid, on the inner part of the wheels.

I am getting a pulsing in the front wheels when I apply the brakes, so that tells me the rotors need to be replaced.
I figure while replacing rotors, it makes more sense to replace all four.

This is my daily driver, so like to keep it up and running.

Bob.

My Vette Life

I'm curious to see these and hear your results, I don't know if I heard mixed reviews about these or rotors from summit racing.

I have to get new pads and thinking about this combo, however I like the stock look but can't bite the bullet just yet.

HBsurfer

You can buy the tool to push back the caliper piston at Harbor Freight Tools for under $10.00. Works perfectly.

blacksedan87

There is some science involved with determining as to whether you need to replace the rotors on the car.

The front rotor thickness - new = 1.26" (32mm)
The rear rotor thickness - new = 1.02" (26mm)

The minimum thickness after refinishing front = 1.205" (30.6mm)
The minimum thickness after refinishing rear = .980" (24.9mm)

The front discard thickness = 1.19" (30.3mm)
The rear discard thickness = .965" (24.5mm)

What this all means is if the rotor is worn past the discard thickness either before being turned on a brake lathe or after it is turned, you must replace the rotors. If there are gouges present on the rotors and turning the rotors to get the gouges out takes you below the discard thickness, then you'll need new rotors.

General rule of thumb is to not just put new pads on over worn or compromised rotors. That's called a "pad slap". If you do a pad slap, the new pads will not wear evenly and will likely wear prematurely.

The measurements for rotor thickness should be taken at four points with a caliper (measuring device - not related to the brake caliper).

When refinishing brake rotors, the maximum thickness variation should be no greater than .0005" (.013mm). A rotor that varies in thickness by more than .001" (.025mm) can cause pedal pulsation and/or front end vibration during brake applications. A rotor that does not meet these specifications should be refinished to specifications or replaced.

Source: Y platform service manual pages 5-45 and 5-46.

REDHOTS

I never figured out, after all these years, until you mentioned it, that the bladder under the cap is to displace the air, not the fluid. It makes sense if you think about it. There are no holes in the bladder. It gets sucked down to keep the fluid separated from air. The only way you can get air in your brake system, is when the level gets down to the MC piston. Mystery solved. I always thought it was to displace fluid too, but now I don't think so.

craig_vette

My impression after two days of very little driving is so so. I don't have anything good oR bad to report really. I do like the look of the drilled slotted rotors. The ceramic pads stop well enough but I think the semi metallic pads that were on there previously stopped a tad sooner. Nevertheless, assuming nothing bad emerges, I'd order again. Very good price.

Pounder

yes you open the bleeder and push the piston in and the fluid goes out the bleeder and that fluid does not get pushed back into the system !!!

sirdano

I would be worried that air would get back in soon as I stopped pressing the piston in.

I have always done it with the reservoir cap off. If it I full already get a turkey baster and suck some out.

Also like some have said I always used the old pad and either large pliers or a c clamp.

As for the rotors like most said just buy a new one. Ever brake job I have done on cars I have always been told out of spec. but something else to remember that if you do get them turned you will have to wait on them were as buying new you can go home and complete the job