72greg

2006 Z51 M6
Can I run Z06 calipers up front and Z51’s on the rears?
The car is heading towards track only.

I’ll be running XP10 or DTC70’s up front and XP8’s in rear

Need to install longer wheel studs on the rear with a 1/4” spacer to clear the Z06 calipers - when I do that I’ll do bushings/ball joints and hubs.

dondoucette

Track or road?

from an engineering standpoint no.
when you press your brake pedal the master cylinder displaces a measured amount of fluid.
by design your front brakes provide more braking than your rears.
if you change the fluid volume capacity by using different calipers you risk inadvertently changing your front to rear braking ratio which can have several negative effects as you can well imagine, it may also give your ABS system fits.

using equipment NOT specifically offered as factory on your car can also present some interesting insurance complications if you are involved in a collision.

at the end of the day you can do whatever you want, will it work? Probably, possibly. Will it work in a predictable and consistent manner? No idea.

I’ve always, for liability purposes, only used OEM brakes or upgrade brakes specifically designed and manufactured for an intended application.
YMMV👍

72greg

Track

yea, caliper volume difference,…not a good idea

jonjoy

Simple answer NO your brake bias will be way off

grinder11

It's biased towards the front by design BECAUSE the front brakes do at least 80% of the stopping. You're asking for trouble altering the mechanical and electrical engineering. You could probably do this on a non-ABS system by using an adjustable proportioning valve. It would take some dial-in time, is all, but I wouldnt do it on an ABS car. The gains, if any, would be minimal on either system.

davidfarmer

Is the z06 master different than the base/z51. Just because a caliper is larger, doesn’t mean the piston area is larger. I haven’t researched this, but the exterior appearance does not determine the calipers performance

im running the top of the line AP front brakes with OEM rear calipers. Best bias I’ve had in 30 years of racing

HOXXOH

No such thing as "Z51" calipers, but the Z51 option and some others all used the J55 brakes with the same size rotors. The calipers appear identical, but the rear calipers used on the J55 brakes have a smaller piston. That was GM's way of providing the correct front to rear bias. Using the J56 fronts might work better with JL9 calipers and J55 rotors on the rear. It still wouldn't be something I'd want to try in a competitive situation, since they'd never be as good as J56 brakes all around.

mikeCsix

DavidFarmer, the base, Z51, GS, Z06, and ZR1 I believe all use the same master cylinder.

HOXXOH

All the '05-'08's used PN 19209259 and all the '09-'13's used PN 19418187, irrespective of model designation, according to GM dealer's online catalog.

timd38

I had Z06 calipers on my car for a week and replaced them with 6 piston Wilwoods. I wouldn't put those junk BPR calipers on a Red Flyer wagon. Keep what you have or spend the money to get a good set of performance brakes.