Gen 1 Brock Coupe Brake Upgrade

[PANAVIA]

I put this on the SPF build side but wanted to get this info out in coupe land as well. --

In the meantime we decided to look at a Brake upgrade since we had things apart - I went with a significant upgrade to match the power of the coupe, especially this coupe. - The SPF coupes braking system is a combination of C5 corvette and german based hydraulics.

So in looking for the C5 systems in regards to possible upgrades I spent many an hour engineering and reading and drawing up solutions.

I reviewed Many manufacturers offerings ranging from 400$ to 8K. -- lets just say i kept to the lower part of the scale. -

In reviewing what our C5 friends were ( are doing ) i discovered a true find. - the 2006 Z06 Brake system as it sits on a 2006-2011 Z06 - I also looked at the ZR1 system, but that would have broke the bank and then some.

The PBR produced Z06 brakes can be had at your local Dealer and are of reasonable price and value when you look at the competitiveness in this market.

However, a word of warning, -Just because they Bolt-On to a C5 corvette , they dont just "bolt on to your coupe" - some machining and adult supervision is required, -kids dont try this at home.

The Rotors as obtained from SPFs supplier originally are modified to fit the coupe -

here is a list of mods that they do ;

1. Drill them out a Ford / Dodge / Mitsu /Mazda bolt pattern of 5 x 4.5" for the lug/pins to go through, these new holes are also countersunk a bit for the base of the Pin Drive lugs to screw down on top of them.

2. Bore/Mill out the Hub register (big center hole) to fit the hubs on the coupe, radius the backside cut so it mates to the hub and seats ( sits flush )

This took some time to do and we had to have the centers done at a Larger machine shop with a larger lathe to bore the center out precisely, and have it be a concentric circle with the hub.

We then found that the Calipers originally had a 2 piston single sided front, with a single piston , single sided rear caliper. - in the Z06 (2006) this was upgraded to 6 pistons front, 4 in the rear, - I know Jeremy Clarkson keeps saying more is better, so we went with it.

The SPF calipers on the coupe are basically stock with script engraved in the fronts. since mine were damaged, they function OK, but look like hell even after scrubbing and painting - So we went with the C6 Z06 Calipers.

See the below photos for detail, - questions welcome.

Keep in mind I have not road tested this yet, and chapters are still being written.





More news as it happens !!

Steve

[Jacobyte]

Good stuff - but can you put a line break between each image, the horizontal scrolling drives me nuts!

What's the weight difference for the rotor/caliper/pads compared to stock?

I've had no problems with the stock items, using AP Racing fluid and race-spec pads. This is for 30-45 minute competitive post-historic races; they hold up very well. But...

I intend to take more weight out of my car over the winter (it's almost 3,100lb with all fluids on board, which is way too much for a competition car), I'm sure it can be taken down a few hundred lb (loads of steel heat/sound shields which can either be removed or replaced with lightweight alternatives). This will means I'll be braking later and from higher speeds, so will be looking for brake solutions.

Eagerly awaiting your next installment!

[PANAVIA]

The other thing I thought of was Aluminum A - Arms replacing the steel - the frame on this thing is pretty beefy.

the gas tank is also heavy for what it is - maybe a fuel cell would lighten things up a bit -

I went with Stock PBR rotors so they are a couple of pounds heavy(er) than the originals.

Serviceability is 110% they are right there and fit to the stock holes with minor mods only on the back.

--Steve

[Jacobyte]

Well, it looks like the stock rotors really couldn't hack it on a racetrack after a 40 minute race:






So, I got some Performance Friction items with the C5 Corvette fitment. After a bit of boring out the center hole and counter-sinking 5 holes for the pins, they are now fantastic.





I have kept the original calipers for now, as they do a fine job.

[PANAVIA]

The original calipers are as good as the C5 Calipers get, however if you want more braking power, there are options. - more news in this space soon. - We have fitted a wilwood upgrade to a customers car and are getting closer to getting my coupe on the road.

[torqueboy]

Dear PANAVIA,
How did your brakeupdate work ?
How does it work with the original wheels ... normaly , it is not enough space between wheel and caliper so that there is no space for a 4 or 6 piston caliper .
What did you change for that it fit.
Need this information , because cannot visit your shop , because I m located in europe.

Bernd