McSpeed

1969 Corvette BIG Brake Conversion

Let's face it.  The stock brakes found on your 1968 - 1982 Corvette don't quite measure up to today's high tech standards.  While the heavy duty four piston caliper design provides more than adequate stopping force to reign in even the biggest of big blocks - they are heavy, problematic in stock form (with the exception of O-ring replacement from VB&P), and don't do a very good job filling out the void now found with the world of huge on large rim selections available for your Shark.  Until now your only option to go larger and lighter weight required the purchase of expensive aftermarket and race-only calipers.  While this solution might meet some needs, there is nothing worse than trying to track down replacement or service parts for "one-off" custom, and pure racing aftermarket parts. 

Vette Brakes to the rescue!  The all new big brake package is a full bolt on assembly that transforms your Shark to a modern stopping machine.  Their big brake package utilizes the tried and true fifth generation Corvette caliper and  their slotted thermal cycled 13" rotor.  All components in the system are new OEM parts treated with your choice of available powder coated finishes.   An extra bonus is the inclusion of all brake related parts including the clips, dust caps, bolts, pins, and hose adapter fittings.  Everything is topped off with an exclusive stainless braided hose to hook these beasts to your Shark system.  You'll also appreciate the fact this brake system, while significantly larger shaves 10 lbs of unsprung weight off the car. 

Due to the massive size of these brakes, your Shark will need a minimum of a 17" rim.   If you are using custom rims with the valve stem on the inside behind the face, make sure you use FLUSH MOUNT valve stem seals to clear the massive girth of the new brake system.  Our Intro Pentia rims fit perfectly over these brakes, but not all brands of aftermarket wheels will clear due to variations in spoke design.

Sorry for the blantant pun......so what's stopping you?   Let's get started:

Of course - start out by jacking up the car with safe supports and remove the front wheels.  You'll find your stock hydraulic line going into the system on the frame support tab.  Pop the clip off, then with a 3/8" tubing wrench and the hose supported in the frame tab - loosen and remove the line.  We slid an old piece of vacuum hose with a bolt in place to stop the fluid from running out on the shop floor.

Using a 5/8" socket, reach behind the stock caliper and remove the two caliper bolts and washers holding the stock unit to the caliper bracket.  Once the bolts are removed you can slip the old unit right off the top of the rotor.

After sliding the rotor off the hub, simply pop the dust cap, pull the carter pin, and remove the spindle nut.  **NOTE** If your rotors have never been replaced they will be riveted to the hub.  This will require drilling or punching the rivets free from the assembly before the rotor will slip off. 

Next take your screw driver and hammer to pry the locking tabs off the upper spindle dust shield bolt.  Grab a 3/4" socket and wrench and remove the lower spindle through knuckle bolts.  Once those are clear, remove the upper spindle bolt with a 15/16" socket.  At this time the dust shield and stock caliper bracket will come free from the spindle.

Our passenger side big brake bracket is here to the left of the stock bracket.  You will notice the recess on the lower right mounting hole.  Once this is in place on the spindle, the recess portion will be sandwiched between the spindle and knuckle with the recess on the knuckle side.

This photo depicts the passenger side caliper bracket in place.  Notice the large spacer tube at the top of the bracket and the new bolt slid through the front mount.  The shorter of the two lower bolts goes in the front bracket support to sandwich the bracket between the knuckle and spindle.  The recess on the big brake caliper bracket faces toward the center of the car cupping the front knuckle mount.

This is a view of the passenger bracket from the rear.  The longer of the two lower bolts goes through the rear mount.  The spacer is sandwiched between the knuckle and spindle on the rear bolt mount.

Now get your 1" socket and tighten the upper mount.  The two lower bolts will use the same 3/4" socket and wrench from the removal process. 

The dust shield is not reused.

The tie rod on each side of the car has to be adjusted IN (shorter) by the width of the spacer to maintain correct alignment. 

Bolt the C5 caliper basket to the big brake bracket using a 22 mm socket.  Pop the rattle clips in each end of the C5 caliper basket and slide the C5 brake pads in place. 

Reinstall the C3 bearing hub and spindle nut.  The C5 13" rotor will now simply slide in place.  When correctly installed (left to right) The slots in the rotor will point backwards at the top of the rotor. 

Install the line adapter with the crush washer in the C5 caliper and tighten it in place with a 13 mm wrench.  The custom braided line will now go into place just finger tight so it will easily swivel into position as the rotor goes in place.

You can tell the passenger and driver side caliper by the orientation of the brake bleeder nipple.  When positioned on the correct side of the car, the nipple will be on the top side.  This allows for proper bleeding of air from the system.

At this point the installation is right out of a C5 service manual.  Press the rubber dust covers over each end of the caliper basket pin mounts.  Apply caliper lube to the slider pins and push them all the way into the caliper basket pressing them into the dust boots.  There is a lip on the pin that will snap into the dust boot collar.

Snap the center clip into the C5 caliper.  The tabs will index into place and the clip will apply gentle pressure to keep the pads from wiggling and making noise. 

Slide the caliper over the pads and line up the mounting tabs with the threaded end of the caliper pins.  The kit comes with a pair of pre-thread lock treated bolts that go through the caliper into the pin. 

Hold the pin with a 17mm wrench use a 13mm socket to tighten the caliper bolts to the pins.  Slip the braided hose between the spindle and frame and into the frame bracket.  Connect the stock C3 hard brake line.  Use a 19mm tubing wrench to hold the hose while tightening the line with a 3/8" tubing wrench. 

At this time you can use a 13mm tubing wrench to tighten the brake line to the caliper.

Installation on the driver side is exactly the same.  Once everything is bolted up tight its time to perform standard bleeding and wheel bearing adjustment procedures.  Tap the dust cover back, install the wheel,  torque your lugs...and hang on!

Give our friends at Vette Brakes and Products a call at (800) 237-9991 or on the web at www.vbandp.com.

Red arrow pointing at the recess in the big brake bracket that must face toward the middle of the car sandwiched between the spindle and front bolt mount of the knuckle.

Red arrow pointing at the lower big brake caliper mount hole.  The recess in the bracket is on the knuckle side.  This is how your bracket will look just prior to  tightening the fasteners.

Tools Needed:

sockets: 5/8", 3/4" 15/16" 1"13mm, 19mm, 22mm Wrenches:3/8" (tubing) 13mm (tubing) 3/4"13mm, 17mm

Misc:Hammer, screw driver, pliers. torque wrench, jack, stands, lug wrench, adjustable wrench.