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Post Info TOPIC: My brake saga conclusion
bowtie


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My brake saga conclusion
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-To summarize:

*car started as drum/drum

*converted to disc/drum back in early-mid 2000s using Brake & Equipment rebuilt master/booster/calipers

-has hard pedal, felt slightly better than drum/drum, but no power assist feel

*swapped to a different master/booster combo (used)

-still hard pedal, still feels like no power assist

*swapped on used Baer front calipers (spec for Mustang Cobra)

-yup, hard pedal, no power assist feel

*swapped on S-10 rear calipers which necessitated a new master cylinder. Bought a matched master/booster/prop valve from Right Stuff

-stops better, still hard pedal and no power assist feel. can't even lock the brakes up

*added a vacuum pump and reservoir

-slightly better feel, still hard, not really much vacuum assist

*changed front pads

-stops better, but still won't lock up

*added 2 washers on each stud between master/booster

-noticeably better, seems like there's at least a little more vacuum assist but can't lock up, etc

*98-02 Camaro front brake swap performed: new Delco reman calipers, new Delco pads, new Delco rotors

-holy cow. A little prop valve tweaking and I'll need to peel my eyeballs off the windshield!!!

 

My question is why??? Possibly the first rotors just couldn't let the pads bit enough? Possbibly the Baer stuff just couldn't handle the Chevelle weight? Could the Baer calipers (used...) have not been able to clamp down enough to begin with (defect, need rebuild, etc)?

 

My car now stops as well as my 11 Malibu, if not better.



__________________

Bryan-NW 'burbs
1972 Malibu
Vaguely stock appearing, and the opposite of restored.
1999 std bore 5.7, Vortec heads, Holley Stealth Ram, GM cam
700R4, Viking coilovers, 12 bolt 4.10 posi, and a whole bunch more
Lost in the 60s


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Used brake parts brings all sorts of issues. Did you de-glaze the used rotors and pads with each swap ? Who knows if the used pads had already been overheated and had hardened ? I'm thinking the new pads and rotors installed together this time is what made the difference, since you are still using the same master/booster from Right Stuff.

Give those new pads a break in period of 500 miles, just like a new clutch. No hard, fast stops or they will lose some of their gripping ability right away.

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Mitch D.   River Falls, WI

Lifetime member of the "Cars apart Club"

Some Assembly Required

1966 Chevelle SS 396 M20

1970 Chevelle SS 396 M20

1967 Camaro SS 350 rs
bowtie


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I did do new pads before the Camaro caliper swap, rotors at that time were new or near new too.

Wondering if there wasn't something up with the internal fluid system on the calipers?

__________________

Bryan-NW 'burbs
1972 Malibu
Vaguely stock appearing, and the opposite of restored.
1999 std bore 5.7, Vortec heads, Holley Stealth Ram, GM cam
700R4, Viking coilovers, 12 bolt 4.10 posi, and a whole bunch more
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