1G ZL1 brake swap 1g

[mattmullin]

So i've decided to upgrade my brakes for some time attack. I had installed evo8/9 calipers front and rear with 2 piece girodisks. But i decided to go with the new camaro zl1 brakes. The calipers are 6 piston front, 4 piston rear with 15.5" front rotor (2 piece) and 14.5" rear rotor (regular rotor but i will get a 2 piece unit later on). I will post pics as i install the brakes. The pics here dont do justice to the size difference. Ill take better comparison pics.

 

[pauleyman]

Out of curiosity what are you doing to merit something so large? If I recall the evo VIII set a record at 100 ft 60-0 when the car released. It should be similar weight to a DSM. Are the demands of time attach such that even evo brakes aren't enough? I'm asking a real question.

 

[mattmullin]

I havent been looking at evo's i have been looking at current lap record holders cars. And i am building mine to hopefully set a lap record at one of the tracks i go to. Evo brakes are awesome. But they aren't up to the task of chasing a lap record

 

[twicks69]

What size wheels are you using?? 19" ??

We never had a brake issue using Evo brakes on Andrew Brilliant's FWD 2G WTAC car with just upgraded pads and rotors.

 

[mattmullin]

I will be running a 18x10 with 275 nitto nt01's. The wheels should be in today. I havent committed to fitting up the brakes until i have the wheels. But from the reading ive done, lots of guys run 18" wheels on the zl1 camaros even though they come with 20" stock.

 

[twicks69]

Which wheels specifically did you end up going with?

As well, what are the piston bore sizes for the front and rear? Is it differential bore or same bore for all pistons on the front pistons? What's caliper weight and rotor/hat weights for front and rears? Rotor thicknesses too? It would be fun to calculate out the real numbers on these components.

 

[mattmullin]

I will gather that info and post it later on. And ill be running xxr 527's with a 22 offset. Thus the fender flares

 

[mattmullin]

Evo 8/9 front, 1.438" and 1.670". Zl1 front 1.358", 1.195" and 1.040". From the math i did the zl1 has about 15% more piston area over the evo caliper.

 

[mattmullin]

Zl1 at the back, evo8/9 middle and stock

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Also, i was mistaken on the size of the zl1 rotors. Front is 14.6" and rear is 14.4.

 

[Kenneth Schlorf]

Curiosity question: a given caliper will have more leverage the further it is away from the center point of the axis, correct? That rotor will have greater rotational force (more to slow down) because weight is further from the axis? Obviously all other factors would have to be held constant - which is not likely in the real world. Just thinking...

 

[DetroitStroker]

Wow man that is awesome!

 

[Vegas Smith]

Those must be super heavy.

 

[mattmullin]

The front rotor is comparble to the evo front. But the rear is heavy! But im only using the stock zl1 one piece rear for moch up. They will never see the track. 2 piece rears will be going on by spring. And yes i agree, but weight is not the only factor here. Surface area and heat dissipation as well as leverage and clamping force. The evo set up is good. These are better for what i want to do with this car. The evo set up has a home on my 240sx in the future

 

[mattmullin]

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Everything is fitting so far !!!!

 

[Vegas Smith]

Sweet

 

[twicks69]

Very nice!! Glad those wheels clear the calipers!

 

[luii90]

Are the zl1 brakes the same as the new z28 camaro with carbon ceramic rotors? If so, those rotors would be great too.

 

[mattmullin]

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That is the only difference. Mine are off of a 2013 zl1. Size of rotors are the same, same calipers. But the new ones are carbon rotors.. Maybe someday i will go that route but right now im sticking with the steel rotors just because of the replacement cost. I got the rear caliper brackets tacked on last night. I will do the front tonight.

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[mattmullin]

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And the front. The calipers actualy bolt up in the stock holes (if you drill them out to 14mm). But not with these rotors. If someone took the time to figure out a front rotor, the fronts could be easier than a evo8/9 swap!!!

 

[Brembo]

Hi. Can you show the way you mounted rear calipers? What about the parking brake? What about the lines?

 

[bonecollector]

And the front. The calipers actually bolt up in the stock holes (if you drill them out to 14mm). But not with these rotors. If someone took the time to figure out a front rotor, the fronts could be easier than a evo8/9 swap!!!

I'm willing to bet that if you use (make) a hub-centric spacer similar to what strictly used with their 4 piston CTS caliper kits, you might be able to get ZL1 rotors to work. (just a thought for those who what to try it)

I'm considering doing a 6 piston caliper swap, But I was looking at using the CTSV 6 piston calipers.

 

[mattmullin]

The camaro hub is smaller than the dsm hub. I had to machine the camaro rotors out and drill the new bolt pattern. So a hub Centric spacer would be useless. And i am not using a parking brake in this car. Only a hyd hand brake. And the rear calipers did not bolt on. I had to cut off all the stock tabs and make new ones and weld them the the spindle/trailing arm.

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The tabs are just tacked on in this pic.

 

[Brembo]

Oh wow. Thanks. You got skills. Keep picture coming. I would like to see the finish product.

 

[richardlapalme]

Wow, I love the guys that are not affraid to try something new, instead of staying in comfort of the already seen!!!
Big, big thumbs up .
Would like to know your impression when you will try it!

 

[mattmullin]

Thanks for the positive feedback my entire car is " out of the dsm comfort zone" hahahah i will for sure be posting the outcome of this swap. I am just waiting on the zl1 master cylinder to show up and the larger bore (3/4") hand brake master cyl to show up. And ill need a adjustable bias valve im sure