After Market Front Brakes
 

I am looking to upgrade to Wilwood disc brakes front and rear along with removing all of the stock power brake components from my 77 Camaro this winter. The car is being setup as an I/SA car which will end up weighing around 3500lbs. I would like to save as much weight as possible in this swap but have run into a quandary.
The thin plate style rotors are rated to 2800lbs in a four wheel disc system and the heavier vented rotors are correctly rated for my weight and recommended by Wilwood for my application. I would save 2.7 lbs per rotor by running the plate style but I am wondering if the car will still stop okay.
My guess is that the brake manufacturers have a fair amount of safety factor built into their weight ratings.
Anyone else out there running the thin rotors on a heavy car?

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

We run thin rotor on front of all our stockers.... some as heavy as 3650 without a problem. We run stock style drums on rears. Just my opinion...don't sue me if you end up in sand!

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

What brand do you run John??

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

I have them ( Willwood ) on my 3100 lb 66 nova. It don't run but 12.20;s @ 107 mph... Had them on for 2 years now with no issues. Will stop on a dime and give you ten cents in change.. I am very satisfied with mine .

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

I am thinking I should not have a problem since the car turns 11.40's @ 115 mph as a bracket car. If I had a 135mph 3500lb car it would be a different story and the vented rotors would be necessary. Brake manufactures probably run a 2x safety factor on their math for liability reasons.

Thank you all for the replies.

Chad

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

Wilwood on everything...don,t think they are better but they Are Cheaper.

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

I run them (Aerospace) on the front (drums on the rear) of my 3500 lb. 10.35 @ 127 mph, '70 Olds, Cutlass. I say I am on the "ragged edge" with this set up. I will go with disc, on the rear next.

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

Is there any differance in braking or holding power for foot braking with drilled versus undrilled rotors?

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

I am curious as well if the drilled rotors are necessary for this type of application. I have asked Wilwood tech to get their opinion.
Anyone else have a good reason either way on whether to run drill rotors or solid?
Thanks,
Chad

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

It's my understanding that the drilled rotors let the gasses escape for better breaking.
I'm running a 3100 lb Nova with Wilwood on 4 corners (the thin ones) going on 7 or 8 years and have never had a problem, but I don't slam on the breaks at the finish line...

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

Would you see much of a difference in the medium vs heavy duty brakes when it comes to holding your car on the starting line?

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

GTX JOHN do you have that part # for the brake kit you run, and what do you think the mph limitt would be . Thanks.



ron waters s/st

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

I run mid/high tens at 123+ mph with the 2800 lb rated Wilwoods on our 3995 lb C/SA wagon with stock style drums out back. I stage/leave at pretty low RPM so the starting line is not a problem and they do a pretty good job on the finish line as well. The important thing is maintenance. Once performance starts to taper off it gets hairy fast. The pads are cheap!

I just to love look at the braking systems on old school drag cars and talk to the guys who drove them. Yikes! We've all got it so good these days...

Happy Thanksgiving

Chris Barnes
Wagonsof Steel
Stock #6621

Re: After Market Front Brakes
 

I have both the drilled and non drilled on my Dusters, They were the same cost either way from wilwood. I only got the drilled for the lower inertia, The one drawback I see is that you can't turn the drilled ones like you would a regular rotor if they warp.
For the amount of heat we put into them I'm not to worried about the gas escaping, That is more of a problem for the road race crowd. I'm using the stock 6cyl drums front and rear in my A car, But it only run's 122 mph for now.lol. When I get some $$$ saved up it will be getting wilwood's on both end's also.

On a side note one of the guy's I know that ran back in the sixties has a good story about acid dipping his drums to lighten them, It worked great until they bellowed! Not a fun ride in a 130mph super stocker at the top end.....................