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C5 vs. C4 Rotor Q and Caliper Q

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rortwein

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have been looking into a big brake upgrade for my 64 Chevelle for a while now and have a few questions. First off, what is the difference between the C4 and the C5 Rotor? Is the C4 rotor smaller or does it have a different offset? I am looking into using either the Speed Tech or KORE3 brackets and I am interested in using the smallest diameter wheel possible, does one setup offer more clearance than another?

Also, there seems to be a few different C5 calipers that were offered from GM. Is there one that performs better than the others? One would think the Z06 would be the best, but I was wondering if it is.

Finally, does anyone have the part number(s) for the rear caliper/parking brake mount (the part that actually bolts to the rear) for a 98-02 Camaro? And/or an idea how much they run new from GM. I am trying to decide if I should just purchase them new or get used ones from a yard. Around here these rear brake setups, when they can be found, fetch between 200-250 and there is no guarantee on the calipers or rotors.

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
another source for rear disc brakes would be the S10 blazers and pickups, and 94-96 Caprice. but the Caprice uses the 5X5 wheel pattern, and the 4X4 S truck rotors have a deep offset.
i can say, tho, that the C4 12" PBR setup fits in some 15" wheels- i had mine tucked up behind early 70's Z/28 rims.
 
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#3 ·
The C4 HD rotor the speed tech bracket works with is still 13". There are very few 16" wheels that clear the C5 caliper. If you want to check wheel fitment, get one of the templates like www.kore3.com has. No 15" wheel will clear a 13" rotor. Of course you could always adapt the JL8 setup from a first gen camaro. I almost did this, but went with the C5 setup instead. :yes:
 
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Discussion starter · #4 ·
I must be missing something here, but what is the difference between the C5 Rotor and the C4 HD Rotor? If they are offer the same performance it seems like the C4 HD Rotor w/ C5 caliper may offer more clearance than the C5 Rotor and C5 Caliper. Am I correct on this point?
 
#5 · (Edited)
The difference is the width of the rotor(and the extra space for wheels). The C5 is 1.25" (32mm) wide while the C4 is 1.1" (28mm) wide. While 4mm is not much, the C5 rotors also have directional vanes for improved cooling as well. The C4 will make wheel selection easier, though.
 
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Discussion starter · #6 ·
I see. So, it sounds like the C4/C5 hybrid would be better suited for my application. That is if there is not really a noticeable difference in performance, which it appears that on a street car there should not be. Am I correct on this?

Finally, are there any recommendations as far as to which of the C5 calipers to use?
 
#7 · (Edited)
The only difference between the C5 standard, and C5 Z06 calipers is that the C5 Z06 calipers are powdercoated red. I believe the C6 standard & Z51 calipers are the exact same as the C5 calipers as well.

Now C6 Z06 calipers are an entirely different story and an entire different can of worms. Other than the looks there isn't much positive going for them. They work fine on the street but when pushed on the track they start to have problems, and that's when guys upgrade to Brembo, Stoptech, etc. Last track event I was at all but one of the C6-Z06 guys in attendence had replaced the stock calipers.

I really like the C5 caliper & rotor, but the C5 rotor offset poses wheel spoke clearance issues for many applications. A C4 rotor / C5 caliper hybrid is a good setup, you get the better/stiffer C5 PBR caliper but with the more manageable rotor offset / spoke clearance of the C4 rotor. The C4 rotors do lose some heatsink ability because of the reduced thickness but are still very capable.

You can also put the standard C5/C6 calipers on 13.5" C6-Z51 or 14" C6-Z06 rotors with the proper brackets, but both rotors have their issues too. The Z51 rotors being crossdrilled are not recommended for heavy track usage, and the C6-Z06 rotors are ungodly heavy (like 27.5 lbs each) and are only vaned correctly for one side of the car/rotation, so one side will cool better than the other.
 
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