3onTree
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- Jul 5, 2010
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- Location
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- SSV Redline Sportswagon
Hi all
thought I would post my very recent upgrade from my 4 pot brembos that come with the VE Series 2 Redline to the Cadillac CTS-V sourced 6 piston Brembo calipers and two piece 390mm Brembo rotors. Check out the pad difference in the pictures below. Following is a brief account of my experience and impressions - obviously yours might differ.
I did the upgrade because I found the 4 piston Brembo calipers / 355mm rotors not quite up to the task on the track. They are very good for the street but for the VE I found them to struggle after repeated 200km/h + stops down Sandown's front and back straights. I've done all the usual supporting mods, such as fitting HEL braided lines, DBA 4000 rotors and even sourced titanium shims - which do a great job shielding the pistons and brake fluid from very high pad/rotor temperatures. I tried all sorts of pads, and settled with Remsa in the end. I tried Bendix Ultimates (fine for the street, not the track ), Bendix Street and Track (very good on track, terrible on the street).
Choosing the CTS-V brake package made sense to me because it pretty much bolts on and is a very cheap way into serious braking hardware. Others have covered this subject so I will not go over the usual old ground.
Part numbers first - found easily on Amazon.
Front Calipers:ACDelco 172-2488 OE Service Front Brake Caliper and ACDelco 172-2487 OE Service Front Brake Caliper
Pins:ACDelco 18K2108X Disc Brake Caliper Guide Pin Boot Kit
Rotors:Left and Right :ACDelco 177-1145 GM Original Equipment Disc Brake Rotor and ACDelco 177-1146 GM Original Equipment Disc Brake Rotor
Bolts: M14x2.0x45mm GRADE 10.9 bolts
Pads:ACDelco 171-1040 GM Original Equipment Front Disc Brake Pad Kit
Titanium Shims:email [email protected] Bill Lutton is an awesome guy in St.Louis MO, he prototyped these shims for me and they a works of art. He has them in stock now - I think they're great value.
Drill Bit:14mm & can of WD40
You will also need to get new copper washers for the brake lines and DOT 4 fluid.
The process is pretty straightforward however it goes something like this:
Car up
Wheels off
Pins and Pads back and out (open the fluid reservoir)
Caliper Bolts off
Suspend the caliper - do not hang by the brake lines
Old rotors off
Drill out the knuckle with the 14mm drill bit - keep it straight, don't go too fast (you'll burn out the bit), don't go too slow (you'll break the bit), I used WD40 to keep the drill bit alive - I think it helped - and I like the smell of WD40 - tip: get comfy , I use a SCA stool so I am in position and able to work straight.
BLAST ALL THE METAL FILINGS WITH AIR - you don't want metal filings getting between your pad and your rotor.
Get the brake lines off the old caliper and onto your new calipers - wear gloves - brake fluid stuff is carcinogenic. Use new copper washers.
Clean new rotor with brake part cleaner
Mount the rotors - left and right (right on driver's side)
Mount the caliper fit the bolts do not go over 80 foot pounds - I used some Blu Permatex thread lock on the bolts - up to you. USE THE RIGHT GRADE BOLTS - GRADE 10.9
Insert pads and shims
Fit cross-bar
Fit Pins and Springs
Bleed back left, back right, front left, front right - or something like that. Do an autobleed if you have a scan tool to get any air out of the ABS module before doing the caliper bleed. Remember there are 2 nipples on these things.
Gently bed in the pads - don't go hard on the brakes for the first few days ( my reading tells me). The first km or two are a bit rough as the paint comes off initially.
Overall final result is very good. You can get new brembo decals if you do not like the V decals that come stock. Doesn't bother me, I am more concerned with the how they stop than how they look - however I think they look great I think.
PM me if you have any questions. I think its a great mod.
thought I would post my very recent upgrade from my 4 pot brembos that come with the VE Series 2 Redline to the Cadillac CTS-V sourced 6 piston Brembo calipers and two piece 390mm Brembo rotors. Check out the pad difference in the pictures below. Following is a brief account of my experience and impressions - obviously yours might differ.
I did the upgrade because I found the 4 piston Brembo calipers / 355mm rotors not quite up to the task on the track. They are very good for the street but for the VE I found them to struggle after repeated 200km/h + stops down Sandown's front and back straights. I've done all the usual supporting mods, such as fitting HEL braided lines, DBA 4000 rotors and even sourced titanium shims - which do a great job shielding the pistons and brake fluid from very high pad/rotor temperatures. I tried all sorts of pads, and settled with Remsa in the end. I tried Bendix Ultimates (fine for the street, not the track ), Bendix Street and Track (very good on track, terrible on the street).
Choosing the CTS-V brake package made sense to me because it pretty much bolts on and is a very cheap way into serious braking hardware. Others have covered this subject so I will not go over the usual old ground.
Part numbers first - found easily on Amazon.
Front Calipers:ACDelco 172-2488 OE Service Front Brake Caliper and ACDelco 172-2487 OE Service Front Brake Caliper
Pins:ACDelco 18K2108X Disc Brake Caliper Guide Pin Boot Kit
Rotors:Left and Right :ACDelco 177-1145 GM Original Equipment Disc Brake Rotor and ACDelco 177-1146 GM Original Equipment Disc Brake Rotor
Bolts: M14x2.0x45mm GRADE 10.9 bolts
Pads:ACDelco 171-1040 GM Original Equipment Front Disc Brake Pad Kit
Titanium Shims:email [email protected] Bill Lutton is an awesome guy in St.Louis MO, he prototyped these shims for me and they a works of art. He has them in stock now - I think they're great value.
Drill Bit:14mm & can of WD40
You will also need to get new copper washers for the brake lines and DOT 4 fluid.
The process is pretty straightforward however it goes something like this:
Car up
Wheels off
Pins and Pads back and out (open the fluid reservoir)
Caliper Bolts off
Suspend the caliper - do not hang by the brake lines
Old rotors off
Drill out the knuckle with the 14mm drill bit - keep it straight, don't go too fast (you'll burn out the bit), don't go too slow (you'll break the bit), I used WD40 to keep the drill bit alive - I think it helped - and I like the smell of WD40 - tip: get comfy , I use a SCA stool so I am in position and able to work straight.
BLAST ALL THE METAL FILINGS WITH AIR - you don't want metal filings getting between your pad and your rotor.
Get the brake lines off the old caliper and onto your new calipers - wear gloves - brake fluid stuff is carcinogenic. Use new copper washers.
Clean new rotor with brake part cleaner
Mount the rotors - left and right (right on driver's side)
Mount the caliper fit the bolts do not go over 80 foot pounds - I used some Blu Permatex thread lock on the bolts - up to you. USE THE RIGHT GRADE BOLTS - GRADE 10.9
Insert pads and shims
Fit cross-bar
Fit Pins and Springs
Bleed back left, back right, front left, front right - or something like that. Do an autobleed if you have a scan tool to get any air out of the ABS module before doing the caliper bleed. Remember there are 2 nipples on these things.
Gently bed in the pads - don't go hard on the brakes for the first few days ( my reading tells me). The first km or two are a bit rough as the paint comes off initially.
Overall final result is very good. You can get new brembo decals if you do not like the V decals that come stock. Doesn't bother me, I am more concerned with the how they stop than how they look - however I think they look great I think.
PM me if you have any questions. I think its a great mod.
