| C4 Corvette Chassis |
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| 1957 Corvette RestoMod Project - Page 11 C4 Front Brake Rebuild - Part One The 2-piston Grand Sport front brakes on my C4 donor car were disassembled in page 10. Now it's time to rebuild them with all new replacement hardware and pads. Parts for the rebuild are readily available from your local parts store, or online at Rock Auto. Caliper bore seals and new piston boots must be replaced with brakes of any condition. These rubber pieces take a beating from the heat generated by the brakes. Make sure you clean the pistons and bores extremely well with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. Use compressed air to make sure the calipers are clean and dry before starting. All the little things you need to know are in Chapter 4 of my new book and is available for purchase. Okay, let's rebuild some calipers! |
| Each caliper piston had overspray from someone painting the GS black calipers RED! So before any rebuild, I took a 3M pad and gently removed the paint. Also, inspect the caliper pistons and bores for scoring and abnormal wear. If either condition exists, time to buy new calipers. Piston-to-bore tolerances are critical to brakes working properly. If high pressure brake fluid seeps by the piston, it can seriously reduce stopping power. So be safe! |
| At left, is the high-temperature paint system I used on both front and rear calipers. After media blasting the calipers down to bare aluminum, and cleaning them thoroughly, I used the G2 paint system from Eastwood. The kit comes with paint (black in my case), hardener, brush, and non-chlorinated brake cleaner. Do not use chlorinated brake cleaner with this paint - it won't stick. Also pictured are the caliper bore seals and the piston boots. Notice I marked all parts with the correct side they came from - and for the pistons, make sure they go back into the same bore they were removed from. |
| After removing the old caliper bore seal with a pick (be careful not to score the bore!), the new seal is installed (above right). Use caliper lube that comes with the rebuild kit to lubricate the seal and bore beforehand. Start the seal on one side of the bore groove and work around in a circle until the seal seats itself inside the groove. MAKE SURE THE SEAL IS NOT TWISTED IN THE GROOVE. After the seal is seated correctly, lubricate the inside of the caliper bore and the piston generously with caliper lube (above left). |
| The next page continues our front brake rebuild on the 1957 Corvette RestoMod Project. All parts have been either painted or replaced. New piston bore seals and piston boots are replaced on this page. The next page illustrates how to assemble the pads and caliper bracket. My book illustrates completely how to disassemble and rebuild Corvette calipers. It includes all part numbers and locations to purchase. See Chapter 4 after clicking HERE to review! |
| Dust boots are really difficult to install correctly. I found a slick way to do the job easily and without any damage to the boots or pistons. Chapter 4 of my new book, 1957 Corvette RestoMod: Basic Chassis Build Instructions for the Beginner, covers how I got the piston boots installed with no problems. The chapter is available at my bookstore. |
1957 Corvette RestoMod