Just made decision for brake upgrade.

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pontiacgp

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Mar 31, 2006
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You would think so but they didn't. I read other reports of them being hard to bleed. Doesn't matter, I covered all bases by bleeding them tilting back and forth and tapping on them lightly too. That's not the issue anyway. The issue is the flex. It's unacceptable.

all calipers flex..

 

roger1

G-Body Guru
Aug 23, 2010
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all calipers flex..
I'll state it more accurately.
The 2.75" Wilwood metric calipers flex too much. So much so that the pedal feel during a hard stop is not acceptable. The pedal can even go clear to the floor if you keep pressing down. I have 2 other cars with the Chevelle D52 calipers. The pedals stay hard during panic stops and the pedal can't be pushed to the floor no matter how hard you push.
 

pontiacgp

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Mar 31, 2006
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I'll state it more accurately.
The 2.75" Wilwood metric calipers flex too much. So much so that the pedal feel during a hard stop is not acceptable. The pedal can even go clear to the floor if you keep pressing down. I have 2 other cars with the Chevelle D52 calipers. The pedals stay hard during panic stops and the pedal can't be pushed to the floor no matter how hard you push.

I have a hard time believing that the calipers flex so much that they allow a few inches of pedal travel.
 
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roger1

G-Body Guru
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I have a hard time believing that the calipers flex so much that they allow a few inches of pedal travel.
I kind of did too. That's why I re-bled them multiple times and multiple ways.
I guarantee there's no air in them. Yet clamping the hoses right near the end where they go into the banjo fitting yields a perfect rock hard pedal (engine started so booster is active).
 

pontiacgp

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I kind of did too. That's why I re-bled them multiple times and multiple ways.
I guarantee there's no air in them. Yet clamping the hoses right near the end where they go into the banjo fitting yields a perfect rock hard pedal (engine started so booster is active).

You got to get a a picture of the calipers flexing, are the pins bent from the caliper flexing?
 
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pontiacgp

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No. I'm not going to waste more time on these than I already have.

why not get a refund if the calipers are defective. I can tell you I know a few guys who have used and abused those metric calipers on their circle track car. On a circle track brakes are almost as important as the gas pedal if you want to run up front. None of them have had any issue with the Wilwood metric calipers and their rotors are cherry red all the way through their races. Wilwood is good comapmy and I'm sure they'd be interested in a caliper that you say flexes enough to give you a few inches of pedal travel.
 

roger1

G-Body Guru
Aug 23, 2010
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San Angelo, TX
Because I think I would have to fight with them to get a refund and probably not be successful. Gave them a 1 star in Jegs and am just moving on.
Not worth the time and frustration. Also I'm super busy with a real estate deal I'm trying to pull off right now and my time for the car is limited. So right now my time is more valuable than trying to fight for a refund of $175.

As for flexing enough for a couple of inches of pedal travel, all I can say is that they do. It's not air and the clamping off test says it's not anything else. I've also had 2 different master cylinders on it and tested with both of them. A 1" bore and another with a 1 1/8" bore. No difference.
 

fleming442

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They still have the open guide pins, so the only thing that makes them "better" than the factory is the bigger piston. Ever have a factory one seize up? It's not fun.
 
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pontiacgp

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If you are not going to give Wilwood the opportunity to make it right because of limitations of your time then I do not agree with giving them 1 star...
 
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