Wilwood kit

[88_GTU]

I'm building my GTU and I've been reading around on all the big brake set-ups everyone's been doing and I was getting bummed thinking I would lose the stock GTU rims. So, after a little searching I found that the 95-04 j-body uses the same caliper and rotor as the 92-96 L-body. I found the wilwood kit for the 99-04 j-body and it got me wondering if it would work.
Well, here's my answer, kinda....

The kit fits perfectly on our 92-96 knuckles once you cut the caliper guide bosses off. The 12.19" rotor will easily fit under the stock 16" rims. The only issue I've found is the need for a wheel spacer due to the huge 4 piston calipers needing clearance help. I'm not sure exactly how large of a spacer I need yet, according to the spec sheet I need 34.3mm from the face of the hub. I'm hoping someone can fill me in on a reputable company to get spacers and longer studs if necessary. Any suggestions anyone?

Yes I paid a pretty penny for this kit, but I'm building this car once, and only once, so I'm getting the best parts I can. The big upside to this kit is the minimal weight it adds to the drivetrain. Each rotor comes in at 10.8lbs! That's lighter than a stock rotor and much less than the f-bodys. For those serious about getting the most weight savings they can this kit is worth the cash. They will need custom stainless brakelines made which isn't that bad considering the investment already made.

Anyway,here's the pics so far, I wont be doing much with these for a while now, as I need the knuckles blasted and powdercoated.

[speedy]

got my attention, keep us informed!

[Wanako]

Oh yes! Im so watching this. Like speedy said, keep us posted.

[Cliff8928]

Wow those rotors look thin... Hope they hold up good for ya though.

[SuzukiGhostRider]

Interesting. How much for the kit? About $500?

The rotors don't look that thin. I'm sure they'll hold up fine. They're Wilwood after all.

[Cliff8928]

Well, they're .81" thick.. Which probably isn't that different from stock i guess. The F-Body ones are 1.25" thick.

[KFLO 93 GT]

Guess a little higher SGR.

I've seen the Wilwoods tucked into 16" wheels before. I like the idea of 4 pistons and a lighter rotor, but I'm already pretty well into what I'm going to use - and finding them used saved me a good chunk.

The Jbody guys love the wilwoods, and a few of them have used them in real performance driving situations - with positive feedback. So I wouldn't hesitate to use that set-up. Plus, Wilwood is one of the best names in the business in terms of performance and quality of parts.

On studs and spacers - ARP for the studs hands down. I know you're all about quality so there's no reason to go anywhere else. For spacers - I know Geoff and Jon have had some nice ones made, and I think the company they used would be a solid route for sure. Hubcentric spacers ftw.

[88_GTU]

Awesome, thanks Kurt!

For those interested in the specs go to wilwood and check out the pdfs on kit 140-8423-D. The rotor is a nice 2 piece design with an aluminun mounting hat to help with the weight savings.

Speedy, I really wish this kit was $500, I wouldn't have hesitated one minute to buy it then. I got this thru summit for $970. It's expensive, but again, I'm only doing this once.

I'll post updates as they come but it'll be a slow process for a while. This used up a good part of the beretta fund for this year!

J

[heavywoody]

http://www.skulte.com/ for the spacers.

ARP studs, I think I got mine from Summit or Jegs. Just make sure you measure the spline diameter. I forgot about that when I first ordered longer studs. Oops.

[88_GTU]

Thanks Heavywoody, I'll try contacting them next week.
J

[bonecrrusher]

Geoff - click your link - they no longer make spacers.

The only complaints I've read/heard about Wilwoods is the lack of dustboots for the calipers. I guess that could gum them up - but I've seen hundreds of Wildwood kits being sold and installed on all kinds of cars over the years.

[heavywoody]

Oh damn... oh well, I guess I got mine just in time.

I'm sure there are other people out there that make them.

[woody90gtz]

NastyZ guys run spacers from Mr. Gasket without issues, but I think they're just cheapos and they wouldn't be hub-centric.

Just checked Summit and Mr. Gasket doesn't have our bolt pattern. Here's what Summit has though:
http://www.summitracing.com/search/Part ... s=Rank|Asc

[ShaneLT(ShaneZ26)]

When your all done you should write up a how-to. I know I am interested, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[Cliff8928]

Oh damn... oh well, I guess I got mine just in time.

I'm sure there are other people out there that make them.

http://www.motorsport-tech.com/

Geoff - click your link - they no longer make spacers.

The only complaints I've read/heard about Wilwoods is the lack of dustboots for the calipers. I guess that could gum them up - but I've seen hundreds of Wildwood kits being sold and installed on all kinds of cars over the years.

That's the one thing i like about using OEM parts, they're made to be used for every day driving. Not to mention I can head to the store down the street and get replacements.