The first order of business...
The first order of business is to remove the front wheel.
This month we show you the Baer Brake rotor install that Project C5X received at the Mid America Motorworks Corvette Funfest. One of the cool facts about Baer is that the company has had the distinction of winning more Corvette Challenge races than any single car and driver in the two years of that racing series.
Founder Hal Baer established Baer Racing in 1986. His technical and analytical skills, coupled with a keen ability to spot people with strong, diverse talents and assemble them into a cohesive team, has and continues to be Baer Racings greatest strength. Originally the business provided race preparation and fabrication services between seasons and race dates. But as popularity and demand for its brake systems grew, Baer was forced to look at beginning production of its systems. To that end, following the '93 race season, Hal partnered with Todd Gartshore and Robert Sommers to form Baer Brake Systems.
We wanted to keep the original GM calipers intact for now, and we didn't want to have to rebleed the brakes while on-site at Funfest. After consulting with Baer, we decided the best brake option we could install was the EradiSpeed line, which represents the company's premium line of performance rotors. EradiSpeed units are purpose-cast with quality iron materials for performance far beyond the factory units. Furthermore, the curve-vaned design provides greater airflow and heat dissipation. EradiSpeed rotors feature faster thermal recovery, increased heat absorption, increased friction, and a lower wear rate. They're cross-drilled, slotted, and zinc-washed and carry a limited lifetime warranty against warping. Listed below is a breakdown of the Baer EradiSpeed brake line.
Here is the original GM front...
Here is the original GM front braking system.
Next we remove the caliper....
Next we remove the caliper. To remove the caliper bolt, use a 22mm (or 7/8-inch) box-end wrench. These bolts are usually very tight from the factory since they use a thread locker. A trained gorilla would be helpful here. Use long wrenches to make the job easier.
Now that the caliper bolts...
Now that the caliper bolts are removed, slide the caliper from the rotor and hang it in the wheelwell. There's no need to disconnect the brake-fluid hose. Make sure you do not let the caliper hang from the hose.
EradiSpeed-PLUS-ONE indicates a set of rotors a size larger that still work with the OEM calipers. The result is increased performance by virtue of the augmented leverage of the larger rotor. Baer provides all the hardware necessary to move the location of the OEM calipers outward. EradiSpeed-PLUS-ONE rotors may work with OEM wheels but usually require larger ones (see application notes).
Features:
- One-piece increased-diameter performance rotors
- Increased-diameter rotor-upgrade systems employing OEM calipers
- Increased rotor diameter means greater leverage and improved brake torque
- Rotors are larger than the OE units they replace and are designed for use with larger-than-stock wheels
- Includes specialized caliper hardware to properly accommodate installation
- Are always directional with curved vanes
- Cross-drilled, slotted, and zinc-coated surfacesSystem installs without bleeding
EradiSpeed-PLUS rotors are also a direct OEM replacement; however, the "plus" indicate rotors that are of a two-piece design. An EradiSpeed-PLUS hat is CNC-machined from billet or forged aluminum and anodized black. The hats and rotors are joined with NAS (National Aerospace Standard)-the same hardware used in Indy cars. With a two-piece design, EradiSpeed-PLUS units provide a welcome reduction in total rotor weight.
Features:
- Two-piece (aluminum hat and iron disc) rotors provide LITE direct replacement for OE applications
- Also direct replacements
- Increased mass in the "firepath"
- Curved-vane directional design
- Employ an aluminum hat or hub/hat to provide a lower total weight
- NAS stainless hardware
- Cross-drilled, slotted, and zinc-coated surfaces.
EradiSpeed-PLUS-TWO features the same elements as the Plus-One Systems in a lighter-weight two-piece design utilizing NAS stainless hardware and installs without bleeding.
Remove the original rotor....
Remove the original rotor. The assembly line may have used Tinnerman nuts to retain the rotor. Remove these with diagonal cutters.
The original hub was cleaned...
The original hub was cleaned and is now ready for new Baer EradiSpeed rotor. Hub and caliper mounts must be clean to allow new components to seat properly.
We're pointing to the Baer...
We're pointing to the Baer label indicating rotor direction (L or R). Direction is important due to directional vanes in rotor construction for cooling airflow.