Many of our Mid America Motorworks customers ask us about 1965-1982 Corvette Brake Calipers and the differences. This caliper style is referred to as D8 Disc Brake Calipers. We hope this top level view assists you in your decision making for your Corvette Restoration, Daily Driver or Corvette Resto Mod brake project.
Why Choose Stainless-Steel Sleeved Calipers?
In the mid-seventies, the advent of stainless-steel sleeves for the caliper piston bores began. This was a vast improvement over the Factory OE calipers with cast-steel bores, which were rough-cast and prone to rust and corrosion from non-use. 1965-1982 Corvette disc brake calipers are of a floating piston design, where the pistons in the caliper move in and out while the body of the caliper stays stationary.
Most C2-C3 1965-1982 Corvette Calipers today have been converted to stainless-steel sleeves. These stainless-steel sleeved calipers are the ultimate, stock style brakes for your 1965-1982 Corvette and that’s why Mid America Motorworks features them.
Which Style Of Caliper Is Best For My Corvette Driving Style?
If your Corvette is driven regularly or if you want to keep it as original as possible, then lip seal calipers will be your choice.
If your Corvette experiences long periods of inactivity or is stored most of the time, then o-ring calipers will be a good investment and better protection against fluid leaks and problems.
Read on to learn the differences in these calipers and why they are used for different driving styles.
1965-1982 Corvette Lip Seal Calipers
All 1965-1982 Corvettes originally used a lip seal on the caliper piston, which was designed to work as follows: when pressure is applied to the brake pedal, pressure is applied to the back edge of the seal, causing it to seal tighter as more pressure is applied. If your Corvette is driven at least once per week, then the lip seal calipers will serve you well. Regular use will insure that the seals stay in contact with the bores to both prevent leaks and to prevent contaminants from entering the calipers to cause damage. If you would like to keep your Corvette 100% correct, then lip seal is the way to go.
However, over time, problems occur when your Corvette is not driven regularly. After a period of non-use, the lip seals relax, which allows brake fluid to leak, allowing air, moisture and other contaminants into the brake system. This process can cause the pistons and seals to become offset in the caliper bores. Once they are no longer centered, fluid leakage is inevitable.
1965-1982 Corvette O-Ring Design Calipers
The o-ring piston seal was designed to alleviate the problem of wear and relaxing tendencies of lip seals. This type of caliper is far superior in terms of sealing, especially in Corvettes that are stored and have long periods of inactivity.
However, there is reduced piston to wall (sleeve) clearance inherent with the o-ring design when installed in a floating piston caliper. The designed-in balance between the lip seal and the piston spring is lost with O-ring pistons (the purpose of the spring is to ensure gentle brake pad pressure to the rotor at all times). Therefore, we strongly recommend that o-ring calipers be installed as full car sets of 4. Then, your Corvette will retain even, stock braking force at all four wheels.
Mid America Motorworks Corvette Caliper Suggested Maintenance
For those of you who drive your 1965-1982 Corvette once a month or less, here's an easy way to keep your calipers leak-free. Every couple of weeks, go out to your car and simply depress the brake pedal. Doing this on a regular basis will keep your brake seals from developing problems.
Prolonged inactivity could cause either style seal to leak. Also, not changing the brake fluid when recommended may bring moisture contamination, which causes grit to get in between the sleeve and the o-ring and erode away the sleeve. Replacing the brake fluid every two years is the GM recommendation.