Aluminum hubs, calipers + light weight rotors to save weight

Turbo1dr

Pro Stocker
Jun 7, 2003
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New Bern NC
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This is just a brain storm and not set in stone. I'm thinking about lightening up the car by getting some light weight hubs, rotors and calipers. My main concern is drivability....meaning they must be reliable for everyday driving and must be able to travel on long road trips without problems. I don't want them to go out on me when coming down a mountain. Also, I don't want to upgrade to larger diameter rotors. I want stock sizes that also work with the stock spindles and control arms. Lets see some links to what you'd buy. 8)
 

basketcase

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Jul 9, 2003
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Re: Aluminum hubs, calipers + light weight rotors to save we

Turbo1dr said:
This is just a brain storm and not set in stone. I'm thinking about lightening up the car by getting some light weight hubs, rotors and calipers. My main concern is drivability....meaning they must be reliable for everyday driving and must be able to travel on long road trips without problems. I don't want them to go out on me when coming down a mountain. Also, I don't want to upgrade to larger diameter rotors. I want stock sizes that also work with the stock spindles and control arms. Lets see some links to what you'd buy. 8)

Look at the crap on the ZQ8 S-10/Blazer on 98/99+.

Pretty certain you can use our spindle, their hub, and a Camaro rotor/caliper assembly if you wanted larger rotors. I think the S-10 uses the smaller rotors if you don't want larger rotors.

I discussed this a while back, but can't find it.

Get a hold of ShanaJustin also, he had a parts list to swap over to different brakes...

Good luck!!
 

John N

Top Fueler
Feb 12, 2005
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Those spindles are impossible to find, but you can get a drop spindle version and then drop 200-400 on hubs.

Keep it simple and get some Wilwood Dynalite or FSL calipers and the brackets to mount the 3.5" pattern calipers. 4 pistons with good pads won't disappoint you. Do you want 4 wheel disks or just an upgrade up front? You may need a larger bore MC for 4 wheel disks or larger calipers. B body MC would probably work (1 1/8").
 

10secBu

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 21, 2003
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Westminster, MD
Probably worth a try if you want to, but the weight savings won't be anything huge.

I just swapped to Strange Pro Race thin rotor drag brakes which are basically one of the lightest kits out there.

Stock front brakes weighed 53 lbs and the Strange kit was 30 lbs for a savings of 23 lbs on the front.

If using the stock spindle mounted caliper design and a thicker vented rotor, your savings potentially be less than half of what I saw.

Wilwood and several other companies offeres aluminum bolt-on reaplacement calipers which would work well too. Just make sure you get the stock size piston bore as they now offer several sizes for the circle track guys.
 

John N

Top Fueler
Feb 12, 2005
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True, aluminum calipers will be lighter, but you'll need a light weight race set up if you really want to shed the pounds like Todd has. You may be able to piece together the proper hat and rotor made of titanium from Speedway or elsewhere. Expensive, but light.
 

LS6 Tommy

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 15, 2004
15,847
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North Jersey
I've seen WAY too many aluminum hubs break in street and roadrace applications to EVER use them for anything other than drag racing and even then I'd be leery. Especially Wilwoods. I remember a guy with a really nice Malibu hitting the Turn 2 wall at Louden when his Wilwood hub broke. Ruined the car. Wilwood told him the aluminum hubs would be OK for road racing. :roll:

Tommy
 

LS6 Tommy

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 15, 2004
15,847
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North Jersey
John N said:
Does Wilwood even make aluminum spindles for our cars?

I mistyped. I should have said aluminum hubs, not spindles...


I have edited the original post.
Tommy
 

John N

Top Fueler
Feb 12, 2005
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Walk away in shame :lol:

If he were to get some version of the ZQ8 spindles with actual wheel hubs he wouldn't need to worry about that and it would open up options for larger rotors that he doesn't want (C4 Vette HD 13" rotors?). More options for brake hats as well.
 

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