TBMBRAKES 1997-2013 Corvette C6 Front F1 2 Piston Drag Kit Installation Guide
- June 13, 2024
- TBMBRAKES
Table of Contents
TBMBRAKES 1997-2013 Corvette C6 Front F1 2 Piston Drag Kit
Product Information
- Product: 1997-2013 Corvette C6, Front F1 2 Piston Drag Kit (Reusing Factory Hubs) (001-0246)
- Manufacturer: TBM Brakes
- Website: www.tbmbrakes.com
- Contact: 800-878-9274
Parts List
- 2 Revolution Rotors – 11.50 / 0.375 / 8 on 7.00 (Part Number: 3-1150375D)
- 2 Hat, C6, Front (Part Number: 204-0209)
- 2 F1 Caliper, 1.75 Diameter Piston, .250/.500 Rotor (Part Number: 002-0054SSP-1 & 002-0054SSP-2)
- 2 F1 to C6 Drag Racing Caliper Brackets (Part Number: 16-0244-1 & 16-0244-2)
- 4 F1 / DR-1 Replacement Pads (full set) – #1 (Part Number: 6-01019)
Hardware List
- 16 Bolt, 5/16-18 X 5/8, LHSHCS
- 4 Bolt, 3/8-16 X 1
- 4 Flat Washer, 3/8
- 4 Lockwasher, 3/8
- 10 Shim, Steel, .010TK, 3/8 ID, 5/8 OD
- 10 Shim, Steel, .031TK, 3/8 ID, 5/8 OD
- 4 Bolt, M12 X 1.75 X 60MM
C5/C6 Corvette Knuckle Cut Guide
Reference the images below and use a marker to draw a line on the upper ear
of the factory caliper bracket. This will give proper clearance for the
caliper bracket to bolt on later.
Product Usage Instructions
-
Step 1:
Lay the hat bowl-side up and place the flat side of the rotor on the hat. It may be necessary to flip the rotor to achieve proper rotor spacing based on brand and build a series of spindles. For your convenience, we recommend mocking up all fasteners and assembly before torquing and Loctite bolts. -
Step 2:
Apply Red Loctite to the 5/16-18 hex bolts, torque to 18 ft-lbs. Do not Loctite or torque bolts until proper fitment is achieved. -
Step 3:
Place the caliper bracket on the face of the knuckle as shown in Figure 1. Once you have correctly placed the caliper bracket, you can re-install the hub (Figure 2). Use the supplied M12 hardware in the two upper holes, and the lower hole will use the original T55 M12 Bolt. -
Step 4:
Slide the hat and rotor assembly onto the hub and secure with studs. -
Step 5:
Slide the caliper over the clock washer and mount it to the bracket. Snug the 3/8-16 bolts, lockwasher, and washer. Check for proper radial and horizontal clearance between the rotor and the caliper. -
Step 6:
Remove the pad retainer bolt (if already inserted). Insert the brake pads from the top of the caliper and reinsert the pad retainer bolt. Hold the pads against the caliper housing. Spin the rotor assembly to check for contact between the rotor and brake pads. There should be no contact between the rotor and the pads. Tighten the pad retainer bolt. -
Step 7:
If there is pad-to-rotor contact, determine which side is causing the interference. Shim the caliper or the bracket as needed using the supplied shim kit to center the caliper and ensure the caliper is parallel to the rotor. Note that what is required for one side of the car may not be the same as the other side. Check each side individually. -
Step 8:
Verify that the pad material is sitting in the proper location about the top of the rotor, with a flush position (+/- 0.06). -
Step 9:
-
Go back and torque the caliper mounting hardware to 37 ft-lbs and verify that the bleeder screws are mounted in the top position.
-
Step 10:
Connect the brake lines and check for interference with any suspension or driveline components. All caliper fittings are -3AN. -
Step 11:
-
Bleed the entire brake system and verified proper caliper operation and release.
Additional Information
Caliper Direction:
Calipers are labeled -1 and -2 with bleeders and fittings mirrored of each
other. These don’t indicate left or right; please ensure that the bleeder is
mounted at the highest point.
TOOLS REQUIRED
1997-2013 CORVETTE C6, FRONT Fl e PISTON DRAG KIT (REUSING FACTORY HUBS) tool-0246J
Parts List
Hardware List 011- 0245
C5/C6 Corvette Knuckle Cut Guide
Reference the images below and use a marker to draw a line on the upper ear of the factory caliper bracket. This will give proper clearance for the caliper bracket to bolt on later.
INSTALLATION
-
Step 1: Lay the hat bowl-side up and place the flat side of the rotor on the hat. It may be necessary to flip the rotor to achieve proper rotor spacing based on brand and build a series of spindles. (Important: For your convenience, we recommend mocking up all fasteners and assembly before torquing and Loctite bolts).
-
Step 2: Apply Red Loctite to the 5/16-18 hex bolts, torque to 18 ft-lbs.
( Important : do not Loctite or torque bolts until proper fitment is achieved)
-
Step 3: Place the caliper bracket on the face of the knuckle as shown in Figure 1. Once you have correctly placed the caliper bracket you can re-install the hub (Figure 2). Use the supplied M12 hardware in the two upper holes and the lower hole will use the original T55 M12 Bolt.
-
Step 4: Slide the hat and rotor assembly onto the hub and secure with studs.
-
Step 5: Slide the caliper over the rotor and mount it to the bracket. Snug the 3/8-16 bolts, lock washer, and washer. Check for proper radial and horizontal clearance between the rotor and the caliper.
-
Step 6: Remove the pad retainer bolt (if already inserted). Insert the brake pads from the top of the caliper and reinsert the pad retainer bolt. Hold the pads against the caliper housing. Spin the rotor assembly to check for contact between the rotor and brake pads. There should be no contact between the rotor and the pads. Tighten the pad retainer bolt.
-
Step 7: If there is pad-to-rotor contact, determine which side is causing the interference. Shim the caliper or the bracket as needed using the supplied shim kit to center the caliper and ensure the caliper is parallel to the rotor. **What is required for one side of the car may not be the same as the other side. Check each side individually
-
Step 8: Verify the pad material is sitting in the proper location about the top of the rotor [flush +/-.06”]
-
Step 9: Go back and torque the caliper mounting hardware to 37 ft-lbs and verify that the bleeder screws are mounted in the top position. (See image below)
-
Step 10: Connect the brake lines and check for interference with any suspension or driveline components. (All caliper fittings are -3AN)
-
Step 11: Bleed the entire brake system verify proper caliper operation and release
More Information
Caliper Direction:
Calipers are labeled -1 and -2 with bleeders and fittings mirrored of each
other. These don’t indicate left or right; please ensure that the bleeder is
mounted at the highest point.
Acceptable Pad Thickness:
Any time pads are <.100” thickness, we advise replacing them.
Rotor Replacement:
Our main concern is rotor flatness. This dictates the performance of the
rotor. For rotor thickness concerns please reach out to us directly at
800-878-9274 as rotor thickness varies
on each rotor style
Fluid:
We recommend using TBM Extreme 6 High-Performance DOT 5.1 brake fluid on
any TBM brakes. This fluid is compatible with Dot 3 and Dot 4 fluid without
having to drain your fluid system if you are not able to get your hands on TBM
brake fluid. DO NOT ever use DOT 5 brake fluid as it is silicone-based and
will cause the seals to swell, hindering brake performance and life.
Bearing Grease:
If your TBM Brakes utilize a hub that uses greaseable bearings, we suggest
using any Pre- mum Moly style grease. Our brakes ship with standard Timken
bearings which can be used with normal bearing grease. Using this grease will
still promote our no-drag benefits.
Replacement Bearings:
We use standard readily available Timken Part Number bearings in our kits
to make replacement and servicing easy. In the event you need replacement
bearings, use the part numbers listed in the kit instructions for reorder.
Loctite Hardware:
We recommend Red Loctite on any hardware used in brake applications. Please
follow proper procedures in cleaning and drying hardware and surfaces before
applying to ensure proper results.
Flipping Rotors:
Our rotors are designed to be flipped in either direction when mounting;
they are non-directional. Flipping the rotors allows you to utilize the offset
in either direction for properly centering/spacing the rotor and caliper
package.
Replacement Hardware:
Please note we only sell hardware as complete kits. The hardware kit number
is listed in the instructions above.
Cleaning Brakes:
The unique color and finish on TBM Brakes is an Electroless Nickel process
that is extremely durable. Cleaning electroless nickel parts is easiest by
using household stainless steel appliance cleaner. Spray parts, let sit for 60
seconds, and wipe off. We recommend removing pads before using this cleaner
and cleaning rotors off with brake cleaner after you’ve finished cleaning
electroless nickel parts to avoid anychemicalss that can adversely affect
braking conditions.
Caliper Maintenance:
Our calipers are engineered, designed, and built to be the most durable
calipers on the market. We have customers with over 30 years of abuse on
calipers with several reseals and rebuilds throughout. We recommend sending
calipers used heavily every 2 seasons for cleaning, inspection, and rebuild
process. During this time we pressure and leak check the calipers. Any caliper
sitting for more than 1 year with fluid should be sent in for reseal as seals
can become compromised. Please contact us directly to arrange maintenance at
800-878-9274.
Rotor Maintenance:
Over time, pad transfer will build up unevenly on the rotor face. This can
result in high spots on the rotor, excessive pad knock-back, inconsistent
pedal feel, and/or a decrease in brake torque. It is good practice to
routinely clean the pad-swept face of the rotors with 80 grit on a dual-action
sander or with one of our rotor hones. This can be done as part of a pre-race
weekend routine, or something you keep an eye on and work into your mid-season
routine. After cleaning the rotor face you will want to follow the bedding
procedure to lay a new transfer layer of material down onto the rotor.
Bedding Procedures:
When bedding a new set of pads and rotors you are looking to transfer an
even layer of pad material onto the rotor. At the drag strip, this can be done
by making 2-3 passes and getting on the brakes as you would on any other pass.
Getting firmly on the brakes for a second or two to scrub offf speed then off
them completely. Get back on them firmly to make the turn, then try your best
to come to a stop on the return road without applying a lot of brakes. With
the rotors hot, coming to a complete stop with a heavy foot can result in high
spotting of the brake material on the rotors. If trying to bed new pads and
rotors away from the racetrack, it is recommended to do so in a safe and
controlled environment. Decelerate quickly 4-5 times from roughly 35-5 mph.
Trying not to come to a complete stop. Then, decelerate quickly 4-5 times from
50-15 mph. Trying not to come to a complete stop. If the area permits, drive a
1/4 mile dragging the brakes slightly at safe speeds. Then drive an equal
distance or more without getting on the brakes, giving the rotors time to cool
before coming to a stop. From here, you should notice pad material starting to
evenly lay across the pad-swept face of the rotor.
Proper Caliper Shimming :
Every TBM brake kit comes with several mil-spec shims. These are available
to you for a couple of reasons:
- They can be used to shim the caliper off of the bracket or the bracket off of the spindle to get the rotor centered in the Getting the rotor perfectly centered in the caliper is desired but can be offset slightly inboard or outboard. Making sure the pads fall in the caliper freely and there are no caliper-to-rotor clearance issues is the most important.
- The next important use of the shims is to shim the caliper so it is perfectly parallel with the This may result in having more shims behind one of the fasteners to achieve this.
- With the potential tolerance stack up across all the components getting mounted to the spindle, it can be common to need to shim the caliper to make it parallel to the rotor. (What might be required on one side of the vehicle may differ on the opposing side.) *This is a critical step. If a caliper is mounted off parallel, the pistons will bind under load, and will not be able to retract properly.
Tip: Once you have the calipers where you think they should be, bleed the brake system. Once bled, loosen the caliper mounting bolts so the caliper can “float”. Apply pressure to the brake pedal and if the caliper moves/twists, that is where the caliper wants to be under load. It is making itself parallel to the rotor. Shim the caliper off of the mounts so it stays there and tighten everything back up.
If technical support/info is needed, please contact us at
800-878-9274 or info@tbmbrakes.com TBM
Brakes • 1906 59th Terrace E • Bradenton, FL 34203
Updated : 6/23