Took the plunge and ordered the wilwood d52 calipers today...

Discussion in 'The whoa and the sway.' started by real82it, Mar 21, 2013.

  1. real82it

    real82it Silver Level contributor

    I ordered the wilwood d52 front 2 inch and rear 1.25 inch piston calipers today for my 72 GS. I had already converted to a rear disc set up from a mid 70s caddy that used OEM d52 calipers about 15 years ago.

    I used to have the front stock discs, rears from the caddy, a converted booster and master from a mid 80s Camaro, and the stock proportioning valve. This combo actually worked really well together. Then, when I restored the car last year I decided to go back to a stock booster and stock looking master. I am currently running a master made for 4 wheel discs for a 1980 trans am. Looks like a stocker disc drum master. Since I changed the booster and master I have not been satisfied with performance.

    I recently upgraded to performance pads (another fiasco....see my other post....ruined my master)....but now have those issues worked out. In that process I discovered my one of my rear calipers needed rebuild or replacement.

    I decided to upgrade my rear calipers for various reasons - looking for a little better performance and peddle feel/travel....I am thinking the smaller rear pistons will help with the peddle travel and feel....performance reviews are mixed on these wilwood d52s..but mostly on the positive side. Once I decided on new rear calipers I decided to bite the bullet and get matching fronts.....I mean, c'mon....gotta have matching fronts..:pp....I will let you all know of my impressions on these calipers.
     
  2. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Cool. I hope it goes well. I considered the D52 fronts when I upgraded to rear discs but just didn't want to deal with another variable. I look forward to your experience.

    Good luck!
     
  3. WarHawg75

    WarHawg75 Well-Known Member

    Good luck! I am still waiting for my Baer SS4+ fronts to get here. They are made to order and it takes forever! How was the install for the rear discs? Bolt on?
     
  4. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    If you are asking me, the kit was indeed bolt on but there are issues with using a stock Buick chrome wheel as detailed in my trials and tribulations. I'll link that post if you are interested.

    http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...-Buick-Wheels&highlight=right+stuff+rear+disc
     
  5. TheSilverBuick

    TheSilverBuick In the Middle of No Where

    What parking brake style is on the wilwood calipers? Same? I'll be interested to see them and how they work. I too have a mid-late 70's Cadillac rear disc brake setup on my Skylark and have been thinking what I'd do if I decide to swap the brakes out to an aftermarket set.
     
  6. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    I don't think the Wilwoods have a parking brake feature. I think you have to use the rotor integrated brakes with them.
     
  7. real82it

    real82it Silver Level contributor

    Calipers arrived today. Wow....nice looking. Seem to provide a little more edge clearance than stockers...but will know for sure when I install.

    Because I have the sickness....decided to order new slotted and drilled rotors and new backing plates also and stainless flex hoses.

    I will post pics when I install - hopefully this weekend.


    .....and yes....no parking brake on the wilwood calipers.

    ......and yes, the original discs from the caddy were basically bolt on, except I had to drill the rotors for the 4.75 x 5 rather than 5 x 5 caddy bolt pattern.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2013
  8. TheSilverBuick

    TheSilverBuick In the Middle of No Where

    That's unfortunate. A friend of mine runs two sets of rear brakes, depending if he is drag racing or autocrossing his mustang, and the drag race brakes do not have parking brake provisions and the larger autocross set does. I was hoping these did. Thanks for letting me know.
     
  9. BADDABUICK

    BADDABUICK Well-Known Member

    sorry to jump in i have discs all around i got my booster and mc from then and now resto .what is the difference for disc and drums vs all discs?
     
  10. real82it

    real82it Silver Level contributor

    Ok - here is what i have learned....but others with more knowledge please feel free to update/correct.

    When converting from disc/drum to all disc, No difference in required booster.

    With master cylinder, if it is made for rear drums, my understanding is that it will typically move more volume to the rears but not create sufficient pressure for discs. The residual maintained pressure will also be too high (10 to 12 lbs for drums vs 4-5 for discs). This is why it is a good idea to get a master made for 4 wheel discs if you convert to rear discs.

    ---------- Post added 03-28-2013 at 12:07 AM ---------- Previous post was 03-27-2013 at 11:52 PM ----------

    Out of curiosity I went and looked for an add on emergency brake kit. Found nothing. Why doesn't someone make a small inline electrically activated valve that could activate front or rear brakes when turned on? Seems simple. But apparently not.
     
  11. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    As I understand it, you sound like you would like a line lock connected on the rear brakes rather than the front brakes. The only problem is, your battery fails and so do your brakes.
     
  12. TheSilverBuick

    TheSilverBuick In the Middle of No Where

    The e-brake topic is actually going on right now on another forum I frequent and a guy there said he uses his line lock when ever he jacks up there rear end of the car. He said he left it on for a week with no noticeable down draw on the battery, but that is the longest he has left it on with out driving the car in between. He too figured the car would roll away when the battery drained enough, he didn't know how long that would be though. For reference, his car has an automatic transmission.
     
  13. Opa

    Opa Torque/a 8 piston figure

    I'm thinking on doing that WILDWOOD D52 swap to. To replace my front stock disc calipers.
    Just for the fact that they might have better stopping power then the stock calipers.
    Can anyone tell me if they have better stopping power then the stocks ones?
    I have an non PB car.
     
  14. real82it

    real82it Silver Level contributor

    DUH! A line lock. PERFECT and has the alternate purpose of fantastic burn puts! On the list of future upgrades.

    ---------- Post added at 05:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:29 PM ----------

    Been reading other forums on this subject. Consensus is minimally better stopping power due to the slightly larger combined piston area on the wilwood d52 2 inch pistons vs the single oem d52 piston. I may do some informal pre and post tests......but I would not say my current set up is 100% up to snuff so the results may be scewed.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2013
  15. real82it

    real82it Silver Level contributor

    Parts are in. :) Brake swappalooza ready to begin this weekend....just hope I can find enough time to finish.
     

    Attached Files:

  16. Opa

    Opa Torque/a 8 piston figure

    Have fun with it, and let us know if these brakes have more stopping power then the single piston design ones.:beers2:
     
  17. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Here is a purely hydraulic solution though I don't know how you would go about mounting it.

    http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Park-Lok-Hydraulic-Brake,1970.html
     
  18. real82it

    real82it Silver Level contributor

    3 down, 1 to go. Then, bleed, seat, and test. Hopefully finish tomorrow.

    Happy and relieved to find the 1980 trans am drilled and slotted rotors were the same size as the caddy ones I had on there. They are going to work nicely on the rear set discs.

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    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Apr 7, 2013
  19. real82it

    real82it Silver Level contributor

    And things were going so well......

    Finished all 4 corners, bled, and test fit the wheels.....

    Apparently the wilwood d52s are slightly bigger than the OEMs on the outside edge....front and backs rub with the stock ralley 15x7 fronts and aftermarket 15x8s in the rear :af::af:

    I really like stock wheels and want to keep them if possible.......tried some 3/16 spacers in the front....they clear. But the rears did not clear with 1/4 spacers. Going to look for options......I really don't want to put on aftermarket wheels.

    You can compare in this photo the edge of the Wilwood D52 to the stock one I had to grind on to make fit previously. (previously, I only had to clearance one site on the rear slightly, the other fit with no issues.).
    I really with I had taken a comparison photo of the Wilwood vs a stock one I had not ground on. But, this is the best I have.
    You can see the raised edge of the Wilwood compared to the stocker. This is the edge that hit on all 4 wheels.
    [​IMG]

    This piston side is actually smaller than stock...but you won't have clearance issues on the inside of the wheel
    [​IMG]

    You can see in these pics where the wheels come in contact withe the front and rear calipers - black marks on the tape.

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    Last edited: Apr 7, 2013
  20. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Re: And things were going so well......

    Welcome to my nightmare from a few years ago. Factory 15x7 wheels rubbed my rear calipers on the Right Stuff swap. I wound up flipping the brackets over to the outside of the flange, got a different rotor with a deeper hat and finally got enough clearance with a 3mm spacer.
     

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