Bud M

I gotta agree with the OP. LT1 4th gens have severely inadequate brakes IMO, no matter what magazines said. I've never had the ABS kick in as far as I could tell (and I do know what ABS feels like when it operates). For all I know the ABS may not even be working on my car.

TobyZ28

*raises hand* have had ABS kick in in dry weather! You basically have to use a LOT of force (this was just after a bleed). I've also had it kick in in the rain which is more of an issue here. Generally... if you're a good driver the only time you should be needing abs is if your really really caught by suprise or the road conditions change all of a sudden and you need to do an emergency stop out of the blue...

firebirdStud

Well, if you are bank account insufficent, Get the LS1 front brake kit. I got the spindles, wheel bearings, rotors, pads, calipers and hoses all for 150 bucks. I sent in the calipers as cores and got brand new AC Delco ones, and turned the rotors. Painted it all up, and slaped her in. Aligned the front end, and took her out for the big test. I seated the brakes to the rotors, and then took her up to a undisclosed speed and nailed the brakes. The difference was night and day! With my new motor the LT1 brakes just could not stop it soon enough for my tastes... and now these dual piston calipers and bigger rotors work awesome! It quite possibly could be the best hundred and fifty bucks I ever spent on the money pit! The only problem is you have to get straight spindles. I have heard of some people getting screwed this way, but mine came off a 02 firehawk that was getting preped for road racing, so I knew it wasn't an accident car.
Good luck man!

Oh yeah, I bought ceramic AC Delco pads too...

Wild Willy

Change the fluid, and make sure to clean the gunk out of the bottom of the reservoir. Make sure all calipers are moving freely on the slider pins, they have a tendency to corrode and freeze in place- make sure there are no air bubbles, bleed everything until nice clear fluid comes through.

My ABS almost never comes on because the car just plants and stops, RIGHT NOW!

TomcatMF

Your master cylinder may be going too. I just had mine replaced recently on my 1997 SS. I didn't even know it was bad until I took my car in when my clutch failed. I still need to do some brake work though. I hear you about the frustration with all of the problems that seem to keep popping up. Just this year I've replaced the clutch (and the clutch slave cylinder), brake master cylinder, distributor, and tires.

My car still stops OK, but I know I am due to replace the rotors on this thing. I'm thinking of putting in a Baer big brake fit, but its still gonna be expensive.

wrd1972

Yeah I became tired of the brakes on my 1995 Camaro especilly when they were heat soaked or wet.

Did the complete front and rear LS1 brake upgrade and it stops much much better. The dual piston front calipers really clamp well compared to the single piston ones. The bigger rotors have more surface area for increased friction and better cooling.

Big huge difference in braking performance.

Z28LT1_Just_Nasty

I have to agree with the other people. Your brake system should be FLUSHED. Believe it or not you should flush your brake system every 18 months to two years. Most people never change their brake fluid the entire time they own their cars. You cannot just bleed the system it must be completely flushed. Once brake fluid accumulates about 2% water it's considered junk. That usually takes about 18 months hence the change interval.

Once the brake fluid is considered contaminated you will experience loss of braking power, brake fade, and under hard braking; the chance of losing braking ability entirely. This is due to the fact that moisture in brake fluid lowers its boiling point. The pressures in the brake system produce enough heat to cause the fluid to boil. Remember a gas can be compressed where a fluid cannot. That concept when applied to the brake system means you cannot apply full braking power to the pads.

From what I understand you have new pads and rotors, the best option would be to FLUSH not just bleed your system.

94CamaroZ28

Flushing fluid... not just bleeding, flushing at least a quart of fluid through the system, until fluid that comes out is clean and clear.

Brake hoses especially at front wheels can corrode internally; bend and twist, look for any external cracking, replace if any evidence.

If the caliper pins do not slide freely, brake performance will be severely degraded.

Cheap pads lead to glazed pads, which results in poor braking. Slotted helps (not drilled) with this, but at the cost of faster pad wear. Top quality pads are not cheap, but do tend to last longer and stop better... but beware of 'race' pads for the street, as they don't stop worth a damn when cold.

LT1s, all else being equal, do NOT stop as well as LS1 cars; the LS1 swap is a decent starting point for upgrades, and more expensive/larger/better setups are available with C5, afterparket, and various kits.

I'd also tend to look closely at the calipers for spreading; with new pads you might see uneven wear as a result, and WILL see poor stopping power.

bombebomb

Aint that the truth, im driving a mercury tracer now haha. As for brakes, mine were ok but to many 100+ quick braking will really anilate the pads. Im guessing yours just need matence. And I need to retake spelling class.

stopthatman

that's what i should have done, junkyard calipers suck. Strano recommends PBR pads for a good all around pad. from australia, like the calipers. kangaroo on the box

Greed4Speed

I'm running the Axxis/PBR Metal Master pads and I have to agree with same. They're a good pad.

mzgp5x

What is an easy way to flush the brake fluid??? Compressed air? New fluid and foot pumping the master??? Just purchased Kore3 C5's for the front of an 97ss. B.