vwfreek
New Reader
11/16/14 4:23 p.m.
Will an early C4 Corvette aluminum front caliper fit on a VW carrier?
An internet search brought up nothing, but I had to know.
And the answer is...
Yes. After a little work with an angle grinder and file. I still need to plug the mounting holes and drill new ones about 1/8" closer together.
There really isn't any braking advantage since the VW caliper and the Corvette caliper both have 54mm pistons. There is a big unsprung weight advantage though. I haven't weighed them yet, but it's pretty close to %50 lighter. So if you're looking to save that last few pounds, get them while they're cheap. Once they get wind of this over on vwvortex, every mk3 will be running a fully polished set.
84FSP
New Reader
11/16/14 5:08 p.m.
Nice cheapy mod. Have been looking at cheapy front caliper upgrades for the rabbit as the factory calipers are tanks. Don't really need more clamping pressure or swept area given the weight of the vehicle. I bet you'll be really happy with the C4 calipers, a set of goodrich lines (cheapest DOT stainless I've found), and some track pads.
Can 't wait to see the Vortex kids brag about these calipers under their C4 sawblades badly adapted with stretched tires...
Opti
Reader
11/16/14 6:00 p.m.
If you are that concerned with unsprung weight I assume this isnt just a street car, and if so you may run into caliper spreading problems, I know its a big problem on C5s that are tracked.
vwfreek
New Reader
11/16/14 8:22 p.m.
The car will most likely be used for autocross, ice racing, rally cross, and maybe the occasional track day. I'm not really that concerned with unsprung weight...more like just curious to see if it would work.
The Rabbit weighs less than a Corvette, so I wouldn't think it would generate quite as much heat. But we'll see if it becomes an issue once I have a chance to try them out.
