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1973 Camaro Baer Brakes Upgrade - Bigger Badder Binders
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 Turned out that we needed...  Turned out that we needed to add 0.060-inch of shims to get the caliper just right. Your results may vary, and in some cases you may have to use different thickness shims on the top and bottom.  With the shims in place, Mary...  With the shims in place, Mary could then torque the radial caliper bracket bolts to 110 lb-ft. We also made sure to dab the fasteners with a little thread locker.  With the bracket installed...  With the bracket installed we could then snap the brake pads in place. The calipers ship with what Baer considers to be a good performance street pad. But Do They Stop Better?
Steve Rupp from Camaro Performers magazine, graciously allowed me the opportunity to upgrade my existing Baer Brake Track front calipers with a set of Baer 6P calipers, and followed with instructions to go forth and then stop, a lot. With plans to autocross and take in a few track days, I'd purchased the Track system back in 2002 when starting the build on my '73 Camaro. Autocrossing never posed any problems for the Track system, but the track events sure did, as trying to get 3,600 lbs of forward motion slowed down is a huge job. Pad friction material upgrades and brake ducting, to keep the rotors cooler, helped get in a few more laps, but I rarely finished a session due to the inevitable brake fade and low pedal. When I heard Baer had an upgrade package, I jumped at it. The actual install process was straightforward, uncomplicated, and took about two hours. Parts were simple, as the calipers and solid adapter brackets all came with the kit. The best part was that the Baer Track rotors can be reused for the new upgraded 6P calipers. The calipers come with pre-bedded pads, and I strongly recommend that you either have the rotors turned or replaced if they're not serviceable, as the 6P friction material sweep area is wider than that for the Track pad. Like the Track system (Corvette C4), the 6P calipers use standard Corvette pads (C5/C6, non-ZO6 or ZR1) which are available in a variety of friction materials. For my car's use, I plan to replace the existing Baer 6P pads with Hawk HP Plus, as those were used with the Track calipers, and I'm used to their performance. After replenishing the hydraulic system with fluid and checking for any leaks, then bleeding the system, I was done. And as for the benefit, I had the opportunity to test the Camaro at two autocrosses, and after adjusting the brake bias, I immediately noticed a difference in the braking ability. The CliffNotes version is that stopping appeared easier for the car with the same amount of pedal effort. Where the stopping was really good with the Track system calipers, it was exceptional with the 6P's. The Baer 6P calipers are a huge improvement and should be a consideration for anyone looking to upgrade their existing Baer brake system or replace OEM. I can't wait until the next track day to see if they're as good hauling this tank down from 120 mph as they are slowing it from 60 mph autocross speeds.  Mary then bolted the 6P caliper...  Mary then bolted the 6P caliper to the radial mount and torqued the supplied bolts to 85 lb-ft. No need for thread locker here since the bolts came pre-coated. The 6P calipers employ a six-bolt construction which results in an extremely stiff caliper.  Baer always puts function...  Baer always puts function first, but they also try to make a good looking caliper. To help give the caliper a smooth external look, they feature an internal fluid transfer system. They are offered in red, silver, and black, but for additional charge they can do custom colors as well.  We were then able to transfer...  We were then able to transfer the brake line from the old Track caliper to the new 6P unit. The kit included new banjo bolts and crush washers, but the brake lines are from the previous track kit. Keep in mind that the swept area of the new calipers is larger than that of the Track units. If your rotors have a lot of wear they may need to be turned.  The new 6P calipers are huge...  The new 6P calipers are huge compared to the smaller twin-piston units we removed. To make sure they will clear your wheels you can download templates from the Baer website. In order for Mary to run her previous Vintage Wheel Works 17-inch rollers we had to insert a 1/4-inch spacer. This gave us just enough clearance.  To handle the extra fluid...  To handle the extra fluid volume of the pistons, we also decided to change the master cylinder to one with a 1-inch bore size. Here, David Pozzi bench-bleeds the new GM master.  The new master required a...  The new master required a short push rod, not the long one that was in our previous master. Luckily there was a used one lying around the shop. Just another reason not to throw anything away.  Mark the master cylinder as...  Mark the master cylinder as done. Once on the road, Mary and David can re-adjust their proportioning valve to suit their new front binders.  With the master plumbed in,...  With the master plumbed in, we could then tackle the messy job of bleeding the brakes. A nice aspect of the Baer caliper is that it only utilizes one bleeder valve on the top of the caliper. Also, the job was made much cleaner and easier since we used this slick magnetic fluid catch bottle from Longacre Racing. Easily worth the 20 bucks we shelled out for it.  Mary was so excited about...  Mary was so excited about her new brakes that she decided to get some new rollers. These three-piece forged SO3 17-inch wheels from Forgeline weigh a lot less than her other wheels and are built to take the punishment that she dishes out at the track. Their design also gives her quite a bit of caliper clearance, and as a bonus, they look killer.
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