Alternate Supercars Beyond the Crate Corvette Gets Shocks and Brakes

Beyond the Crate Corvette Gets Shocks and Brakes

BAER BRAKES AND QA1 SHOCKS UPGRADE THE C4 CORVETTE SUSPENSION

With over 450 horsepower under the hood and a firm shifting B&M tramsnission with a 2400 rpm stall speed Holeshot converter calling the shots in this Y-body rebop, it was clear that the car was in need of better brakes and more suspension control. In a separate story we upgraded to a complete Energy Suspension custom bushing package that firmed up the suspension and eliminated excessive compliance. Now it was time to add some suspension control with a set of QA1 adjustable, aluminum shocks and a brake upgrade that would make our M/T tires grab pavement like never before.

The Energy Suspension bushing kit transformed the car and restored our faith in the suspension's performance. The shock upgrade was accomplished to gain more control under challenging operating conditions (hauling ass), and the Baer brakes were selected for their well documented stopping power and lasting efficiency. In concert with the the suspension bushing upgrade, the shocks and brakes make it a whole new car with superb agility and the ability to stop hard enough to detach your retinas. These mods were easy to accomplish and all the pieces are available through Summit Racing overnight if you so desire.

The Corvette is well equipped with larger Mickey Thompson 275/40R-17, front and Mickey Thompson 315/35R-17, rear tires on wider 17x9 and 17x10.5 Hurst aluminum wheels. We were pleased to note no interference problems with the brakes or the shocks. The Baer Brake Eradispeed kit is an upgrade package that replaces your stock rotors with drilled and slotted rotors and accompanying high performance brad pads. The rotors are the stock diameter, hence they can be used with your factory brake calipers and the new pads supplied in the kit. They can be installed without having to bleed the brakes afterward. Combined with the Hurst wheels and M/T rubber, the package delivers all the performance you likely need for the engine's upgraded power.

The Baer Eradispeed brake kit consists of 12-inch front and rear rotors and corresponding high-performance pads. The lighter weight rotors feature machined aluminum hat sections with top of the line fasteners. QA1 adjustable aluminum shocks reduce weight and provide adjustment for street/strip operation with the twist of a button.

Replacing the heavy factory rotors with the lightweight Baer rotors with aluminum hat section saves weight and provides trouble-free installation because the factory caliper remains untouched and there is no need to bleed the brakes.

QA1's adjustable performance aluminum street shocks are lighter than their factory counterparts. They are a direct bolt-in replacement for your worn out factory shocks. They are fully adjustable for track day operation.

Baer's drilled, slotted and vented rotors are designed to improve braking efficiency. Fully machined aluminum hats are anchored by high strength fasteners. They come in front and rear sets and each rotor is clearly marked for left and right orientation.

With the brake caliper moved temporarily out of the way, the stock Corvette brake rotors slip right off. Clean the mating surface and wheel studs with a wire brush thoroughly prior to installing the new rotors.

The Baer rotors are a direct replacement. Use a large C-clamp and a shim to compress the piston in the caliper and install the new pads. With the piston compressed the assembly will slip back over the rotor without interference.

The shocks are an easy swap at the same time, particularly on a Corvette. These are single adjustable shocks that can be set for street or drag racing.

Baer's EradiSpeed+ is a direct replacement 2pc rotor for 1988-1996 GM Y-Body cars. It is designed to work with the stock brake system found on your Corvette. These 12" rotors feature directional vanes, which advances cooling efforts and are a 2pc design with a light weight anodized black 6061-T6 aluminum center hat bolted to the rotor ring. There are no interference problems with stock calipers.

SUMMIT RACING PART NUMBERS

BAER BRAKES
Fits 1988-1996 Corvette
Front: BAE-2301013
Rear BAE-2302019

QA1 SHOCKS
Fits 1988-1996 Corvette
Front: QA1-TS511
Rear QA1-TS512

KIT DETAILS

Direct bolt on system
12" 2pc slot, drill, zinc plated rotors
Uses stock brake calipers and stock type pads
Simple installation, no bleeding of the brakes required
Directionally vaned structure acts like a centrifugal pump, advancing cooling efforts
2-piece design: aerospace grade machined aluminum hat bolted to rotor ring saves wt. National Aerospace Standard (NAS) Rotor Hardware
Sold as front and rear sets

PHOTOS BY: Ashleigh Brokken