Late Model Domestic Brakes

Welcome to the domestic car section of the Wilwood website where you can find a wide assortment of brakes to fit your 1970 or newer domestic car.

Many cars built prior to 1970 fall into the Specialty Car section because they are collectible muscle cars or in the same family. The cars built previous to 1949 can be found in the Street Rod section. The Specialty Car designation covers a broad range of vehicles that have become classic and legendary over time. This section is dedicated to all other cars, past to present, that don’t fall into that category yet, but may get that special status as time goes on.

In the ‘50s and ‘60s stylists and engineers were allowed to be creative in their designs and mechanical abilities. As a result there were many stylish and fast cars built. This was a time when Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and AMC were all building cars that were uniquely different from each other in an effort to get buyers into their showrooms. Competition was also fierce in the power department because engine sizes were growing yearly in the smaller cars and luxury models. Many top-of-the-line models were powered by 421, 425, 426, 428, 440, 454, and 455ci engines with gobs of torque and power. Even the economy cars that were introduced in the early ‘60s, such as the Falcon, Corvair, Skylark, Cutlass, Tempest and Valiant, offered engines for people who wanted economical transportation coupled with strong performance.

In the early ‘60s, Oldsmobile was the first car company to offer a Turbocharged V8 engine called the Jetfire. Corvair quickly joined the Turbocharged ranks with their flat, six-cylinder engine. The turbocharged version could out-accelerate many V8 cars of the time.

In 1964 Pontiac squeezed a 326ci engine (rated at 326ci but was actually 336ci in 1963) in the relatively diminutive Tempest, when cars started to get a little larger. Later that year, Pontiac installed a 389 engine in the Tempest/Le Mans and called it the GTO, starting the muscle car movement.

Engineers’ quest for performance started changing in the ‘70s when leaded gas was deemed unacceptable and the government was pushing for smaller cars that got better gas mileage. The high compression engines of the ‘60s had to be altered to low compression ratios that could run properly with the new low octane gas. There were some bright spots throughout the ‘70s with cars such as the Firebird Trans Am, the Corvette, and the Camaro Z/28 which received minimal

body changes yet still offered strong running engines. Most of the other cars at the time were going through shrinking pains and car companies struggled to find a market for low-powered economy cars.

Although the muscle cars were gone, quite a few respectable transportation cars that were released in the ‘70s remained. Wilwood Engineering has brake improvement kits for nearly all of the American cars, including the ‘73-‘77 Monte Carlo, the ‘73-‘76 Coronet, the ‘71-‘74 Maverick and the ‘73-‘77 Buick Regal. For example, if you own a ‘73-‘77 Monte Carlo you can equip your car with the Forged Dynalite Pro Front Brake Kit, part number 140-3445, that features Forged Dynalite calipers in red or polished finish. The kit can be ordered in the buyer’s choice of 11 or 11.75-inch rotors in standard or drilled and slotted styles. The Monte Carlo can also be equipped with the Forged Dynalite Big Brake Front Hub Kit, part number 140-8582. The kit features Dynalite calipers in red or polished finish and features 12.19-inch rotors in standard HD or drilled and slotted SRP style. If you want the Pro Touring look for your Monte Carlo you can order the Dynapro 6 Big Brake Front Hub Kit, part number 140-10738.

This kit features the Dynapro 6 calipers in a red or polished finish and comes complete with 12.19-inch rotors in slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP style. The Superlight 6R Big Brake Front Hub Kit, part number 140-10485, delivers the ultimate in Monte Carlo stopping power. The kit features SL6 six-piston calipers in a red, black or polished finish and features 12.88 and 14.00-inch rotors in slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP styles. If you want four-wheel disc brakes on the Monte Carlo you can order a Forged Dynalite Pro Rear Brake Kit, part number 140-2112. The kit features Forged Dynalite calipers in a red or polished finish and 12.19-inch rotors in standard HD or drilled and slotted SRP styles. The Monte Carlo can also be equipped with a Forged Dynalite Rear Parking Brake Kit, part number 140-7149, with an internal drum parking brake and 11.00 or 12.19-inch rotors. The Dynalite caliper can be ordered with red or polished finish and the rotors are available in a standard GT or drilled and slotted SRP style. The Superlite 4R Big Brake Rear Parking Brake Kit, part number 140-9213, can be used together with the Superlite 6R front kit for the ultimate in stopping ability. The Superlite 4R caliper can be ordered with red or black finish. This system features an internal Drum parking brake with 12.88 or 14.00-inch rotors in a slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP style. Visit Wilwood Engineering’s website to view brake options for your specialty car.

In an effort to build new cars that were fun to drive, the engineers at the Big 3 started working with electronics and computers to improve performance, in the ‘80s and ‘90s. The computers were able to control fuel injection, ignition timing and other engine regulating aspects, resulting in new engine designs with increased power and higher fuel efficiency. Today we have 400+ horsepower cars that run strong and can get upwards of 26 mpg on the highway. Many of these cars run so strong that the factory brakes need improvement. Wilwood Engineering offers brake kits for most late model domestic cars from years 1970 to 2011.

In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, American buyers turned their interests to larger vehicles. The truck/SUV market became fantastic for the car companies and before long truck sales outpaced car sales. American car companies started making trucks and sport utility vehicles with every option you could find in a luxury car. Many families in America had at least one truck or SUV in their driveway or sometimes both. The only thing that slowed down truck sales was increasing gas prices.

Aware of the increase in truck/SUV sales, Wilwood Engineering designed brake kits for all the popular models produced by Chevy, GMC, Hummer and Cadillac. For example, if you own a 1999 to 2011 Chevy Silverado pickup truck you can order a W6A Big Brake Truck Front Brake Kit, part number 140-9789, that features a large six-piston W6AR caliper available in red or black. The kit features large 14.25-inch rotors in a slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP style. This brake will have to be used with an 18-inch diameter wheel. The truck can also be outfitted with a really large TC6R Big Brake Truck Front Brake Kit, part number 140-8992,

that features a TC6R Radial Mount Caliper in red or black. This brake features large 16.00-inch rotors in slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP styles. The rear of the pickup can be upgraded with a Superlite 4R Big Brake Rear Brake Kit for OE Parking Brake, part number 140-8993. This kit features Billet Narrow Superlite 4 calipers in red or black. The kit comes with 12.75-inch rotors in slotted GT or drilled and slotted SRP styles. The rear of the truck can also be equipped with the larger W4A Big Brake Rear Parking Brake Kit, part number 140-10941, that features W4AR calipers in red or black. This kit comes with 14.25-inch rotors in slotted or drilled and slotted styles. Similar kit selections are available for all General Motor’s pickup trucks and SUV models. The 2500 series pickups and SUV’s can also be equipped with the TC6R rear axle disc brake kits with 16” rotors for the ultimate big brake solution for highly customized and modified trucks or SUV’s with 20” and larger wheels, part number 140 9405. Contact the experts at Wilwood for a brake kit to fit your particular application by calling (805) 388-1188 or email Sales/Tech Support.