Wheel weights on my Camaro's calipers

[mlee]

Originally Posted by camaro_corvette

I havn't kept up with that thread, did that end up being the official reason

Yes, basically wheel weights stuck on the calipers to dampen harmonic resonance. Stop the squeal. Hopefully a fix will come soon, but no word when that will happen.

[Camaro_Corvette]

Originally Posted by mlee

Yes, basically wheel weights stuck on the calipers to dampen harmonic resonance. Stop the squeal. Hopefully a fix will come soon, but no word when that will happen.

for the update

[Fireball]

Originally Posted by drewauby5

We need to find out from members who take delivery or from Camaroscotty when the cars will come in without caliper weights? ie, what VIN number the cars will have no weights on them starting at.

So far we know that the first 2790 Camaros produced will have the brake weights stuck to the calipers. Eventually Camaros will be assembled with corrected calipers, but we don't yet know when.

[OUR72GTO]

Only on SS?

[Beechdoctor]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

From Edmunds:

Camaro Brake Weights Nothing New, BMW Does It Too
http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightlin...es-it-too.html

It's not the wieght that bothers me....it is the way its engineered and executed. This is not the same thing.

It's wheel wieghts half-assed stuck and stacked to the outside of the caliper. Make a lead mold, cast it to form around the caliper, paint it to match, and screw the thing to it....that would be an acceptable fix. (Maybe that is what GM is doing)

Again....sorry about the rant.

I agree....this unique circumstance may be some sort of collectable in the future...it is worth documenting.

I still eagerly await this car!!!

Originally Posted by Teleplayer

This thread just gets more and more interesting. I happen to be an engineer, and I will bet that the weights was a method that was used to see if the noise can be dampened, but that management forced them to actually USE the weights, under the protest of the engineers. I don't know an engineer who would have suggested such a fix to go out to the customer.

As far as the "official" GM explanation, it makes no sense to say that high performance cars are especially prone to brake noise. That's just a cute way of taking your focus off of the problem and puffing you up by telling you that you have some sort of special exotic vehicle. Every car on the road stops in just about the same way, with a brake pad pushed up against a rotor. It's just a BS statement.

Don't get me wrong, I love this new Camaro. But I worked as an auto mechanic for many years, and just have to say I have never seen such a mickey-mouse bandaid before.

I'm in Aero-space engineering...could not have said it better myself.

Originally Posted by Fireball

I'm glad many people are not bothered by these metal pieces stuck to the brake calipers. However, I probably will reject my Camaro if these metal pieces are stuck on the calipers. For $37k I expect better than a Mickey Moused car.

Originally Posted by ZZcamaro

Dude I and thousands on here call your bluff!

Ditto...it's still an awsome looking ride.

[Tal]

Not much point, either your car will come with the weights or it won't.

[Iwantmycamaronow]

im sorry but this i think is a pathetic "band aid".

i used to mount and balance tires years ago, and these were the worst kind of weights to use.

ok, so the break calipers dont spin, but they do get hot, right? that glue holding the weights on isnt going to last long. and the worst part about this "fix" is that they are putting weights on top of weights!

i cant remember the exact weight for each of those segments in the photos, but im thinking there is at least a pound of lead on those breaks.

im disappointed. and i dont own a camaro yet.

i wonder what other kind of band aids have been made we cant see yet.

sorry.

[New2010CamaroLover]

Originally Posted by OUR72GTO

Only on SS?

Hard to say... Those are the only ones that have been delivered so far.

[New2010CamaroLover]

Originally Posted by Tal

Not much point, either your car will come with the weights or it won't.

[lnsjr1]

GM will more then likley just throw a different set of brake pads at it to see if the noise stops.....and by the way Bullrun...still BLOWS....

[ZYAL8R]

Originally Posted by fireresq157

It means" why ?"

Already knew that, but then again that wasn't my question. Nice try!

[Camaro_Corvette]

Originally Posted by OUR72GTO

Only on SS?

Very cool, Collectors cars That's like the lone cuda with a sunroof. Just gotto have it!!!

[Beechdoctor]

Originally Posted by TLSTWIN

PURE SPECULATION You're guessing on what the material "appears to be" and how it is applied.....They are Engineers, do you know an engineer that will say "just stick some ordinary wheel wieghts on there" without checking it out? I work with a bunch of them, it's like pulling teeth to get their approval on anything, "they have to run some numbers' and "do a little research first".

Originally Posted by theholycow

I doubt they would be that negligent -- it could expose them to lawsuits when the weights fly off and hurt or damage someone or something. Even if not, there's no reason to think they are stuck on with foam poster mounting tape. That would be visible in the photos.

Why would you think GM is so incompetent that they would not use high-temperature adhesive to mount them?

You guys are correct, I am improperly assuming the weights have foam core adhesive as most wheel weights utilize...but even if it is a high temp performance adhesive, it's still a shoddy way to accomplish this simply from an appearance standpoint to address this issue. The legal concern about the weights falling off are negligable....stones a lot bigger will be thrown at the cars all the time from the tire anyway, and when these weights fall off, the worst that will happen is the brakes resonate or chatter a bit.

I'm sorry about my continuous posts on this matter, but it drives me crazy from the standpoint of the work of art that this car is to have such an odd Engineering Variance Order used to sign-off and deliver our cars. Yes...this issue touches areas of my profession...I would not have done this if it were on my watch.

Otherwise, I'm confident that these are going to be the best Camaros ever built!!

[Beechdoctor]

Originally Posted by Iwantmycamaronow

im sorry but this i think is a pathetic "band aid".

i used to mount and balance tires years ago, and these were the worst kind of weights to use.

ok, so the break calipers dont spin, but they do get hot, right? that glue holding the weights on isnt going to last long. and the worst part about this "fix" is that they are putting weights on top of weights!

i cant remember the exact weight for each of those segments in the photos, but im thinking there is at least a pound of lead on those breaks.

im disappointed. and i dont own a camaro yet.

i wonder what other kind of band aids have been made we cant see yet.

sorry.

I'm not worried about the car in its entirety have hidden engineering issues. I am confident the weighted calipers were a low impact decision to meet marketing and financials schedules. I just looks wrong and likely wont last long as installed.

I'm going to shut -up now.