My experience with Baer Brakes so far - the good and the not so good

[siggyfreud]

Hey all,

First I'd like to say that my install isn't done yet, so I don't yet have experience on the road and look forward very much to driving with these brakes.

I just wanted to share my experience so far with Baer's 67-72 C10 kit (T4 front, SS4 rear) both the good and the frustrating.

1. I didn't open my front kit for a few weeks after it arrived, as I was finishing my El Camino project. First thing I noticed was that they drop-shipped me black calipers with red lettering for the front and red calipers with black lettering for the rear. Whoops. I called up MCB, who I ordered it through and both them and Baer were quick and helpful in getting two new fronts sent over. No additional cost for return shipping, so all good.

2. Installing the fronts was pretty straight forward. There was some user-error on my end, installing a bracket backward. Their install instructions are pretty good, however, they contained some contrary info where a line said to install the brackets with the part numbers facing away from the vehicle. I did that and didn't pay much attention to the photo. Baer said they're removing that line from the instructions, as part numbers can and do get machined on either side. If I looked closer at the photo it wouldn't have been an issue.

3. The rear install was more difficult. First, the rear rotors wouldn't fit the stock axles, nor the Moser axles I was putting in. I had to take the rotors and axles to a machine shop to have the axles turned (inner and outer diameters) so the rotor would seat flush against the axle surface. Baer said this wasn't uncommon, and they're happy to also modify the rotors for an order if required. I figured I'd just turn the axles instead so replacement rotors wouldn't need modification in the future.

4. After getting the rotors and axles sorted, I discovered that bolts holding the e-brake mechanism were contacting the rotors. I ended up having to space them out with a washer. Again, not a huge deal, but just something to watch out for.

5. For whatever reason the master cylinder/brake booster combination I'm using had about .067" of preload when installed. I ended up having the machine shop mill the bullet (spacer) that goes inside the MC for a short-rod booster .067" to get down to a .000" preload between the hydro unit and MC. I had about the same amount of preload up against my old vacuum booster too.

6. The MC/Prop valve appears to have shipped missing 3 of the 6 brass inserts that need to be installed for hard-line use. I have an email in to Baer now.



I will say that the brackets, calipers, hub, rotors are all very nice looking, great finishes, and were shipped very well. The install instructions are pretty clear, and in full color. They're also available online with higher-resolution images.

I'm not sharing my experience to bash Baer. They have been very helpful on the phone and email, always friendly, and have shipped small parts like caliper spacers to me quickly and free of charge. I'm just sharing my experience so people are aware that their install may also include some nuances that will take extra time and effort to deal with. I can't stress that enough. Yes, I do wish I didn't encounter these issues, but they're not insurmountable by any means, and may not be unique to this vendor or kit.

I am still totally looking forward to driving with these brakes, and hopefully, after resolving these last issues the install will the smooth and work wonderfully. And I will provide updates as I progress, and will be transparent, as there are certainly times when I overlook something, install it wrong, or make wrong assumptions about how it works.

[siggyfreud]

I did find the 3 missing brass fittings wrapped up in the paper wrapping. I assumed they were not there, as the instructions said they come preinstalled, but appears they now ship them in a sealed plastic bag. No biggie, partially my bad for not checking the wrapping thoroughly, partially theirs for the instruction gaffe.

[2014sierraAT]

How’d these turn out for you?

[siggyfreud]

So far so good. I literally got it on the road Sunday, and have put about 15 miles on them. They're noisy JUST as you come to a complete stop, but from what I've read it's mostly from burning off the zinc coating, and they're already quieter than they were on the first drive.

Once I get 4-5 days of regular driving I can go into the bedding process and see how they do under harder braking.

I also swapped over to a hyrdoboost unit, so I'm getting acclimated to that as well.

Overall I'm a happy Baer customer, but will keep everyone updated as I get to stop harder with them.

[70 shorty]

So, too early to say if you'd recommend the kit or not, or am i making assumptions?

[siggyfreud]

I haven't tested their overall performance, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again based on my experience thus far.

I'll say Baer has always been responsive to my tech calls. Usually the first person that picks up is a tech person. The parts seem to be of high quality and are very pretty. My third drive things got quieter still. A few more days and I can do some 60mph 75% braking power stops.

The only issue I can really fully fault Baer for is the bolts interfering with the ebrake setup, which a washer quickly fixed.

The other issues there is definitely partial blame on me, or in other cases could be manufacturing tolerances of the rear axles and hydroboost unit.

Had I done a more traditional install this may have been much smoother. I will say one thing to make you install easier. Measure your axle hub diameter and provide it to Baer, so they can either confirm the rotor clears, or turn the rotor to clear before shipping.