2010 Chevy Camaro Gets Mysterious Brake Weights

[C.H.U.D.]

http://jalopnik.com/5222908/2010-chevy-cam...s-brake-weights

Some are speculating that these weights are there to alleviate brake squeal. Pretty sad, since they got Brembo to make them to their spec, and still couldn't get it right. Good ol' GM...

[G. David Felt]

WOW, I did not know they had sold any Cameros yet. I have not seen a one here in Seattle. If this is true I have to say this is a pretty Ghetto thing to do to a new muscle car. This issue should have been resolved before they went into production.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Well every once in a while GM lets us know that they're still the same old company... Just be thankful this didn't happen on the eve of the Malibu launch instead- that would have been one ugly sh*tstorm.

[Camino LS6]

Much ado about nothing.

[Intrepidation]

[Camino LS6]

It always amazes me how the internet can make something out of nothing.

At the absolute worst, this means that GM caught a potential noise problem and took action to prevent it.

Big friggin deal.

[FAPTurbo]

It's just unfortunate that this will temper, at least in some people's minds, the great press, and reception of the Camaro. Hater's will jump on anything anyways.

Then again, the first year is always prone to glitches, so hopefully, this will be done the right way soon.

[deftonesfan867]

Yeah, it doesn't seem like alot of people give a $h! about this really.

[hyperv6]

While this seems trivial to us who can forgive GM. This is just the thing that keeps on giving the GM hater more ammo to make their point GM makes crap car.

If the weights are a fix it is something they need to address better and faster.

THe brake issue on the HHR SS, Sky GXP and SKY Redline turbos is another one the press never got a hold of.

These Auto Turbo cars all suffered the lack of vacuum at start up, In other words if the vehicle sat for more than 6-24 hours it could and would have no vacuum boost for the brakes.

GM has now fixed this issue but it took a year to make a TSB to fix this. I had it happen on mine and would have to remote start it a few min before I would leave. It did catch me a couple times when I was in a hurry and I was lucky no one was infront of me.

GM has at least addressed this since safety is involved.

But there is an issue on the Six disc changer on the Vette a year or so ago. The radio malfuntions big time with the disc and there is no fix for it. GM has told the dealers they are not going to fix it. My service writer was thrilled to tell several owners of a $60,000 car their radios are f#%ked and they can't fix them.

It is the little things like this GM needs to get right as the public and press are not going to let them get a free pass as they do Toyota.

I know they all have issues but the public is not letting GM get away with it anymore.

I know if I paid over $30K I would not tape weights on my Big Brembo brakes.

[Camino LS6]

Mountain out of a (possible) molehill.

[Daryl Z71]

It always amazes me how the internet can make something out of nothing.

At the absolute worst, this means that GM caught a potential noise problem and took action to prevent it.

Big friggin deal.

[ShadowDog]

It may be a minor detail, but it's a pretty dumb, Mickey Mouse fix if you ask me. When I painted the calipers on my Monte Carlo, I certainly wouldn't have wanted something as detracting as lead wheel weights on them. Why should an owner of a brand new car?

While there's no need to make a case out of this, it's difficult to accept as anything less than buggered engineering.

[balthazar]

Seems everyone is running with a rogue theory on the purpose here, and that the weights presense is even intentional.

And isn't Brembo experienced enough to spot a design flaw that would generate squeal and do something about it ?? Don't they test before release?

[Daryl Z71]

It may be a minor detail, but it's a pretty dumb, Mickey Mouse fix if you ask me. When I painted the calipers on my Monte Carlo, I certainly wouldn't have wanted something as detracting as lead wheel weights on them. Why should an owner of a brand new car?

While there's no need to make a case out of this, it's difficult to accept as anything less than buggered engineering.

Then rip them off if you don't like them on there lol! Either way GM gets screwed wether they fix it or not. If they do then it looks stupid, if they don't then people bitch about bad brakes, Personally I think this should be Brembos problem, and they should take the heat.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Daryl 83

[ShadowDog]

Then rip them off if you don't like them on there lol! Either way GM gets screwed wether they fix it or not. If they do then it looks stupid, if they don't then people bitch about bad brakes, Personally I think this should be Brembos problem, and they should take the heat.

If squealing really is the problem... well sure, I'll agree with that. I imagine GM could have done a better job by telling customers that little known fact about how "high-performance racing car brakes tend to squeal". Maybe that would start a new trend of ego boosting.

"Hear that? My brakes squeal! Jealous?"

[Z-06]

People it is not the transmission which is falling off and the automaker is not ready to pay the warranty bill of $20,000 because it did not mention that you should not use the much publicized and harped to death "launch control."

Seriously, everything that GM does is a bad thing. Even if GM dies it would be bad thing for these very folks.

[Chevy Nick]

WOW, I did not know they had sold any Cameros yet. I have not seen a one here in Seattle. If this is true I have to say this is a pretty Ghetto thing to do to a new muscle car. This issue should have been resolved before they went into production.

Come on guy, you're on a GM site, you should know how to spell Camaro.

[hyperv6]

Brembo is not the same company since they were bought out. That is why we are seeing cheaper big brakes on less expensive cars like the Cobalt SS etc.

I would like to know how weights stop a squeel? By dampening?

Either way if they go to the expence of powder coating calipers and using stick wieghts on the inside of the forged wheels why would they do something this unsightful?

Kind of like putting duct tape to hold the hood down.

Not a big deal to us here but it is a big deal to others you are trying to convince you are building better cars.

This kind of reminds me of the old K cars that had cotter pins as the hing pin in the rear doors. Just reakes of cheap and poor impression of quality.

I just hope the sun roofs does not develope a leaking problem. What would they do put duct tape and a Hefty bag in the trunk?

[Camino LS6]

No big surprise here, people are stupid - and they get all worked up over non-issues all the time.

The most plausible story I've seen so far is that some squealing had been noticed (presumably on the CTF cars) and this quick fix solved it. The final aspect being that Brembo is supplying revised calipers now.

If anything, people should be applauding GM's attention to detail (and this is a most minor detail), instead of getting their panties in a bunch over nothing.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Much ado about nothing.

Of course.

No one gave damn about the GTR price hike. But by god, the camari better have flawless brakes!

[Drew Dowdell]

Now if BMW had to tackle this same issue, they would have installed special computer controlled resonators on each caliper to counter act the forces causing any squealing. There would be a 10,000 mile service interval, but it would only be able to be performed at the BMW dealer since only they have the magic computer interface.

If Honda had to tackle the issue, they would have redesigned the headlights to look more like a Pokemon character and then issue a press release on how the squealing helps to scare off furry forest creatures so they don't get run over.

If Toyota had to tackle the issue, they would have denied it was an issue till there were enough angry customers to form a class action suit. In response to the suit, they would remove the caliper completely without replacing it.

If Chrysler had to tackle the issue, they would have needed to issue a recall to which the MSM would plaster "Chrysler recalls elevinty gazillion cars for brake squealing" as the main headline, with the "Chrysler: Putting your down syndrome child and their shelter adopted puppy at risk?" prime time special on 60 Minutes airing right after an Obama speech.

If Chery had to tackle the issue, they'd say "Is no problem! Is feature!"

[Camino LS6]

[Camino LS6]

Just found this on CZ28.com:

Okay, here's the official statement on this from John Fitzpatrick:

Quote:

Some early Camaro customers noticed that there are weights on the Camaro SS calipers. With high-performance vehicles like the Camaro SS, minor brake noise is not uncommon. The weights act as a damper to reduce noise in certain driving conditions. This was done after careful evaluation and validation by our engineering team. These weights will only be added to early builds of the Camaro SS.

__________________

So, just like I said...

[Northstar]

So if you bought one of the first SS's then you get these ugly weights on your wheels, but if you wait a while you don't have to deal with them? Why couldn't GM just get it right the first time?

[Camino LS6]

Because Brembo got it "wrong".

I expect that any buyer that insists will be able to get the revised calipers if they want/demand them.

Meantime GM avoided another delay in getting Camaro to buyers.

I would have made the same decision, wouldn't you have?