Track Day Review of RacingBrake Caliper Rebuild Kits and their Track Pads
 

Ok so to go along with my rotor review last time....this track day I decided to do a caliper rebuild using their upgraded pistons seals and boots. I also tried a new setup of pads...xt970 Front and xt960 Rear.


On to the ease of install of the stock SS caliper rebuild kits.

The hardest part of the install was getting the old oil seal and dust boot out...I had burned mine quite nicely so they did not want to cooperate. After a few minutes of poking and prying I got out a 90 degree little dental pick and a small soft metal screw driver....the screw driver worked easier and everyone has them so I used them. Everything poped out easy the hardest was the dust boot that I had fried. I then used brake cleaner and a CLEAN rag to clean out the spots where the new seals boots and pistons would go. Be careful not to score the caliper metal. After cleaning the caliper nicely I seated the dust boots on the new great looking pistons and inserted the oil seal into the caliper....again a easy as pie job and was done by me using one arm. I lubed the pistons with the supplied lube...more is better as it made the pistons slide in like butter.
Seriously one of the more easiest things I have done to my car besides change oil and brake pads....yes its easier than changing trans fluid!!! Total DIY material and a total upgrade.

The calipers ran even cooler and again I lost some weight from the huge junky stock brembo pistons.

On to the pads.

I used XT970 Pads from RB on the Front and XT960 on the Rear. I was out braking my competitors that have bigger brakes and lighter cars. Z vettes, GTRs, Porsches, full on race CTSV's etc etc etc. I was able to brake later and brake better on EVERY turn at big willow. I had complete confidence in my brakes and had zero brake fade. These pads are a true track pad and were installed in less than 5 minutes a wheel...these pads LIKE the heat and brake better once warmed up after a lap or two around the track. I was running quick times for a stock suspension and auto car in major part to the brake upgrades and CMS tuning.

The brake pads and brakes had a comfortable bite and was equal to the gas pedal in ease of control....its all about having pedal control and feedback and they were up to the task. Driving an Auto I am especially hard on brakes and they withstood 102 degree ambient temperature at the track and did not even show me an ounce of fade.....I even ran back to back sessions twice just for fun and the brakes were still on point and predictable.

I will write up a DIY soon with pictures and my thoughts on every step...but again I am just sharing my tinkering and my need to constantly improve my cars performance. RacingBrake strikes again and I had guys with cars that cost more than my house asking my how an Automatic heavy as heck Camaro can out brake them with ease and show no signs of brake fade on such a brutally hot day.


Beating full on race cars and much lighter cars with BIGGER brakes into and out of every corner makes me smile and I hope some of you all take my experimentation to heart and use my experience for your info and research. I love these guys and they love true track enthusiasts....they have advice to give in oodles and oodles and really know brakes.

Did you do front and rear?

will do rear tomorrow...ran out of time was a late night finishing the oil and trans coolers and rebuilding the front calipers adding new pads etc. rears will be rebuilt before saturday which is a track day at chuckwalla and will be even hotter. I will be experimenting with a different pad for the front as well.

Can I ask why you went with the rebuild kit over the complete RB rotor? - or are the RB calipers not ready yet?

They are not ready yet. He has the luck of being in RacingBrakes back yard and gets to test parts for them. I believe he is swapping to the RB calipers in a few weeks when they are.

Ah - gocha :thumbsup:

they have actually had the stock brembo rebuild kits for quite a while...i needed to do it after frying my front dust boots and oil seals and by need i kind of warped the pistons in front. yes i live local to RB and will be testing the caliper as well...and buy testing i mean buying and testing. they do like me but i dont get stuff free... which should make my reviews more legit right? i am a paying customer

Never assumed you got your parts for free. I've come to figure out that Racing Brake knows they are the best when it comes to brakes, rotors, calipers, etc. - so why give out free products in exchange for reviews. Right?

My quick RB story, I ordered stainless steel brake lines for my ZL1. While out at Haddad Motorsports installing Pedders components on my car it was discovered that the lines in the kit were the wrong ones packaged. I went down to RB and after talking to Warren and Alex they asked to use my car to measure the stock lines and end connections for the ZL1. I drove my ZL1 up onto their lift and 25 mins later I had a set of lines that will now install properly. That was awfully nice of them. :D

I'm curious as to how much weight exactly you saved over the stock pistons? Are the new pistons a different material or something? Thiner walls?

Oh and I'm not sure I ever saw but I'm assuming you were using RB rotors? Or were you still on the stock rotors for the track event?

Thanks.

Stock pistons are made from aluminum, RB ones are stainless steel - don't know the weight savings off hand.

Great review. I'm going to have to go to an event you're at and watch you drive. Must be something to see! :)