Brake failure at Watkins Glen. Time to upgrade.

[Stock Boy]

266....which seems like the max everyone else is reading. My thoughts are this: It's a stock engine on a 65 degree day after just a few laps, and it hits this temp so I don't know how accurate it is. Coolant is well below halfway on the temp guage. I'll change my oil out regularly and with good synthetic. I'm not too concerned with oil temps at this time. Not that this is any scientific indicator, but my other cars' oil would be pitch black after tracking. The oil in the Camaro was still golden and translucent. I'm sure someone who just spent an hour on Bob'stheoilguy will just blast me into the weeds talking about oil temps and longevity.

[White_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by X25

What about cooling? What oil temps did you hit?

Originally Posted by Stock Boy

266....which seems like the max everyone else is reading. My thoughts are this: It's a stock engine on a 65 degree day after just a few laps, and it hits this temp so I don't know how accurate it is. Coolant is well below halfway on the temp guage. I'll change my oil out regularly and with good synthetic. I'm not too concerned with oil temps at this time. Not that this is any scientific indicator, but my other cars' oil would be pitch black after tracking. The oil in the Camaro was still golden and translucent. I'm sure someone who just spent an hour on Bob'stheoilguy will just blast me into the weeds talking about oil temps and longevity.

I just wish someone would stick an analog gauge in the oil pan and put this oil temp thing to rest. 266 is a joke, we all can't be running the same temp... Every time! Whether it actually runs hotter or cooler than 266, I don't care, but I just want something real!

[White_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by Stock Boy

Ordered pads, went with Cobalt Friction through LG motorsports. With their already low price...(list on CF site is $529 for fronts and LG has them for $406) PLUS an additional 10% discount for being a Camaro5 member, it was a no brainer for me.

Originally Posted by Stock Boy

So almost everything needed is in. I ordered the yellow calipers since they were in stock. I was initally going to get them powder coated but decided against it after some research. Wouldn't be good for a track car caliper with the high temps. All performance brake manufacturers use high temp paint instead, so it seems. So I spent the last 2 days trying to strip the yellow paint. I used a combination of aircraft remover and a dremel with a wire brush. Pain in the ASS! I was able to remove most of the paint on one, but it's a lot of work. I'm just goimg to take them to the powder coaters I initally was going to use so they can bead blast the paint off. It'll be money well spent for me.

So what's your brake setup going to be?.. CTSV up front with CF pads front and rear?

I've been contemplating, when it's time for new pads, to either upgrade to CF XR1/XR3 with the stock calipers or continue with the stock pads and use the CTSV up front. If I sell my 1le front calipers I think going CTSV will be cheaper than going CF all around. Not only that, but I heard CF dust is like concrete on your wheels if it gets wet. Thoughts?

[Stock Boy]

CTSV calipers up front with inexpensive pads front and rear for the street. The CF pads will go in for the track. I clean everything regularly so I'm not worried about dust. Hell, with the Carbotechs, one day at the track made the entire side of the car look like it was being dusted for prints. No doubt because of the dead hooker found inside, but that's another thread.

[toehead93]

Originally Posted by White_SS/RS

So what's your brake setup going to be?.. CTSV up front with CF pads front and rear?

I've been contemplating, when it's time for new pads, to either upgrade to CF XR1/XR3 with the stock calipers or continue with the stock pads and use the CTSV up front. If I sell my 1le front calipers I think going CTSV will be cheaper than going CF all around. Not only that, but I heard CF dust is like concrete on your wheels if it gets wet. Thoughts?

I'm planning CTS up front, priced out both options a long time ago as you have. This setup should be fine for me, if I decide to do a lot more track days and I get better than I can upgrade to the CFs for track use only.

[White_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by toehead93

I'm planning CTS up front, priced out both options a long time ago as you have. This setup should be fine for me, if I decide to do a lot more track days and I get better than I can upgrade to the CFs for track use only.

I thought you were going to do the CTS brakes a while back? Are you still selling them?

[X25]

I'll first try the car with stock calipers with good fluid, ST43 pads, and Quantum brake ducting, pushing the cooling air directly onto the rotor. If this is not enough, I might as well get the StopTech front kit. It would be a grand more than the CTS-V brakes, but at least it would also weigh way less than the stock systems and also cool much better.

By the way, White_SS/RS, I was at Spokane Raceway last weekend for the Chumps race: what a jungle of concrete, hills, ditches, and rattle snakes! The facility also looks like a racing venue post an apocalyptic event. It was sure fun to dive-bomb other cars after the straightaway, though :P The best time our team was able to do with '91 Nissan 240SX was 1:45.

[White_SS/RS]

Originally Posted by X25

I'll first try the car with stock calipers with good fluid, ST43 pads, and Quantum brake ducting, pushing the cooling air directly onto the rotor. If this is not enough, I might as well get the StopTech front kit. It would be a grand more than the CTS-V brakes, but at least it would also weigh way less than the stock systems and also cool much better.

By the way, White_SS/RS, I was at Spokane Raceway last weekend for the Chumps race: what a jungle of concrete, hills, ditches, and rattle snakes! The facility also looks like a racing venue post an apocalyptic event. It was sure fun to dive-bomb other cars after the straightaway, though :P The best time our team was able to do with '91 Nissan 240SX was 1:45.

Yeah, they are working on the track. Its been very neglected through out the years. The new owners have been making safety improvements, hence the new route. The curbing is new, which is nice.

That straight is wicked fast and if you have the ability to late brake, it will take seconds off your lap. same with the other straight. Its one of the reasons I'm contimplating the CTS setup when its time for new pads. Maybe sooner!

1:45 sounds about right for the chump cars.

[Stock Boy]

Here's an update on my CTS-V upgrade... Ordered the yellow ones since they were in stock. Had the paint stripped then painted them with VHT.

[Stock Boy]

Ok just a little heads up for anyone who has a '14 and plan on installing ducts. The black plastic that you are supposed to cut into with the 3" circular is a smaller piece than the '13's and earlier. You have to do some trimming and use something like an L bracket to support the weak side of the intake. No biggie but it's not as simple as the earlier models. Grrrrr.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Stock Boy

As Dropspeed has said; we will NEVER KNOW. Haha! It's quite possible that it would have held up just fine. I did find it strange that I was having issues though as 4 days at VIR went without a hitch, and that was with a lot of trail braking

I went back to re-read the whole thing again. How much friction material was left on the pads after those 4 VIR days?

It's important because the pad friction material is the only insulation between the really hot surfaces and the caliper pistons (and obviously the fluid behind them).

Originally Posted by Stock Boy

Here's an update on my CTS-V upgrade...

Hello . . . what's this ↓↓↓ ?


Norm

[Stock Boy]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

I went back to re-read the whole thing again. How much friction material was left on the pads after those 4 VIR days?

It's important because the pad friction material is the only insulation between the really hot surfaces and the caliper pistons (and obviously the fluid behind them).




Hello . . . what's this ↓↓↓ ?


Norm

I chucked the pads after VIR and went with a set of new ones for Watkins. Thank god I did that too because I went through the pads in 3 days up at Watkins with only 3 sessions a day. I was getting brake fade on day one with the pads at full thickness.
That line is just pad dust from when I set the pads on the rotors after removing them.

[So Cal Camaro]

If you're just starting to use Cobalt Friction pads, buy a second set of rotors now, you'll need them soon...

[NYROC655]

Using StopTech Big Break kit here amoung other things!