Track Day Brakes 1LE
 

I currently have a Camaro 1LE. I plan on using this on about 6 to 10 HPDE per year. I am currently Intermediate Solo. My previous vehicle had a 6 piston/4 piston Big brake Kit. Here is my proposed setup. Tell me what you think. I have been going back and forth about replacing the front calipers with the 6 piston units from the ZL1/CTS-V. Im not sure that is necessary. Tell me what you think??


1.Front 3 inch cooling ducts connected to dust sheild. As others have done on Camaro 5

2.Giro Disc titanium pad sheilds

3.Front DBA 5000 2 Piece Slotted Rotors Hawk HP+ Pads
Rear DBA 4000 Slotted Rotors Hawk HP+ Pads

4. SS Brake Lines.Motul 600 or ATE BLUE? Which do you prefer?

5. Seperate Clutch Reservoir? Necessary?

Will this be sufficient?

Any Suggestions would be appreciated

Beginner in the autocross but have done many EVOC courses. I threw our 1LE around a course a couple weekends ago. Other than a little extra brake dust from the original pads, there were no problems.

HPDE and autocross have very different demands on the brakes.

I have te same questions you do as I instruct and the car will be tracked at those events. I decided to see how she performs the first weekend stock and then I will modify it from there.

Pads, fluid and cooling should work wonders. Rotors are not needed. Ti backing plate are expensive for what they do and good fluid can offset the heat transfer.

Honestly it REALLY depends on your driving style (late brake) and the speeds you hit on your tracks.

And I do plan on the 6 pistons CTSV set-up after the piggy bank replenishes a bit as I just picked up the car 2 days ago.

Matt

80 bux for the back plates seems a cheap gamble. I am a late braker!!! Let my know how it performs stock!!

Track Day Brakes 1LE
 

Here is my take on brakes. And this is purely opinion from non-professional with far more track time on 2 wheels than 4.

The Zl1 and CTS-V have "better" brakes than the SS for 2 reasons.

1. The added weight of the supercharged LSA requires it to meet the capability of the lighter SS. The extra weight on the same SS brakes would result in longer stops and faster wear and warping of the rotors. Because of the extra mass they went to two piece rotors to help dissipate the heat generated by the larger calipers.

2. The LSA means the car has higher velocity down straightaways which also leads to the same reasons as above.

So bottom line is I believe the SS brakes are more than enough for the average guy in a 1LE on a track day. A fluid change and SS lines if you want better pedal feel and heat resistance and you should be fine. (Better pads when they are worn but not necessary before). I think the money for brakes could be saved and used for better things like lessons and track time. The driver mod is often the most important mod on any build.


With that being said, the ZL1/CTS-V brakes are better and more capable than the SS stockers. That will reduce braking distances and reduce fade. I just don't think they are necessary to be a good performing car.

One thing I learned from motorcycles is that late braking is great for competitive racing but not always the best for lap times. It will keep you from getting passed or help you dive underneath the guy in front of you. But that usually comes at the expense of corner speed and drive off the corner.

I had Ti speed titanium plates on my BMW 135i. In back to back sessions there was a notable improvement. I just have upgraded fluids, separate resivoir, and Colbalt Friction pads. No issues at all and great consistent braking.

From what I've read here (there are numerous topics in the suspension board...all of which apply here as the 1LE brakes are no different than the SS), the stock brakes are sufficient.

It is recommended to use a race fluid and pads. Also, stainless lines will increase pedal feel.

Ahh those are inexpensive. About 10 years ago I paid about $200+ for some for a set of brembos.

When modding our cars I'm sure we get a bit carried away. My first Hpde I had an Audi S5 which was great until the second session where I almost slammed into a 911. Take fade seriously. Just so unfamiliar with these cars as they are still extremely heavy. I would rather spend the money in the right places to avoid any incidents

I would get the upgrade now personally. I plan on having CTS-V brakes waiting to go my 1LE when I get it so I can offset the cost by selling nearly new stock rotors, pads, and calipers. I figured I can sell them for $600 with under 100 miles and pay under $1300 for the CTS-V kit which I have priced out. This way the upgrade costs me about $700.

CTSV front brakes with ZL1 rotors, good lines, Motul600 fluid and Hawk Pads...I view it as insurance, going for your brakes and hitting the floor is not fun...that's why I upgraded before hitting any course with my 1LE....

i melted hawk pads...literally melted and chipped them away. track pads, fluid, lines, ducts, racingbrake rotors is a pretty nice setup. lost a bunch of unsprung rotational mass weight and brakes wonderfully. cant stress enough to have track pads....hp+ are street pads and arent equipped for people pushing their car to the limit and passing braking markers on a big track.

ctsv upgrade is actually hotter and heavier. they do have extra pistons tho its a trade off.

So which pads do you recommend? Keep in mind I will change out when used on the street

Try the stock pads first man. You shouldnt need anything but racing brake fluid and a good alignment. Unless you are schumacher running 10/10ths at the track, 20+ laps, with an ambient of 100F you will be OK. I ran one track event stock pads and racing blie fluid and am going again tomorrow. This way I will know for sure if I need a brake upgrade and so far I dont.

Do not go to lighter rotors, you need the stock thermal mass. If u really want to upgrade get the 6 piston V/ZL1 brakes and rotors and you are set for ever.

Finally, switching pads from track to street can cause a lot of issues with the rotors and the brake pedal feeling bad.