friend is goin to watkins glen, upgrade brakes?

[FxsX24]

so a friend is planning on taking his 2ss to watkins glen soon.

what should he do with the brakes.

the manual says to go to DOT 5, will the stock brakes and rotors hold up?

[2010SSRSM6]

How long are the sessions?

I did 4 - 20 minute sessions on California Speedway's road course with my stock breaks and fluid with ZERO issues. I have well over 20k miles on my stock pads with the time at the track. I'll have to replace them here in the next 2-3k miles. (about 25k)

Hope this helps.

[obe1]

Originally Posted by FxsX24

so a friend is planning on taking his 2ss to watkins glen soon.

what should he do with the brakes.

the manual says to go to DOT 5, will the stock brakes and rotors hold up?

DOT 5 fluid cannot be mixed with DOT 3/4 and not compatible with the ABS system.

From a google search:

Always refer to vehicle owner's manual for what the manufacturer recommends or warns against. As a rule, vehicles equipped with antilock brakes (ABS) should not use DOT 5 brake fluid.

DOT 5 brake fluid is silicone based. DOT 3 (standard) and DOT 4 (heavy-duty) are glycol-based. It can be distinguished from conventional brake fluids by its purple color (which comes from a dye).

Silicone does not absorb moisture. DOT 5 brake fluid does not become contaminated with moisture over time as conventional DOT 3 and 4 brake fluids do. Silicone is also chemically inert, nontoxic and won't damage paint like conventional brake fluid. It also has a higher boiling point.

Because of this, it is often marketed as a premium "lifetime" brake fluid. It is often used to preserve brake systems in antique vehicles and those that sit for long periods of time between use.

DOT 5 silicone brake fluid is also very expensive (costing four to five times as much as ordinary brake fluid), and it won't mix with glyco- based brake fluid (creating concern over sludging if all old fluid isn't removed when a system is refilled with silicone).

Silicone also has slightly different physical properties and compressibility, making it unsuitable for ABS systems calibrated to work with DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid.

[Chris_B]

Originally Posted by FxsX24

so a friend is planning on taking his 2ss to watkins glen soon.

what should he do with the brakes.

the manual says to go to DOT 5, will the stock brakes and rotors hold up?

Watkins Glen, if driven correctly, is very tough on brakes and the Camaro is a heavy car. A full flush with hi-temp DOT5.1 (NOT DOT5!!!) is in order. I recommend AP Formula 5.1. If he ever boils that, have him move up to AP600.

If he does fully enjoy high speed driving, the OE brake pads will probably ruin his day. I would suggest a track pad (maybe a Ferodo DS3000 for starters -- at least up front). Make sure he beds them in before he goes, removes them and then installs them at the track. It would be best to change back to the stock pads before leaving, but I know many people just want to get home first. Track pads do not work nearly as well cold, which is why they are not recommended for street use.

Chris

[JusticePete]

I use Cobalt Friction XR1 compound front and XR3 compound rear. I love CF pads because they require absolutely no bedding and have 90 or 95% stopping power dead cold. Just put them on and go. I run them street and track except when the weather gets cold. There is no binder in the pad material. If the pads are wet and they freeze the pad will crumble. So one set of track pads and rotors and the OE pads and rotors for cold weather work great.

The CF XR1 and XR3 pads are a huge upgrade to the OE pads. They are so good I should probably put a Pedders part number on them and start selling them.