2020 - Best Brake Upgrade

[CamaroCracka]

Originally Posted by FASTFATBOY

This post doesn't make much sense, Red group in PCA are the fastest guys which means they are the hardest on the brakes. I was running stock C5 brakes on Pirelli slicks with Raybestos ST43 pads with no issues.

The 4 piston Brembos are plenty of brakes with the correct pads and fluid, especially for the street. The Carbotech AX6 pads and DOT4 fluid is an incredible setup for the street, autocross or light track duty.

Why would you spend all that money for a ZL1 setup and not need them?

A real track pad for these cars would be a Raybestos ST43, Carbotech XP12/XP10 combo or something in that world.

My point is the red group are the most experienced drivers and I guess I'm just hard on gear.

After I roasted the brakes, I asked a number of guys who track a good bit including the mechanics who prepped cars for the track and my takeaway was I could screw around making stock brakes work (or not) or I could spend a grand (not that much when it comes to big brakes) and have confidence in the set up. If these cars did not need big brakes, why did they put them on the ZL1 and Z28 as well as cooling ducts?

[FASTFATBOY]

Originally Posted by CamaroCracka

My point is the red group are the most experienced drivers and I guess I'm just hard on gear.

After I roasted the brakes, I asked a number of guys who track a good bit including the mechanics who prepped cars for the track and my takeaway was I could screw around making stock brakes work (or not) or I could spend a grand (not that much when it comes to big brakes) and have confidence in the set up. If these cars did not need big brakes, why did they put them on the ZL1 and Z28 as well as cooling ducts?

The SS has a 4 piston Brembo, how is this not considered "big brakes?"

I ran this 3700 lb barge on C5 brakes, then I put on Wilwood 6 pistons fronts. There was no real improvement in braking but the consumables went WAY up. Last time I checked my front rotors were over $300 EACH.

[PhantomBlack]

I'm going 6 piston here as well. Not enough stopping power with the stock setup IMO.

OP you can buy a CTS-V, 5th gen ZL1, 6th gen 1LE, or C7 Z06 front calipers.
I found that it's better to source the parts from different places rather than buying a kit.
That way you can pick the rotors and pads that you want. But here are a few kits since you asked:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13511873041...FBmccxa&edge=1

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13212826271...J5iIS1~&edge=1

[CamaroCracka]

Originally Posted by FASTFATBOY

The SS has a 4 piston Brembo, how is this not considered "big brakes?"

I ran this 3700 lb barge on C5 brakes, then I put on Wilwood 6 pistons fronts. There was no real improvement in braking but the consumables went WAY up. Last time I checked my front rotors were over $300 EACH.

My last coach at Sebring was running a Gen4 with C5 brakes, so maybe that is ticket for those cars.

I thought the same way when I first wanted to track. Four piston Brembos were the best brakes I had ever owned, so I thought they had to be good enough. You obviously have way more experience with tracking than I do, however, my experience from following the advice I wanted to hear on the forum cost me the whole day my first time out @$500, plus the $300 for that kit. My brakes faded at the hairpin and I put a couple wheels in the dirt. Thankfully, I overbuilt the car for my skill level, and it handled the turn at way faster than I wanted to take it.

These days, when people talk about big brake kits, they are frequently referring to six piston and even kits from companies like Baer. I can't afford to drop 5k on brakes, but I could afford a ZL1 conversion. I bought my ZL1 calipers on here for $600 and got the Brembo rotors on Amazon for $225 ea. Since then, I have stocked up on rotors from guys who have sold their cars, but pads have gotten pretty pricey. Things are more expensive now than when I did the conversion, but tracking is expensive too and equipment failures can end your day, not to mention working on a hot car in a parking lot sucks.

It is entirely possible that guys running close to stock power with track pads and really good fluid (I ran Motul 600 the first time out) can do fine with SS brakes. For my car, that was not the case and moving to the ZL1 brakes solved a real problem.

[102SS]

The 6 pistons might stop you marginally shorter the first stop...thats not the reason to want them.

Its the fact that you can repeatedly come down from triple digits without fade is the reason.

They also look cool and take up all that air gap in the wheel

[PhantomBlack]

Originally Posted by 102SS

The 6 pistons might stop you marginally shorter the first stop...thats not the reason to want them.

Its the fact that you can repeatedly come down from triple digits without fade is the reason.

They also look cool and take up all that air gap in the wheel

That's one of my issues too. Honestly the brakes where just fine when I was at 425whp. Now not so much...

[CamaroCracka]

Originally Posted by 102SS

They also look cool and take up all that air gap in the wheel

Check out the Gen6 ZLE fronts. They are huge. I can barely fit my 18" drag pack over them. It is a bit more costly to set up.

[Trawz]

Originally Posted by FASTFATBOY

Neither one of those pads belongs on a track. Both are junk, especially for a heavy car.

You are correct! It was a learning process.
I did autocross a lot with my last car which is a much different environment. When I stepped up to the SS1LE, I intended to do more track days.
So, I was new to proper track day setups then and EBCs had worked well for me in autocross.

It took a referral to KNS and a conversation with Ken there to get me properly set up.

Currently running DTC70s up front with the Z06 6-pistons with titanium spacer plates and DTS60s on the stock 1LE rears.
Been running that setup for the past 3 years and its been great.
Just this year, I started to develop a shake under hard braking coming from the rear after about 5-7 hot laps on track. Replaced the rotors and pads, but it is still there...
Never shows on the street, only when the system is hot from laps. Currently trying to get that sorted.

You are also correct about the consumable costs jumping up too.
My OEM Zl1 front disks are due for a replacement and just replacing the rotor rings with new hardware is well over the cost of new rotors + pads for the stock setup.
The price I have to pay for wanting to go bigger...