Z28 swap for Racing Brake Forged Calipers with Sintered Brake Pads and Carbon Ceramic

[Z Beast]

Originally Posted by j o n

Per the site...

Features and benefits:
-Discs are made with continuous (long) carbon fibers and are directional (angle vanes).
-These RB CCM-X rotors are stronger and can can run cooler comparing to ZR1/Z28 of Brembo's chopped (short) fibers with straight vanes (Brembo & ST).
-Rotors are designed and made to fit OE calipers.
-100% bolt on installation
-Reduced rotating mass & unsprung weight for increasing performance & reduce components wear.
-Literally no brake dust & life time longevity (street only, track applications may vary).
-Offered and serviced by the most experienced brake mfgr in CCM brake technology.

Kit includes:
2 Front RB CCM rotors (390x36mm) - Discs are made with continuous fiber and angle vane design for more efficient cooling

There are benefits for a dedicated Track / Race car the lighter rotor hats and directional vanes are a bonus but we will have to wait and see what Russ says about the longevity. But for a street car they are over kill as a Z/28's carbon rotors will rarely even get to optimum operating temperature on the street and the rotors will probably last the life of the car with proper maintenance.

My car is a dedicated track toy with a little over 5k miles on it. I'm on my 2nd set of front rotors and there almost done. So if I can get two sets for the price of one it's pretty easy math for me.

[td195f]

Originally Posted by Z Beast

There are benefits for a dedicated Track / Race car the lighter rotor hats and directional vanes are a bonus but we will have to wait and see what Russ says about the longevity. But for a street car they are over kill as a Z/28's carbon rotors will rarely even get to optimum operating temperature on the street and the rotors will probably last the life of the car with proper maintenance.

My car is a dedicated track toy with a little over 5k miles on it. I'm on my 2nd set of front rotors and there almost done. So if I can get two sets for the price of one it's pretty easy math for me.

Have you tried Racing Brakes Sintered Metal Pads? I've been running the Streetable Track Pad (XC-40 Compound) because I occasionally take my Z/28 out on the street. Mostly a track toy. I'm very happy with the pads. They have built a layer of metal on the rotor filling in most of the holes and have smoothed out the surface. Brake function is excellent. I run most of my track days on a high speed track (Watkins Glen) and pad wear is good. I will be swapping to the Track/Race Compound (XC-41) before my next track day to try. Pads are expensive but it appears rotors may never need replacement. I've got over 4000 miles on my original rotors with the majority of the miles on track.

[Fusionofideas]

Ok, so after 3 years of racing (Dual competing in time trial and race) the OEM Rotors are finally being replaced in preparation for NASA Nationals at Circuit of the Americas in September.

I upgraded to Racing Brakes very own Carbon Ceramic which consists of Discs that are made with continuous (long) carbon fibers and are directional (angle vanes). This is projected to be 20% cooler by racing Brake.
These RB CCM-X rotors are stronger and can can run cooler comparing to ZR1/Z28 of Brembo's chopped (short) fibers with straight vanes (Brembo & ST).
Rotors are designed and made to fit OE calipers.
100% bolt on installation
Reduced rotating mass & unsprung weight for increasing performance & reduce components wear.
Literally no brake dust & life time longevity (street only, track applications may vary).
Offered and serviced by the most experienced brake mfgr in CCM brake technology.


I am running these with the Racing Brake XC41 track Pads. I have not run them on the track yet as we are currently doing an aero overhaul and I get the car back in about 2 weeks. I will get an update if we can get to a testing day before COTA otherwise it will be on the practice day before the big race.

[joelster]

Exactly how much lighter are the calipers versus stock ones?

[Fusionofideas]

Originally Posted by joelster

Exactly how much lighter are the calipers versus stock ones?

My Brembo Rotors now have three years of use so it wouldn’t be an accurate measurement however it is negligible. The aluminum hat that Racing Brake makes versus the steel Brembo unit is lighter however by about 2 lbs. I believe.

[RacingBrake]

Originally Posted by td195f

Have you tried Racing Brakes Sintered Metal Pads? I've been running the Streetable Track Pad (XC-40 Compound) because I occasionally take my Z/28 out on the street. Mostly a track toy. I'm very happy with the pads. They have built a layer of metal on the rotor filling in most of the holes and have smoothed out the surface. Brake function is excellent. I run most of my track days on a high speed track (Watkins Glen) and pad wear is good. I will be swapping to the Track/Race Compound (XC-41) before my next track day to try. Pads are expensive but it appears rotors may never need replacement. I've got over 4000 miles on my original rotors with the majority of the miles on track.

Thanks for the feedback.

Unlike Hellcat's 5,800 lbs, you probably would be OK with XC-40 on tracks, we have a GT350 customer JJ duly converted to RB-CCM rotors, and he has been pretty happy with XC-40 both on street and track, although his Mustang is pretty much for track use.


The only difference between the two compounds is XC-40 is slightly lower in COF (0.60 vs. 41's 0.65), and since XC-40 is formulated also for street so it's unlikely to squeak.

https://trackmustangsonline.com/thre...eyre-on.12573/


As to the pad cost, if you factor in it can 2-3 times longer than OE (or other aftermarket brands; Endless or Pagid), plus the additional benefit of protecting your CCM rotors from oxidation, its value is definitely unbeatable.


How to restore your damaged CCM rotors at no cost

[RacingBrake]

Originally Posted by Fusionofideas

My Brembo Rotors now have three years of use so it wouldn’t be an accurate measurement however it is negligible. The aluminum hat that Racing Brake makes versus the steel Brembo unit is lighter however by about 2 lbs. I believe.

The significant weight saving is on the rear rotor @4 lbs/rotor or 8 lbs per axle on "unsprung weight" - Mainly on the hat which RB is made of composite material (aluminum shell with iron sleeve for e-brake) while OE is made of stainless steel as you can see below:






See detail review here:
[Z06] Make your rear CCM rotor lighter

[j o n]

So in a nut shell.... buying the RB XC-40 pads front/rear for $1,400 will be an investment:
-3 to 4 times longer pad life (street or track use)
-3 to 4 times longer rotor life (street or track use)

https://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRe...age=1&cat=7371

Considering each front OEM rotor is nearly same cost a pad set... seems like a common sense decision

[Fusionofideas]

Originally Posted by j o n

So in a nut shell.... buying the RB XC-40 pads front/rear for $1,400 will be an investment:
-3 to 4 times longer pad life (street or track use)
-3 to 4 times longer rotor life (street or track use)

https://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRe...age=1&cat=7371

Considering each front OEM rotor is nearly same cost a pad set... seems like a common sense decision

I have exclusively used the Racing Brake Pads for now almost 2 years much better performance and they last longer and the Rotor is sustained longer. Just barely changed to the Racing Brake Carbon Ceramic Rotors now also after three years of racing seasons. I will have an update on the Rotors performance after NASA Nationals in September.

[Fusionofideas]

For those that have been following this thread you will know that I competitively race in the NASA Super Touring Series and for the last few years we have been integrating the Racing Brake components. Recently we installed the last component of their system with the RB Carbon Ceramic Rotors. The biggest difference with the RB system compared to Brembo is the RB Rotor is directional which cools the Rotor more efficiently than the Brembo as well as the CCR being a weave composite compared to a compressed carbon on the Brembo. See previous posts for more details. This post is specifically the driver feedback I will provide after using them for several races.

Preface: We recently raced at the NASA National Championships at Circuit of the America’s. It is spectacular. The best track, facility and overall race experience I have ever experienced in my life and a hell of a lot of fun in the Z28. COTA was 4 days of racing and was the debut of the RB CCR. Additionally I am out at BUTTONWILLOW Raceway this weekend for the NASA Regional Championships ( I officially took first place for the season with today’s race) I will provide a few key points as driver feedback for you to consider. I am not paid by RB or an employee however they are a sponsor for our team but I don’t sell out on my product reviews as I am super specific on who I allow to be involved with our program. Below are my points specifically referencing the comparison of the Racing Brake and Brembo CCR:

Initial Bite. The RB Rotor offers significantly more inital bite than OEM. The grip of the braking power is Immediate versus the Brembo seems to “slide” or slip a bit before it grabs.

Consistency of Brake Torque. There is zero fade with pedal pressure and brake force seemingly stays consistent no matter how hard you push the brakes. I only had one instance at the end of the long back straight of COTA (160 down to 40) and I was late braking another car for a pass. Overall though the pedal seemed to stay harder, while with OEM after hammering on them it felt like the pedal would get a little spongy at the end of the session and not remain as consistent throughout the races.
*
Responsiveness to the brake pedal is immediate and is really perfect for trail braking. The brakes bite super hard and can take a high heat build up before any fade. I have loved using the braking power of the Z28 with the RB system to out Brake competitors and pick up multiple positions in a corner ( see my first lap of the championship race at COTA)

Durability. This is still out for a review. I currently have 6 track days/races on the Rotors and you can see from images what they look like right now. Overall though they are still performing fantastic.
*
Time comparisons-
*Most Important for anyone racing or competing what does it do for time....so I can’t give an honest comparison from COTA as this was the first time with the Z28 although I will be back and last time I was in a gen 6 SS rental car..so let’s discuss Buttonwillow. Today we ran Buttonwillow 13 CCW which I have run many times and for many years. My previous best time was a 1:57 with the car almost identically set up and new Hoosier R7 The only other change we had was the rear wing previously a APR GTC-500 now a GT 1000 and a rear diffuser. Same tire setup in fact today I was on some janky ass Hoosier R7’s that had no business being on my car for a race but I did anyway. We ran a 1:53 today and much of that honestly was attributed to brakes. I was able to Brake Even later and carry more speed through corners with aggressive trail braking. Now I do not want to attribute all the time to brakes however I do know that played a Roll.

Overall I prefer the RB Rotors over the factory Brembo. If you are at the point where you need to replace the OEM Rotors it is a no brainer to pay a little more money and get the RB Rotors. I have been told by RB also that the Rotors will last significantly longer than the Brembo due to their composite weave manufacturing process. I ran the Brembo Rotors for three years. I’ll let you know in hopefully 6 years how long the Racing Brake Rotors last

[GMteSSted]

I just ran at VIR in HPDE with the Racing Brake front pads XC-40 Sintered pads on my stock Z/28. This was my first track day with these pads.
Wow! A significant difference over the OEM pads. My OEM rotors were starting to show degradation after 5,000+ track miles so I made the switch to the RB pads hoping to prolong the rotor life. The initial bite is dead on, no pad slipping on the rotors before they grab. The pedal pressure stayed consistent through 8 sessions and the temperature was very hot on track.
The rotors do look like the pads mated well with them and the tiny worm holes are filled in with pad material.
They do cost a little more than OEM pads but in my opinion the better bite and pedal feel is well worth it. I'll post later to report on how long the pads last for durability. Road Atlanta is up next is for me and I can't wait to dive into turn 10A with these pads!
BTW - I am not sponsored by racing brake.com, but if your on the fence like I was, take the plunge!

[Fusionofideas]

Originally Posted by GMteSSted

I just ran at VIR in HPDE with the Racing Brake front pads XC-40 Sintered pads on my stock Z/28. This was my first track day with these pads.
Wow! A significant difference over the OEM pads. My OEM rotors were starting to show degradation after 5,000+ track miles so I made the switch to the RB pads hoping to prolong the rotor life. The initial bite is dead on, no pad slipping on the rotors before they grab. The pedal pressure stayed consistent through 8 sessions and the temperature was very hot on track.
The rotors do look like the pads mated well with them and the tiny worm holes are filled in with pad material.
They do cost a little more than OEM pads but in my opinion the better bite and pedal feel is well worth it. I'll post later to report on how long the pads last for durability. Road Atlanta is up next is for me and I can't wait to dive into turn 10A with these pads!
BTW - I am not sponsored by racing brake.com, but if your on the fence like I was, take the plunge!

Great write up. Next you need to go up to the XC-41. These are the track focused pad. I have personally not used the xc40. If you get a chance to get the CCR Rotors then you will really enjoy turn 10A

[pat_t]

Bump for updates. Any more reviews on the RB XC-40 brake pads?

[olblue75]

Looking for brake hat to rotor hardware clips and bobbins specifically.