dapsaute

All-
I bought the car used with 47K...I doubt the pads are original (my first 95 needed pads at 35-38K), but haven't had the calipers off yet. Car is a 1995 Z28...when cold and pulling out of the parking lot or driveway, the brakes suck, pure and simple. The pedal is firm, but performance is weak. As they warm up, they do get better, which seems a little odd given what I know about the seller...an old guy and his niece.

The car sat a lot over the last 5 years...maybe 8000 miles total in that timeframe.

I have a set of rear good quality rotors and pads to go on to replace the rusted PRC junk on there and will flush the system with fresh DOT4.

The front rotors look used, but otherwise OK. I would like to swap to LS1 fronts, but will hold off until spring, being that I live in the People's Republic of Illinois and that the season for me will end in a couple of months.

I was thinking of having the rotors turned and putting on a set of pads to improve my brake performance in the meantime.

Does anyone have a good suggestion for a name brand FRONT pad for the 93-97 F-cars? If I have to go to rockauto.com to get them, so be it...$45-$50+ for pads for a mediocre system from the local guys isn't gonna cut it.

If there are no good alternatives, I might just have the rotors cut, then sand the pad faces with sandpaper placed on a flat surface.

Any thoughts?

Dave

RamAir95TA

iTrader: (2)

Hawk HPS pads and Brembo brakes - a HUGE improvement in braking power.

dapsaute

By Brembo, I take it that you mean upgrading to larger rotors/calipers? That's all I've ever seen on them, so I'm a little confused.

I plan on doing the LS1 swap next spring....I'd rather not drop a ton on fresh brakes and get them on 4 weeks before parking it for the winter.

The LS1 front is about as large as I'd like to go...I want to keep the OE salad shooters and 245/50/16's for sitting over the winter. I'll go to a C5 Z06 in 17x9.5 with some 275/40/17's for regular use.

-Dave

RamAir95TA

iTrader: (2)

My apologies - I meant to say Brembo BLANKS...they are a direct fit blank rotor from Brembo.

SS RRR

iTrader: (2)

Your brake booster could be on its way out.
Don't turn your rotors. Only reason to turn them is if the surface area is not even or the rotors are warped. Having them turned will be as expensive as buying new rotors.
Make sure the vacuum hose to the booster is not leaking as well as the grommet that goes into the booster.
Agreed on the Hawk/Brembo combo
If you want to get larger brakes, go for C5 brakes. A LOT less work and better braking power.

klutchkaaa

Hawk HPS pads are the way to go

jewbacca

iTrader: (5)

I ridden in a car with Hawk HPS's. Awesome brakes. I went with StopTechs my last brake job. A little cheaper but wow do they stop great. 0 fade when I was bedding them in (10 stops from 60 in a row). The dust pretty badly though, but that comes with the territory.

dapsaute

The front rotors are pretty heavily glazed, but do not have a perceptible pulsation, even at highway speeds.

It seems that once the brakes warm a bit, the system works much better.

Normally I'd just have the fronts cut to give a fresh, flat surface, then either improve the pads or sand them as flat as I can manage, lube the caliper slides, and reinstall.

The car will come off the road at the end of October or so for the winter.

It's my understanding that a LS1 front swap is the way to go...however, if a premium non-drilled/slotted rotor and Hawk/Stop Tech pad will get me really close to the LS1 system with good quality pads & rotors, I'll just upgrade the LT1 stuff.

I am planning on upgrading to a set of Russell SS hoses when I get into the system for the LS1 swap.

Thanks-
Dave

jewbacca

iTrader: (5)

I currently have the LS1 front brakes on my car, but the LT1 brakes with good pads, good rotors, and a nice quality brake fluid should be just fine.

dapsaute

I tried looking on the inter webs for 1995 Camaro Brembo blank rotors. Is there a source for these?

I was able to find Centric high-carbon and cryo-treated, though.

jrwilliams95z28

fbody brakes suck *** no matter what. pads and rotors make little to no difference, all I can say is, considering the track abuse(autocross) my EBC pads and rotors have held up well.

MasterTomos

iTrader: (15)

Take a look at a local junkyard and see if you can't score a dual piston 98-02 setup. I picked up spindles and calipers/mounting brackets for $70 total. Just waiting on media blasting/powdercoating now.

The 98-02 fbodys are all the same, V6 and V8 plus the calipers are aluminum as well. They fit under 16" wheels and have a ton of aftermarket problems. C5 conversion requires $100+ brackets and 17" wheels, just fyi.

Lmao. Wow. So brake pads are just a myth we shouldn't buy into huh?

383partout

Hawk HPS pads on stock lt1 rotors have been great for me. If you want to step it up the ls1 conversion is more than enough, c5 conversion is more than you'll ever need.

I swear by hawk HPS pads though they are great for DD and aggressive street driving

Sabohead

iTrader: (3)

If your rotors are glazed a lil all you need to do (providing they are not warped) is get some sand paper or a scotch bright red pad and go over the rotors. Rough them up a bit so the new pads have something to "bite" into. No need to turn them.

great421

iTrader: (1)

FYI - My setup EBC Yellowstuff pads and NAPA DOT 5.1 (i.e. - Ester based NOT DOT 5) brake fluid.

Hotbird

Pads should always perform better cold. Ceramic pads will outperform and outlast raybestos pads. But they are a bit more expensive.
If you are getting any sort of fluid on the rotors that will kill performance and should be tended to. Some gas and a rag will clean them up. If the rotors are warpd you will know.
I run hawks and d&s rotors and its way better than stock.
Just my 2 copper.

ADM

I switched to EBC slotted & dimpled rotors in the front, paired with Hawk Ceramic brake pads. Our cars are very heavy, but the braking performance on that combo was incredible. We have 45 degrees Celsius summers here and never experienced any brake fade no matter how much hard braking is done.

If your willing to get larger diameter wheels, maybe look into a C6 Z06 Corvette brake conversion? I have seen a conversion kit go on sale here for 600$ was used but in great shape.

Good luck with whatever you decide to go with.

TimmyZ28

I did the C6 Z06 conversion and oh man is it awesome! I work at a Chevy dealer so I was able to get the calipers, rotors, pads, and hardware at cost price. With all that, stainless steel braided lines and the C5 brackets, it still cost me around $1,200 but I don't regret it one bit. And they fill my 18" C5 Z06 wheels great!

jewbacca

iTrader: (5)

That depends on the pad material. Street pads perform best when cold and will fade as they heat up. Most pads designed for racing need to be hot to perform.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

I've done so many dozens of brake jobs over the decades I can't even remember....

These days, pretty much every rotor on the market is made in PRC. I've found that the cheapest rotors perform no worse than the best ("best" meaning more expensive and/or big brand name) rotors you can find.

Agreed, stay with blanks, maybe slotted but there's no reason to go drilled. Drilled rotors just reduce their weight and therefore their heat absorbing ability.

The EBC Yellowstuff pads are simply amazing. They get BETTER with heat. If you can use them, do so, it'll be the most "upgrade" you can do, aside from going larger.

Speaking of going larger, upping to the LS1 brakes is a good and logical upgrade.

It's difficult to change rear brakes from early to late forth gen and vice-verse so leave the rears alone.