The Corvette Doctor

I have my '98 Z28 in the air right now to change pads. The fronts are down to .100 inch and the rears are still pretty thick, so I am planning to do only fronts.

I was thinking about ceramics since the fronts turn black in about 2 days, but I'm not sure about mixing the ceramics on front with the semi-metallic on back. Thoughts?

Here is what Advanced Auto Parts has right now. Thoughts on your picks?

Wearever Gold BRAKE PADS GOLD WREVR
Pad; Semi-Metallic; OE Replacement
Warranty: LTD LIFETIME REPL


Wearever Silver Wearever Silver
Pad; Semi-Metallic; OE Replacement
Warranty: LTD LIFETIME REPL

Friction Master BRAKE PADS CERAMIC FRTMS
CERAMIC BRAKE PADS
Warranty: 2YR REPL

Akebono ProACT Ceramic Brake Pads
Brake Pads: Front; Proact Ultra Premium Ceramic Pad; Oe Ceramic
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes


O'Reilly Brake Best Select Brake Pads
Brake Pads: Front; 1 Per Vehicle Quantity
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Performance Friction Carbon Metallic Brake Pads
Carbon Metallic Brake Pads: Front Only
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Performance Friction Carbon Metallic Brake Pads
Carbon Metallic Brake Pads: Front Only
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Performance Friction Carbon Metallic Brake Pads
Carbon Metallic Brake Pads: Front; With Disc Front Brakes; With Disc Rear Brakes
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Raybestos Service Grade Brake Pads
Brake Pad Set: Service Grade; Front; Ceramic; Originally Equipped With Ceramic; Recommended Replacement; 1 Per Car
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Raybestos Raymold Brake Pads
Brake Pad Set: Raymold Semi Metallic; Front; OE Ceramic
Warranty: Ltd 2 Year Warranty Excludes W

Raybestos Professional Grade Ceramic Brake Pads
Brake Pad Set: Professional Grade; Front; Ceramic; Originally Equipped With Ceramic; Recommended Replacement; 1 Per Car
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Raybestos Super Stop Brake Pads
Brake Pad Set: Super Stop; Front; Semi-Metallic; Originally Equipped With Ceramic; 1 Per Car
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Raybestos Quiet Stop Brake Pads
Brake Pad Set: Quiet Stop; Front; Ceramic; Originally Equipped With Ceramic; Recommended Replacement; 1 Per Car
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Raybestos BruteStop Brake Pads
Brake Pad Set: Brutestop; Front; Semi-Metallic; Originally Equipped With Ceramic; 1 Per Car
Warranty: Ltd Lifetime Warranty Excludes

Arctic2002ss

I would not recommend the Quiet Stop pads. I had them and they would fade almost immediately at high speeds. I had some ceramics that I liked. I now have the Hawk HPS. Great pads but they do dust a lot. I don't have experience with them but would probably pick the Performance Frictions out of that list.

HoLLo

iTrader: (17)

Hawk HPS pads!

LS1_Fonzie

iTrader: (4)

+1 on the Hawk HPS pads. I've had them on my car for a couple years now and they've held up great. I got mine from WS6store.com.

muteki

iTrader: (1)

I have hawk hps and love them.

The Corvette Doctor

Thanks, everyone.

I think I'm going for the Performance Friction Carbon Metallic since I'm keeping the old rears in. Otherwise, I'd go to a ceramic but I think the braking characteristics might be an issue with two different types.

Have to wait for the store to open tomorrow.

98boxer

iTrader: (7)

Just don't go cheap because then you'll have noisy brakes, as i do, sure they work good and do there job but they squeek a lot.

sneaky7980

iTrader: (15)

If it were me i'd put the old pads back on and wait for your new Hawks pads to arrive in the mail, and do all 4 corners. Hawk pads were a tremendous improvement on on my cars.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

For a street car, you're not going to do any better than factory AC Delco pads. Plus brakes don't stop cars, tires do. There's no factory brakes on any car that can outperform street tires. You can lock the brakes on any production car because the tires suck. So getting all exotic and spending money on brake pads is a complete waste of money and offers nothing by way of better stopping performance. You want to stop better you need bigger rotors and better tires with softer compound.

blade2222

have you ever experienced brake fade at high speed? you would not be saying exotic brake pads were a waste of money if you had.

biggb1783

Hawk +1

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Brake fade, I agree. Just don't go do 150mph in traffic and you'll be fine. And if you do make some 150 mph highway runs, like I do almost every day, make sure the road ahead is clear and there are no side streets where someone can pull out in front of you with little or no warning. If you're driving on a highway doing 65-70 and you need to stop, the factory brakes will stop you in 5-6 seconds, no fade.

I'm talking about stopping performance for a street car, there's nothing you can do except get bigger rotors and better tires if you want to decrease stopping distances on a street car. Factory brakes can lock up a regular street radial no matter which brake pads are used.

JD_AMG

Depends on what you consider performance for a "street car." When I had stock pads on the back roads on a hot day after some hard braking there was definitely some fade there, and there has been none since I installed some hawk hp pads (and braking has noticeably improved without replacing anything else).

wabmorgan

+2.... I just put a set on my bird and they are GREAT!!!!!

Elliott's94Z

iTrader: (12)

+2 great product

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

When you're racing your car on the street like your on a road course, thats different. I'm just saying for a "street" car and normal driving. I just got back from a drive, I took it up to 160 3 times ((not another car in sight BTW)), if I wanted to stop hard from that speed (which I never would) I would also get brake fade. In every day driving you should never have a situation where you will get brake fade, you have to make it happen. I've hit my brakes from 70 mph and came abruptly to a stop and had zero brake fade, with my factory rotors, pads and calipers. Thats all you need for a stock street car.

Now I agree with you that if you want to go have some fun "on the back roads" you can certainly get brake fade.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

BTW, just curious...how long do the Hawk pads last on a street car? Not a car that does any type of racing.

Do they dust alot in the front or rear?

How much do they cost for front and rear?

ghardester

Since your tag says Corvette Doctor why don't you change the front brakes over to the C-5 Corvette conversion? Works great!

And I'm with the others on the Hawk HPS pads.

silverbullet02

iTrader: (2)

I replaced all mine earlier this year with factory pads. Got 60k out of the originals. Front ones were still fine, back ones were gone tho. Car has about a zillion passes on it. Stock pads and the autozone duralast (i think) rotors and it's just swell. Stops 4000lbs from upper 120's at the track with a downhill shutdown area with no problems.

Brian