I'm just amazingly hard headed it seems. If I can save one person some money, it's worth it.

 

You only really need to worry about the front brakes. For a simple HPDE day/weekend upgraded stock will work great, no need for a complete brake upgrade.
Get some carbotech XP9's (cheapest of the real race pads) They can handle the heat from stopping a 3500 lb car w/o brake cooling lap after lap. Then get an extra set of front rotors at NAPA ~$15-20 each (cheapest replacement). Depending on track temp and how hard you are on brakes, the rotors will last 1-2 days and pads will last 3-5 days.

The xp9's are real race pads so they will squeal when cold and dust like crazy, so just throw them on the day of and take them off that night. Keep and eye on your rotors, if you see spider webs or worse a crack, replace them.

Brakes are like fuel... they get consumed, no way around it.


Will

 

Thanks for the input, hopefully I'll have enough cash to take my car to the track this year. ALL I WHAT TO DO IS RACE! Bill's suck.

 

I am another newbie. I have a 94 Z28 1LE which has some how shedded its rear seats and a few other things that have wound up in the basement not to mention other mods that have led to 284hp and 308 ft lbs at the wheels w/ about 75k on the engine. It is around 3100 lbs +/- now.

I was told to bolt on the stock 98 and newer front brakes +plus better pads to road course it locally at Waterford Hills in Michigan. Should I upgrade to the newer brake or not since my car is a bit lighter then the average Z or Firebird?

Right now I have stock fronts which are a little more then half worn and will of course at least be replacing them along with braided lines all around. In the rear, since they went first (I am not the first owner) I went with the Power Stop rotors and VGX pads. Are these rotors not all they claimed to be? I understand about cracking but since the local track is fairly short and I will only be there for school. Should I use them since they are still new and just do the fronts up? The rears have shown no trouble at the drag strip and from um, I'll just say slowing from higher speeds on the express way. Since we have no good switch backs with no traffic in the area I haven't had a chance to really try them out so I don't wanna sound like I know much about them in reality. Any advice would be more then appreciated. The budget is always a concern but I am interested in reliability since having halfa-s brakes could lead to more exspensive problems. Thanks again

-Jon

Other toys: 3500 mile 96 Com T/A Trailer Queen #117, 70 GMC 3/4 heavy half tow beast with what was a 6500 rpm 500 hp 355 and will soon be a nastier fully forged internal, full roller 383 stuffed into a Motown block. This little truck also likes to go fast and corner well for what it is with 4 wheel drums (scared yet?). Yes I need advice for this truck too since no one seems to make real brake upgrades for this truck. We calculated 170mph top speed with the TH350 (a 700R4 is waiting in the shed) and 4.10s on some tall tires. OK, I am shutting up now since this is somewhat unrelated anyway.

 

Hey Jon, I live near Waterford Hills. When are the classes? This sounds like something I would like to try.

 

Hey back,

They are in June through the local Porsche club. go to www.sempca.org/ for the forms and info. It is a really good deal compared to most schools I have checked out and a friend highly recomended it.

-Jon

 

That is cool. I may see ya there.

BTW, I have read that with the LT1 F-Bodies it is a good mod to switch to the LS1 F-Body front rotors setups. Also, I have been asking and have been told to get synthetic brake fluid so it can handle the temperature increases.

 

I goofed up, the begginers class is actually May 12th. I was told by a friend that the 98 and up brakes are a bolt on upgrade and are a very good cheap mod. He is a new friend but deffinately knows his poop. Not just the rotors though, also the clalipers, but the master cylinder is the same so no big deal. He even went and got the calipers at the salvage yard. Yes, I would deffinately change the fluid. As soon as I find out what is the best I will let you know or I am sure one of the guys who already know will beat me to it.

-Jon

94 Z28 1LE, Arizona Speed and Marin CIA, air foil, gutted MAF, MSD master blaster, taylor wires, NGK iridiums, gold series 1.5 roller rockers, LT4 valve springs, hardened push rods, Edelbrock shorties w/y pipe, high flow cat, flow master 3" cat back with 3" in 3" out single, 21 mm rear sway bar with full poly bushings all around expect the pan hard (soon to change), B&M ripper shifter, Hyper Tech hyper stat and programmer, older style firehawk 17X8.5s with crappy 275/40 Kumhos (came with car and wer new and soon to be tossed altogether for ZR1s with 315 rears), NOS fuel pump (mystery to me still), Spec Stage II clutch and gutted rear seats, belts, spare jack etc and not to mention the factory goodies the 1LEs were equiped or not equiped with.

 

I need spell check, it is still early

 

Oh and btw, if you don't already have a Torsen I highly recomend it and will be putting one in my car along with better axles. Everyone swares by them for road course and auto cross. I had one in my well optioned 96 Z28 SS (it was totaled thanks to a joker in a stang from behind) and I loved it on the mountains of AZ. Not that I recomend putting much too power through it off the line but it lasted 40+ runs at the strip and was quiet as a mouse fart in the celler up until I was smacked.

 

I was thinking of getting baer (alcon) 4pots up front w/ brembo replacement rotors (slotted) and some carbotech XP9's. Any opinions on that setup?

 

How much to you want to spent? That will help me give advise. Things can be done in stages.

 

Well, as of now high speed braking is iffy. The car is starting to shake a TAD, feels like the rotors are goofy. So we could start w/ just rotors and pads for around 700$

 

Decent pads are 350 for Wilwoods H compound. NAPA rotors at 100 for 4

 

You don't need big expensive calipers or rotors. Your stock equipment will work fine, you just have to prepare it correctly and take care of it.
Basic stuff you'll need:
Pads: XP9, front only http://www.carbotecheng.com/appguide-pads-chevy.htm
rear: stock.
rotors: NAPA
Fluid: Ford Motorsport High Performace DOT3. (I know its ford, get over it... its cheap) then suck out the old stuff from the master cylinder and bleed until all the new stuff is in. NOTE: don't suck out all the old stuff or you'll get air in the line.
lines: stainless braided lines. goodridge... ect.

With this short list your brakes will work great and not blow all your cash.

If you got allot of cash to blow... but honestly unless your REALLY good it will not make a bit of difference.

 

Also some brake ducting soon.

 

Thanks. This was one of the most usefull posts for ME.

I already had my brake lines bled and filled with Valvonie full synthetic (dot 3 and 4)

I have iRotor drilled/slotted rotors which are from brembo blanks and I do not know if need to worry about cracking or what?

The pads I have now are the Hawke HP in front and rear but I can always switch to XP9 in front.

The brake lines are my next project, I will get the braided lines.


Thanks



Man! I totally missed this response. Torsen bar huh?

What to get???


I am sure the road racing and autox are a blast. But, it is taking some doing to get there...

 

No, Torsen as in Torque Sensing differential. T2R to be specific. No substitute. Obtained from Sam Strano or others. Here's the link:

http://www.torsen.com/products/T-2R.htm

Steve

 

Yes, you need to worry about cracking. keep the slotted/drilled fancy rotors for the street. On the track just get some NAPA solid rotors. They are cheaper, will stop you faster, and will have a much better resistance to cracking.
To help reduce the probability of cracking you need to have brake cooling. Get some 2.5" or 3" or larger flexible hose (dryer ducting). Mount it such that it will get ALOT of air (fog light opening are great) and route them down the A-arm to the center of the brake rotor or caliper.
Cooling is one of the biggest things you can do to save your brakes, stock or big $$.




Note: This is the cliff notes version.
(if you want the long detailed explantion of why all of this... just ask.)

 

Damn, that T2R is nice. I guess I will have to call Sam to get all the specifics. Thanks for that piece of information.



Cool. (pun intended)


The Trans Am has 2 openings by the driving lights. Could I fashion the hose to run from there without having to delete the foglight?