BandDirector Blk98ZM6

iTrader: (21)

So I was on a "demonstration" run with a co-worker and had to bring my '98 Z28 down from 100 MPH in a hurry. I had a firm pedal the whole time, but couldn't get it slowed down enough to make a turn I was aiming for. Literally felt like it took a football field length to get it slowed down. I thought I might have an issue and have been doing some research today and was surprised at what I found. An average vehicle that can stop from 60 MPH in 120 feet needs 318 feet to stop from 100 MPH. I only have a slightly better than stock brake upgrade with Hawk ceramic pads and Baer EradiSpeed rotors (only improvement is as eye candy I know), but just curious if anyone has any numbers on 4th Gen. F-Body braking from 100 MPH.

Here's the best article I found on the subject:
http://www.4n6xprt.com/Braking_Effec...her_Speeds.pdf

IDriveChevy

iTrader: (5)

Well you cover almost 150 feet per second at 100 mph. The brakes probably began to fade a little so don't be surprised that you missed the turn.

Chris Paveglio

iTrader: (2)

Yeah stopping distance isn't linear with speed. The rotors don't make much difference in stopping (* for average street cars). The pads are the key component. Hawk is OK but just 'ceramic' sounds like a tame street compound. Hawk HPS, HP+, DTC are pads for racing/fast stopping. More resistant to fade. Also heat range on pads is important too, some work better when warm/hot, some compounds that work better cold but can fade when they overheat.

farmington

iTrader: (14)

braking is more than just pads and rotors. tires make a big difference in stopping distance too along with shock and spring packages

SuperSport01

Some better pads (Hawk HPS/DTC30 or Stoptech Street) and some fresh performance brake fluid (ATE or MOTUL) should help. Depending on what tires you have, they will affect the stopping distance greatly depending on width, compound, tread pattern, and diameter.

BandDirector Blk98ZM6

iTrader: (21)

Tires are brand new Nitto NT05 275/40/17 on all 4 corners ( NOT the drag radials)... We're talking less than 100 miles on them new. I went with the ceramics to keep the dusting low, so I knew I was giving up a tad bit of bite. The Baer EradiSpeeds are cross drilled & slotted and chew up pads with lots of dusting unless I use cereamic. Fluid probably needs replacing though...its been a while.

Oh, suspension is Koni 4/3 SA shocks w/Strano springs.

Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

To the extent your tires are not the limiting factor of your braking distance, you are leaving the potential for improvement on the table.

Pads with better bite will absolutely improve your situation assuming you're not already limited by the tires.

I spend most of my time on road courses. The tire issue is the sole reason I haven't spent the money on a big brake kit on my car. I run R-compound tires and aggressive track pads (DTC60 or DTC70) with blank rotors and the tires are still my limitation.

I will eventually pull the trigger on a Wilwood kit with the understanding there would be a modest performance improvement (via more braking torque, better pedal feel and improved cooling), however the primary reason for the change would be to get the higher end pad compounds cheaper.

79_T/A

iTrader: (1)

OP, you have what I like to call crappy pad syndrome. You have great parts on the car - but those ceramic pads don't make enough friction for a performance oriented car. You would see a massive improvement in braking distance by switching to a more aggressive pad.

Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

Well stated. An upgrade to even a mild pad (Hawk HPS or 5.0) would be a nice improvement in bite.

Although it would likely be overkill for your application, the DTC-30 is streetable and would be a huge improvement.

Hawks HP+ is a middle-ground compound between the HPS and the DTC-30, however I don't like that as much on a street car (they're very loud and eat rotors).

BandDirector Blk98ZM6

iTrader: (21)

Thanks for the recommendations! I may give a set of Hawk HPS pads a shot.

A little more history... I went with a set of EradiSpeed rotors 15 years or so ago when they first came out for our cars. I originally ran them with the stock pads, but didn't like all the dusting. I then went with a set of Performance Friction Carbon Metallic, but for some reason, they developed a pulsating pedal. I sent the EradiSpeeds back to Baer and they assured me they weren't warped and sent them back. I cleaned them up and sold them at that time. Several years later, I stumbled on another set of EradiSpeeds that were NOS at an incredible price, and pulled the trigger again. This time, I installed them with the Hawk Ceramics. Dusting was minimal, but I did notice a real lack of bite that I don't remember having the first time I had the EradiSpeeds.

I don't want a pad that's going to eat my rotors (I must admit I do like the eye candy the EradiSpeeds provide), so hopefully the HPS pads will meet my needs.

Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

Full disclosure, the HPS (and almost any other performance-oriented compound) will dust more than the ceramic pads you have now, however the performance difference is noticeable.

BandDirector Blk98ZM6

iTrader: (21)

Comparing the descriptions of the Hawk HPS and the HPS 5.0 at Strano's website, it seems the 5.0 compound also offers less dusting. I'm sure there's a compromise though over the HPS. Do the 5.0's slot in between the HPS and the ceramics? Any thoughts on going with the 5.0 vs. the regular HPS? Or, maybe it's time to just deal with the dusting and go with the HPS...

Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

I haven't run the 5.0's before, however my take was on it was that it should be on par with the HPS from a friction/bite standpoint albeit via a different compound.

It would be great to hear from someone who's run both before just to have a good comparison, however the 5.0's are newer and there just isn't as much info out on them. I buy all of my stuff through Sam, so I would probably give him a call to bounce the question off of him and then buy the one that works best for you. Alternatively, Hawks customer service has been helpful to me in the past, so they could be a good resource to articulate the differences between the two.

IDriveChevy

iTrader: (5)

I have the HPS with my CTS-v brakes and they bite hard but do dust a bit more than ceramics, I don't mind taking 5 minutes to clean my wheels off for the nice bite they have.