I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors?
10-13-2002, 11:35 PM
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I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? Sticking with the stock calipers, the rotors I'm open to suggestions, the sky is NOT the limit, but lets hear your thoughts anyway.
Pads, I simply want the best dam pads I can get. I dont care about the dust. I clean the car on a regular basis.
I also have thought of the braided lines and a fluid flush. What kind of fluid? Give me the prescription, on what I need to optimize the performance.
What I want the car to do is to stop as soon as it can. I already crashed one SS, which I can attribute to VERY poor brakes. The car should have been able to stop in the distance I had. But that's another story.
I race the car at the track, and I also run it kinda hard on the street. I dont mind spending a little extra $$ on parts, if they are going to perform. I just dont want to spend the extra $$ on brakes, just to find out they dont perform any better than the Auto Zone rotors. Pads, I see alot of talk about Hawks, and the green ones. Lets hear some suggestions. Thanks.
Pads, I simply want the best dam pads I can get. I dont care about the dust. I clean the car on a regular basis.
I also have thought of the braided lines and a fluid flush. What kind of fluid? Give me the prescription, on what I need to optimize the performance.
What I want the car to do is to stop as soon as it can. I already crashed one SS, which I can attribute to VERY poor brakes. The car should have been able to stop in the distance I had. But that's another story.
I race the car at the track, and I also run it kinda hard on the street. I dont mind spending a little extra $$ on parts, if they are going to perform. I just dont want to spend the extra $$ on brakes, just to find out they dont perform any better than the Auto Zone rotors. Pads, I see alot of talk about Hawks, and the green ones. Lets hear some suggestions. Thanks.
10-14-2002, 08:45 PM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? If you stay with the stock calipers you're limited to how well your car will stop by the tires on the car, not the brakes. You can put a set of Brembos up front and you won't get ANYWHERE near there performance capabilities from them with regular everyday radials, not even Nittos.
I changed out my stock rotors at 68,000 miles a month ago. I installed the Baer Eradispeeds. Even though they have the same swept area as stock, they are a LITTLE BIT better than the stock rotors. They're definitely more quiet and smoother. And looks, well, enough said.
I think the AC Delco original factory pads are just as good as anything FOR A STREET CAR that occasionally goes to the track (1/4 mile track that is). Good brakes aren't necassary running the 1/4 mile unless your running 8's.
IMO,
Don't waste your money on special performance pads, don't waste your money on a serious rotor/caliper upgrade if you're just a street driver like me and certainly don't upgrade your hoses. Steel braided hoses are helpful when your brake fluid gets hotter than hell and you couldn't do that if you tried on the street, that stuff happens during auto-cross when a rubber hose would expand causing some mushyness in the pedal.
I was going to buy the Brembos till I learned they would be a 100% waste on the street. And the Erads look better anyway, they're shiny chrome colored thats why. The Brembos are bronze colored and don't make rotors for the rear either.
I changed out my stock rotors at 68,000 miles a month ago. I installed the Baer Eradispeeds. Even though they have the same swept area as stock, they are a LITTLE BIT better than the stock rotors. They're definitely more quiet and smoother. And looks, well, enough said.
I think the AC Delco original factory pads are just as good as anything FOR A STREET CAR that occasionally goes to the track (1/4 mile track that is). Good brakes aren't necassary running the 1/4 mile unless your running 8's.
IMO,
Don't waste your money on special performance pads, don't waste your money on a serious rotor/caliper upgrade if you're just a street driver like me and certainly don't upgrade your hoses. Steel braided hoses are helpful when your brake fluid gets hotter than hell and you couldn't do that if you tried on the street, that stuff happens during auto-cross when a rubber hose would expand causing some mushyness in the pedal.
I was going to buy the Brembos till I learned they would be a 100% waste on the street. And the Erads look better anyway, they're shiny chrome colored thats why. The Brembos are bronze colored and don't make rotors for the rear either.
10-14-2002, 09:38 PM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? I've heard that the stock brake pads are the cause of our rotors overheating and to change them not the rotors for the cheapest solution to getting rid of the warping rotors.
As far as the rotor/brake pad combo I know of 2 different TA owners that have the Baer eradispeed/Hawk pad combo that says they are much better than stock and the other has powerslot rotors with ACDelco Durastop pads that has had no problems. I'm love the Baer rotor looks but you will pay about $350-400 more than the powerslot rotors.
Other companies to think about are EBC, KVR I think it was G2 who has some and a few other companies. Check out the sponor section on this site and www.ls1.com website and look under the brake sections. I did see a complete set of Baer eradispeed rotors for $750 but can't remember which sponsor carried them for that price.
As far as the rotor/brake pad combo I know of 2 different TA owners that have the Baer eradispeed/Hawk pad combo that says they are much better than stock and the other has powerslot rotors with ACDelco Durastop pads that has had no problems. I'm love the Baer rotor looks but you will pay about $350-400 more than the powerslot rotors.
Other companies to think about are EBC, KVR I think it was G2 who has some and a few other companies. Check out the sponor section on this site and www.ls1.com website and look under the brake sections. I did see a complete set of Baer eradispeed rotors for $750 but can't remember which sponsor carried them for that price.
10-14-2002, 09:41 PM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? I've heard that the stock brake pads are the cause of our rotors overheating and to change them not the rotors for the cheapest solution to getting rid of the warping rotors.
As far as the rotor/brake pad combo I know of 2 different TA owners that have the Baer eradispeed/Hawk pad combo that says they are much better than stock and the other has powerslot rotors with ACDelco Durastop pads that has had no problems. I'm love the Baer rotor looks but you will pay about $350-400 more than the powerslot rotors.
Other companies to think about are EBC, KVR I think it was G2 who has some and a few other companies. Check out the sponor section on this site and www.ls1.com website and look under the brake sections. I did see a complete set of Baer eradispeed rotors for $750 but can't remember which sponsor carried them for that price.
As far as the rotor/brake pad combo I know of 2 different TA owners that have the Baer eradispeed/Hawk pad combo that says they are much better than stock and the other has powerslot rotors with ACDelco Durastop pads that has had no problems. I'm love the Baer rotor looks but you will pay about $350-400 more than the powerslot rotors.
Other companies to think about are EBC, KVR I think it was G2 who has some and a few other companies. Check out the sponor section on this site and www.ls1.com website and look under the brake sections. I did see a complete set of Baer eradispeed rotors for $750 but can't remember which sponsor carried them for that price.
10-14-2002, 11:27 PM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by badbird88:
[QB]I've heard that the stock brake pads are the cause of our rotors overheating and to change them not the rotors for the cheapest solution to getting rid of the warping rotors.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No way. The AC Delco factory pads are great pads. I'm not talking about AC Delco Duro Stops, they're complete junk. AC Delco doesn't even make the Duro Stop, they just call them AC Delco's.
I got 57,000 miles out of my original pads and rotors. Never had ANY dust build-up and they were great. I did my first brake then. But the shop that did it replaced my pads with the Duro Stops, they sucked from day 1. Noisy as hell and dust would build-up in 2 days quite thick. I took them back and made them put different ones on, they used the Raybestos Quiet Stops. They were worse than the Duro Stops. So I rode it out till 1 month ago when I put my Erads on with original AC Delco pads, everything is sweet and ZERO brake dust.
[QB]I've heard that the stock brake pads are the cause of our rotors overheating and to change them not the rotors for the cheapest solution to getting rid of the warping rotors.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">No way. The AC Delco factory pads are great pads. I'm not talking about AC Delco Duro Stops, they're complete junk. AC Delco doesn't even make the Duro Stop, they just call them AC Delco's.
I got 57,000 miles out of my original pads and rotors. Never had ANY dust build-up and they were great. I did my first brake then. But the shop that did it replaced my pads with the Duro Stops, they sucked from day 1. Noisy as hell and dust would build-up in 2 days quite thick. I took them back and made them put different ones on, they used the Raybestos Quiet Stops. They were worse than the Duro Stops. So I rode it out till 1 month ago when I put my Erads on with original AC Delco pads, everything is sweet and ZERO brake dust.
10-15-2002, 05:47 AM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? If you want hard stopping pads and don't mind dust and a little noise from time to time, Carbotech Panther Plus are a great pad.
http://www.carbotecheng.com
As for rotors, I have had good luck with AIMCO rotors from AutoZone.
http://www.carbotecheng.com
As for rotors, I have had good luck with AIMCO rotors from AutoZone.
10-15-2002, 05:35 PM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? I dont mind the dust, but the noise, I could so without.
So the Erad with stock pads will be better than the Erad with Hawk or eq?
So the Erad with stock pads will be better than the Erad with Hawk or eq?
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10-15-2002, 06:05 PM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Black Sunshine/ 00SS:
So the Erad with stock pads will be better than the Erad with Hawk or eq?[/QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm running the Erads with REAL AC Delco factory pads and they're very quiet and stop great. NO DUST AT ALL.
So the Erad with stock pads will be better than the Erad with Hawk or eq?[/QB]</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm running the Erads with REAL AC Delco factory pads and they're very quiet and stop great. NO DUST AT ALL.
10-15-2002, 10:32 PM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? I just upgraded my brakes on my 2002 Z-28 (rotors warped at 7500 miles). I have had great luck with carbotech panther and panther plus pads on other vehicles (and their super street compound as well). The Panther and Panther Plus will make some noise (they squeak and squeal somewhat) but they'll stop a train!!!! I found Brembo OEM replacement rotors from The Tire Rack for $61.00 each (not cross drilled, or slotted, but that stuff won't help you stop better with modern pad compounds anyway) which is a far better price than GM wants for factory rotors. You may want to look into the brembo rotors and Hawk street pads, Carbotech street pads, or I've heard good things about the EBC pads (we run them on a NASA roadrace car). Hope this helps.
10-16-2002, 05:16 AM
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Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? I have seen a couple posts saying people like the Carbotech Panther Plus. Now on the website they put these pads more in the race catagory. What is everybody's opinion on this? What about the panter and super street pads?
Thanks.....
Thanks.....
10-23-2002, 10:32 PM
#12
Re: I need some brake advice, best pads & rotors? I had Panther pads on the front of my 2002 VW GTI VR6 and the super street pads on the rear. That car had great brakes. I would boil the fluid in the calipers before I could overheat the pads. the pads have a fairly high coefficient of friction (.52 to .54 as I remember) and the car would still stop (not nearly as well, but it would still decelerate reasonably) after the fluid boiled....the pedal would hit the floor and it would still slow down (the brakes didn't just go away). The Panther pads are noisy as well and I could not lock up the brakes on the first stop on a 30 degree (or colder) day (I still had some brakes)...I just made one hard stop when I started rolling and they worked ok from there. The Super Streets are great street upgrade pads, not really for racing (per Larry at Carbotech), but they are fairly quiet (friction coefficient of .46 to .48 I believe....or very close to that...stock pads are usually about a .36). The Panther Plus pads seem to work as well cold as my panthers did, and they are good for an extra 150 degrees on the hot side (friction coefficient of .54 to .56 as I remember). Our cars are heavy and don't have a large brake rotor (by comparison), if you run your car hard, or autocross, I'd probably look at the Panther Plus instead of the panther or super street (but that is why I'm running Panther Plus...). Sorry that this post is so long, I hope it helps. Check out www.carbotecheng.com and give Larry a call if you have questions. Their pads are a little pricey, but my GTI had 42,000 miles on my pads and there was about 1/3 pad left (I autocrossed and drove on the street on those pads for a couple years). Good luck....
