WICKED SS

iTrader: (36)

I have heard of people getting Baer and Wilwood brakes and they say the brakes help but not as much as they thought they would. About .3 to .5 of a second when going from 60mph to a stop? Plus they paid $1,000-1,200. I was also wondering if anyone has any info on there 60-0 beofre and after brakes? I might compete in the next USCC from Compact Car Magazine and I think my stock breaks are pretty good but if anyone has any tips on upgrading some things to improve my breaking I would like to hear them? Thanks

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

The first thing to try is to upgrade your pads to some performance aftermarket pads. At this point, you may be perfectly happy, if so, then stop there. If you are running road courses, fast mountain roads, etc and have ever experienced brake fade due to heat, then it may be time to go to the next level. The improvement can be well worth it, it just has to be worth it to you. If stock brakes work for you with no problems, you may not need to do anything at all. But, once you upgrade, you may wonder how you ever lived with the "old stuff".

Another thing to consider is not so much the time (.3 or .5 seconds), but the distance used for stopping your car. If you can stop from 60 mph in 135 feet (I'm not sure what the stock stopping distance for our cars actually is, about 2 years ago a Porsche 911 stopped from 60mph in 99 feet, stock for Motor Trend as I remember...which was the shortest distance they ever tested on a stock car), and you have 135 feet to stop, then you are in good shape. If someone pulls out in front of you and you only have 105 feet (and happen to be going 60 mph), you are going to have a problem (unless you own a Porsche...). So, as safety goes, it can be a very important difference.

Another common arguement is:

"I can already lock my wheels, I don't need larger brakes"....

But, in most cases, you can only lock your wheels for the first couple stops from 60mph (back to back), after that, you'll need bigger brakes....or a single stop from 140 mph (like at the drag strip) will be much less dramatic with an upgraded brake package and it's ability to handle increased heat....

Anyway, These are just some (random) thoughts....

WICKED SS

iTrader: (36)

Thanks,
Well I might just get pads them, which ones work the best at a decent price?
The reason why I am asking is that I might compete in the USCC from Sport Compact Magazine.
Heres the link to find out what I am talking about. https://ls1tech.com/threads/showflat...31&fpart=1

richieg

iTrader: (1)

Just my two cents, If all you're really concerned with is normal speed, braking than pads and maybe some inexpensive rotors should take of you fine. Their have been some really good suggestions on this board as far as which brands and experiences with them. I went a little overboard and upgraded my brakes to the baer 6 piston with 15" rotors. I was rushing my brother to the emergency room going about 110 down a 5 lane highway. I was in the fast lane passing by a convoy of some 18 wheelers in the next right lane. There was a fat chick with no greencard in some old beater in the second right lane. Right as I was passing the last 2 big rigs, she came across both lanes right in front of me. I had two rigs worth of length to brake. Her license plate was pressure mounted to my front bumper to say the least. My brakes completely let me down. Even down shifting in a standard they had no chance of slowing my car. With as much pressure as I had on my pedal the gasses generated by the pads almost completely lifted the pads off of the rotors. I have had the chance to take my car up to 160 and go crazy on the brakes a few times. (desert highways south of vegas) They have completely earned my faith in extreme braking situations. Sorry for the long post, but that's my story. Bottom line if it's just normal speeds, than get some rotors & pads. If you stretch out your car on the highways with other drivers, than there is a value in changing the entire brake system. Hope any of that helps & good luck!

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Your pads didn't off gas, they glazed ....

That is, the surface got so hot the pad amterial welded itself together. You probably boiled the brake fluid as well.

Your increased braking performance is certianly from your increased swept area, but I suspect the biggest improvement came from you replacing the fluid and installing new, more aggressive pads.

Aftermarket brakes are not a lot of bang for the buck.

$40ea rotors from Autozone and Hawk HP or HP+ pads for $175 will make a HUGE difference in braking performance.

Next on the list is a C5 conversion, like from LG Motorsports. $800 for larger rotors, ZO6 calipers and Hawk pads will give you better performance yet.

Movit or Prospeed 4 piston Brembos and 13" rotors for $1700-2300 is the next step. This really doesn't seem to offer much more braking performance than the C5 upgrade and the cost of wearable are a LOT more expensive.

I don't even want to know what that BAER kit cost. I know their equivalent kit to the LGM C5 conversion is $1300 or more.

HTH

richieg

iTrader: (1)

Mitch I inspected my brakes afterwards not you. My fluid did not boil, my pads did not glaze over, & my rotors did not warp in the 50 feet I nailed the brakes. The stock system was not up to the task.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

At Motorsport Ranch, braking from 115 to 40 and 110 to 60 (along with several other brake checks along he way) every 1:30 lap for 20 lap sessions, stock brakes with good fluid and pads worked just fine for 8 sessions over a whole weekend. I am able to outbrake M3s, M5s, 911s and Miatas ... all known for their superior braking performance.

You are correct ... I didn't inspect your brakes. But my experience has shown the stock LS1 brakes are a good design and well suited for these cars, if given the proper tools to work with.

Your 6 piston kit is awesome and I imagine works great. I'd love to see it and would love to feel it work sometime.

BurnOut

iTrader: (1)

An addition to Trackbird's comments... bigger brakes are also about modulation. Because a larger rotor has more leverage against centerline of the axle, it enables the driver to exhibit more control during braking.

This isn't as important on ABS-equipped cars as it is on non-ABS cars, becase the concept of threshold braking isn't as important if the ABS is taking care of that for you... however, I just like the idea of having more control over what the car is doing in any aspect of performance (accelerating, turning, or braking).

Glenn98ZM6

That is a valid point. I totally agree.

But I don't consider myself at the point where I am that good of a driver ... yet.

So, I love my ABS.

I talking with Lou Gigliotti, he wishes they allowed ABS on the Trans AM/Grand AM cars. One less thing to worry about.

Riding the threshold IS manual ABS, right? In my case, let the computer help me out ...

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Whoops! ... I posted that while at Glenn's house!

Sorry ... damn cookies!