turbotuner20v

I'm about to take my '09 Z51 out to 2 local tracks to see how it compares against my turbo E30 bmw track car. I'm just planning to do a pad change and run the car as is w/ 3k miles on the odo. I'll probably see 4-6hrs of lapping between the 2 events and was wondering if i'll go through my front rotors or not. It'll depend on what pads I go with obviously, but I was just curious what other people experienced.

I debated switching to the C5 blank rotor setup for less than the cost of new Z51 rotors, but if they'll make it through fine, no real reason to spend more money.

longdaddy

it's not the amount of track time that gets the rotors on these cars, it's the number of heat/cool down cycles and how severe they are.

they should last 2 events no problem, unless you do very short and hard sessions.

turbotuner20v

I'm doing four 20min. sessions the first event, then 8 20 min - 30 min. sessions the 2nd event probably. Each event is 1 day. The 2nd track is harder on brakes.

There's about a million threads on pads that I'm sifting through to pick a set, but does anyone have a suggestion that'd last for that amount of track time and not chew the crap out of the rotors? Looking for something reasonably priced as well.

Do people think I'd be fine just throwing the stock C5 Z06 pads on front and rear?

John Shiels

All depends on how hard you push it, You are talking 320 minutes of running from what I see above. I guess you have no ducting? Stock pads if pushed will glazed over I imagine if you get them hot. Race pads will eat the rotors a lot faster. I could eat a stock rotor in two days / 200 minutes with race pads. What track are you doing to?

WNeal

How many track days have you done before and what group do you normally run in.
That aspect will make a huge difference in how much time you get out of your rotors.

I got my entire 1st year on the stock rotors. I sometimes now get 1 day on NAPA solid rotors, sometimes less

turbotuner20v

Heartland Park - Topeka
Mid America Motorplex - Iowa

I'll be taking it pretty easy the first session of HPT and will have 3 more session where I push it pretty hard.

At MAM I'll probably be pushing the car very hard from 9am - 6pm w/ varying session durations.

Whatever happens, I don't want to run out of pads and have to go home early... I burned up a set of pads in 2 sessions at Hallet in a G35 and it sucked... especially since they didn't stock rear pads for the new generation yet at the auto parts stores.

Maybe it's just worth going down to the C5 setup with some aggressive pads? Is there a package kit for that stuff? Or part numbers for the C5 gear so I can check out prices?

turbotuner20v

I've probably done ~15 track days. I'll be running in the advanced group. It's my first time out in the vette though, so I'll be feeling it out a bit at Heartland Park, but I'm sure I'll have at least 2 pretty hard sessions on it. At MAM it'll just be a ton of time... plus the transponders always make me push a bit deeper into the corners trying to shave those seconds off.

Kubs

If you are running a stock car on street tires I would try Hawk HP Plus or Hawk Black compounds. Hawk Black is a track compound but its not that aggressive. HP plus is a good street compound that can take some heat but I dont know how long it will last. I use HT-10 on the front of my C4 and it doesnt eat rotors very much but has a good amount of torque.

Richor

Normally about 3 track days and my pads are gone. Probably 1 more for the rotors if Im lucky

Poppy's Vette

Well, it sounds like you've done this some so you know that you can definetly over brake stock tires if you get too aggressive with pads but to answer your question, I found a set of base C6 brackets and rotors for around $100 on the forum. Shipping almost doubled it though. These are the same as the C5Z. I swapped rotors and brackets and used my calipers with track pads for track days running RA1 tires. Then saved all my stock Z51 stuff for the street. It worked perfectly and the rotors can be bought very reasonably from many sources like NAPA. I always took a spare set along just in case.

If you want to buy new, I'm sure you can go to Gene's site and look up the part numbers easy enough. He'd also be a great source to buy them at a good price.

It seems so backwards when most guys are going to big brake kits but these smaller rotors with good pads will stop our cars well for most HPDE stuff even if you move up to R-Compound tires at some point and keeps the costs for the setup and expendables very reasonable.

At least that's been my experience.

Bill Dearborn

When the C5 first came out in 97 there were no aftermarket brake pads available for a couple of seasons so most of us early adopters had to use stock pads. I would go through a set of pads in two to three days (mainly due to tapering) but the rotors easily went through 20 track days plus how many miles I put on the car between those track days.

I am not sure how long the rotors would have lasted but I trashed them when I tried a set of Hawk HP+ pads because they were the new supposedly hot set up. The pads scored the rotors so bad I had to toss them.

I didn't start to get cracked rotors until I started using more aggressive race pads.

Not sure whether the C6 Z51 uses the same stock pad material the C5 used but if it does you may get a fair amount of rotor life. Just remember to swap the pads from side to side of the car after each track day to compensate for the taper.

Bill

turbotuner20v

That's a good idea... I may just run my first event and evaluate pad wear when I'm done and swap. The only problem is the events are 5/12 and 5/21... I'm not sure if I could get new pads in time if I killed my stock ones on 5/12.

I've heard the HP+ pads will destroy wheels w/ dust. Since I don't have a dedicated wheel/tire combo for this car, I'm hesitant to go with those even though I found a decently priced set in the classifieds.

turbotuner20v

What about the Carbotech Xp10 front Xp8 rear @ ~$370 a set?

Poppy's Vette

I didn't care about dust when tracking, It's not like you're going to leave the dust on the wheels for an extended period of time to physically damage the wheel surface. But DO use ceramic pads for the street for that reason. I DID run the HP Plus pads for HPDE and found them to be fine. So much is based on the track. My "home" track, Willow Springs, is not a heavy braking track ... fastest track in the west and all that. I will say that I didn't like using my Z51 rotors on the track. I did at first and found the abuse led to many small cracks at the holes. Now one uses drilled rotors anymore for tracking. It's outdated technology. New pad compounds do not need them. They are mostly for looks and even then, I personally went away from them when I finally replaced them even for the street.

My last recollection is that C6Z51 pads are essentially the same compound as the C5Z pads (at least the last few years). They are a more than decent street tire / HPDE pad, again, in my estimation. I would focus on brake fluid and flush/bleed rather than rotors and pads for now. If you change to a base C6 / C5Z brake setup, then I would start thinking about more aggressive pads. That's just me but too aggressive pads and the stock drilled rotors spell damage to me. Then your looking at replacing both track rotors AND street rotors.

just my .02

sothpaw2

I would NOT run in an advanced group w/stock C5Z pads. They will overheat, fade a bit, and the pedal will be very long. Hopefully you are non street tires--it would be a real mess if you were on Rcomps.

I'd recommend maybe a carbo XP8 for you in the front. I can't speak to the Z51 rotors but a C5 OE rotor would last you about 5 hr even with a very, very agressive race pad (wilwood H). I suspect the Z51 rotors would be up to the XP8.

I don't think the HP+ is bad but still might overheat in advanced. The dusting is only an issue if it gets wet and is allowed to dry or if you badly overheat the pads.

turbotuner20v

It looks like front rotors for a Z51 are $111 ea. through GM Parts House... rears are probably ~$70 ea maybe? So for all new rotors if I damage mine, I'd be looking at ~$360.

I can get 4 base caliper brackets for $36 ea. through GM Parts House and rotors at $45ea front/$35ea rear from Nappa... so I'd be looking at ~$300.

Since this is hopefully just a one time deal since I have another car for track days, I'm just going to see if the Z51 rotors survive w/ the Carbotechs I listed. If not, I'll replace the fronts and rears if needed... Having cheap replacement rotors available is nice for a car that sees alot of track use, but that probably won't be this car.

Poppy's Vette

Wow, that's what I get for not reading for content! If this is a one time deal I wouldn't change anything. I would do some basic maintenance on the brake fluid front and leave the rest alone. Even if you're going to run 1 session in the advanced group, I still think you'll be fine with the stock Z51 brake setup. I know I was. When you get home I'd take a real good look because I ran 2 days 3 -4 sessions per day in the advanced and ran the stock pads to the rivets and had to have my stock rotors turned but they lasted a couple years of street use after that before I retired them for some slotted DBA rotors.

Have fun

sothpaw2

I think the ones you listed might be too agressive on the rotors to last 3 days w/Z51 rotors but I really don't know. C5 rotors would make it for 3 days w those pads.

For this one time use I think just using Hawk HP+ or Carbo XP8 in front only makes a lot of sense because they will be easier on rotors (you are trying to ensure the rotors make it through 3 days)and less expensive to acquire (HP+). I ran HP+ in intermediate for a day and they were ok--just wear fast. I definitely found that the HP+ took the heat better than stock C5Z pads.

turbotuner20v

yea, maybe I'll just run the 8's on all 4 corners then.

After all is said and done, I'd like to only be out the cost of a new set of track pads and a set of Z51 front rotors.

turbotuner20v

Eh, screw it... I hate being under prepared or having my day ruined do to an equipment problem. I just bought the 10/8 combo and will be buying the C5 rotor setup.

I'm sure once I get this car on the track I'll want to go back again, so having that stuff around won't be a bad thing. With the weekday HPT events I can just drive to work and head straight to the track if I can open up my afternoon enough.