Toilets

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221119
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I know our padlets should eventually be changed to a single but this is a first of me hearing the zo6 calipers are not sufficient for heavy track use.

yakisoba

I have begun gathering data. Just got a 2012 GS with stock wheels, tires, calipers. Took it to the track two weeks ago. I had no real fade after the weekend, but it was just the one weekend. We shall see, as I start going faster in the car and change the pads out for one piece track ones.

AU N EGL

Calipers are, stock padlets not really.

two days if that out of the set of stock padlets.

kverges

I can go through Z06 padlets in 3 sessions with a stock car on slicks. I've never tried single piece pads, as I drive the Z pretty rarely and instead primarily use dedicated track and race cars on track. If I was to track the Z06 a lot, I think I'd try a Brembo or StopTech aftermarket offering. An immediate advantage is you don' thave to pull the caliper to change pads. Real race calipers allow pad changes without caliper removal.

Corvee

By "heavy track use" I assume dedicated track use with limited street time requiring track pads due to higher sustained operating temperatures (most race pads are single pads not the OEM padlets). The C6Z06 stock calipers perform well with appropriate pad compositions and brake fluid. You can easily cook the stock brakes without both. Spindle ducts help disipate heat which builds up quickly if you are pushing it.

Many switch to big brake kits for longer pad and rotor life and reduced long term costs.

rayk

I put on Carbotech 1 piece pads for HPDE's. At 600 bucks for a set of front and back, I hope they last for 3-4 track days. Between tires and brake pads/rotors, looks like a track day will cost 200-250 just in maintenance items besides the entry fee.

Corvee

You should get more than 3-4 track days from a set of pads. What compound are the Carbotech?

BEZ06

I only track my C6 Z06 at 5 or so events per year, so that's not heavy track use.

I find the OE calipers to work fine, and I've only used padlets (although I do have a couple sets of single piecers I'll be using this year).

In that link you posted Pfadt talks down the OE PBR calipers and the padlets because they have had a problem at the track that several of us have reported - the pad pin bolts can back out!!!




In the picture above of the right front caliper you can see the bottom pin has backed out and the bottom padlet fell out coming down a straight at about 165 - the loud bang made me back off so I wasn't going full speed into the braking zone. When braking for the upcoming turn the steering wheel pulled abruptly to the left and I blew the turn into a huge runoff area, but on some tracks there could have been much more of a problem.

A one piece pad would not have fallen out, but a more serious problem might be if the pin backs out enough to hit the spokes on the wheel and damage/weaken it.

Pfadt has reported that exact same issue here on the forum, and that's what they're referencing in that link you posted to the Camaro forum.

I always checked those pad pin bolts regularly a couple times a day when at the track, but I will check them before/after each session now!!

I don't remove those pins when swapping pads/padlets because they're too hard to get out (I always remove the caliper) - but when the caliper gets hot the pins can back out on their own. I'm going to red loctite mine and put some witness marks on the heads so I can tell if they're turning, so hopefully they won't ever come out again - but I'll still be checking them!!

BTW, in that picture above you might be able to make out some big gouges on the rotor. When the padlet fell out that piston pushed right up against the rotor, so both the rotor and the piston were damaged. That wouldn't have happened if I had a one piece pad in there - there's no way it could have fallen out.

Bob

95jersey

From a performance perspective the OEM calipers work very well. Their downside is not performance, but serviceability and cost effectiveness. They are difficult and cumbersome to service on a regular basis (due to the lack of removeable bridge) and they seem to eat through brake pads (even 1 piece) at a much higher rate than any other calipers I have used/seen. Unfortunately while they work well, in a matter of a couple years with all the money you spend on pads, you could buy a good set of BBK and have money left over. If I remember a set of Xp12's is like $350+ just for the front axle. I run a Wilwood BBK and the pads are $125 a set and last 3-4X's as long...do the math.

Pfadt Racing

THIS.

If you were aggressively tracking your Camaro, which would you choose...

A slightly less expensive setup that while works well for many lighter Corvettes still has the possibility of maintenance issues.

A slightly more expensive setup that from the experience of many is pretty bulletproof, and aside from a trim to the factory heat shield is a 100% complete bolt on. Keep in mind that the Camaro in question didn't come from the factory with either brake setup, so it's not a matter of making the best of a good setup that you're already equipped with.

Personally I think it's not much of a contest. There is nothing inherently wrong with the Z06 brake package on the Z06, but why spend the extra time making the Z06 brakes work on a heavier Camaro chassis when the CTS-V package is so easy and proven.

We don't really have a dog in this fight since we don't typically sell Brembo kits to Camaro owners and don't sell factory parts... we are just passing along our experience having run the OEM Z06, Stoptech and Brembo on our Z06, and both the factory and CTS-V brakes on our Camaro.

rayk

I just put on XP10/XP8 combo. I don't know how long they will last. My OEM padets had 3 track days and would have been good for 1 more.

I hope your right.........

rayk

That's a great post for my knowledge. A friend of mine is a Wilwood dealer and I'll talk him about this. He was trying to convince to go big.

rayk

I use Blue Loctite on the pins, but I will mark them to ensure I see if they are moving.

Interested in the CTS-V package. Do you have a link to more information and costs?

Thanks.

Pfadt Racing

The original poster was linking a thread where we were commenting on our experience with our Camaro, on which the CTS-V brakes are really significant upgrade. For a GS/Z06 already equipped with a pretty nice brake package a quality set of rotors and pads is going to be enough for most folks out there doing HPDE or just enjoying their cars.

If you're taking your car to the next level we would suggest a big brake kit for the Corvette. Brembo makes an excellent kit which we highly recommend, but unless you're really serious about time trial or wheel to wheel use the stock Z06 Brakes will be a great start... just make sure to check up on them before each track day.

Make sure that no one is confusing the applications when reading this thread. The Camaro and Corvette are different animals and we're hoping that fact doesn't get lost in translation. We aren't suggesting anyone who tracks their Corvette a handful of times a year tear their Z06 brakes off the car. We were originally giving our opinion on what to do for a Camaro that sees track time.

Corvee

I beleive the XP12's are the correct pad for Corvette, however they will eat into your rotors sooner. You may want to try Hawk HP plus or DTC 60/70's. I prfer Cobalts - more expensive but not as tough on the rotors.

rayk

Carbotech-Admin and KNS brakes both said to try the XP10/XP8 combo. So that's what I ordered. I tried Hawk HP Plus on Cobra brakes and wasn't impressed.

Hoping the Carbotech are good and don't eat into the rotor too fast.

Bedouin

Good tip on marking the retaining pins to show if they're backing out or not.