Joy c7

Just make sure you do the brake in, and you can sell your OEMs to the track guys.

L1FRDOG

Plan to Keep the OEMS for when I go to the track

Kracka

My front set of Z26 pads is scheduled to arrive today! The rears are already sitting on my garage shelf. I know guys were having trouble finding them a few months back, but supply seems to be plentiful now. The best deal I found was from RockAuto with their 5% discount code (if anyone cares). I'm hoping to have them installed along with the revised Z51 rotors within the next few weeks.

cor66vette

Thanks to the members who participated in this thread, and special thanks to Strake and L1FRDOG for their good info via PM.

I ordered a set from AMAZON and they should arrive tomorrow, Saturday. From EVERYTHING I've read, and from whatever research I've done and from the numerous POSITIVE PRODUCT REVIEWS I've read, there is absolutely no reason to spend three times the amount for the "other" brake pads. Part of me didn't want to change out perfectly good pads after only 3k miles, but I can't deal with the brake dust anymore. This, I consider necessary.

Strake

Hardest part of the entire job for ME, was lifting the monster big HEAVY back wheel/tires back onto the car.... that's what I get for being older than used to be, and having a bad back

My reasons for my choice of brands, and wanting to swap out new brake pads, is EXACTLY the same as your reasons !

Z51 John

Order just placed with summit racing.

Amazon was $15 cheaper going to call them to match.

Z51

Z26-1474A fronts
Z26-1718 rears

Citation

Last year I did two days of HPDE with my Z51. Watkins Glen is notoriously hard on brakes, and sure enough after the second track day my rotors were warped. Fortunately I my car was one of the last made with the early design rotors, and the bulletin allowed warranty coverage so I got all new brakes and rotors on GM. That was end of the driving season, the car was put away for winter.

I plan to do at least six days of HPDE this year, so one way or another I'm sure the brakes and rotors will be gone. After reading this thread I'm sold on the Z26 pads for the street, but not sure how they will do on track days in terms of pad transfer and the rotors. I called Power Stop directly and got the part numbers for the Z26 street pads, and Power Stop Track Day pads. The woman I talked to was quite knowledgeable, and explained why the Track Day pads would be better in both life and stopping at track temperatures. She also explained that their brake rotors come in two materials for the Corvette, and that the more expensive high carbon rotors would definitely last longer.

Here are the part number options for the Z51 brakes. These are the late 2016 design rotors, and can be used on the earlier cars as well. Prices shown here are at Summit Racing:

Z26-1474A front pads $69.97
Z26-1718 rear pads $61.97
K6523-26 kit with pads and standard rotors $464.97


PST-1001 front pads track use $129.97
PST-1718 rear pads track use $79.97
TDK-6523 kit with track pads and high carbon rotors $704.97

TDPK-6523 kit with street pads, track pads, and high carbon rotors $824.97

Some more searching with Google found the TPDK-6523 kit (two complete sets of pads and high carbon rotors) for $697 + $65 shipping at Rock Auto. For that price I ordered the complete kit. I'll have track pads for those days, and can easily swap them out for Z26 on the street. I'll use these high carbon rotors from Power Stop, and put the OEM brakes/rotors on the shelf for the future.

Jmcdude

Yep, those are the right numbers for the pads. I don't track my Z51, at least not yet so I can't vouch for track performance. On the street they are great. Best thing I did for myself as I don't have clean the wheels every damn day. Smart move

C7s

I have used them on track and they perform well. Only negative is they wear fast with track use. I have about 50% pad left after 3 track days.

L1FRDOG

I have Chrome Wheels on 2017 Grand Sport. I ran the stock Brembo pads for 180 miles, or until the Power Stop's arrived. I had to clean Brake Dust every 40 miles or so. The stock pads dusted so much.


I put on the PowerStop Z26's on all four corners and at the same time had my Wheels, barrels, and Calipers treated with Ceramic Pro 9H and Ceramic Pro Lite (Gloss). I now have 890 miles and have cleaned the wheels 2 times and each time there has been so little dust. I just clean to bring the shine up all the way.


- The Pads run clean
- The Pads stop the car just fine
- The pads cost less than $120


There is an awful lot of my brake pad manufacturer is better than yours here. USA made vs not ... I'm very happy to support US made, but when I have two products that perform the same function and there is a cost difference of close to 400% I am forced to make a choice. For the street... the cheaper/low dust seems to be the best option. For the track... I would never use Z26 low dust anything. I can spend the money and the 15 minutes to swap into a track pad and pay for top quality / performance when it is a TOP PRIORITY.


Beyond that I continuously see two manufactures on here and get emails from one almost twice per day. Why don't you both stop "Telling me" yours are better, and do a video demonstrating your product in action?


YouTube video...
- Stock Brembo 60-0 stopping distance
- Carbotech 1521 60-0 stopping distance
- Power Stop Z26 60-0 Stopping distance


- throw in a 150 mile driving loop with one side Carbotech and one side Powerstop and show Dusting levels.


- after those tests provide data about how the composition of one pad damaged the rotor more or less...


You could probably do the video in a single day. Heck if you want to send me pads I'll do the video myself! Just stop telling me in emails everyday why your pad is the best, show absolutely no proof, and then get aggressive every time someone says they had better luck with your competitions product.



As far as my Brembos go... They go back on for track days...

L1FRDOG

gve

I did the test with Carbotech pads on one side of my car and Powerstop on the otherside to test the brake dust here is the link.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ight=Powerstop

I also have over 10,000 miles on the Powerstop pads and can still see some sanding scratches in the rotors, so their not hard on the rotors.

robert miller

Same here a ton of less dust on the rims.. Robert

L1FRDOG

gve - Appreciate the feedback, and sorry I'd not mentioned earlier, but I am very familiar with your thread, and it was perhaps the one that sealed the deal for me.


And I seem to recall that Carbotech seemed particularly indignant about how unscientific if it was. I believe you even encouraged him to provide some real performance data/hard evidence which never materialized.


I was simply reissuing that challenge. Did briefly think about
"testing the Powerstops vs Brembo's but for one I was impatient and really couldn't wait for the brake dust to be cut, two my Xpel and Ceramic Pro was the next day, and most of all I EXPECT the Brembos to be just plain BETTER but with Much more dust... Hence why I am willing to use when 1-2 foot of stopping distance could be really important.


The real challenge in which I am not willing to drop $460 for pads just to confirm a hunch. When I can spend $360 and get 3 more sets of pads and then get a nice $100 steak at Ruth's Chris.


L1FRDOG

iclick

I installed my Z26 pads yesterday and submitted a short report here (Reply #27), in case it might help anyone doing a DIY job on a GS/Z06. I've only performed the break-in plus a few cool-down miles, so I can't make any performance or dust judgments at this time.

L1FRDOG

iclick - Report was great. I too ran up against that pesky bolt on the front brakes, but a quick google search knocked it out in a few minutes. Only other lesson I took away from other posts was to skip the mini packet powerstop supplied of the brake grease, and just hit pep boys for a 10 dollar tub with brush of high end brake grease. made it so much easier.


the actual pad change probably took 3 minutes, while it was closer to 15 mins total per wheel (jacking, cleaning, and torqueing the lugs).


I look forward to hearing your experience with the reduced dust. I just went out and cleaning is SOOoooo much easier than I was accustomed to.


L1FRDOG

iclick

Man, it took me two hours total, but I wasn't in any hurry and I was slowed by those small curve *****. Next time I could do it quicker, for sure.

I'm looking forward to cleaning the wheels when I wash the car, like I did with my 2015 non-Z51 Stingray, not clean the wheels six times for every time I wash the car. It didn't take me long to realize that I didn't want to endure that PITA as often as it was going to require.

Did you have to remove the wear indicator tab for the inner-right pad to fit? I can't figure out why the left fit but the right didn't.

L1FRDOG

I did not have to remove any tabs... I seem to recall I accidently put two pads with no wear indicator on one wheel and when I was working on the other wheel found that one pad would go in with no issues, but the second pad would not. I had to go back and fix the first wheel. then no issues after that.


L1FRDOG

RaceMic

I just ordered from Amazon. 90 bucks with tax and free shipping. Note: I used to own an under car shop and am an ASE certified brake tech. I actually prefer rubberized steel over stainless shims for noise reasons, so I opted for the Z23. $40 less for the exact same pads where the only difference is the shim material.

TRS88

Just purchased and installed mine last week! Haven't had the chance to drive it yet, but super excited for the less dust. It was all do to this thread and a few others. Glad I came across this before I went with the carbotechs, I dodged a bullet in more ways then one after reading everything on here.

L1FRDOG

TRS88 and RaceMic you won't be disappointed!