Charley Hoyt

I have the standard Z51 brakes on my car and I am wondering if changing to SS brake pistons would be a big improvement? Or is it worth saving my money and eventually investing in a brake upgrade?

John Shiels

decent improvement for the price from DRM

gkmccready

Check out Randy@DRM's YouTube video and I think you'll convince yourself the pistons make a big difference...

Charley Hoyt

I watched that yesterday and it looks very impressive...Looking to get imput from people that have some track experince with them. It looks like an easy (but very messy) upgrade.

John Shiels

The thermal conductivity - k - for some typical materials: .

Polypropylene PP - 0.12 W/mK
Stainless steel - 21 W/mK
Aluminum - 221 W/mK

0Randy@DRM

We have been using Stainless Pistons for almost 35 years in stock calipers. They are hard to beat in terms of reliability and robustness at the track.

Customers that have had issues with boiling brake fluid, melting inner seals and scoring with the aluminum pistons have found the SS pistons to be a worth while investment!

The C6 Z51 uses the C5 pistons.

Randy

Charley Hoyt

Thanks Randy. It looks like it would be a good investment. I am trying to decide between upgrading my current brakes, upgrading to C6 Z06 brakes, or getting a big brake kit.

Hercules Rockefeller

6Al4V titanium - 6.7 W/mK. The ultimate brake piston material. Randy, any chance you will be whipping up some titanium pistons?

2000BSME

Something about the law of diminishing returns comes to mind.

waddisme

Maybe BPP will make you a package deal with their titanium lug nuts

rustyguns

yes

YYZ06

My understanding is that thermal conductivity goes both ways. Takes longer to heat up but once hot, longer to cool down. Could there there be an issue with damaging/melting the seals from the cumulative effect of running HPDE say, half hour on and half hour off?

I'm considering the DRM "Short Stop" kit (SS lines, SS pistons & rebuild kit, brake ducts) with Quantum spindle ducts for my new C5 Z06. I'd buy the ducting and SS brake lines anyway but I don't have any previous experience with SS caliper pistons.

rasrboy

Before we could upgrade to bigger brakes in SCCA T1 class, we were allowed to change to SS on our stock calipers.

Huge difference and worth every penny.

Call Randy at DRM (Post above) thats where most of us bought ours and you cant beat the customer service.

Aaron

yakisoba

BUT if you want to cook in your brake pistons, use the stock ones...

ssdeuce

I just bought these along with DRM's oil cooler. I plan on putting the caliper pistons in Friday.

johninar

A word of warning.

I got the DRM pistons for my Z06 and they were everything that has been said about them.
BUT the "Mod Monster" took over 1 month later and "made" me buy 6 piston Wilwoods!

Just say'in.

redvetracr

35 yrs ago, does that mean Doug used them in the C-3 cast iron caliper? and did they work better than the GM J-56 insulated pistons?

0Randy@DRM

Yes he used them way back then. Yes they worked better then the J-56 stuff. Funny part about it all, after 20 years in the basement. The car still had a brake pedal. Of course they came apart to be rebuilt, they looked pretty damn good From my understanding everyone was running them back then.

Randy

0Randy@DRM

This is very true. The Stainless does take longer to cool down. We have been using them in HPDE type settings for a long time now. Not one problem with burning out seals earlier. I think having the piston is in the caliper-fluid and next to really hot things would even out the cool down.

I have video of the cool down also, but didn't want customers to sleep like high school economics vidoes

Randy

BEZ06

Hey Randy

I checked your site and see the pistons, but where do I get new seals/gaskets???

At the track a week ago I had a pad pin bolt back out (stock C6 Z06 calipers). A padlet fell out and the piston behind that one padlet extended out and ground down on the rotor (gouged the rotor as well!).

I need a set of your pistons, but I also need new seals.

Like johninar said, the mod bug may "make" me get some good aftermarket calipers, but for the meanwhile I want to rebuild my OE ones.

TIA,

Bob