C6Z06/ZR1 Brake Ducts and Cooling
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C6Z06/ZR1 Brake Ducts and Cooling
I have a 09 C6Z06 and I've been having issues with cooling my stock brakes. The car weighs about 3000lbs even and makes 600whp+ (E85 H/C/I). I run hoosier slicks and I've recently moved up to the instructor group so as you can imagine the car being driven extremely hard. I just purchased four brand new ZR1 Brembo calipers. I plan on ordering the RB Two-Piece ZR1 Iron Rotors (front/rear) for next season as well as titanium caliper mounting bolts and titanium bleed screws.
I have the quantum spindle duct kit, SS brake lines and currently run the most aggressive one piece pad compound that Cobalt offers for the C6Z06. I run Motol RBF600 brake fluid but I'll be switching to the Castrol SFR next season since it has the highest wet boiling point.
-I DON'T want to eliminate the fog lights for brake ducts since I still drive the car on the street.
-I DON'T want to replace my front Z07/ZR1 splitter with something like the Katech's splitter/undertray/duct kit.
-I DON'T want to remove anymore weight out of the car or drive slower.
1. I've noticed that the ZR1s from the factory come with air deflectors mounted on the front control arms to help cool the massive Brembo/Carbon Ceramic setup. However, the front control arms on my Z06 do not have the factory mounting holes for the ZR1 air deflectors. Does anyone have an suggestions or alternatives to run this or fabricate something similar?
link:
http://static.ed.edmunds-media.com/u...mb-717x477.jpg
2. Would it be worth while to replace my Aluminum OEM ZR1 Pistons with the RB Stainless Steel ZR1 Pistons? ($624 to upgrade all 4 calipers).
link:
http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...nsive_Search=Y
3. Breathless Performance offers a front brake duct kit that has two spindle ducts for each corner. The first duct cools the rotor like most other kits and the second cools the caliper. Does anyone have any experience with this kit?
link:
http://www.breathlessperformance.com...productId=1153
4. I've been considering putting a 3" inline blower in each of the rear brake ducts after the duct from the side scoop but before the end of the duct. I'm sure that will offer a lot more airflow then the tiny side scoops by themselves. Thoughts?
link:
http://www.xplosiveperformance.com/3...FM_p_3052.html
5. How detrimental are air ducts in the grille of a track car if they're mounted off to the sides (in terms of air flow to the oil cooler and radiator)?
link:
http://www.xplosiveperformance.com/0...ct_p_3389.html
6. Where else can I mount air duct inlets on the car for the front and or the back brakes?
7. Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance for all of your input.
I have the quantum spindle duct kit, SS brake lines and currently run the most aggressive one piece pad compound that Cobalt offers for the C6Z06. I run Motol RBF600 brake fluid but I'll be switching to the Castrol SFR next season since it has the highest wet boiling point.
-I DON'T want to eliminate the fog lights for brake ducts since I still drive the car on the street.
-I DON'T want to replace my front Z07/ZR1 splitter with something like the Katech's splitter/undertray/duct kit.
-I DON'T want to remove anymore weight out of the car or drive slower.
1. I've noticed that the ZR1s from the factory come with air deflectors mounted on the front control arms to help cool the massive Brembo/Carbon Ceramic setup. However, the front control arms on my Z06 do not have the factory mounting holes for the ZR1 air deflectors. Does anyone have an suggestions or alternatives to run this or fabricate something similar?
link:
http://static.ed.edmunds-media.com/u...mb-717x477.jpg
2. Would it be worth while to replace my Aluminum OEM ZR1 Pistons with the RB Stainless Steel ZR1 Pistons? ($624 to upgrade all 4 calipers).
link:
http://www.racingbrake.com/SearchRes...nsive_Search=Y
3. Breathless Performance offers a front brake duct kit that has two spindle ducts for each corner. The first duct cools the rotor like most other kits and the second cools the caliper. Does anyone have any experience with this kit?
link:
http://www.breathlessperformance.com...productId=1153
4. I've been considering putting a 3" inline blower in each of the rear brake ducts after the duct from the side scoop but before the end of the duct. I'm sure that will offer a lot more airflow then the tiny side scoops by themselves. Thoughts?
link:
http://www.xplosiveperformance.com/3...FM_p_3052.html
5. How detrimental are air ducts in the grille of a track car if they're mounted off to the sides (in terms of air flow to the oil cooler and radiator)?
link:
http://www.xplosiveperformance.com/0...ct_p_3389.html
6. Where else can I mount air duct inlets on the car for the front and or the back brakes?
7. Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance for all of your input.
Last edited by Drazga; 01-02-2014 at 12:59 AM.
#2
Burning Brakes
#1 Wont help much at all
#2 SS Pistons do help in keeping the heat out of the brake fluid.
#3 This would be a last resort.
#4 I haven't seen rear spindle ducts on these cars before
#5. Is your ductwork inlet on the bottom of the side of the car? (Stock) Is the air dam still under the car? That inlet area will be good for what I would call a medium compound pad. Not full race but more than needed for the track.
Race pads get very hot and need a bit of air to cool them off. The stock location of the brake inlets wont provide you with the air you need. Need to move the brakes inlet to the front of the car (high pressure area's)
Fog light area or the mouth of the inlet to the radiator. It will steal some air from your radiator/coolers. If your already on the limit of water/oil temps. Id try to find out why your at your limits before moving the brake duct inlets to the front of the car.
#6. The rear ductwork is fine stock
#2 SS Pistons do help in keeping the heat out of the brake fluid.
#3 This would be a last resort.
#4 I haven't seen rear spindle ducts on these cars before
#5. Is your ductwork inlet on the bottom of the side of the car? (Stock) Is the air dam still under the car? That inlet area will be good for what I would call a medium compound pad. Not full race but more than needed for the track.
Race pads get very hot and need a bit of air to cool them off. The stock location of the brake inlets wont provide you with the air you need. Need to move the brakes inlet to the front of the car (high pressure area's)
Fog light area or the mouth of the inlet to the radiator. It will steal some air from your radiator/coolers. If your already on the limit of water/oil temps. Id try to find out why your at your limits before moving the brake duct inlets to the front of the car.
#6. The rear ductwork is fine stock
#4
Melting Slicks
If RB means Racing Brake??? DON"T EVEN THINK OF ORDERING THEM!!!!! Read!!! many posts about them. You can do what Riley and I have done and put ducts on each side of the radiator inlet and they work great. I have a post some where of how we did them. Or give me a call. Jim Dillon 772 335 8318
This was the original setup we used: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...evel-pics.html
This was the original setup we used: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...evel-pics.html
Last edited by JDIllon; 01-02-2014 at 12:08 PM.
#6
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If you are going to add front ducts I didn't have any luck picking up the air from the fog light locations.
I don't pay much attention to the wet boiling point as the fluid rarely has that much time to absorb moisture as I regularly flush the system two days before each track event. That way the fluid boiling point is at or very close to the dry boiling point.
I was having issues with the brakes boiling in my car even after adding the LG replacement ducts and the Quantum spindle ducts. After long track sessions the car would start pulling one way or the other under hard braking and when pulling into the pits with speeds less than 45 mph at times I would lose the brakes altogether. Almost ran over some guy who walked in front of me when I was driving through the garage area at 10 mph. Hit the brake and the pedal went to the floor. I modified my stock ducts to take air in from the fog lights, did not notice any improvement. Finally went back to the LG replacement and Quantum ducts, reinstalled my fog lights, went to Wilwood 600+ fluid, put some aluminum duct tape on the brake lines going to the rear of the car where they come closest to the exhaust and replaced both outside front air dams. I did the last 6 track days of this season with that set up and had no fluid boiling issues. It turns out the fog light area isn't a high pressure area so you don't get much if any increased air flow. Air dams that are new seem to create enough of a high pressure area that the stock duct intake location works pretty well. If you do a front splitter with an under tray you still use the stock intake location under the fascia.
Now the key questions. Why do you think you need more brake cooling? What is happening?
Bill
I don't pay much attention to the wet boiling point as the fluid rarely has that much time to absorb moisture as I regularly flush the system two days before each track event. That way the fluid boiling point is at or very close to the dry boiling point.
I was having issues with the brakes boiling in my car even after adding the LG replacement ducts and the Quantum spindle ducts. After long track sessions the car would start pulling one way or the other under hard braking and when pulling into the pits with speeds less than 45 mph at times I would lose the brakes altogether. Almost ran over some guy who walked in front of me when I was driving through the garage area at 10 mph. Hit the brake and the pedal went to the floor. I modified my stock ducts to take air in from the fog lights, did not notice any improvement. Finally went back to the LG replacement and Quantum ducts, reinstalled my fog lights, went to Wilwood 600+ fluid, put some aluminum duct tape on the brake lines going to the rear of the car where they come closest to the exhaust and replaced both outside front air dams. I did the last 6 track days of this season with that set up and had no fluid boiling issues. It turns out the fog light area isn't a high pressure area so you don't get much if any increased air flow. Air dams that are new seem to create enough of a high pressure area that the stock duct intake location works pretty well. If you do a front splitter with an under tray you still use the stock intake location under the fascia.
Now the key questions. Why do you think you need more brake cooling? What is happening?
Bill
#7
With all the contradicting accounts on which duct intake location provides the greatest airflow maybe someone can place an anemometer in each location to measure the airflow velocity?
#9
If I have read correctly:
You You're a very fast driver, move your original brake with sharp cobalt and slick tires? That can not work ...
Remember: Even with the big ZR1 pliers You have to cool your brake very well!!!
In particular, if you drive with sharp brake pads.
I also tested the cobalt.
These make very good braking effect, this is perfect.
But the wear is extremely large and the heat is a big problem.
We have done with Pagid Yellow in conjunction the ZR1 pliers very good experience.
Here in the white ZR1 fitted with steel rotors.
I come from four minutes with the black ZR1 and have installed:
Brembo Racing GT3 with thick logs,
these pliers and washers I can in a very sharp linings and have no problems.
You You're a very fast driver, move your original brake with sharp cobalt and slick tires? That can not work ...
Remember: Even with the big ZR1 pliers You have to cool your brake very well!!!
In particular, if you drive with sharp brake pads.
I also tested the cobalt.
These make very good braking effect, this is perfect.
But the wear is extremely large and the heat is a big problem.
We have done with Pagid Yellow in conjunction the ZR1 pliers very good experience.
Here in the white ZR1 fitted with steel rotors.
Brembo Racing GT3 with thick logs,
these pliers and washers I can in a very sharp linings and have no problems.
#10
I installed 4 inch fans in the front. (LG spindle ducts) The duct that attaches to the front intake piece is 4 inches in diameter at the front (the visable aft end blows on the rotor). Cut the forward 4 inch dia portion out to fit the fan, had to use a heat gun to get the duct over the fan housing. Then used a dryer hose to attach the fan to the intake duct.
#11
Drifting
I installed 4 inch fans in the front. (LG spindle ducts) The duct that attaches to the front intake piece is 4 inches in diameter at the front (the visable aft end blows on the rotor). Cut the forward 4 inch dia portion out to fit the fan, had to use a heat gun to get the duct over the fan housing. Then used a dryer hose to attach the fan to the intake duct.
Thinking of adding a second set of ducts with fans to blow on the caliper area like Breathless Performance, as my current spindle ducts only cool the inside and middle of the rotor via foglight openings.
#12
Assuming you are doing HPDE track days or 30 minute sprint races I would just go with Castrol SRF or AP PRF660 and be done. Would also recommend the carbon ceramic discs since you already bought the calipers and drive your car on the street. I put 7,000 track miles on my ZR1 without issue and it is bone stock by the way.
The opposite end of the spectrum is like on my NASCAR cup car where I have three 3" ducts with two blowers and one free air with carbon fiber spindle ducts to each wheel, AP CP5842 6 titanium piston calipers, F2 compound pads for about $25k
I haven't had an issue with either setup and I think both work...
My suggestion is quit modifying your car and buy track time.....then when you get fast, get a purpose built race car.
Ian
The opposite end of the spectrum is like on my NASCAR cup car where I have three 3" ducts with two blowers and one free air with carbon fiber spindle ducts to each wheel, AP CP5842 6 titanium piston calipers, F2 compound pads for about $25k
I haven't had an issue with either setup and I think both work...
My suggestion is quit modifying your car and buy track time.....then when you get fast, get a purpose built race car.
Ian
#13
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As I said I didn't have much luck running fog light ducts. Then while at Carlisle I was talking to one of the Corvette aero design engineers about the C7 ducting Vs C6 ducting and what I had done to modify my car. He told me the fog light locations on both cars are in low pressure areas where the air goes by them Vs into them. He said the best high pressure location for the front intake ducts is in the grille which is where they are located on the C7.
By the way I have a set of hand made ducts with pictures showing how to mount them in place of the fog lights. If somebody wants to try them give me $50 plus shipping and they are yours. Spindle ducts and hoses to them aren't included.
I am attaching some pictures as they are installed on the car. Top picture shows final configuration with some 3 inch round aluminum tube I added so I could get a smoother connection into the stock duct. The stock inlet under the fascia is still connected.
Bill
By the way I have a set of hand made ducts with pictures showing how to mount them in place of the fog lights. If somebody wants to try them give me $50 plus shipping and they are yours. Spindle ducts and hoses to them aren't included.
I am attaching some pictures as they are installed on the car. Top picture shows final configuration with some 3 inch round aluminum tube I added so I could get a smoother connection into the stock duct. The stock inlet under the fascia is still connected.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; 01-05-2014 at 10:54 AM.