When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Official Essex Designed AP Racing Brake Wheel Fitment and Picture Thread!
Essex has been providing Corvette enthusiasts with complete AP Racing Brake solutions for about five years now, so it's hard to comprehend that we (or one of our customers) haven't yet created a thread like this one! When considering new wheels or one of our brake systems, one of the very first questions our customers ask is, "Will they fit behind my wheels?" I'd like this thread to be a resource for our customers to share wheel fitment data as it's related to our big brake kits. We have similar threads on other forums, and our customers have found them extremely helpful. Good karma, pay it forward, or whatever you'd like to call it…If you guys are willing to spare a few minutes to post some information about your own wheels and brakes, you're going to save many of your peers a whole bunch of time and effort!
Below is the complete list of brake kits that we've offered for the C5, C6, and C7 Corvette, along with their year of introduction and part number. If you can't remember or find your receipt, you can use this as a reference guide to determine which brake kit you have on your car. The part numbers are hyperlinked to each kit on our website. If you have one of our front Radi-CAL kits, the easy way to distinguish between the two front caliper options is that the CP9660 uses an 18mm pad, while the CP9668 uses the big 'ole 25mm thick pad.
C5 Corvette (1997-2004) Essex Designed AP Racing Competition Brake Kits:
Once you've determined which kit you have on your car, please post your data in the format below.
Example
Here's an example of what the above would look like using the data provided to me by one of our C7Z06 customers:
Year, model, trim: 2017 Z06
Front BBK: Front CP9668/372mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10035
Front Wheel: Forgeline GA1R 18x11 +44, no spacer
Rear BBK: Rear CP9450/365mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2017, part#13.01.10049
Rear Wheel: Forgeline GA1R 18x13 +62, no spacer
Feedback: My brake kit has helped me shave half a second from my best lap times, the discs last two seasons, and I no longer have to bleed my brakes between every session at the track. Customer service from Essex has been great, and I'm extremely pleased with how much time and money my brake kit has saved me!
We'll make it even easier for you...
Just copy and paste the template below and fill in the blanks:
Year, model, trim:
Front BBK:
Front Wheel:
Rear BBK:
Rear Wheel:
Feedback:
Thank you so much taking a few minutes to help us! Customer feedback is incredibly important to us, and this information will help us continually improve our products and services. It will also make your peers lives here in the Corvette Community much easier when choosing their next brake system or set of track wheels!
Last edited by JRitt@essex; 05-03-2019 at 08:09 AM.
Reason: Added 390mm C7 fitment
So how do I actually check wheel fitment if I'm considering one of your kits?
For those of you considering one of our brake kits, we offer downloadable fitment templates for every competition kit we offer. When you're looking at a specific kit on our website, there's a tab below the blue "Add to Cart" button labeled "Wheel Fitment & Installation" (I have it circled red in the picture below). Click on that black box, it will turn red, and you'll see a blue hyperlink to the "Wheel Fitment Template." When you print the template, just check one of the dimensions on the paper with a ruler to ensure that it printed to scale (printers love to resize things). Cut it out, place it in the wheel, and you'll know if it will clear or approximately how big of a spacer you would need. Pro tip: if you want to make checking the template even easier, glue it to a piece of cardboard before cutting it out!
Last edited by JRitt@essex; 06-22-2017 at 10:47 AM.
Year, model, trim: 2015 Z06
Front BBK: Front CP9668/372mm Radi-CAL, Part # 13.01.10035
Front Wheel: CCW C10 18x11 recommended offset for C6Z don't know actual number, no spacer.
Rear BBK: Rear CP9450/365mm Radi-CAL, part#13.01.10049
Rear Wheel: CCW C10 18x13 recommended offset for C6Z don't know actual number, spacer used to clear wheel away from Upper Control Arm when suspension is at full droop due to 13 inch width.
The brakes work. They slow the car time after time no fuss, no muss. I have these to replace the stock ceramic brakes which worked fine but the replacement cost for rotors and pads was far too high for as often as they had to be replaced. From what I can see now the AP kits will last longer than the ceramics with half or less than half of the replacement costs. My stock front rotors made it through 13 track days before reaching thickness and weight minimums and I went through 3 sets of pads. The AP front kit has gone through 12 track days with one set of pads (experimented with another compound for 4 days) and the rotors still look good with the pads having lots of wear left. Any extra days I get from now on are gravy compared to the stock setup. Rear kit has 6 track days on it and the rotors are fine while the pads are about 40% worn. This kit is priced less to purchase than the price to replace the stock rear ceramic brakes and pads.
Here are some pictures showing how the CCW wheels fit the AP brakes:
Front 18x11 C10 wheel:
Rear 18x13 C10 wheel:
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; 06-28-2017 at 02:22 PM.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (track prepared)
C3 of Year Winner (track prepared) 2019
My car is in the information posted above but I will say this, on track and in a time trial format, I am able to catch much faster cars in the braking zones with the AP racing f/r kit on my car. I've raced in the Optima Ultimate Street Car series with/against cars like Mike DuSuld's Pro-touring Camaro, Ken Thwaits's Evo, Jeremy Swenson's ZR1, and when I watch the PDR playback, I see myself gain ground on them in nearly every braking zone. As soon as we hit a straight, they all pull away from my apparently under-powered Z06 but the brakes are fantastic. I did swap to Performance Friction pads and am now very happy!
Year, model, trim: 2007 Z06
Front BBK: Front CP9660/372mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10029
Front Wheel: OEM "split spoke"
Rear BBK: OEM
Rear Wheel: OEM
Clearances: The clearances on the 372mm front kit and stock wheels are very slim -- as small as 1.5-2mm in some spots on my car. I threw on a 10mm spacer as a matter of curiosity, but given the wheel shape at the close point it made no notable difference. Despite the closeness, I've never had enough flex in anything to cause contact. Wheel weights, however, were a different matter entirely. One of my wheels had 1/4oz stick-on wheel weights which needed to be removed and reoriented 90* in order to clear the calipers. 1/8oz weights do not (yet) appear to pose such an issue. Going forward (with these wheels at least) I'll need to carefully watch at tire shops to ensure I won't encounter issues.
Functionality: To say they're a *HUGE* improvement over stock is a gross under-statement. The stock calipers and rotors with XP10 pads had *NO* problem boiling freshly flushed ATE 200 brake fluid about half-way through a 25-min HPDE session (80*F ambient temps). Sans ducting, the caliper temps of the AP kit (DS1.11 pads) were under 149*C/300*F with rotor temps between 800*C and 920*C while also running harder, faster, and quicker in 95*F ambient temps. I have added spindle ducts and inlet ducting to the front splitter in order to get the rotor/pad temps down below 700*C (the top of the published ideal range for DS1.11 pads) but I have not yet been back to the track to collect updated temp data.
Overall: The confidence boost alone made this brake setup money well spent, but it is also already abundantly clear that the long-term consumable/operating cost is going to be VASTLY lower with the kit (vs stock) given the reductions in component wear I've observed so far.
Year, model, trim: 2006 LS2 Base Coupe 445rwhp Front BBK: Front CP9660/355mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10025 Front Wheel: CCW 18x10 MOTORSPORT C14 7.75BS (+57 mm offset) BRUSHED BLACK, no spacers Rear BBK: Rear Endurance (CP5040/340mm), introduced 2014, part#13.01.10014 Rear Wheel: CCW 18x11 MOTORSPORT C14 9.25BS (+83mm offset) BRUSHED BLACK, no spacers Feedback: I ran the Hardbar CP8350/325mm kit for years. After upgrading to the Radi-CALs and I am seeing more than twice the life on the pads and rotors. The heat capacity of this system must keep the peak temps much lower. You can literally install this system, bleed it and not touch it until the pads need changing or the fluid gets old. Pad taper is extremely low. Pedal feel is consistent lap after lap, day after day. And if you ever heard how much rotor rattle the Hardbar setup had, you can be assured that these rotors are dead quiet with the spring clips.
Front
Rear
Last edited by naschmitz; 06-23-2017 at 08:55 AM.
Reason: No spacers note added
Year, model, trim: 1999 C5 GT2/ST2/TA3 race car
Front BBK: Front CP9660/355mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10025
Front Wheel: Forgestar 18x11, 7.75" backspace no spacers
Rear BBK: Rear Endurance (CP5040/340mm), introduced 2014, part#13.01.10014
Rear Wheel: Forgestar 18x12, 7.875" backspace, no spacers
Feedback: These brakes were one of the biggest performance gains I've made on this car. Since the corvettes are restricted to equal or less power than other cars, winning races comes down to braking and corner entry. That requires excellent and consistent brakes. My current pad choice is the Ferodo DS1.11 which are less aggressive and easy to modulate vs. Hawks. The pads and rotors last a lot longer than other systems due to the superior cooling capacity of the AP rotors.
Year, model, trim: 2001 C5 ZO6
Front BBK: Front CP9660/355mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10024
Front Wheel: OEM Speedline, 18x10.5, no spacers
Rear BBK: OEM
Rear Wheel: OEM Speedline, 18x10.5, no spacers
Feedback: I installed the kit a few months ago, but have yet to run it on the track. First track day is next Friday, so I'll edit this post later with real-world results. Installation was very simple, and you could immediately feel the difference in caliper flex (or, lack of...). Everything is very well built and high quality. Pedal is incredibly firm and response with the Radi-CAL calipers and Ferodo DS1.11's is fantastic. If there is one word I could attach to this setup, it would be CONFIDENCE.
Feedback: I installed the kit a few months ago, but have yet to run it on the track. First track day is next Friday, so I'll edit this post later with real-world results. Installation was very simple, and you could immediately feel the difference in caliper flex (or, lack of...). Everything is very well built and high quality. Pedal is incredibly firm and response with the Radi-CAL calipers and Ferodo DS1.11's is fantastic. If there is one word I could attach to this setup, it would be CONFIDENCE.
Thanks so much for taking the time to provide info and feedback! You are going to LOVE how your new brake kit translates to confidence on track. You'll see that theme come up repeatedly as this thread grows. It's something that we hear over, and over, and over again from our customers. You'll be able to push your braking points deeper and deeper, and I think you're going to have a lot of fun doing so!
Thanks to you other gentleman for the wheel info and positive feedback as well. I look forward to seeing more of you check in!
Last edited by JRitt@essex; 06-23-2017 at 10:02 AM.
Year, model, trim: 2015 Z06
Front BBK: Front CP9668/372mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10035
Front Wheel: Finspeed F110 18x11
Feedback: Prior to the BBK upgrade, I left so much on the table, always worrying that my brakes would let me down. It took a lot of the fun out of HPDE - just the constant worrying. Now the brakes are the absolute last thing I concern myself. I thrash the brake pedal, pushing these things hard (in my own mind) and they never show even the slightest sign of being pushed. Extremely happy with these things, they are amazing.
Year, model, trim: 2015 Z06
Front BBK: Front CP9668/372mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10035
Front Wheel: Finspeed F110 18x11 (don't have the offsets)
Rear BBK: Rear CP9450/365mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2017, part#13.01.10049
Rear wheel: CCW C10 18x12 offset 38, backspace 8.6". I've also run Finspeed F110 18x13.
Feedback: I wish I could find my original feedback but as one of the first to run this kit on a C7Z I took it as a torture test and tried to get them to give out. I went from being a moderately hard braker to braking as hard and as late as possible lap after lap to see if I could get them to fade - they never did and now I routinely catch faster cars under braking. Even on a car as heavy as the C7 Z06 there is never worry about the brakes not being there at the end of the straights. When I sold my 2015 C7Z I took the AP Racing brakes off the car and they are going on my 2017 Z07 before it ever sees the track.
Yesterday I received the data and feedback below from our friend Felex at AVGuns.com. He asked me to share for him since he doesn't post on the forums very often.
Year, model, trim: 2015 Z06/Z07
Front BBK: Front CP9668/372mm Radi-CAL, introduced 2015, part#13.01.10035
Front Wheel:OEM 19x11 and CCW 18x11 custom offset
Rear BBK: OEM, but adding rears next month
Rear Wheel:OEM 20x12 and CCW 18x13.5 custom offset
Feedback:
We have purchase this kit a while back when they 1st came out. If this kit was available when we 1st purchase the car we would have never order the 07 ceramic brake option. When you are tracking your car hard and often it’s a simple choice when it come to your brake set up.
ESSEX / AP Racing Is the only way to go in our opinion. WHY?? Its real simple. (1) Superior performance and reliability under hardest track days conditions. (2) Cost. When you get tired of spending hundreds of dollars on front pads that will only last for short time at fast tracks like Daytona and technical tracks like Sebring (We did!!) then Essex is the BEST and the only choice. When you consider the cost of new GM carbon ceramic rotors, even at best discount it’s just no-brainer!! We have chosen to spend few more dollars on the 25mm brakes as per Jeff suggestion and it was way way worth it! We do flip them over after each track event to keep them even.
Installation:
Simple and straight forward. Yes, if you have the knowledge you can do it yourself or choose good performance shop near you to do the job. All parts are direct factory replacement bolt on.
SS lines in some cases, like ours proven to be challenging do to GMs fittings. ESSEX / AP Racing Lines them self are at the highest quality.
Wheels fitment:
We ran 3 deferent set with absolutely no problems. Factory 19x10 and 20x12. CCW 18x11 and 18x13 (13.5) 1st set off CCW came off of the 2010 ZR1 and need ¼ spacers on the rear.
The second set (black) Jon at CCW made for us last year and we were some of the 1st people to get it, they fit like a glove. Just wish Michelin offer a wider tires for the our set up.
Summary :
Buy with confidence as you simply can’t go wrong with ESSEX / AP Racing products kits.
But is not just the great kits, its Jeff and the rest of the team at ESSEX / AP Racing who makes all the difference! This guy TRULY care about YOU and what they sell! They do have YOUR best interest in mind when you dealing with them and they are a well of knowledge with years of experience in the field.
We hope to see you all at Daytona in few more month. PDG and Audi Club 3 day evens with our new set up. 2015 Z06-Z07 390 CI LME Stoker. F1 Prochager. D3 Secondary FI with LME Billeted intake. D3 Experimental twin oil coolers and more! Stay Tuned!
2007 Zo6
I have the cp9660/372mm disc on the front, which does fit inside the oem wheel, no spacers needed. Incredible brakes, great customer service, if you are in the process of deciding which brand to go with your research should end with Ap racing brakes/essex all the way. This comes from somebody who only runs Watkins Glen 4 times a year with trackmasters. The car only goes to the track four times a year, one of the best upgrades you can make to your car. You dont need more horsepower,you need better brakes.
Year, model, trim: 2004 C5 Z06
Front BBK: Front CP8350/325mm= 13.01.10007
Front Wheel:OEM 18X10.5
Rear OEM with stoptech cryo rotors
Rear OEM 18x10.5
Feedback:
This was a great investment for me. I bought the sprint kit and just did the fronts. I left the rears as OEM calipers. The installation was well documented and the torch specs spot on. No leeks at all after install. The support from Jeff Ritter and Essex was also top notch. My only regret is I did not have the money to also do the rears. That would be a solid setup for me.
A few years ago I purchased the C5 Front Endurance (CP5060/355mm), introduced 2013, part#13.01.10011.
I completely agree with the statement above with regards to "Buy with confidence". The one thing I am more pleased with than that is, now I "Brake with confidence". That is worth it to me at any price.
The fact that I use the same brake manufacture as the Corvette Team is just...
Year, model, trim: 2007 Z06
Front BBK: Front Endurance (CP5060/355mm), introduced 2013, part#13.01.10012
Front Wheel: Stock Comp Gray Z06
Rear BBK: Stock Z06
Rear Wheel: Stock Comp Gray Z06
Feedback: I bought my kit after cooking my stock brakes. They were probably ok, BUT probably doesn't cut it with brakes. Instructions were spot on and installation was a breeze for my first performance upgrade. Echoing above comments, CONFIDENCE! I'm finding on my old braking points having to let up so now just more set time to go deeper into the corners. Also a shout out to Jeff and the staff at AP, the made ordering easy and even dealt with a few dumb questions on my part! Great product and great service! Photos to follow - thought they were on this computer, but guess not.
Year, model, trim: 2002 C5 Z06
Front BBK: AP Racing Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kit (Front CP9660/372mm), Part#13.01.10028
Front Wheel: OEM Speedline, 18x10.5, no spacers
Rear BBK: OEM
Rear Wheel:OEM Speedline, 18x10.5, no spacers
Feedback: After upgrading to this brake kit, all my braking issues where gone. The pedal is always firm and there is no fading whatsoever in my sessions. I can confidently late-brake at every corner at Sebring and at Homestead without diminishing braking performance. I can enjoy a weekend at the track without worrying about cracking rotors and without having the need to check my pads at every session, or juggle pads around the car to try to even the wear. I did go with a 372MM disc which is larger than the 355MM option. With this setup you never lack stopping power. You do not need to put too much pressure on the pedal to get the most out of the brakes and you can confidently brake later than even some cup cars. Nonetheless, it does become difficult to modulate if you are trail braking. My suggestion would be that for this kit, stick to the 355MM discs. Keep in mind that I do not run slicks on my car (I run NT-01s). I've run the DSUNO pads all around with this brake kit and have only praises for them as well. There are many out there suggesting that you run a less grippy compound in the back, but my best experience has been to run the same compound front and back, and this has worked particularly well with the DSUNOs. Jeff and his team at Essex have always provided great service and have been very accommodating to my needs and questions.
ABOUT FITMENT WITH 18" OEM REARS AT THE FRONT - With the 372MM discs I have about 1.9MM space between the wheel barrel and the caliper. I've never had any rubbing. I do have to reallocate balancing weights to the outside of the wheel but that is not an issue for me since my vette is a dedicated track car.
The brakes clear either set of wheels. I initially had the 18x12s up front but the camber kit that I recently installed pushed the hubs ou too far and the car rubbed with the lower backspacing. Flipped the wheels and now it doesn't rub. Kinda goofy but it works.
Front BBK: P Racing Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kit (Front CP9660/372mm), Part No 13.01.10029
Rear: OEM (Radi-CAL on order though, will update when it's on)
Feedback: I've put 5 HPDEs on this brake kit so far, and they've been reliable every event. Pad swapping is much easier/faster vs OEM. I've run at Putnam Park (IN) and Blackhawk Farms (IL) with this kit, but the last outing at Blackhawk is the first time I've been driving at a pace where I'm starting to put the brakes to proper use. Unfortunately, I left the AH on for the day and went through a substantial amount of pad. Despite my idiocy, I experienced zero fade and zero brake boiling on a track that is notoriously hard on brakes and the car still held up well throughout the day. Rotors still look great. So happy with the fronts that I ordered a kit for the rear.
Regarding the design of the components - my background is in aerospace mechanical and hydromechanical design, primarily in high pressure fueldraulic/hydraulic engine systems. This is one of the few calipers that I've looked at and have been satisfied with the design and build quality. There's minimal excess material or features, and it's evident in the weight and stiffness/performance of the system.
Last edited by circuswings; 07-10-2017 at 09:24 AM.
Year, model, trim: 2003 Z06
Front BBK: Front CP5060/355mm Endurance, introduced 2013, part#13.01.10011
Front Wheel: OEM Speedline Z06 Rear wheel on street 18x10.5 +58, no spacer & TSW Nurburgring 18x10.5 +65, no spacer for track.
Rear BBK: Rear Stock
Rear Wheel: OEM Speedline Z06 Rear wheel on street 18x10.5 +58, no spacer & TSW Nurburgring 18x10.5 +65, no spacer for track.
Feedback: This shouldn't be surprising but the performance over stock brakes is night and day. I had ducting, pads fluid lines etc on the stockers, but the AP kit, with just the fronts is wonderful. Stiff consistent pedal throughout the entire day, much better pad and rotor wear, and there is more performance on the table than my tires are capable of at this point. Easy bleeding, maintenance, pad changes and many pad choices I went from a great car that had a big issue with brake performance, to a great car period. Only thing I would advise is if you have wheel weights of any sort ( ie street wheels), be sure they are not in line with the caliper. There is clearance, but I had a wheel weight become loose and collide with the caliper and wheel on my street setup. Left a gouge and dent in the wheel barrel, but can't see any damage to the caliper other than a scratch.
OEM 18" Speedlines
Should have double checked the weight placement...
06-22-2017, 10:39 AM
Official Essex Designed AP Racing Brake Wheel Fitment and Picture Thread!
I went from a great car that had a big issue with brake performance, to a great car period. Only thing I would advise is if you have wheel weights of any sort ( ie street wheels), be sure they are not in line with the caliper. There is clearance, but I had a wheel weight become loose and collide with the caliper and wheel on my street setup. Left a gouge and dent in the wheel barrel, but can't see any damage to the caliper other than a scratch. 
