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Hello Guys,
Yesterday, I went to calabogie, and it has been the 4th time I had a disk crack on me and ruin my day at the track. For budget reasons, I had to limit the amount of events I could go to, and I am seriously fed up wasting the very little amount of events I can participate with the **** factory brakes on my C5.
I currenly run cheap blanks as many have suggested here. I could bring spares on the track, but for space and weight reasons, I am already completely full when going at tracks that are quite far from my home with camping stuff and tools.
My current setup is a 2002 z06 with stainless brakes lines, PFC11 brake pads (I really love this compound), very heavy Cray Scorpio wheels with Michelin PS4S on them (I have a new set of chinese replica Z06 wheels awaiting to replace these).
I will be looking at a front BBK for next summer as I can't afford any of the expensive corvette-tax kits right now.
I have about 35-40 hours of on-track experience on the last 2 seasons on 3 different tracks. For the last 15 hours, my problem has been boiling brake fluid and cracking disks. Right now, I can't enjoy the car because I have to be easy on the brakes or I get a soft pedal within the first 3-4 minutes on the first session, and that is even with castrol srf racing fluid.
My experience with using street stuff on the track is that while it appears to be cheaper, the parts have such a short lifespan that it's just not worth it. I am reaching a point where I will crack a brand new blank on the 2nd session of a day. The cheapest ones I have found here cost around 75$, and at 6 sessions a day, that means cracking at least 3 of them, and possibly the same one twice. I just can't start carrying 12 disks at every events in case I crack the same multiple time, and I certainly don't feel like having close to 1000$ of spares at all time at home for track events.
As far as I can read here, the rear stock calipers are fine and can be kept for a while, the money should be spend at the front. Since I am limited for money right now, I would like to retain the rear factory calipers so I can swap to cheap disks and pads for the street.
Do you guys have any suggestion for a real track-oriented disk that will last? My priority are not more stopping power, but reduced long-term costs and reliability as I just want to have more seat time. I would prefer a 2 piece disk that I could replace the rings myself.
If that matters, I live in Canada. Part availability would be a plus.
What is your brake setup? Especially on pad material?
Originally Posted by KNSBrakes
Hey
Please ask around about the KNS rotors made by DBA. They are surviving track days much better at a very reasonable premium.
I also have 2 piece discs made by DBA as well that are very durable.
They will be a pain to ship to Canada for sure.
Ken
I live fairly close to the border. At worse, I can have them shipped to the border and get them from there.
I really like the "Proven durability under racing conditions.", plus, these are not very expensive and non-directional, so I can bring a single one as a spare.
What is your brake setup? Especially on pad material?
On my old car (2001 Z06 / ~425rwhp) I ran Raybestos ST43 pads on stock calipers with DRM cooling ducts. I've moved up to a Wilwood 14" brake kit on my C6.
If you are on a 1-piece C5 rotor of any kind I really think you need to bring spares to the track. Or at least commit to running a soft street pad that will rarely break rotors. Because even if you did find a 1-piece brand that gave you the approximate life you were looking for, you will still be wasting money by changing out rotors at home that haven't broken open yet.
if you are going through rotors that quickly, you are almost certainly deforming the calipers quickly as well. I've both permanently deformed C5 calipers and melted pistons out in a single day.
You should consider going with the brake upgrade sooner rather than later. You still need to add as much cooling as possible, but the larger rotor will dissipate much more heat, plus the metallurgy of most kits is significantly better than the OEM setup.
I used to use OEM GM C6 rotors on my C5 with PFC01's (I hate the 11's). For me, these lasted exactly as long as the "upgraded" aftermarket rotors. This was with stock calipers but I ran additional cooling ducts to the rotors. I tried the el-cheapo rotors and they always cracked very quickly. PFC99's were on the rear. I always carried a full set (front and back) rotors and pads.
I installed a BBK this year so hopefully won't be going through parts as quick.
Just today I started throwing out my old brake parts (about eight front rotors and a boat-load of pads went out with the trash). Looks like I still have 10 PFC01's with about one day left and two PFC11's with probably a weekend + remaining. I think one of the 11 is starting to delaminate. Unfortunately that means two more good 11's went out in the trash today. You can have any / all of the remaining pads, just cover the shipping (its heavy).
if you are going through rotors that quickly, you are almost certainly deforming the calipers quickly as well. I've both permanently deformed C5 calipers and melted pistons out in a single day.
You should consider going with the brake upgrade sooner rather than later. You still need to add as much cooling as possible, but the larger rotor will dissipate much more heat, plus the metallurgy of most kits is significantly better than the OEM setup.
I am considering a BBK, problem is, the number aside of the dollar sign in my bank account is not exactly matching the amount they want for their stuff.
Everyone seems to like essex here, but I just cannot afford their kit right now.
I just want something that will last longer than 2 sessions on the rear, since I am not going to upgrade the calipers for a while.
I’m on stock 2002 c5z calipers for classing purposes with my local time trial car club. I have 18 days so far on these 2 piece rotors from performance afx, about an hour of track time per day running willwood type h pads. These are my first set of rotors from performance afx. Also running Castrol SRF and the handbrakes titanium shims. Works well for me. Intermediate driver.
Guys, not sure I have been clear enough, but I am looking for a rear setup, as I am going to buy a BBK in spring. I have installed the DRM diff+trans cooling package so I cannot install the brake ducts on there.
Is everything related to cooling still applies? Because I am unsure how I will be able to set that up.
The best budget "stock" brake system is to buy C6 Z51 caliper mounting brackets for front and rear and buy DBA 2-piece rotors front and DBA 1-piece rotors for rear in C6 Z51 sizes. This will give you 1/2" larger front rotors and 1" larger rear rotors over C5 sizes or base C6 sizes. Use Castrol SRF fluid. This worked well for me for several years. Just recently upgraded to Essex AP front kit. I have front mounting brackets and almost new rotors sitting in my garage. Just need to take pics and post in for sale section.
What stability control setting are you running? Competitive driving mode, full active handling on, or full active handling off? If you are burning up rears, it sounds like your skills have past beyond what competitive driving (or full active handling) mode will allow for yaw, and the active handling is giving your rear brakes a heck of a workout. Active handling could also be the reason you are boiling you brake fluid.
I am considering a BBK, problem is, the number aside of the dollar sign in my bank account is not exactly matching the amount they want for their stuff.
Everyone seems to like essex here, but I just cannot afford their kit right now.
I just want something that will last longer than 2 sessions on the rear, since I am not going to upgrade the calipers for a while.
What stability control setting are you running? Competitive driving mode, full active handling on, or full active handling off? If you are burning up rears, it sounds like your skills have past beyond what competitive driving (or full active handling) mode will allow for yaw, and the active handling is giving your rear brakes a heck of a workout. Active handling could also be the reason you are boiling you brake fluid.
I usually run with all off on tracks I am familiar with. That was the first time I was at calabogie.
I wasn't aware that ESC was hard on brakes. I will turn it off from now on.
I have had excellent experience with KNS blanks both front and rear. The better design decreases pad taper big time.and the quality of the metal seems superior to any other blank I have used.
For rear brakes, I switched back to street pads (specifically HP+). Totally the lazy way out, but rotors wear out normally instead of cracking open, and rear pad life is...good enough, I guess.
AMT Motorsports sells c5 sized two piece floating rotors that are amazing. The price tag in BBks are very high, so i picked up a used set of AP Racing calipers and was using them on blank rotors. I was also breaking rotors once a weekend, and would always have to keep a second set with me. I run DTC 70F,60s R. Then i bought the AMT Motorsports two piece floating rotors, i have 15 track days on them, and still going strong.
I highly recommend picking up the rotors, then keeping an eye out for some used BBKs when the funds allow.
06-10-2019, 09:00 AM
Looking to upgrade from cheap blanks for HPDE
