Its time to R&R the Pads and Rotors on my 76 vette. I would like to get some nice performance pads and rotors. what is the recommendation?

 

I'm guessing that by performance you mean drilled and slotted rotors. they won't make your car stop much (if any) better, it will just look like you can.

I didn't go the drilled rotor route and instead used NAPA Ultra premium rotors part numbers: 85748 for the front (around sixty dollars each) and 85747 for the rears (around 45 dollars each.) They were made in the USA, not one of the offshore countries. I think they were Bendix because the box and instruction sheet was the exact same as some Bendix rotors I bought - only the label on the box was different. Like everything these days, check to make sure they are still USA made if that means anything to you.

Any good set of organic pads will do fine too.

If you want the performance look, VBP has sets of rotors and pads that are good as well as several other vendors on this forum.

 

I don't have drilled, slotted, or dimpled rotors on my 78 since I have not had to change them yet but I do have experience with these rotors on a 1994 Mustang GT convertible and a 2001 pontiac grand prix and I can tell you that they definitely make a difference primarily because they run cooler and allow the venting of the pad gases between the rotor and the pads. On the mustang which had horrible 4 wheel disc brakes primarily because the rotors are too small and the caliper design (single floating pistons, front and rear), I went with drilled and slotted rotors all the way around with Hawk HPS pads and the braking is MUCH better than stock rotors and pads and I don't think it is the pad material only making the difference. With the Grand Prix, I have slotted and dimpled rotors all the way around with Performance friction pads. On this car, I used performance friction pads first with the stock rotors and the pads made a definite difference and later I switched to the dimpled and slotted rotors with the PF pads and there was definitely an incremental difference with these rotors, primarily in heavy braking and the rain. I use performance friction pads on the vette and they are terrific (would also recommend Hawk HPS pads). I have real world experience with these pads and rotors and do not buy into the theory that pads and rotors do not make much of a difference. There is a reason beyond looks that Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Z06/ZR1 etc all have drilled rotors! Think about it.

 

What are you going to do with the car? Road race? Go for burgers? Change the 'purpose' and you change the advice....

 

Looks like Napa premium rotors here too. They are made by United. I can go t oa different supplier and get Wagner rotors? Any comments of quality.

 

I agree, it depends how you intend to drive your Vette. If mainly on the street try just some new pads first. If you remove the old rotors mark 1 hole and 1 lug and put the rotors back on in the same position. You will find the original brake system works very well. If you change the rotors you can encounter a run out problem. PG.

 

You guys are exactly correct that how you intend to use the car would influence the brake setup. I tend to try to maximize the brake system on all my cars for that 1% of the time that a stock system on my cars may not be good enough, the difference of hitting something or not, whether on the street or road course track. Just my bias. For most people, maximizing the brake pad material is probably the correct advice!

 

Check out this pad for street use.

The Carbotech Bobcat 1521™ is our high performance street compound that is our most successful compound. The Bobcat compound is known for its awesome release and modulation, along with unmatched rotor friendliness. Like our AX™ & XP™ line of compounds, Bobcat 1521™ is a Ceramic based friction material offering minimal rotor damage and non corrosive dust. Bobcat 1521™ offers outstanding performance, even when cold, low dusting and low noise with an excellent initial bite. This compound’s virtually perfect linear torque production provides incredible braking force without ABS intervention. Bobcat 1521™ operating range starts out at ambient and goes up to 900°F. Bobcat 1521™ is suitable for ALL street cars, perfect for your tow vehicle, police cruiser, and has won multiple SCCA Solo 2 and Prosolo National Championships. The Bobcat 1521™ compound has been found to last two-three times longer than OE pads you can purchase at a dealership or national retailer. Bobcat 1521™ compound has also been found to extend the life of your rotors 2-3 times. That’s one of the beauties of Carbotech Ceramic brake compounds. Bobcat 1521™ is NOT recommended for any track use.

 

If you want good street behavior...and your present rotors are within service specs, just replace the pads with a "top of the line" pad for stock rotors. IMO, you don't need different rotors for street use; the size of the rotors is substantually more than you would ever need...if they are in good condition and they have good quality pads installed in them. Just know that if you stay with the stock rotors and you install a very aggressive 'racing' pad material, stopping power will increase, but the life of your rotors will decrease substantially.

If you really need 'racing' brake capabilities, you should replace your entire braking system, not just pads and rotors.