Post-track weekend brake issues
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,683
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
Post-track weekend brake issues
I have been struggling to get the brakes on my Z06 back to normal after running my car at the track two weekends ago. They definitely don't have the bite that they had before. Before the event, I removed my front Baer Eradispeed rotors and installed NAPA rotors, bled the air from the system, and kept the stock pads. After the first day at the track my stock front pads were wearing fairly thin, so I replaced them with Wagner pads from NAPA. They felt fine on the track for a while, but my brakes started fading and the pedal became very soft. I took it a little easier throughout the second day because of this. After the weekend I flushed the brake fluid, but still had a soft pedal and no bite. Bled the system, same feel. Is this a problem with my pads and rotors not being bedded properly? Do I still have air in my brake lines? Are my calipers bad? I have no idea what to try and need some advice.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,679
Likes: 23
From: Newark CA
I wish I could give you some good advice, but I can't. I had a similar problem after a track day. I bled the system about 7 times. Rebuilt the calipers, installed new rotors and pads. Nothing worked. After two years, the spongy pedal went away on its own. I have no idea what changed.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
What brake fluid where you using?? DOT 3, DOT 4 or ?? and what brand??
Best brake fluids are ATE Super Blue, ATE 600 GOLD, Motul, Castrol SRF, Wilwood 600 to name a few. Next good brake pads are the stock ZO6 pads are fine for limited track time beyond that time for race pads.
Carbotech XP series, PFC-01s, Wilwoods Hs are some top brands. The challange with race pads is they need heat to work, so on the street they dont work too well. Need to change back and forth
Stainless steel brake lines are a must.
Cooling, the DRM brake cooling ducts too keep those rotors and calipers cool.
Brake fade is most likley boild or poor fluid and or brake pads that can not take the heat of hard repeated stops.
The PBR corvette caliper is a very fine caliper. the NAPA Raybetos rotors are excelent rotors for track days, strong and cheap.
The other thing most ppl dont realize and really is the most important are your tires. The tire contact patch or where the rubber meets the road has lot to do with braking. the more rubber and less tread the better.
If you take two cars with identical brakes, fluid pads and the whole thing yet have stock front tires 245/40x17s on one car with front 305/30x18s R componds on the other car, the car with the 305 R compounds will stop much faster. Wider and sticker tires will stop much faster then stock tires.
Good luck
Best brake fluids are ATE Super Blue, ATE 600 GOLD, Motul, Castrol SRF, Wilwood 600 to name a few. Next good brake pads are the stock ZO6 pads are fine for limited track time beyond that time for race pads.
Carbotech XP series, PFC-01s, Wilwoods Hs are some top brands. The challange with race pads is they need heat to work, so on the street they dont work too well. Need to change back and forth
Stainless steel brake lines are a must.
Cooling, the DRM brake cooling ducts too keep those rotors and calipers cool.
Brake fade is most likley boild or poor fluid and or brake pads that can not take the heat of hard repeated stops.
The PBR corvette caliper is a very fine caliper. the NAPA Raybetos rotors are excelent rotors for track days, strong and cheap.
The other thing most ppl dont realize and really is the most important are your tires. The tire contact patch or where the rubber meets the road has lot to do with braking. the more rubber and less tread the better.
If you take two cars with identical brakes, fluid pads and the whole thing yet have stock front tires 245/40x17s on one car with front 305/30x18s R componds on the other car, the car with the 305 R compounds will stop much faster. Wider and sticker tires will stop much faster then stock tires.
Good luck
