Brake Rotors...Differences??
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 118
Likes: 40
From: Durham North Carolina
Brake Rotors...Differences??
I have an 04' C5 Z06 with stock brakes and ceramic pads. I am looking to upgrade my brakes to include drilled slotted rotors for better performance and cooling. I have seen a huge difference in price when it comes to rotors spanning from GM rotors that are about $150.00 all the way to the thousands.
Is there a big difference between the drilled/slotted rotors from GM and the 10 different manufacturers on Ebay that go for $200. Or, is it worth spending the money to get the Baer, Wildwood, Brembo, Stoptech rotors????
Or, should I save up and just get the C6 Z06 6 piston brakes for my Z??
Any thoughts??
thxs
Is there a big difference between the drilled/slotted rotors from GM and the 10 different manufacturers on Ebay that go for $200. Or, is it worth spending the money to get the Baer, Wildwood, Brembo, Stoptech rotors????
Or, should I save up and just get the C6 Z06 6 piston brakes for my Z??
Any thoughts??
thxs
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,227
Likes: 15
St. Jude Donor '06
Im actually going through this same thing right now...from what ive read, any rotor that is cross drilled is going to crack if it gets hot enough (specifically the drilled hole closest to the edge of the rotor)...from what i understand, most of the autocross guys buy the $25/rotor from napa and either Z06 pads or Hawk HPS pads. This is the cheap combo that provides the best performance. If you want to go for an entirely new setup like baer, or stoptech, its going to cost you. Essentially, the crossdrilled is just for BLING purposes...
The only problem with the napa rotors is they dont have any coating on them to prevent rust. Most people have been been buying 1200° paint and spraying the rotor hats and cooling fins. You could also have them washed in zinc or cadmium to prevent rust...
as far as the C6Z06 brakes, a couple of guys on here have done it, but it is NOT a direct bolt on. Wheel size plays a factor in the front and there may be some grinding involved...
The only problem with the napa rotors is they dont have any coating on them to prevent rust. Most people have been been buying 1200° paint and spraying the rotor hats and cooling fins. You could also have them washed in zinc or cadmium to prevent rust...
as far as the C6Z06 brakes, a couple of guys on here have done it, but it is NOT a direct bolt on. Wheel size plays a factor in the front and there may be some grinding involved...
Last edited by Stealthy4; Oct 11, 2006 at 04:16 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,222
Likes: 0
From: Norfolk VA
Originally Posted by Stealthy4
The only problem with the napa rotors is they dont have any coating on them to prevent rust. Most people have been been buying 1200° paint and spraying the rotor hats and cooling fins. You could also have them washed in zinc or cadmium to prevent rust...
drilled is for bling and it weakens the rotors
ceramic pads are for show cars
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Algonquin illinois
Originally Posted by Stealthy4
Im actually going through this same thing right now...from what ive read, any rotor that is cross drilled is going to crack if it gets hot enough (specifically the drilled hole closest to the edge of the rotor)...from what i understand, most of the autocross guys buy the $25/rotor from napa and either Z06 pads or Hawk HPS pads. This is the cheap combo that provides the best performance. If you want to go for an entirely new setup like baer, or stoptech, its going to cost you. Essentially, the crossdrilled is just for BLING purposes...
The only problem with the napa rotors is they dont have any coating on them to prevent rust. Most people have been been buying 1200° paint and spraying the rotor hats and cooling fins. You could also have them washed in zinc or cadmium to prevent rust...
as far as the C6Z06 brakes, a couple of guys on here have done it, but it is NOT a direct bolt on. Wheel size plays a factor in the front and there may be some grinding involved...
The only problem with the napa rotors is they dont have any coating on them to prevent rust. Most people have been been buying 1200° paint and spraying the rotor hats and cooling fins. You could also have them washed in zinc or cadmium to prevent rust...
as far as the C6Z06 brakes, a couple of guys on here have done it, but it is NOT a direct bolt on. Wheel size plays a factor in the front and there may be some grinding involved...
K.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Stoptech has the AeroRotor. Very nice and lets the most amount of air through. It basically keeps turbulence from one vane from interfering with the vane next to it and allows for smoother air flow. I could get into a lot more detail, but if you're looking for the BEST cast iron rotor it is with Stoptech. It's a very good company ran by people who know racing. (LG uses them) You can do a rotor/hat/ss lines/pads/fluid upgrade for $700.
I can set you up with CMC's but the rotor itself will run you at least $1000 (for one). These are amazing though and virtually indestructible. Oh, did I mention they do not fade...ever. You will set the corner of your car on fire before these fade
and by that time your brake fluid is scorched.
I can set you up with CMC's but the rotor itself will run you at least $1000 (for one). These are amazing though and virtually indestructible. Oh, did I mention they do not fade...ever. You will set the corner of your car on fire before these fade
and by that time your brake fluid is scorched.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 58,498
Likes: 1,816
From: Oklahoma City OK
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Racer
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 485
Likes: 2
From: Charlotte NC
For a complete solution, a good option is our Stage II kit:
http://www.stoptech.com/products/sta...upgrades.shtml
It all comes in one box, it's high quality, and it's reasonably priced.
If you're going to track your car consistently (on a road course), you may want to consider a front BBK. The C6Z06 brakes do have their benefits (particularly at $1500), but we have plenty of customers pulling them off of their C6Z's and replacing them with our systems. In terms of overall performance for track duty, you'd be much better off spending the extra $ for our four piston system on the front with some minor upgrades to the rear.
For high performance street driving and autoX, the Stage II kit would be plenty. If you took it to a road course, you'd want to swap in full race pads, and you would not want the drilled option. Stick to slotted.
http://www.stoptech.com/products/sta...upgrades.shtml
It all comes in one box, it's high quality, and it's reasonably priced.
If you're going to track your car consistently (on a road course), you may want to consider a front BBK. The C6Z06 brakes do have their benefits (particularly at $1500), but we have plenty of customers pulling them off of their C6Z's and replacing them with our systems. In terms of overall performance for track duty, you'd be much better off spending the extra $ for our four piston system on the front with some minor upgrades to the rear.
For high performance street driving and autoX, the Stage II kit would be plenty. If you took it to a road course, you'd want to swap in full race pads, and you would not want the drilled option. Stick to slotted.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,053
Likes: 2
From: "Man been singin' the Blues, since he began to till the ground"...Vancouver, USA WA.
