Looking to replace my rotors from a C6 Z51 pkg, I might has well replace the factory pads also ( even though my vehicle just turned 10,000 miles ) I've never had a problem with my stock pads, but just wondering if theres anything better with low dust. I believe the stock ones are Ceramic. Ideas, Opines Welcomed

 

I had the GM Ceramic brake pads on my car (C5) for two seasons / 4K miles. They worked well for normal driving and left very little dust. With heavy braking they would heat up and lose their effectiveness. Not something you encounter every day, but I want to try autocrossing this year and felt that they would not be ideal.

Just last weekend I replaced the pads with the Carbotech Bobcat 1521 pads (http://www.ctbrakes.com/pads/corvette.htm) and have so far only put 100 miles or so on them. So far they are dust free and grab even better than the stock pads (which were slightly better than the GM ceramic pads). They are expensive (~$230 shipped front & back with the 10% forum discount) but so far seem to be worth it.

As an aside, if anyone is interested in my GM ceramic pads I would sell them for $50 plus shipping. I paid something like $150 for them. Just PM me.

Hope this helps.

Chip

 

Great info, are those pads ceramic, level of dust compared to the stock ones?

 

hawk hps are my fav street pad

 

So far (~100 miles) no dust whatsoever - just like the GM ceramics.

This is from an email from Mike Jr. at Carbotech:

"The Carbotech 1521 (Bobcat) is our equivalent to the <brand I was looking at>. It has high initial bite and torque, and is superior in many ways - better stopping power, rotor friendliness and 100% non-corrosive dust is only the beginning. Long life and low dust while making no noise is another.

Carbotech has materials that nobody else uses, no iron in the compounds is the reason it doesn't tear up rotors. The Carbon/Ceramic/Kevlar base is the key to all of Carbotech's compounds. No-Semi Metallic here."

 

What ever you do, DO NOT PUT CERAMIC PADS ON A VETTE !!!
Worst mod I have ever done. You will get brake fade under heavy braking. After having these pads on my Vette I don't care about dust anymore. Stoping is more important. Remember this is a Vette.

 

For the street the Z06 pad is the best for your medium to hard driver (this is comparable to the Hawk HPS pad).

Ceramic pads are ok for someone that is not repeatedly hard on the brakes, but I would not trust them for an aggressive driver at all.

 

I put Wagner brake pads on my ride after the stealership installed something that squeaked and left brake dust everywhere. They never squeaked again and brake dust in non-existent. Wagner is all I'll use and the price is right too.

 

DO NOT BUY THE STOCK PADS. I bought them last year and within about 1k miles they have started squeaking, brake dust is not yet an issue but will soon follow, I guess. I am a weekend driver, should have gone with Hawk's, will do soon.

 

Are these sold at Napa?

 

Wagner Thermoquiets are an outstanding pad for the money.

 

What's the difference between Wagner and Hawks?

 

Is the Wagner a ceramic?

 

 

I have an 04' vert with the origional brake pads. Are they ceramic?
Are the Wagner pads ceramic?

 

Yes, the Wagner pad are ceramic.

Here is some more info on Wagner pads. I can buy mine locally at A C Brake Co. here in Louisville. I purchased my last Wagner set, brakes and rotors all the way around the car for less than $350. The rotors are not dipped, painted/slotted or drilled and will do the normal rusting but the brake pads are as quiet as you can buy. I have never had them squeak and the brake dust is none existent, especially the rears.

I highly recommend them.

 

 

i am using OEM c5 z06 pads on my c6z51 rotors. they stop plenty good enough but they're a bit more dusty than the non-z06 c5 pads.

 

Hawk HPS street compound!!!

 

2001 coupe with 60k on the clock, no tracking but some spirited driving on the street. Car stops fine, but getting a squeek now when applying the brakes (just at the beginning of the pedal, goes away before you stop).

Thought it was the "wear indicators" but mechanic says the wear indicators usualy make noise when you drive, and stop making noise when you hit the brake, so not sure about what my squeek is from. Front pads (while not new) have some meat on them, rears could use a change, and the rotors (he says) look fine.

Been hemming and hawing about doing the brakes for a while. Looked at all the slotted, drilled, dimpled, zinc washed . . .etc rotors, and read many posts on the ceramic (no dust) and softer (more effective, mostly for race/track) that stop better.

All things considered, I think Im gonna leave the stock rotors (adding the dishes to cover the unswept area) and probably put whatever pads come with the car on there. I hate the dust, but I want the car to stop even if I've heated them up a bit, and while I know there are better brakes out there, figured the oem ones would be the best compromise between stopping ability and longevity (the different formulations that grab better will make more dust and wear out sooner).

I do see one post above that warns not to put the stock oem pads back on there.

Given the criteria Im looking for above (to stop well under hard use, no more dust than the oem pads, and have about the same longevity), anyone else think it not wise to put the oem pads back on the car?