Brake fluid recommendations for 2023
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 4,981
Likes: 497
From: Hilton NY
Brake fluid recommendations for 2023
The car isn't raced but the brakes are used well on the street and need a good pedal feel. What is a good brand and type of fluid? I was looking at ATE but they have four different kinds on Amazon.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
I use Hawk HP660 on track, but for a street car the HP520 or HP600 would be plenty.
Hawk Performance HP600 Hawk Performance HP600 Racing Brake Fluid | Summit Racing
Hawk Performance HP520 Hawk Performance HP520 Brake Fluid | Summit Racing
Hawk Performance HP600 Hawk Performance HP600 Racing Brake Fluid | Summit Racing
Hawk Performance HP520 Hawk Performance HP520 Brake Fluid | Summit Racing
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 326
From: Mid Ohio
I use wal-mart DOT 4 and flush it once a yr. Use it for the clutch too.
I run Tail of the Dragon up / down without stopping and the car gets hot.
Each yr when I flush both the clutch has a bit of darkness to it and the brake fluid looks new. Clutch is definitely better feeling each time but I can't tell any different in the brakes.
btw.. I FLUSH both. Meaning I run a decent amount of excess fluid through in an effort to flush all debris out.
I run Tail of the Dragon up / down without stopping and the car gets hot.
Each yr when I flush both the clutch has a bit of darkness to it and the brake fluid looks new. Clutch is definitely better feeling each time but I can't tell any different in the brakes.
btw.. I FLUSH both. Meaning I run a decent amount of excess fluid through in an effort to flush all debris out.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 4,308
Likes: 3,455
From: Somewhere, Florida
St. Jude Donor '20-'21-'22-'23-'24
ATE Typ200 is the best value. Higher boiling points than standard dot4, and comes in quart containers instead of pints. Do the clutch too, while you're at it, if applicable.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,305
Likes: 1,580
From: East Metro (Twin Cities) Minnesota
St. Jude Donor '21
IMO
Dot 3 unless you track your car to the point where you may actually boil the fluid in the calipers such - as road course racing. Fresh Dot 4 is better for this because it has a higher boiling point.
Dot 3 is better for the street -
*Because it absorbs moisture LESS rapidly than Dot 4.
*For what 98% of C5 owners do, in a blind annual test - the 2 fluids would perform exactly the same.
If you track your car, you would likely look for something better than dot 4.
Just my 2 cents.
T4L
Dot 3 unless you track your car to the point where you may actually boil the fluid in the calipers such - as road course racing. Fresh Dot 4 is better for this because it has a higher boiling point.
Dot 3 is better for the street -
*Because it absorbs moisture LESS rapidly than Dot 4.
*For what 98% of C5 owners do, in a blind annual test - the 2 fluids would perform exactly the same.
If you track your car, you would likely look for something better than dot 4.
Just my 2 cents.
T4L
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,323
Likes: 142
From: Green Valley Arizona
I use wal-mart DOT 4 and flush it once a yr. Use it for the clutch too.
I run Tail of the Dragon up / down without stopping and the car gets hot.
Each yr when I flush both the clutch has a bit of darkness to it and the brake fluid looks new. Clutch is definitely better feeling each time but I can't tell any different in the brakes.
btw.. I FLUSH both. Meaning I run a decent amount of excess fluid through in an effort to flush all debris out.
I run Tail of the Dragon up / down without stopping and the car gets hot.
Each yr when I flush both the clutch has a bit of darkness to it and the brake fluid looks new. Clutch is definitely better feeling each time but I can't tell any different in the brakes.
btw.. I FLUSH both. Meaning I run a decent amount of excess fluid through in an effort to flush all debris out.
Thanks
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 4,308
Likes: 3,455
From: Somewhere, Florida
St. Jude Donor '20-'21-'22-'23-'24
DOT3 and DOT4 can interchange. It's DOT5 you don't want, as it's silicon based.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 5,548
Likes: 3,293
From: Virginia
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '21-'22
I have used ATE TYP 200 for many years, but any of these ATE fluids would be fine on the street.
https://www.amazon.com/ATE-706202-Or...468379263&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/ATE-706202-Or...468379263&th=1
This is what I use in my car. I swapped to this along with Hawk HPS 5.0 pads. This pad fluid combo works MUCH better on my drives in Mexico. 
If you never do anything other than normal street driving, a DOT 3 fluid works fine.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 44
Likes: 12
From: Washington DC
Here's three I was between when deciding for DOT 4 last year from my spreadsheet for fluids. I didn't want DOT3 and ended up getting Motul 600F (the 660 is a lot more for a little benefit I wouldn't have been using).
DOT3 is good for the street due to its longer life compared to DOT4 as it absorbs moisture slower but the boiling points are going to be lower as a result, which won't matter on street cars. DOT4 probably should be changed annually.
DOT3 is good for the street due to its longer life compared to DOT4 as it absorbs moisture slower but the boiling points are going to be lower as a result, which won't matter on street cars. DOT4 probably should be changed annually.
- Motul RBF600 $20 (intermediate value slightly above Presetone, wet boiling over 400)
- Series 600 DOT 4 Synthetic Racing Brake Fluid
- Prestone Synthetic DOT 4 (best value, wet boiling 311)