Hey guiys and Gals, got my ceramic pads in the mail from GMParts direct. After looking at the pads ans contents I have a few questions:

1. What are those felt like/gasket looking pieces that look like the backing plates used for? Do I install on piston pad side?

2. Do I need to replace all my adjustment clips/shimes on my 04 Z06/Z16?

3. Tube of lub? Were do I apply to? Front/rear of pads on the caliper shime plates?

4. Any techniques to swapping out the stock pads with the ceramic's that I should be aware of before I dive into getting rid of my excessive break dust problem I'm having on CE wheels. Sick up driving for few miles and my whells look dull due to the break dust (No Bling). Can't afford to put chromies on my "Z" yet and store the CE wheels. S o I guess the ceramic pads will do the trick.

Thanks for your info

Mike P.

Drop The Hammer whenever possible

 

[QUOTE=MikeP]Hey guiys and Gals, got my ceramic pads in the mail from GMParts direct. After looking at the pads ans contents I have a few questions:

1. What are those felt like/gasket looking pieces that look like the backing plates used for? Do I install on piston pad side?

They are an anti-chatter device that is no longer required.

2. Do I need to replace all my adjustment clips/shimes on my 04 Z06/Z16?
Always replace the clips when changing pads, its extra insurance.

3. Tube of lub? Were do I apply to? Front/rear of pads on the caliper shime plates?
The lube goes on the pins for sliding the calipers in and out.

4. Any techniques to swapping out the stock pads with the ceramic's that I should be aware of before I dive into getting rid of my excessive break dust problem I'm having on CE wheels. Sick up driving for few miles and my whells look dull due to the break dust (No Bling). Can't afford to put chromies on my "Z" yet and store the CE wheels.

Remember how the clips were oriented or you will go through some extra time fiquring it out.
Also have a C-Clamp available to move the piston if required.

 

I too am sick of the brake dust. I just got my Delco brake pads. The brakes are the only thing I will not attempt to do myself. I am scheduled to have the new ceramics put on next week. My mechanic tells me that I have to turn my rotors, which is an extra expense of course. I need opinion, after 6,000 miles on my 2004 Z06, should I have the rotors turned when I replace the brake pads???

 

Do you have any vibration when you hit your brakes? I doubt you need to have your rotors turned, unless you are racing (so the pads and rotors break in together) or you have vibration (warping of rotors). My $0.02.

 

Yes and No. Turn the rotors removes any old brake pad material that may be on the rotor. Does the rotor need to be turne becuase of ware?? No.

When you get your new pads installed rember to 'seed' the new pads to the rotors. Very important for your brakes to work properly.

Go find a straight road with little or no traffic.
Drive the car up to 40 mph then STOMP HARD on the brake peddle down to 10 mph or so. DO this 4 to 5 times.

The take the car up to 80 mph so and again STOMP on the brake peddle down to 10 mph or so. again 4 or 5 times

Then drive around for 15 to 20 min to cool the pads and rotors then put your car away for 24 hours. Not over night but 24 hours.

When I say STOMP HARD I do mean stomp hard and active the ABS. If you just put on the brakes like you driving in town and comming up to a stop light, that will not seed the pads and rotors.

For brakes to work properly there must be some pad material transfered to the rotor. This will do just that.

Plus it is also nice to see how well your brakes do work and how to control your car just incase you have to do this kind of stop in an emergancy.

Iron rotors do not warp,that is a misnomer. The 'feeling' of a warped rotor is a result of not seeding in the pads and rotors, as above, before use. The feeling or a warped rotor is from an uneven distrabution of brake materail onto a rotor.

When we put on race pads on the cars. we take them out to seed the pads and rotors. We attempt to put the corvette on its nose when we STOMP on the peddle. We will also take the car up to 120 and stomp on the brake peddle too. Every time I do this I am more and more impressed with quality of the stock PBR corvette brakes. I have ridden in several other cars with so called 'BIG BRAKE KITS' and I was not impressed with the braking ability, but those brakes did look good though the wheels.

The only other cars with 6 pistion brake calipers that I have been in was a C4 with a 6-pistion Wilwood setup and a C5 with 6-pistion Stoptech brake set up. Man when those guys stomped on the brakes my stomach kept going.
WOW did those cars stop.

Good Luck.

 

Another term used is "bedding" the pads.. Please post your impression of the differences in brake performance (street driving wise) following your swap from the Z06 pads to the ceramics... I might want to do this to my car. I have had ceramics on my 98 vert... prior to installing Stop Force front rotors and HP+ pads for DE and track days (noisy and dusty!!), my Z has stock pads which seem to perform nearly as well as the HP+.

 

With all due respect- ever put iron roptors on a brake lathe and see the warppage? I have seen iron rotors out by over .080" so I can only say they do warp!

:o :o :o :o

 

Yep They warp. I have done this to several sets of fronts on different cars. Also everything I have read from the manufacturer raybestos says to take it easy on the ceramics for the first 200 miles. Maybe because they are street pads and not race pads. Not sure but I took it easy on mine for the first 500 miles. The pedal feels great. No noise or steering wheel shake. I think they stop very well for street use. JMHO. Take care, Don

 

He's full of it!! If you don't have a pulsing pedal or car pulls to one side, I would just do the pad swap. The pads are wearing fast thats why we have the excess brake dust. Go ahead and attempt the swap. If you ever did disk brakes before, It's a snap as long as you can get the car in the are and break the caliper bolts loose. O ther than that it should be easy. I know I used the word SHOULD.

Mike P.

 

Myth # 1 – BRAKE JUDDER AND VIBRATION IS CAUSED BY DISCS THAT HAVE BEEN WARPED FROM EXESSIVE HEAT.

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/...otors_myth.htm

An excerpt from the artical: This most likey is what the difference of rotor variation that was measured.

 

Thanks for all the advice, but first my apologies to MipeP. I didn't mean to hyjack your thread.

However, as long as I got so many responses, thanks for the advice of everone. My brakes do not pull, vibrate, etc. They are just starting to whine a little when I apply light pressure, but not really very loudly. I felt the both sides of the rotors when I was washing the brake dust yesterday. The rotors are still very smooth, no ridges or lines at all. I will tell my mechanic to only change the pads and not turn the rotors. Thanks for the advice on how to seed the brakes.

 

When new rotors are around $20, just get new ones.

 

Ive read not to stomp on the brakes but to go to 30mph or so then lightly apply the brakes untill around 5mph and repeat several times.

I did this to my pads now (non-ceramic) and they do not squeak at all and stop perfect. I have drilled and slotted rotors if that means anything.

p.s. im buying ceramics tomorrow also because of the dust

 

This is just the start of the beeding or seeding process

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/bedinstock.htm

And CPT ZO6 is correct, there is really no need to turn rotors when new ones can be purchased for $20 each that are far better then OEM rotors. So do you really want to allow some shop to turn your rotors and charge you when you can by new ones for less??

 

This is just the start of the beeding or seeding process

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/bedinstock.htm

And CPT ZO6 is correct, there is really no need to turn rotors when new ones can be purchased for $20 each that are far better then OEM and most aftermarket big name rotors. So do you really want to allow some shop to turn your rotors and charge you when you can by new ones for less??

 

$20!!!!!!!!!! They were going to charge me $70 for front and $70 for back to turn the rotors!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

RUN away as fast as you can

The Raybestos rotors from Rockauto.com # 56700 to 56703 at $20 each plus shipping or from NAPA #86700 to #86703 at $25 each no shipping charges are the way to go.

These rotors may be inexpensive but they are buy no means cheap. Many companies use the Raybestos or United Brake rotors as the blanks for their rotors with big big markups.

 

Are these part numbers good for a 04 Z06? If not are the Z06 rotors approximately the same price?

 

All C5 rotors are the same vert, coupe, FRC or ZO6. Calipers are the same also, ZO6 calipers are powdercoated is the only difference. ZO6 stock pads are different, a little more agressive bite then other C5 pads

If anyone tells you the Z06 rotors are more, say thank you and leave.

 

AU N EGL, I noticed from your post that you are from the Raliegh area. I'm in Fayetteville,NC area. Is ther any corvette events/get togethers coming up in the near future. There's no action for vette's in this town. Anything happening in your neck of the woods?

IM me with any Intel @ plon9mike@aol.com

Thanks Mike P.


ike P