[Z06] Brake pad question
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Portland OR
Brake pad wear
Going for leisurely Sunday drives, my mechanic tells me 25,000 miles is common. At the track (PIR), OEM pads lasted about 150-200 miles. I switched to EBC Red Stuff pads, and got a year's street driving (about 6,000 miles) and 5 track days (~100 miles/day). On track days,adding front brake duct hoses directed at the caliper both improved braking dramatically and cut pad wear.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Portland OR
Brake duct hoses
Several Corvette modifiers advertise plastic ducts that fit into the existing inlet in the front of the Z06. I learned that they are all fabricated by the same supplier. Doug Rippie sells them for $200, slightly less than the others (might have changed?). This part is permanently installed in the front wheel well. You then use a hose clamp to fasten a 4" duct hose from there to the caliper. I found that the hose will stay on when placed over the ABS sensor. With the hose in place, you cannot turn the steering wheel lock to lock which is not a problem at the track. I install and remove the hose with my track wheels.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Portland OR
To be honest I don't recall for sure, but I think there is some minor trimming. The duct then screws to the inner wall. Be sure to position it so that there is clearance to attach the hose when the swing arm is all the way down. On one side, in my case, it's easier if I jack up the swing arm about 1 inch to put on the hose. Here's the link to Doug Rippie, where I bought the kit. They were pleasant on the phone.http://www.dougrippie.com/
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,707
Likes: 4
From: Los Angeles
This same question about brake pad and clutch life comes up here very often. It's not a matter of how many miles, it matters how many times you use them. You can drive a million miles on one set of brake pads if 95% of your driving is on the highway. Same with clutches. You can burn up a set of OEM pads in a couple of track days. It all depends on how and where you drive. 
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