I presently have Baer two piece rotors with all else being stock. After some high speed runs I am not satisfied with my brake performance. My bet is that with better lines, pads, etc., I can improve the performance of the Baers, but how much?


I would also appreciate reviews from all that have made major upgrades.

 

The fact is the stock system is very strong. Where you run into problems is repeated stopping at the track when they get hot. Are you doing this for the street or track? Baer rotors vs a stock rotor should give you the same performance (but the Baer look alot cooler). Don't expect a braking increase you are limited by your tires on the street.

Different pads (higher coef of friction) will give you the feeling that it is brakeing better because they require less pedal pressure to get the job done. SS line can also help stiffen up the pedal.

I upgraded my brakes on my car to 13.4" rotor (2 piece) and 4 piston calipers. They are more powerful but I did it for the track to keep down brake fade. 60-0 stopping should be about the same.

I have seen claims that upgrading to bigger brakes will give 60-0 in 88ft. It isn't possible unless you are on some super sticky tires.

 

Thanks.

My brake issues, at the moment, are fade. I am thinking that I will see an improvement by adding ss lines, Hawk pads and a DRM proportioning valve. Comments?

 

I think the pads will be the best improvement.

 

The problem I had with mine was it boiled the fluid and the pads tapered severely. Both of which contributed to the pedal going to the floor and almost no braking after some hard laps. Part of the problem with the stock calipers is they have aluminum pistons which transfer the heat from the pads strait into the fluid. Most performance pads can handle temperatures of 800+ but most brake fluid is rated at most 500 and the stock even lower.

So upgrading to better fluid (as well as the pads) should have the most gain as far as fade goes.

 

Get DRM pistons too and get as much air to them as possible

 

I agree. Go with Hawk pads, and get some good brake fluid. Also, obviously replace all of your fuid while doing the bleed. (You know what I mean).

 

I have to agree with all of the posts above. I have been were you are now. I had Baer drilled/slotted rotors, stainless lines and GM ceramic pads. I suffered brake fade without a mushy pedal. I upgraded my pads and achieved a little better braking with no more fade. Since then, I have upgraded more and learned more. So let me share.

Braking ability is dependent on more that just the calipers and pads. It must also take into account the brake fluid used, rotors, tire compound, contact patch and road condition. You need to think about what your driving style is like and what your requirements are. (quiet pads, low dust, rotor friendly, low temp, mid-temp, high temp, dirt track, oval track, street, dragstrip, roadcourse, etc...)

The vette has a fantastic brake system to begin with. Not knowing what kind of driving you are subjecting the car to, and guessing that once your car/brakes cooled down you no longer suffered any fade symptoms (and that you are using the stock oen pads), I would recommend upgrading your pads first. Remember, you need to match your pads to the type of driving/braking they are going to be subjected to.

The Hawke HPS are very nice for the street but I dont know how well they would hold up on the track. The Wilwood J-compound is very aggressive but I think it's too much for the street (unless you like to constantly trigger the ABS). The Carbotech PantherPlus pads performed very well for me on the street and on 2 mile road courses for 5 lap stints. The Hawke HP-Plus also look promising for both, although I have no personal experience with them yet. Depending on how serious you want to get, consider having different pads for the street and the track.

If you are suffering from a mushy pedal, then you probably boiled your brake fluid and should replace it with something better. I have had good luck with ATE Superblue and Motul 600. At the very least, get the lines bled.

If you still need more braking power, start saving up. To upgrade your brake system with larger rotors, calipers, pads and SS lines, you are looking at anywhere from $5000 to $11000. To take advantage of the extra stopping potential, you will need to maximize your contact patch by maximizing the wheel and tire size on the car with good tires to match them, thats at least another $3500.

Hope this helps.

 

pads and the brake lines.....

Note to self: I spend thousands to go fast and a couple of hundred to stop...hmmmmm

 

Good pads will of course help with fade. You can upgrade the brakes(my big brakes are night and day better than stock), but it will only help if you upgrade to wider/stickier tires up front(like said above). I am running 275 AVS Sports up front so my ABS kicks in alot less than stock widths.





http://www.stainlesssteelbrakes.com


[Modified by C5-VERT, 4:41 AM 4/7/2003]

 

When running Road Atlanta for the first time, I learned that stock brakes quickly fade. I was disappointed, especially when I had to adjust my timing for braking to compensate. So, we upgraded to Dilusi Stage III brakes & Yokohama AVS Sport tires. HUGE improvement!

 

For thoese that have upgrade to 4 or six piston calipers, what set up are you using and will it fit under stock size wheels? I have been looking for an upgrade but want to make sure it fits my street wheels.

 

That is why I went with the Dilusi Stage III setup...designed for stock wheels.

 

Unfortunately mine will not. I have to have atleast 18" rims + larger offsets. My new iForged rims will be built specifically for these brakes. They are HUGE!!!

 

-Thanks.
-My brake issues, at the moment, are fade. I am thinking that I will see an
-improvement by adding ss lines, Hawk pads and DRM proportioning valve.
-Comments?

Hi all,
I put the slotted Baer and the proportioning valve and much later the Hawk pads. The proportioning valve helps to equal the wear on both front and back but does not improve hard braking because most of the weight of the car goes towards the front on hard breaking. On the brake fluid I just took some out and replaced with a better boiling point the amount removed (so as not to bleed-lazy sob). The fading will improve with these simple changes. The proportionate valve won't help with the fading though it will help in better pad wear during normal driving.
Saludos from always warm Puerto Rico,

 

I dont know of any big brake kit that will fit under the 99 stock wheels.
The Dilusi Stage3 (which I have recently added to my 99) will fit under the stock Z06 wheels. I chose to go to upgrade my wheels to the ones offered by XMS. They look great and fit over the Stage3 with no problems. If you have 2000 rims on your 99, its a 50/50 chance that they will clear Dilusi kit (I think the Wilwood calipers have the lowest profile of all the calipers). Apparently, there were 2 different molds used for the 2000 rims, one for early 2000 which will not clear the calipers because of the rake of the spokes, and one for late 2000 which will.

Good luck!

 

Baer rotors look cool but if they are drilled they may very well develop stress cracks around the holes and are prone to discoloration when they get really hot. So far I haven’t had any problems but if I do then I will go with Dilusi rotors.

To eliminate brake fluid as a cause of fade, I use Motul 600 brake fluid, which has a very high boiling temp and because brake fluid is hydroscopic, I flush the system every year.

Stainless steel lines will firm up the pedal a bit. Goodridge lines seem to work the best, as they are less likely to throw codes than the other brands.

I use the DRM brake bias spring, which transfers more braking to the rear. I find that the front brakes run cooler and it eliminates nosedive, which helps when setting the car up for corners.

I am using ceramic pads, which seem to be no better than stock but produce less visible dust. I have experienced some fade at times but nothing that impaired the stopping power of the brakes. This is probably due more to my driving style and maybe the bias spring than any properties of the pads.

Improving the brake ducting to the front and adding brake ducting to the rear has got to help in keeping the brakes cool but is something I haven’t done yet.

 

"For thoese that have upgrade to 4 or six piston calipers, what set up are you using and will it fit under stock size wheels? I have been looking for an upgrade but want to make sure it fits my street wheels."


I couldn't find an upgrade that would fit under my stock wheels '00 that did not require a spacer/longer wheel studs....so I made my own. here is a link to some pics
http://home.attbi.com/~robgreg75/Brakes.html

 

bk, I think LGM has a brake upgrade kit that will work w/ stock rims. Good luck.

 

LGM may have some to fit under stock wheels post in Road race section. Most people here accelerate then don't worry about stopping. ;)