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I am replacing the pads on all four corners of my 2018 Z06/Z07. The car has the carbon ceramic brake package and i am swapping out the used OEM pads for CarboTech 1521s.
1. Do you have to also replace the wear sensor each time you replace the pads? Or can you reuse the same sensors?
2. All the research I’ve done says that lug nut torque is 100 ft/lbs. does anyone know anything different?
3. after installation, i will break them in following the break in instructions.
I could be wrong and apologize if I am but I dont think you can run 1521 on ccb rotors. they aren't a full carbon ceramic pad.
as for the sensors you reuse them if they haven't worn down, that said they are cheap enough to purchase
and yes torque is 100 ft/lbs
You can reuse the old sensors if they aren't damaged. The problem is removing them from the old pads without decreasing the clamping tension of the spring that holds them to the pad as it will be necessary to hold them to the Carbotech pads. The other alternative is to remove the sensors from the old pads and fold them back along the lower control arm using wire ties to hold them in place. They won't provide a brake worn warning but you can keep track of the inner pad wear by removing each wheel and inspecting the inner pad thickness. That is what I do with the AP Racing Brake Kit I installed on my Z07.
The lug nut torque is correct. That is what GM uses for Aluminum Wheels. I have owned Corvettes since 1972. The wheel nut torque has been 100 ft-lbs since the 1984 model hit the streets.
Just wondering why you didn't purchase stock pads GM sources them from Pagid and they are designed to work with CCM rotors. The Carbotechs are pads that work with iron rotors and maybe CCMs. Have your CCM rotors been replaced with Girodisc iron rotors?
You can reuse the old sensors if they aren't damaged. The problem is removing them from the old pads without decreasing the clamping tension of the spring that holds them to the pad as it will be necessary to hold them to the Carbotech pads. The other alternative is to remove the sensors from the old pads and fold them back along the lower control arm using wire ties to hold them in place. They won't provide a brake worn warning but you can keep track of the inner pad wear by removing each wheel and inspecting the inner pad thickness. That is what I do with the AP Racing Brake Kit I installed on my Z07.
The lug nut torque is correct. That is what GM uses for Aluminum Wheels. I have owned Corvettes since 1972. The wheel nut torque has been 100 ft-lbs since the 1984 model hit the streets.
Just wondering why you didn't purchase stock pads GM sources them from Pagid and they are designed to work with CCM rotors. The Carbotechs are pads that work with iron rotors and maybe CCMs. Have your CCM rotors been replaced with Girodisc iron rotors?
Bill
i was searching the forum and came across this thread:
that is why i went with the CarboTech brand. I’m thinking i may return them though and go with the AC Delco OEM pads. Especially since they come with the sensors. The brakes are the OEM CCBs and this is my first Corvette.
Ive been getting the intermittent Warn Brakes light, like a lot of other people. It’s a 2018 Z07 with 12,500 miles on it. The more i read, the more i think it may be just one of the sensors. It hasn’t been tracked as far as i know. These are my front pads. They have a little life left, but it doesn’t hurt my feelings to replace them.
I could be wrong and apologize if I am but I dont think you can run 1521 on ccb rotors. they aren't a full carbon ceramic pad.
as for the sensors you reuse them if they haven't worn down, that said they are cheap enough to purchase
and yes torque is 100 ft/lbs
I’ve seen the brake pads advertised like this in a couple of different places. So based on this, i think the 1521s should be good. If anyone knows for sure, I’d appreciate it. CarboTech 1521 ad for C7 Z06 with CCBs.
You need to pull the wheels and inspect the inside pads. The wear sensors are on the inside pads. The sensors will start to wear down as the pad thickness approaches 2/32 inch. If properly fitted to the pad the sensor should break when the pad reaches 2/32 (that is the thickness that state inspection programs require replacement of the pads).
When I look at your pads it seems like the brake pad compound isn't close to 2/32 (1/16) thickness. When brand new the pads are only 15 to 16 mm thick including the backing plate. However, a lot of times the inside pads wear faster. You need to check all 4 wheels to see which one is tripping your brake wear warning message. The sensor is basically a wire that is encapsulated in some sort of phenolic material. As the pad wears the material comes into contact with the rotor and it wears down to the point the rotor breaks the wire inside the sensor which sets off the message. The warning system is a serial circuit that passes through the sensor at each wheel so there is no way to tell which pad has the broken sensor.
The fact the message is intermittent makes me think the problem may be in the connector at the far end of the sensor harness. That connector plugs into a matching connector that is tied down tightly to the cradle. There are 4 connectors on the cradles 2 in front and 2 in the rear. One connector for each wheel. Any one of them could have an issue with a poor connection that triggers your warning message.
Check all of these things before replacing the pads. You may be able to avoid spending money on new pads.
The Disc Brake Pad Wear Sensor Part Number is: - GM (84649599) It is priced at $43.62 at CultragFactoryParts a forum sponsor. Rock Auto has them from various vendors including GM with the price varying between $25 and $37.
Update: From what I was able to look up on the internet the friction material thickness on a brand new OEM pad is .405 inches. That is a shade less than 10.3 mm thick. You can use a straight edge to measure the outside pad thickness just by removing the wheel. See the picture for an example:
It is hard to say from your picture but it looks like your pads have at least a quarter-inch thickness left and it is easily seen the CCM brake burnishment procedure called for in the Owner's Manual has never been done since the pad color is black. When the brakes are burnished using the OM procedure the pads look gray on the edges as shown in the picture.
Bill
Last edited by Bill Dearborn; Jun 27, 2022 at 04:39 PM.
Thanks @Bill Dearborn. That was super helpful. I did pull all four corners today and there was tons of pad left. You were right with your assumption. Next I’m going to replace the front wear sensors. Im thinking this will be the culprit, especially based on all of the other threads regarding this issue. It’s a 2018, so I’m not sure what the dealer would say. Maybe they would replace them, maybe they would charge me… i don’t know. Thanks everyone. This has been helpful.
I have seen the wear sensor incorrectly mounted on the pads thus causing it to wear through sooner. Check the pills on the inner pads to see if they are worn through.
I have seen the wear sensor incorrectly mounted on the pads thus causing it to wear through sooner. Check the pills on the inner pads to see if they are worn through.
Bill
The pills that wear down on the pad side were still in tact. The back of the wear sensors on both front brakes was broken down though. The only thing keeping the sensors from moving was the tension from the metal clip. The sensor is free to pop out of the hole because there was no backing piece anymore. (I hope this makes sense. 😊. Two new front sensors are on the way.
So here is an interesting update. I was getting the intermittent Warn Brakes message and decided to pull all 8 pads and check out the damage. This is a 2018 Z06/Z07 with 12,500 miles and CCBs. As you can tell by the pictures, there is plenty of pad when compared to the brand new pads. Definitely a sensor issue. All of the pads looked about the same, like the picture below.
So here is an interesting update. I was getting the intermittent Warn Brakes message and decided to pull all 8 pads and check out the damage. This is a 2018 Z06/Z07 with 12,500 miles and CCBs. As you can tell by the pictures, there is plenty of pad when compared to the brand new pads. Definitely a sensor issue. All of the pads looked about the same, like the picture below.
Left: New Pad / Right: Original Pad
Left: Original Pad / Right: New Pad
I found the same thing on my 19 ZR1 43K miles. Had it on Daytona for an afternoon, but all else has been drag racing or daily driving, no other tracks.
I just put the new pads back in the box and I have for when I actually need them.
The OEM sensors suck. I replaced it at 4000 miles with Rock Auto sensors.
Were they “Rock Auto” brand? Or GM brand from Rock Auto? The reason i ask is because i just replaced my 2 front sensors. I ordered them from Rock Auto, but the package had GM on it. I agree, they suck. I’m definitely open to an upgrade, if you have any suggestions.
Whatever off-brand Rock Auto had. They work fine, my error message went away.
It's not GM, & not Brembo. Mess around on rock auto, you'll find it.
For the record, my OEM sensors when I pulled them. No visible signs of damage, no broken wires, nothing visible to the naked eye. I replaced one, and the problem persisted. Replaced the other side, and the problem is gone.
I have 2 track days on my new rock auto sensor. No problems.
The GM sensors are just wire and the other sensors are just wire. There is no quality issue. Both are subject to the same failures. If the pill isn't worn through prematurely do poor attachment to the pad, or the wire is broken due to an outside force being applied the next location is in the connector where the contacts can get dirty/corroded. One of the things I do when I have a similar circuit that is having connection issues is to take the connector apart and spray contact cleaner in both halves of the connector (Sensor half and Car half). A lot of times that will work just fine.
CCB Pad Replacement
. Two new front sensors are on the way.
