STANG KILLA SS

Back story:
my old track car was a 00 SS with 14" 4 piston brembos off a CTSV, and RS3 tires.
i ran Hawk HP+ pads and was super happy with there performance even though others cringe when i mention tracking that pad. i had great initial bite, no fade, and well priced. i got great performance out of them.


i then bought a 09 C6Z. its 500lbs lighter with the same/stock 14" 6 pistons brakes. so i bought the same pads thinking they would have an easier job with the less weight. HP+
but i havent been happy with them. they dont have the initial bite that the camaro had, they dont squeel on the street like the camaro ones did(and a good race pad should). ive got the cooling pretty dialed so they dont fade too bad, but the pedal feel and initial bite isnt where id like to be. they dont feel like they have quite the total stoping power either. on a fair note, the vette lap times are 4-5 seconds faster than the camaros, so i guess im asking more out of them(pads).

so im looking else where now

want list
under $300 for the fronts
would prefer 1 piece, not manditory
i need them to last. and not destroy rotors either. id like to get 1 year. if they wear out in 3-4 track weekends, im not interested, or if they eat up rotors.
looking for more initial bite over HP+, better/consistant pedal feel, and a bit more overall braking power.
Low corrosive dust, dont mind lots of dust, but it cant damage wheel finish, even if left on for a month or gets wet.

car is C6Z, 80% track car, on 315 Rival S square.
driver skill level is group 3 (out of 4) if that matters
also im not a threshold braker, im more smooth and safe when it comes to braking, ie im not a super aggressive braker, ie no rear end dancing etc.

Mordeth

If you are driving hard and often, I don't know of any track pad on OEM calipers that will last a year. I run Carbotech XP24 front and XP12 rear with DBA 5000/4000 rotors. I run very hard on a fast track (Watkins Glen). I get about 4 days on the front pads. Rears last forever (an entire season usually). Front rotors last 10-12 days and then I replace the rotor ring. Rear rotors last forever (a full season).

The XP24 are light years ahead of those HP+ (which are junk pads - sorry). I can run 45 minute sessions at 9/10ths or even 10/10ths four to five times a day and they hold up. This is in an advanced, open track setting. No fade, don't overheat, great bite, easy to modulate and are very consistent. But anyone running hard will chew through pads in a few days on a dedicated track car with OEM calipers, no matter what pad you have (unless you are simply slow).

The only way to truly extend the life of the pads is to go to a true BBK like AP Racing from Essex. Their pads are literally 1 inch thick, with huge, vented calipers that stay cool and great rotors. It is the entire system that does the trick. I am just waiting to run out of spare XP24s and for these calipers to blow up and then on goes the AP Racing kit.

Edit: You could also try the new "Powerstop Track Day Pads". I had a buddy at the track this week that had them on his car and he liked them (C6 Grandsport). He is pretty quick but is very easy on the brakes. He brakes about 200 feet before I do. These pads are pretty cheap too. He was very happy with them for 2 full days. You could also try Carbotech XP12. Either one of these are INFINITELY better than HP+ (junk).

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

Carbotech™ XP12™

Another highly successful XP™ series compound with an excellent initial bite, torque and fade resistance over and above the XP10™ compound. XP12™ has temperature range of 250°F to 1850°F+ (121°C to 1010°C+). The XP12™ has that excellent Carbotech™ release and modulation that has made all other Carbotech™ compounds so successful. The XP12™ is more rotor aggressive than XP10™, but compared to the competition the XP12™ is still very rotor friendly. XP12™ is NOT recommended for use as a daily driven street pad due to possible elevated levels of dust and noise.

1 piece $322.05

BEZ06

On my C6 Z06 I ran XP12 up front and XP10 in the rear - with EXCELLENT results!!

I think Mordeth is tracking a C7 Z06, which is quite a bit heavier than your C6 Z06. If I had iron brakes on my C7 Z06 I'd probably be running what he is.

Bottom line - I think you'd find the Carbotech XP12/XP10 to be good pads for tracking your car. The only combination I might consider if still tracking a C6 Z06 might be XP20/XP10.

I also ran the Hawk DTC70/60 compounds with good results, but preferred the Carbotechs.

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STANG KILLA SS

ok i will research those xp12s

thoughts on DTC-30s vs Raybestos ST43?

STANG KILLA SS

also what about the corrosiveness of the dust from the carbotecs, hawks, and raybestos?

that was one thing i never had to worry about with the hawk HP+ i could leave the dust for a month without issue, even if it got wet.

CaddyRacer

I run all the time Xp12 front and XP -8 rear on my 2012 Z06
been running Carbotech pads for about 5yrs I like them :-)

Mordeth

No issues with corrosiveness on Carbotech pads. Rotors hold up just fine and dust is normal for any Racing pad. Same with squeal until they get up to temp. Hawks pads well known to eat rotors and paint though. But it is never a good idea to leave brake dust on your car for long periods of time.

BEZ06

Not enough for a C6 Z06. The DTC-30 will probably be overheating/fading with the weight of your car. The temp zone will be exceeded and you won't have effective braking when that occurs.

I ran DTC-70 front and DTC-60 rear and liked them a lot - except for the DUST!!! I had to clean the wheels and entire sides of my car after a track event in my C6 Z06 with them - and like Mordeth said above, the Hawk brake dust is known to be more corrosive than most, although no dust from any company's pads should be left on your wheels or paint.

I had almost 45,000 miles on my pickup's OE pads and last month swapped on some Hawk LTS pads before towing almost 700 miles each way up to VIR and back for the NCM HPDE the end of June. HOLY KEERAP!!! They REALLY throw off a bunch of dust!!!

Take a look at this Hawk info about the various compounds - you can see the temp ranges for optimal performance and max temp. The DTC-30 just is not suitable for tracking your car that will weigh more than 3,300 lbs with fuel and you in it:

http://www.hawkperformance.com/race-...nd-application


Here's a list of Carbotech compounds with some info about weights - you can see you should be using at least XP12's up front. This is an older list - they don't make the XP16 anymore, but the XP20 might be a good front pad for your C6 Z06 with XP10 in the rear. The rear just doesn't heat up as much, and you want a compound that is going to be in its optimal temp operating zone. If you had say, XP12 front and rear, you wouldn't be getting the rears into their proper temp zone for best braking, so XP12 or 20 up front and XP10 in the rear would work good:

http://forza.therpmstore.com/carbotech


Bottom line - make sure your track pads will operate well at the high temps on the track and the weight of your car.

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STANG KILLA SS

Tons of great info, keep it coming!


the DTC 30s have 200 more optimal heat range than the HP+ im currently using.

but if the carbotechs are less corrosive, ill go with them for that reason alone.

i noticed this though "The XP12™ is the most rotor aggressive compound Carbotech makes"

i wish there were more testimonials on the Raybestos pads. the few people that use and post REALLY love them. first thing they mention is they last 3x as long as carbos or hawks.
but the users are such a tiny margin, there just isnt much info out there on them.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-i-expect.html

KNS brakes which i buy all my stuff from, recomended them too. (ST43s)

Scooter70

If you "need them to last" go for the ST43s over the Carbotechs. I loved them when I had stock calipers on my C5Z and C6 Z51. I'm not sure if they make 1-piece pads for the C6Z though so you'll have to find out. Call Randall Racing for the best price on Raybestos.

pjazz

Selling these Hawks if you're interested. I ended up selling my car before I used them.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-pads-z06.html

TKOGTO

Everyone has their own views on pads and occasionally, those views are polar opposites, even among experienced drivers . My view is experiment to see what you like. You like the HP+s (I did too), try the racier Hawk compounds 1st. 60s up front, 30s in the rear sound about right for your driving. The only corrosive compounds in the Hawk line up I know of are the Blues. I've never heard of issues with any other. I find the CTs wear like tissue paper but Mordeth loves them and he drives lights out.

Personally, I prefer PFCs. They do not penalize you in a brake zone with the high initial bite so many talk about as a positive. For the life of me I can't understand why. You want a quick, firm initial brake application. With high bite pads all you are doing is unsettling the balance of the car making proper modulation to carry more speed through the corner so much more difficult. IMO, high bite pads have no place on a road course.

Given your braking description, the limiting factor is the OEM calipers. The thickness of the pad material is only about 3/8ths". That coupled with you are not a threshold braker, you are more smooth with no rear end dancing and good cooling, likely means most pads will have reasonably similar wear characteristics. Be aware though that pads that are easy on rotors are so because they wear away easier. So it's a choice of which do you want to replace. The rotors don't provide feel so to me it's a no-brainer.

Mordeth

TKO makes all valid points. Best to try a few different pads and see what works for you. Everyone's driving styles, car setup, type of track, tires, power levels, weight etc are different. I too don't want "high initial bite", but I do want good bite. I always "introduce" the pad to the rotor when I start my braking, this begins the process to move weight forward and essentially lets the car know what is about to happen. When I do this, I don't want the pad "grabbing" the rotor with only the slightest of pressure. Then I am very hard on the brakes, smoothly release them into the corner to balance the car and am back on the gas immediately by the apex. My goal is to ride the edge of the traction circle of the tires all the way around. Obviously each corner and situation is different, but as a general rule this works for me and I can get around a corner pretty well.

And don't let TKO fool you, he easily keeps up with me and I have something like 200 more hp. In fact, I have video of him on the track ripping right by me until his tires overheated.

The Hawk 60s and 30s are also very good pads in my opinion, so are the PFCs. I just don't like the HP+ due to some bad experiences with them. They simply do not and did not hold up to any kind of aggressive driving/braking. But I realize that this may not be the case for everyone. Best to follow TKO's advice and experiment a little bit (I do realize there is a cost to this).