ZR1 Brakes

[Billy Mild]

Are the ZR1 brakes the same as the C4 or are they special somehow? It looks like my rear brake pads are a little low on life and need to be replaced. I was looking on RockAuto for brake pad/rotor combos and noticed there are 2 options with or without heavy duty suspension. The heavy duty suspension rotors are larger in the front. I want to make sure I pick the correct brake package.

Are the pad/rotor combo from RockAuto any good? Are there better options out there? What is the best place to get new stainless steel brake lines?

[csavaglio]

They're the J55 big brakes. The ones they list as the HD stuff (since J55 came with the Z51 and similar suspension packages) are the ones you want. The rotors are 12.9"...although most places list them as 13".

I'm not sure what brands Rock Auto happens to list. Vette Brakes most likely has stainless lines as well as the rest of the stuff you're after. It's been a while since I've messed with stainless lines, but all of the vette places, like Ecklers, Zip, etc used to carry the lines, pads and rotors.

[Paul Workman]

You may find this an interesting read: "The "Warped" Brake Disc and Other Myths of the Braking System"

For what it is worth, I just this spring installed the Hawk HPS pads, and immediately spent 3 days chasing around the mountain twisties in the lower Appalachian mountains doing "The Tail of the Dragon", "Six Gaps", and "The Devil's Triangle", among others. I was very pleased with the additional stopping grip these pads have over the stock pads. And, just a couple days ago, I was cruising a curvy river road, doing about 55 when this A-hole in a big delivery van at an intersection pulls out and turns right to lumber along ahead of me, grinding along at maybe 10 mph. AND (of course) there was a car coming from the other way so I couldn't pass, leaving me no option but to break hard, or plug his azz with the Vette. But, again, I was pleasantly surprised at how much grip the HPS pads had, compared to the stock pads on there before. Before I would have been standing on the break peddle and praying, but this time...no problem at all.

Yes, I realize it is the coefficient of friction between the tires and the road that determines the braking ability. But too, the coefficient of friction has to exist between the pads and the disc first! There are other pads perhaps as good or better, but the HPS pads proved to me to have excellent grip with substantially less peddle force, compared to stock pads.

Just sayin...

[csavaglio]

My personal experience, after spending a lot of time on the track (in other C4s for the most part), and from those of friends who also spend a lot of time on the track, is that the best combination is a set of stock cast rotors (not turned ones...you want all the meat you can get on them) and a good set of pads. There may be a fraction to gain from different rotors, but your big bang for the buck is in the pads.

On the other hand, there's overkill for a street car....I used to run one of Hawk's racing compound pads on a built up '88 Vette. There was almost no braking force when cold, so, as a street/track car, when I'd drive it, I'd have to spend the first few miles standing on the brake pedal to get some heat in them before they'd actually work. Pretty scary the first time you drive a 500+hp car and the brakes feel like a set of misadjusted drums with glazed shoes... once they got some heat in them, though, they were awesome.

[Billy Mild]

This is mostly an occasional cruiser and maybe some occasional track use.

It sounds like stick rotors are fine. Are the Grand Sport calipers any better? I know they look a little better up front. Are mods needed to put then on?

[WARP TEN]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

You may find this an interesting read: "The "Warped" Brake Disc and Other Myths of the Braking System"

For what it is worth, I just this spring installed the Hawk HPS pads, and immediately spent 3 days chasing around the mountain twisties in the lower Appalachian mountains doing "The Tail of the Dragon", "Six Gaps", and "The Devil's Triangle", among others. I was very pleased with the additional stopping grip these pads have over the stock pads. And, just a couple days ago, I was cruising a curvy river road, doing about 55 when this A-hole in a big delivery van at an intersection pulls out and turns right to lumber along ahead of me, grinding along at maybe 10 mph. AND (of course) there was a car coming from the other way so I couldn't pass, leaving me no option but to break hard, or plug his azz with the Vette. But, again, I was pleasantly surprised at how much grip the HPS pads had, compared to the stock pads on there before. Before I would have been standing on the break peddle and praying, but this time...no problem at all.

Yes, I realize it is the coefficient of friction between the tires and the road that determines the braking ability. But too, the coefficient of friction has to exist between the pads and the disc first! There are other pads perhaps as good or better, but the HPS pads proved to me to have excellent grip with substantially less peddle force, compared to stock pads.

Just sayin...

As Paul notes, the article is a good one to read. And I also switched to Hawk HPS Street Pads recently and like the feel a bit better than the stock ones. But for normal street driving stock is fine.--Bob

[WARP TEN]

Originally Posted by Billy Mild

This is mostly an occasional cruiser and maybe some occasional track use.

It sounds like stick rotors are fine. Are the Grand Sport calipers any better? I know they look a little better up front. Are mods needed to put then on?

I put the Grand Sport calipers on my 93 when I had it, probably in about 1997-98, along with SS braided lines and slotted (not drilled) rotors. I can't remember what pads I used but I recall that I changed from stock to something else. Maybe some Hawks. Anyway, the combination improved the feel and braking of the car in higher speed situations and were fine for normal driving. Its my understanding that the GS calipers are just a bit stiffer that the earlier J55 calipers. Apparently there was just a little bit of flex in the J55 castings that supposedly the Grand Sport calipers reduced or eliminated. I am pretty sure the GS calipers were straight bolt ons, no mods needed. Marc H would likely know.--Bob

[batchman]

Originally Posted by Billy Mild

This is mostly an occasional cruiser and maybe some occasional track use.

Those are two very different needs. Brake choices, like tires, range kind of like wine does. Good track brakes are noisy and dusty as hell - in other words obnoxious.

I like my Carbotech AX6s, a lot, because they grab hard with only a hint of heat and the dust is not corrosive. But they would be gawdawful street brakes due to the noise and prodigious dust.

The pad choices that work well for street (ie quiet and low dust) will quickly overheat on a track day once you pass a novice level. They are very easy to change so I would suggest considering a set of pads and rotors for each purpose, at least on the front. As I presume the linked article points out you want to bed your pad material onto the rotor carefully, which means the pads and rotors should swap as a set when going to the track.

I can't recall where I got my Earl's S/S lines but I'm pretty sure it was Summit or Jegs. I think several of the Corvette specialty folks carry them at not-dissimilar pricing so it may be best to just combine it with something else for shipping cost consideration.

HTH,
- Jeff

[Billy Mild]

Originally Posted by WARP TEN

I put the Grand Sport calipers on my 93 when I had it, probably in about 1997-98, along with SS braided lines and slotted (not drilled) rotors. I can't remember what pads I used but I recall that I changed from stock to something else. Maybe some Hawks. Anyway, the combination improved the feel and braking of the car in higher speed situations and were fine for normal driving. Its my understanding that the GS calipers are just a bit stiffer that the earlier J55 calipers. Apparently there was just a little bit of flex in the J55 castings that supposedly the Grand Sport calipers reduced or eliminated. I am pretty sure the GS calipers were straight bolt ons, no mods needed. Marc H would likely know.--Bob

I'm assuming these brakes are rare to come by. On RockAuto they have rebuilt calipers. I'm not 100% sure if they are the Grand Sport calipers that say corvette on them or not. I think that looks awesome.

Originally Posted by batchman

Those are two very different needs. Brake choices, like tires, range kind of like wine does. Good track brakes are noisy and dusty as hell - in other words obnoxious.

I like my Carbotech AX6s, a lot, because they grab hard with only a hint of heat and the dust is not corrosive. But they would be gawdawful street brakes due to the noise and prodigious dust.

The pad choices that work well for street (ie quiet and low dust) will quickly overheat on a track day once you pass a novice level. They are very easy to change so I would suggest considering a set of pads and rotors for each purpose, at least on the front. As I presume the linked article points out you want to bed your pad material onto the rotor carefully, which means the pads and rotors should swap as a set when going to the track.

I can't recall where I got my Earl's S/S lines but I'm pretty sure it was Summit or Jegs. I think several of the Corvette specialty folks carry them at not-dissimilar pricing so it may be best to just combine it with something else for shipping cost consideration.

HTH,
- Jeff

It sounds like the Hawk HPS Street pads sound like the ticket. They have good initial bite and can withstand maybe some autocross use?

On my 944 Turbo I ran the PBR Metal Masters pads with some freshly turned rotors and they were awesome. They dusted a little bit, but nothing crazy.

[lbszr]

http://dougrippie.com/ Also has the stainless lines. I don't know how others attach to the caliper. These use AN style flared fittings into the calipers. I liked it better than the banjo fittings on OEM lines. They have great customer support also.