CAMARO6 - Brake swap out for SS 1LE cars (lots of pics)

UPDATE: Photobucket wants to extort money from me, so I had to remove the pics and add them to the bottom of the post (sorry)...

Also, at the end of this post I pasted my 3 month review of the pads (very nice)...

Folks,

Like many, I LOVE my SS 1LE but HATE the amount of dust these pads produce. I'm not going to go into some long winded brake pad analysis, let's just say that the stock pads are good, but I will go ceramic for street and a proper race compound for track days. Tonight I decided that it was time to clean these filthy brakes and change them out to ceramics. Car has 700 miles on it and the rotors are filth defined!

For this car I went with PowerStop Z26 compound pads. The part numbers were Z26-1718 for the rears and Z26-1405 for the fronts (exact part numbers for a non carbon rotor C7 Z06). I like the Carbontech stuff (have used them before on the C7), but have had a lot of success with Z26 pads on other vettes and frankly $110 for the entire set hit me right when ordering.

This will follow with a review of the pads in a couple of weeks. If they suck I will say. I suspect they will not.

OK first things first let's get the car off the ground. I do one wheel at a time since it is easy. I use a jack (on the ZL1addon permanent pads), and a jack stand for backup. Loosen the nuts before you jack, and be aware they are TIGHT from the factory (they were also not consistent).

Car on Jack

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389443

Look at that filthy front CALIPER!

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389443

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389443

These pads are about as easy as they get to change out, Just take a punch and tap out the top pin. It does not take much there HE-MAN, just tap it out (tap tap tap-a-roo). You tap from the outside in. Once the top is out the retainer spring will pop out. Tap the lower pin out. Use a small punch and don't screw up your paint.

Edit: User glamcem and X25 (post 15) updated with a link to a $15 Brembo punch designed for these pins... NICE!

https://www.amazon.com/RacingBrake-B.../dp/B01M03PHOF

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389443

Now remove the bolt (front brakes only). It's a 13mm and has a little thread lock on it. Easy to get out.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389485

Here is a pic of the pins, bolt, and spring.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389485

You can see here that the pads will slide right out. If you are strong like bull (or 1/2 as strong as me), you can grab the pad and manually push the pistons in. If you are not, you can buy a brake spreader (and maybe a weight set too there, Francis). Once you have some wiggle room pull them out.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389485

Here is the old pad next to the new. I put some brake pad lube on the spots that the pistons hit, and on the pad sides where they ride the caliper.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389485

Slide the new pads in being CAREFUL to put the pad side towards the rotor (this should be obvious, but I am old enough to have seen people screw that one up along with their rotors!). Put the bolt in with a little blue locktite (NOT RED), and tighten it down (C7 Z06 is 22ft-lbs, so I did that). Put the lower pin in through the holes, then the upper while pushing in on the retainer spring. Once done tap the pins in fully from the back. If you did it right it will look like this.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389615

Take the time to clean your calipers. They are nasty.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389664

Mount the wheel up and move on! I do a first pass of 100ft-lbs on the wheel lugs until all 4 brakes are done, then do a final pass of 140 ft-lbs. Yes, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY foot lbs! wow.

The rear is very similar to the front, but there are only 2 pins and no bolt. Same same, other than that, see pics below (I am too lazy to type out the same thing twice).

HOPE THAT HELPS anyone who has not done this or was wondering!

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389615

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389615

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/attach...1&d=1499389615

Specs stolen from the corvette forum... If they are right, you are welcome. If they are not it's all on you...

Fastener Tightening Specifications

Brake Caliper Bleeder - J56 Front
13-15 lb ft

Brake Caliper Bleeder - J56 Rear
106 lb in-12 lb ft

Brake Caliper Bleeder - J57 Front and Rear
13-15 lb ft

Brake Caliper Bolt - Front
162 lb ft

Brake Caliper Bolt - Rear
89 lb ft

Brake Caliper Bridge Pin Bolt
22 lb ft

Brake Hose Fitting Bolt
30 lb ft

Brake Rotor Bolt
106 lb in

Front Brake Shield Bolt
89 lb in

REVIEW

STREET Performance (Grade B+): First off how do they perform? From a street use perspective they are great. They have a little less bite than the brembo pads, but certainly not an issue at all for street use. These pads will stop the car in a hurry, and will continue to no matter how hard you use them in any reasonable street setting. Compared to ceramics I have used on the C7, C6, C5 (yes, I have issues with cars that start with a "C") they work excellent. I've spent WAAAAAY more money on pads that don't feel any better than these do. They bed well, and the bedding lasts long. I recommend them for the street. I heated them up as much as any reasonable street drive would be able to, and there was no issue at all. These are in no way track pads, but they worked great.

DUST PERFORMANCE (Grade A++): This is where these pads really shine. They literally never dusted, even from break in. I go an incredibly long time between wheel cleanings with these pads. AMAZING performance there. There are no pads that dust less than these that I have ever used. Perfect. Even 1521's didn't dust less.

TRACK PERFORMANCE (GRADE N/A): I did not and do not intend to use these on a track. There are certainly better pads for them, even from Powerstop that are compatible with these. Since they are so easy to swap I will just swap them back and forth like I used to do with the C5Z.

Overall I'd absolutely buy these again. For the money it is shocking how little they dust. Love them.