Quote:
Originally Posted by HankVA
Hi All,
I am trying to figure out what, if anything, I need to do to prepare the brakes for a track weekend at VIR. Do I need to pull the wheels and install the lower control arm and disc splash shields? YES!
The manual states related to track use: "Front Tire Deflectors, Lower Control Arm Deflectors, and Disc Splash Shields (SS
except 1LE Only)" It doesn't read like it applies to my car, to me anyway. YES! THIS APPLIES TO NON-1LE SS's. THE 1LE ALREADY HAS THE DEFLECTORS INSTALLED.
The dealer doesn't think I need to do it, but wanted to ask for advice from anyone who's also tracking their SS with the J6H/BCD combo, or ZL1. WRONG! THE DEALER IS OFFERING DANGEROUS INFO HERE. TRACK DAYS = HIGH HEAT. COOLING IS PARAMOUNT!
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I'd also like to know what I should be doing for brake fluid. In my previous car I ran Motul RBF 600 and changed it once a year, but I've seen others say that isn't the best choice for these cars. SEE BELOW.
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Last thing ... can the factory copper free pads really handle the heat? I read that they're on the CT5-V and are pretty robust. SEE BELOW.
Thanks & PFA
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Answers above in
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Do not trust the dealer. If they have no experience with these cars as far as track days, they are not going to know the fine details. Track days will stress the car more than anything you could do to it. GM engineered them to handle it, but you as the owner/driver must still do your due diligence.
Sure, it's just as easy to dismiss us guys here on the forums too, but, FWIW, I have 10+ years tracking three different generations of Camaros and I love brakes. Its' best err on the side of safety when it comes to this. So........
Read you manual. You may not have received the performance supplement that also comes with the SS 1LE/ZL1/ZLE. If not, there are copies of it on the interwebs, they are also available on your chevy.com account.
Your car is an SS without the 1LE option. In the past, the non-1LE SS variant came with a set of large flat brake deflectors in the trunk. If yours came with that you should use them. Yes, the BlackWing deflectors are more efficient and do not hang down as low. Buy them if you can get them, sometimes they are hard to get. If you can't get them in time for your track day, you must use brake deflectors. Do not track without any. They divert air to the center of your rotor for cooling. Cooling is a top priority. As is high quality fresh DOT 4 fluid. Castrol SRF, Brembo HTC64T, or Endless 650 are the highest quality fluids. A bit more expensive than others but their specs beat all others. Fresh high quality fluid is the cheapest track day insurance you will ever buy. People will use brakes differently, some harder than others, and some tracks will be harder on brakes, YMMV. You cannot go wrong with too much fluid quality.
Since you have the newer BCD/J6H copper free package, there
might be a set of deflectors already installed. They might look like the ones in the very first picture in this thread:
https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=605353
The second pic are the ones that usually come in the trunk of the non 1LE SS's. They work great but will hang down. Known as the "fang" deflectors, they were the hot ticket until the BlackWings came out. Yes, you can run any of the deflectors year round. I run the BlackWings year round. There is one negative to running them year round, especially with the big BCD package, they could keep the brakes too cool on the street.
Subsequent pictures in that thread show the BlackWings.
I have the BCD/J6H package on my '22 SS 1LE. Your brake package is exactly the same as mine except for caliper color. I track at Pitt Race and I used the OE pads for this car's first track day. I had zero problems with heat or brake performance. Use the right fluid, install the appropriate cooling and perform the brake bed in/burnish prior to your track day and they will work great. GM engineered them to work great on the track. On my car, with my technique at Pitt Race, the BCD package is thermal overkill! The copper free pad material does not handle the heat as much as the "typical" HP1000 material used by all other Gen6 performance variants. So to improve the heat capacity with the copper free material, GM went bigger.....more mass is good for heat capacity. Yep, they are robust!
While I felt the "feel" of the copper free pads was lacking compared to my previous Gen5/6 brake experiences, they were very capable in 20 minute sessions. Their friction curve drops off slightly with more heat. Most street oriented pads will offer similar traits. This is not bad as long as the friction does not drop off a cliff, this would indicate pad fade. Note that novice drivers can be harder on brakes than an advanced driver. Again, YMMV. If something doesn't feel right, back off immediately and head to the pits. Look at your brakes after every session. They will give you signs of their health.
Many of us with the copper frees that track have already changed to different pads. I have run the "typical" non BCD ZL1 HP1000 Ferodo pad, the Ferodo DS2500 and DS1.11 pads. Pedal feel and response have improved much to my satisfaction. Combined with a set of Speigler brake lines and Endless 650, the brakes feel amazing.
There are a few threads here on the new BCD/J6H package. Since the search button here on the site is wonky sometimes, just go to google and type "copper free brake pads camaro6.com". You will find most if not all the BCD threads.