[sr71bb]

Well guys, i am sure I am like some of you here that have gone from daily drivers with stock brakes and pads initially only to be bitten by the road racing experience which resulted in you having a TRACK only car or you run TWO set ups ONE for daily driving and one for the track.

As it relates to brakes, one of the initial upgrades was to go to ZL1 brakes front and rear with STOCK Brake pads. This setup fine for about 19K miles and roughly 12 track days. Upgraded also to hi temp brake fluid. It was pretty much NO IMPROVEMENT though with ZL1 rear brakes vs my SS REAR brake setup (caliber looks to be the same). Obviously the ZL1 FRONT 15.35 rotor and caliber setup was a BIG improvement over my stock SS setup.

On the STOCK pads, they were very good about NOT fading but I felt like I could have used MORE initial bite. Mind you the TIRE setup at this time was Michelin Sport 4S 305 30 19 on APEX SM-10 19 x 10.5 ET22 wheels.

Desiring MORE track ability I got a set of HAWK DTC70 pads for the front and DTC60 pads for the rear. It was also at this time that I got a SECOND set of wheels and tires APEX EC7 18 x 11 ET25 with Pirelli Slicks 305 660 18. This set up provides TREMENDOUS bite and my only concern was that the brakes seemed to get extremely hot or at least they did the first time we raced this setup at COTA during 30 minute track sessions. I asked a few of the others that are running these pads and they confirmed that DID INDEED run hotter than a NORMAL pad. MORE FRICTION = MORE HEAT Well that made sense.

Now going BACK and Forth from the Daily Driver setup to the Track set up takes me roughly about an hour. I change out the wheels and tires and the brake pads. I do this about TWICE a month on average, Now IN THEORY you should prepare the rotor when you change the pads but I DONT do that. I have the pads marked as to what exact location they are and I put them BACK in that same location when I swap out. I also at this time CHANGE the front camber to -3.6 degrees from daily setup of -2.2 degrees using VORSHLAG camber plates. I leave rear camber at -2.0 degrees. I will say that the STOCK rotors are holding up pretty well. I have turned them TWICE and there is still probably enough there to turn it a third.

On a side note, I tried a set of HAWK TRACK Street 5.0 pads after I wore out the stock ZL1 pads initially and THOSE pads were INFERIOR to the stock ZL1 pads in EVERY way especially in the FADE department when they got hot.

A word of caution to those who HAVE NOT run slicks yet. Slicks run WIDER than a normal tire of the same size. My 305 slicks are WIDER especially in section width than my Daily Driver 305 michelins. So it is important to TEST FIT the slicks PRIOR to running. I run a 5MM spacer on the front with the slicks that I DO NOT run on my daily driver for example.

Another interesting note is that my SS 1LE is CONSIDERABLY better on wear on the brakes and tires than my ZL1 1LE was. I attribute that to the fact that my SS is roughly 250 pounds LIGHTER on the NOSE of the car than my ZL1 1LE was.

[Dabjbr]

Interested in learning more. Thanks for starting this thread! Have to ask, exactly what model are you driving? I’m confused with what you owned and now drive.

[sr71bb]

Originally Posted by Dabjbr

Interested in learning more. Thanks for starting this thread! Have to ask, exactly what model are you driving? I’m confused with what you owned and now drive.

Well I currently have a 2019 Camaro SS2 A10 with SG3 suspension upgrades and 1LE Sway bars and Vorshlag camber plates. Prior to this car I had a ZL1 1LE for only 3 months before I got rid of it primarily because it was a horrible daily driver. I like the SS much better in that regard and with the upgrades it wii outhandle my ZL1. I plan to let AMP do some engine upgrades to it so that power will be in the 580 range NA

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by sr71bb

Desiring MORE track ability I got a set of HAWK DTC70 pads for the front and DTC60 pads for the rear. It was also at this time that I got a SECOND set of wheels and tires APEX EC7 18 x 11 ET25 with Pirelli Slicks 305 660 18. This set up provides TREMENDOUS bite and my only concern was that the brakes seemed to get extremely hot or at least they did the first time we raced this setup at COTA during 30 minute track sessions. I asked a few of the others that are running these pads and they confirmed that DID INDEED run hotter than a NORMAL pad. MORE FRICTION = MORE HEAT Well that made sense.

More friction will make more heat faster, but the total amount of heat generated through any given initial to final speed should remain essentially constant.

That could mean, in part, that you're braking from higher speeds with the DTCs than you were before with the OE pads. Even if you still drop the same number of mph (i.e., 130 to 70 where before it was 127 down to 67), the new amount of heat would still be a bit greater.

A couple other things to consider are that adding more faster will still heat the pads and rotors up to somewhat higher surface temperatures, and that pad formulations probably have a hand in this as well. IIRC, Hawk pads are some sort of ferro-carbon mix, which would be expected to have different thermal properties than, say, a ceramic-metallic compound (Carbotech).


Norm

[sr71bb]

Norm. Great explanation. I have noticed that with the DTC vs the stock pads I am braking later by at least one marker maybe two With the stock pads in one corner I was braking at marker 3 and with the DTC70 I was braking later between the 2 and the 1. The reason for this is the DTC70 pad has higher initial bite and is able to slow the car down quicker. I always tell people I can tell if I had a good session based on how hot the brakes got. Lol.

[MatthewAMEL]

Keep in mind as you play with compounds, that you can out brake the tire.


You mentioned you would like more initial bite with the OEM/PS4S combo. That's almost certainly due to the tire and not the pad.


A DTC70 is a great combo with a 100TW or R7 style tire. For a 200TW, you'll get less benefit and may find it harder to modulate.


Personally, I love the OEM/SC3 combo on track. Perfect amount of, well, everything.


Have fun! Keep posting your experiences!

[sr71bb]

GOOD POINT. I never ran the DTC60 DTC70 pads without also running the PIRELLI slicks. One of the MAIN reasons I went with 18 inch wheels was because of the GREAT availability of lightly used SCRUB racing tires which can be purchased for about 125 a tire including shipping. The SC3 is not available in the right size on an 18 rim. If I were going to run a R compound street tire with the 18 inch wheels I would run TOYO R888R 305 35 18.

MY STREET experience with GY3R tires was HORRIBLE. When we bought the ZL1 1LE we DROVE it back from Florida in the rain to TEXAS and that tire is LETHAL when wet. At 50MPH it would easily hyroplane in any type of water down situation. In the 90 days I had the car, I went thru TWO sets of 3R's with NO TRACK days. I was averaging about 1500 miles a set. I agree though it performs EXCEPTIONALLY well on the track.

.

[Hunter's Run]

I have a 18 RS. Last weekend I made a couple of runs on the Tail of The Dragon and found the stock pads to start to fade after a couple of miles...back off for a little bit and they came back only to fade again. I am not at all impressed with the stock pads. What is a good pad to go to. I am planning on doing some outcrossing just to learn the car better. I have a Miata Track Toy and am running Carbotech on it. What are your suggestions to a good pad upgrade. Thanks!

[kropscamaro16]

ss brake upgrade would be good and you can find them cheap oem brembo/gm pads arent bad for auto x daily driving

[Osbornsm]

Castrol SRF + Raybestos ST-43 + Titanium backing plates



Is all i have to say.







The best fluid for safety
Ti Shims will save your life
ST-43 pads are magic and last forever for the matching SC3 tires.

[Hunter's Run]

Are the 5th gen Camaro brake pads the same as the 6th?

[5.M0NSTER]

I'm currently on DCT 60s. I have had them on for a few weeks now, and will keep them on through the next 3 events I have scheduled between mid August and end of September. I bedded them in, and they have been surprisingly quiet on the street. No track time on them yet.

The grip is noticeably higher than OE pads, and the pedal travel/effort to stop is lower. I find them easy to modulate on the street. Tons of brake dust, but that's the be expected.

I normally swap pads between track and street setup. I was planning to swap between OE and DTC60s on the front and leave the DCT60 in the back permanently, but I might just leave the Hawks on for the street if this experiment goes well. I only put about 300-400 miles on the car per month excluding track days. Stock SC3 tires.

[MatthewAMEL]

Originally Posted by Hunter's Run

Are the 5th gen Camaro brake pads the same as the 6th?

No. Different pad shape.


The 6th Gen brake pad is the same as the C7 Z06 (iron disc).

[MatthewAMEL]

Originally Posted by 5.M0NSTER

I'm currently on DCT 60s. I have had them on for a few weeks now, and will keep them on through the next 3 events I have scheduled between mid August and end of September. I bedded them in, and they have been surprisingly quiet on the street. No track time on them yet.

The grip is noticeably higher than OE pads, and the pedal travel/effort to stop is lower. I find them easy to modulate on the street. Tons of brake dust, but that's the be expected.

I normally swap pads between track and street setup. I was planning to swap between OE and DTC60s on the front and leave the DCT60 in the back permanently, but I might just leave the Hawks on for the street if this experiment goes well. I only put about 300-400 miles on the car per month excluding track days. Stock SC3 tires.

Some things to note about your plan...


Any pad in the DTC family is incredibly hard on a cold rotor. If you run a DTC pad on the street, you'll eat a lip into the rotor very quickly.


Hawk dust is very corrosive. It's especially bad if it is dwelling on the wheel surface and then gets wet. It'll eat the finish/pit your wheel.


I mention this as a former DTC-30/60 Daily Driver victim.


The HT series is a different compound and doesn't have the same behaviors.