c7 brakes vs. c6 Z06 brakes

[Repsol58]

Has anyone done the research on which brakes are better? I would think that the C7 Brembo would be, but the fact that the others are Z06 has me questioning.

Thanks,

[raustinss]

So your trying to compare c7 carbon ceramic to c6 z06 ?

[TheJDMan]

I think that would be a good question for Tobin at Kore 3.

[RBEAST]

Tobin at kore 3 is the man that knows brakes thats for sure! I'd like to see what he thinks as well

[raustinss]

There's still more then one brembo set available for the c7 making this as clear as mud to give an opinion,
Which model c7 brakes vs c6 correct?

[HellPhish89]

the C6Z calipers are... pretty terrible..

There are a couple different calipers for the C7: Front 4 piston, rear 4 piston, Front 6 piston (carbon brrakes), rear 4 piston (carbon). I think thats that. Not sure if the base C7 uses Brembos or not.

[TheJDMan]

the C6Z calipers are... pretty terrible..

Is that based on your experience?

[raustinss]

Is that based on your experience?



Also wondered about that , the Z06 was a pretty crazy performing car (c6) and the reviews of it when new were very positive. Now I'm not saying this gentleman has or hasn't heard ,read , has a buddy etc etc ... but, I'll be the first to say I'd be very surprised if too many people on here have ever swapped these brakes onto a car and pushed them to the point were they are "pretty terrible"

[analyte]

I was just at Putnam Park with my C6Z06 brakes at each corner, and they worked great. I am using Stoptech pads, but I would call them anything but terrible. Only when put against AP, Stoptech, or other high end brands will they fall short along with consumable costs

[hifi875]

c6z brakes are the most popular brake swap out there. They are pbr just like Baer arent they. Ive got c6z51 on my car and they are pretty dang good

[HellPhish89]

Is that based on your experience?

LG of LG Motorsports tried racing on them: He destroyed multiple sets of the calipers. Friend with a C6Z did the same with a couple track days and fairly hard street use. They are not good calipers. Some of it is the poor multiple padlet design (single pad designs are available). Other issues have to do with manufacture of the caliper itself (heat gets to the seals and such pretty quickly). Brembos are better designed and better made.

The C6Z front calipers are known to be terrible.

[analyte]

Is that based on your experience?

LG of LG Motorsports tried racing on them: He destroyed multiple sets of the calipers. Friend with a C6Z did the same with a couple track days and fairly hard street use. They are not good calipers. Some of it is the poor multiple padlet design (single pad designs are available). Other issues have to do with manufacture of the caliper itself (heat gets to the seals and such pretty quickly). Brembos are better designed and better made.

The C6Z front calipers are known to be terrible.

Ok, so no direct experience and instead just what you've heard or been told.

Not sure what LG was doing regarding racing, but I have a few track days and multiple hard AutoX event on mine with no complaints. Of course, you have to get the right pad/rotor for the job.....

[raustinss]

So kinda exactly what I said ....I've never heard anything other than the fact people hate how the pins get stuck .... I lucked out before my car is / was done . I started with c6 base model brakes ...51?
Sold them for some Z06 pieces and then sold/traded them on some ZR1 brakes .... But I'm sure they're terrible too because someone's brother's neighbor had a friend who's cousin worked with a guy who's mechanic said so

[HellPhish89]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
The pads were XP-10's. The pads however do not excuse the destroyed seals and uneven wear.
Analysis by LG who has 22 wins in PWC:
"Your calipers had to be over 450 degrees to cook the rubber seals. That also means that you will have cooked the hydraulic seals also. they will not be flexible any more so they will not allow the pistons to release as easily.

At the very least, you must rebuild the calipers and install new hydraulic seals or you will have a problem with your next set of pads also.

Elkhart lake is one of the 2 hardest tracks in the country on brakes. Long Beach is one because of the lack of cooling time for the rotors, and for the brake ducts, and Elkhart Lake is the other one.

Elkhart lake does have cooling time, but the problem is that you will be slowing from over 150mph down 65 for turn 1, which is not bad but from 150 to 35mph at turn 5, then, jab the brakes again at 6, and very hard at 8. Then with very little cooling hard again at 12 and 14.

So the heat that is generated stays there because you have no extra cooling ducts. It cooks the rubber, which causes the pistons and pads to NOT pull back. This keeps heat in the pads also.

If you are going to try to run the stock calipers, you must provide cooling. And a lot of it for Elkhart lake. Pad choice is also a factor. The more aggressive the pad choice, the more heat they will make by stopping the car faster.

A less aggressive pad (harder) pad will generate less heat because it will provide less stopping power. Ask for an endurance pad which will give a longer life, but product less heat, and less stopping power for track days.

In the World Challenge series, we run 50 minute sprint races, so we want the most aggressive pads known to man. We make heat, and we wear out pads and parts, but we stop hard and fast for only 50 minutes. We put new pads in every race. and after a street race, or a track like Elkhart Lake, we change seals.

Our Stoptech rotors have a longer life than we ever thought possible, so on a track day you should see many events before having to change them. We wear rotors out before they ever crack.

Looking at your stock calipers, they look terrible. The package you are running on that track is not up to the task.

One more thing you should know. As your pads wear out so much, with the pistons out so far, the torque against the pads will "****" the pistons in their bore. This will cause excessive wear on the caliper bore. It will also damage the pistons as they hit the sides of the bore. The extra length of the piston out of the bore will increase the leverage on the piston and **** it easier.

Your top out side (top left) pad looks higher than the right side. Which might indicate that the pin that is holding the pad in place is now bent up.

Thanks
Lou G "

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c6-z06-discussion/1364883-reporting-in-on-1st-track-event-and-carbotech-panthers-2.html#post1554900845

[analyte]

So all we've determined is that the C6Z06 brakes are not hardcore racing brakes. No surprise there considering that's who AP, Stoptech, and Brembo market their aftermarket setups to with a price to match.

For those of us in the PT community, the Z06 brakes have been more than favorable. Therefore, they're not junk by a long shot to those that have used them. I'll also say I've heard of the pin concerns, but I've not experienced the issue. It's likely because I use 1 piece pads so I never remove them.

I will point out, as said before, that consumables are higher for the C6Z06 setups compared to other so if truely racing door to door other brakes systems will pay for themselves over time. Again, you must choose the setup for your intended use.

I stand by my statement made earlier.

[parsonsj]

It depends.

If you are going to take your 3500 lb car to the track more than once -- the C7 and C6Z brakes do poorly compared to real track brakes like AP, Wilwood, Brembo, and Stoptech. Spend some time in the Autocross/Road Racing forum at CorvetteForum.com, and you'll get the picture.

OTOH, If you're looking for a good-looking and effective brake for your street car, then either will do fine.

[raustinss]

Clearly this has turned a touch sour but can I state something painfully obvious , if you think that you can run a full out race car on those "stock " brakes you should have your head examined . These parts were made for GM as STOCK parts for what a Z06 is meant to be used for .....mainly street work...SOME track time . So my two cents are in agreement with some previous statements they are great, lightweight,cheap....etc etc etc brakes that are fantastic the majority of the time for the vast majority of the people on this site . Yes there is always someone who can find the breaking point of any part.

It's quite interesting that you know someone who has raced the sh++ out of them but what are YOUR experiences .... Are you saying they wouldn't be any good for your car , you couldn't drive to the corner store .... A little track time ? No they would work and quite well.... If your doing 150 on a track and don't have any brake ducts yep you will probably cook them . One question though... how long was your friend racing for ...hour ? 30 mins....4 hours ?
Basically a hour ....one hour of being hard on any brakes would be a little bit of a torture treatment

[parsonsj]

Ryan,

Not sure if your post was addressed to me, but I'm relating my experiences with my Z06. (2007)

As you've said, they are fine for the Z06 in its intended usage: as a street car. The brakes quickly show up as a weak point on the car when used on the track. Rotors warp and crack, fluid boils, and calipers bend. And yes, the Z06 can go 150 mph pretty easily on the tracks around here (Sebring and Daytona).

For track use, the CCM brakes from the ZR1 fare poorly too, though some guys have had some luck with Endless pads. The deal with the GM CCM setup is that rotor and pad replacement is very expensive and the brakes don't modulate as well as similar iron rotor-based setups, and don't stop any better.

[raustinss]

Hey john no it was more geared to Lou, but thank you for your responses. I find them more useful than lou's. My chevelle will be driven on the street as a dd 95 percent of the time so, I don't feel that I will get to the point where I'd be taxing the braking system that much . Having said that I can always upgrade from the ZR-1 stuff in the future. I know that GM calls the rotors a lifetime rotor ....not that that is written in stone .

[Hugger67RSSS]

Lots of very competitive cars that run optima events running C6 Z06 brakes. Billy Utley and Jake Rozelle to name a couple. Don't think there are many people here that will abuse them more than they do. They do have their downfalls but will work for about anyone on this site