2 piece lighter choise for stock C6 ZO6 rotors?

[Bowtie racing]

Is there any good and lighter alternative for super heavy C6 Z06 front and rear rotors? And i want rear rotors to work with stock hand brake.

[Apogee]

Any two-piece rotor should weigh at least 3-4 pounds less than the OE rotors due to the aluminum hat, however the question is how light do you want to go. LG Motorsports used to offer an ultra-lighweight front rotor option for the C6 Z06 rotors that were approximately 9 pounds lighter each IIRC, however I don't see it on their site any more...maybe there's a reason for that. Those rotors were geared towards sprint type events where acceleration is just as if not more important than deceleration and there are plenty of opportunities for both.

Rear two-piece rotors tend to offer much lower weight savings when you still want to incorporate the OE internal drum-in-hat parking brake, so much so that many manufacturers don't even offer them.

Tobin
KORE3

[Bowtie racing]

Thank you Tobin for your professional opinion.

What do you think of these, slotted or drilled ?

Drilled front : http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid={e8961683-b6a4-4f7e-b4ea-dc15631a0e9f}&gid={47bb7d5b-b4ec-4868-972a-c719658bcba0}&GroupName=Performance+Brake+Rotors&pname=06-12+14%22+Z06%2fGS+Front+Two+Piece+Drilled+Rotors&Referer=&Alias=&ptct=SGR-SR&CTitle=&

Slotted front : http://www.zip-corvette.com/ProductDetails/ProductDetails.aspx?pid={e882a9f5-154b-40e5-b327-a99f9c2d11fe}&gid={47bb7d5b-b4ec-4868-972a-c719658bcba0}&GroupName=Performance+Brake+Rotors&pname=06-12+Z06%2fGrandSport+Front+14%22+2pc+Slotted+Brake+ Rotors&Referer=&Alias=&ptct=SGR-SR&CTitle=&

[Apogee]

Those appear to be what LG was (or still is) selling, same Coleman discs anyway. They're light, I'll give them that, so if your primary goal is to reduce weight then there you go...price isn't bad either. FWIW, I would choose slotted over drilled every time for a severe-duty application.

It is however important to remember that it is a rotors ability to absorb and dissipate heat that determines how well the rotor serves its function, so mass is your friend up to a point when it comes to brake performance. The few customers who ran the LG rotors in the past had a tough time finding pads capable of handling the rapid temperature swings due to the relatively low thermal mass of the rotors, especially the guys hoping to run them on the street. The end result was a compromise with high-temp race pads that barely worked cold just so that they could cope with the high temps experienced during more spirited driving. If you search the Corvette Forums, there are probably several personal reviews for the LG rotors and possibly Zip as well.

What are your goals for your build and what do you expect from your brakes?

Tobin
KORE3

[MonzaRacer]

Yeah remember brakes create heat to slow a car down. Its displacement of energy. input more heat with sever use into super light weight rotors and your super expensive ultralight weight rotors are paper weights.
WHY in h_ll would anyone worry about a lb or two in rotors, yet add in 150 lbs of stereo equipment.
The rotors weight what they do for a purpose. Race oriented rotors such as certain two pieces units give up weight and longevity and ability to be resurfaced for a lb or two at best.
When we had 15 to 20 lb rotors, and huge pads/shoes, asbestos was fine for brakes,,,,properly serviced had no ill effects on the mechanics health,,ie washing brakes down before service.
Now we have 5lb rotors, no asbestos, lots of odd ball metal combinations, Kevlar, carbon metallic, etc and if properly serviced ALSO prove no ill effects on mechanics.
Big draw back was old huge rotors had 2 or 3 turnings in them, new lighter /cheaper rotors are throw away.
Worry elsewhere on your weight rather than a rotor,,,life span will be better. Also materials have big thing to do with performance,,,ever wonder why the big name cars are not running cast iron rotors anymore? Heat management, thermal stress, then weight. bUT some of those carbon composite rotors are $500+ apiece! HMMM $1000 to $2000 a brake job,,,,passssssss.
Ill take a heavier $80 cast rotor and couple of pounds.

[Apogee]

Weight is a big consideration, especially when unsprung and rotational. That said, base level 325mm 2-piece C5/C6 front rotors are ~16# to 19# (give or take depending on the manufacturer), so those Zip/LG/Coleman rotors have about neraly comparable thermal mass but in a much larger rotor diameter, so the inertia is still greater. If your goal for running the C6 Z06 brakes is purely aesthetic and you don't need or want the additional rotor mass or inertia, then the Coleman rotors may be the hot ticket for your application. If you intend to use the brakes up to their limits or those of your tires, whichever comes first, then the additional rotor mass is your friend and I would suggest that you stick with a more conventional 2-piece 355mm C6 Z06 rotor with only ~3.5# weight savings form their 26# OE starting point.

Tobin
KORE3