4th Gen. brakes improvment?

Does anyone have an idea, how to improve the brakes, on a '94 3.4l V6 Firebird? (I'd prefer a solution that doesn't cost an arm and a leg :D )
What about drilled & slotted rotors?
German highways, with no speed limit, require good brakes...

I don't know if there is any difference between V6 & V8 cars' brakes, but I'm very happy with my LS1 brake upgrade. Bought the parts from an eBay auction.

No other alternative?
Anyone?
No need to use your breakes in the US? :(

yea, like he said, the LS1 or the C5 brake upgrade.

you wanted something that wasn't an arm or a leg.

drilled and slotted's not going to upgrade anything but your wallet and it's looks, not performance

Drilled and slotted rotors aren't going to do your stopping power any good.

The easiest and most effective way to increase your stopping power is by installing some really good brake pads. Given where you live and that it's clear you drive pretty hard, I'd recommend Hawk HP Plus pads. We can use them even on the heavier and quicker V-8 cars for even some pretty good track use (as long as the track isn't murderous on brakes), and they don't fade and are quite streetable too. In other words they work when cold, and you always have brakes, even if you torture them.

Thanks a lot! :thumb:
I've posted this question on a German f-body message board, where everybody praised drilled and slotted rotors...
:usa:

Originally posted by Oli
Thanks a lot! :thumb:
I've posted this question on a German f-body message board, where everybody praised drilled and slotted rotors...
:usa:

Minimal if any improvement.

Have changed your fluid and bled the lines? I don't want to overlook the obvious, but it is the first improvement for a ten year old car!

Change the pads as noted above; or

Change the rotors and calipers from an LS1 or C5.

Steve

Yep! Fluid changed & lines bled. I was just about to get new pads (and drilled rotors).
I'll see if I can get my hands on some LS1 calipers and rotors. It's not that easy to get parts here in Germany. (Dealers, specialized on US-cars, love to rip us off, over here...) :irk:

Won't drilled & slotted rotors help the heat dissipation? I know it won't help performance, but for someone who will be driving at high speeds on the autobahn will heat their brakes up very fast when stopping from high speeds. I am pretty sure I managed to melt the bead on my left front after making 4 quick 1/4 mile runs, one of which I accelerated up to 127 before deciding to slow down. Next morning when I rolled into the Autocross lot I had a very squishy tire. Went to get it repaired and could find no leak.

I am planning on upgrading my LS1 pads to Carbon / Kevlar. I have heard they wear like iron =) and the modified guy at work swears by Carbon / Kevlar. For autocrossing purposes most people use Hawk HP. I know that is what Sam Strano recommended to me.

For the LS1 brake upgrade--

BTW, you will need more than just the LS1 calipers, rotors, pads. You will also need the LS1 spindles, front brake lines, & the adapter plates (if that's what you call them) for the brake hose to attach to the frame.

Originally posted by underachiever
Won't drilled & slotted rotors help the heat dissipation?
Absolutely it will. Matter of fact if you removed your rotors completely, there'd be no heat to dissipate at all! :)

It's all a tradeoff, and with the size rotors we've got on our cars, it's far more important to get the energy transfered to heat, than to trade that off against a bit better dissipation. Put in some cooling ducts if you want to get heat out of the rotors faster.

Dave

i am sorry but all this talk about the drilled rotors one question do you have them? i do and i noticed a hell of alot of difference in my brakes with just el cheapo pads. when pads get hot they form a gas inbetween them and the rotors. this gas reduces contact of the pad to the rotor. the drilled lets this gas out. i am sorry but i felt a major difference in my braking with these rotors. before i could not actuate the abs at all with my stock rotors now i can actuate the abs at speeds up to 50 so take that for what it is worth

How about an LS1 upgrade for a small cost?

Try this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33564&item=2434359701
eBay item 2434359701 (Ends Oct-01-03 11:29:22 PDT) - 98 02 LS1 Brake Upgrade Camaro Firebird LT1


I've bought from them before (specifically LS1 Alum driveshafts) and they are fine.


Steve

Originally posted by predator
i am sorry but all this talk about the drilled rotors one question do you have them? i do and i noticed a hell of alot of difference in my brakes with just el cheapo pads.

You should really like this info, then ...

http://corner-carvers.com/altimathread.php.html

The discussion of drilled rotors has been beaten to death up here under various forums.

They are no benefit. Modern pads do not develop gases. Rotors are heat sinks, plain and simple. The less material you have, the less heat sink you have. Proper internal vents inside the rotor are the key to eliminating the heat being generated. Larger rotors help in braking by providing a larger heat sink and better pedal modulation and feel. Running ducts to the brakes will help to carry away heat if you're road racing. The only advantage to drilled rotors is less weight, but the trade off is less heat dissipation.

Trey, how's that??;)

Originally posted by Oli
Yep! Fluid changed & lines bled. I was just about to get new pads (and drilled rotors).
I'll see if I can get my hands on some LS1 calipers and rotors. It's not that easy to get parts here in Germany. (Dealers, specialized on US-cars, love to rip us off, over here...) :irk:

Get a good high temp fluid like ATE Super Blue when you change--typical GM fluid boils pretty fast at autobahn speeds. The Hawk HP Plus pads (I'd go HP Plus on the front, HPS on the back), ATE fluid, and if you are really serious, some stainless steel replacement pistons in your calipers will really help a lot.

Thanks everybody,
this is really a great board! :usa:

If you are not going to be road racing, then I agree with most of the responses you have already gotten. A good carbon/metallic or carbon/Kevlar pad will make a huge improvement. Hawk HP+ or KFP Gold would be my recommendation. On an LT1 car with stock brakes, you can use the same compound front and rear. I have used a lower friction pad in the rear, and the same pad. If you choose Hawk, then you might use the HPS in the rear so you don’t have to clean the rear wheels so often, and they cost less than the HP+ compound you need in front.

A good high-temp fluid is very necessary with those brakes if you will be making maximum deceleration stops from high speeds. Ate blue or gold should be very affordable in Germany, and it is good enough for the use you are describing. Unfortunately, stainless steel pistons are not available for LT1 or LS1 front calipers, but you shouldn’t need them apart from competition.

I fully agree with most on this thread, cross-drilled rotors are for show, not performance. The only noticeable effect would be a slightly better ride if you drilled out 2 pounds of rotor per side. Maybe equivalent to reducing your tire pressures by 1 psi, or less. The only reason that any modern race cars use them is the slight weight reduction. Brake pads only out-gas when their critical temperature has been exceeded (fade). If you don’t use organic “el cheapo pads”, that won’t be a problem. http://www.teamscr.com/rotors.html

Bob Bishop

i just put hawk HP+ pads on the front and HPS pads on the rear of my formula. i replaced the fluid with valvoline synthetic and had the rotors turned to insure they were not warped.

i to was looking for a cheap way to improve my brakes with out spending a lot. i am so far very pleased with the way the pads work. they really do make a great difference. the only disadvantage is purely cosmetic and that is the front rotors dust a lot.

i have not put them through the paces yet, but so far im questioning rather or not ill need to do the LS1/C5 brake upgrade. the difference was that great. good luck. trey