i have a 94 lt1 and when i hit the brakes about 90 or about by the time im at 60 my brakes have faded to nothing...i almost could stop faster with my foot out the door. lol
i have some autozone special carbon fiber or seomthin brake pads front and back stock rotors...is it just the stock brakes and rotor suck that bad, mayb another problem with my car
i was thinkin since my pads are soft the gasses are prolly causin the pad to float over the rotor during hard braking so if i got some drilled slotted rotosr such as these from even ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33564
think it would stop alot better??? any complaints on these...they look nice i dont wanna spend more than 200 for rotors
wat yall think???

 

Modern pad compounds do not outgas that much. This is a marketing ploy to get people to buy crossdrilled/slotted rotors. They're just eye candy.

Whats happening is that your brakes are getting hotter than they can handle. Stock rotors are light which means they get hotter and your cheap Autozone pads are made of a compound that can't take the heat.

Get some heavier rotors and better pads.

 

What he said.

 

I never had brake fade with the stock system; must be the pads you're using. Switch to Hawk HPS pads and you'll cure the issue. If you really want to improve braking, dump the stock LT1 front setup and upgrade to LS1 calipers and rotors. The larger rotor and increased pad area will greatly improve braking.

 

How is the cold performance of the Hawk pads? I put a set of Performance Friction pads on my Z28 and I am appalled at how badly this car stops. I can't engage the ABS on dry pavement, and a lot of the time, wet pavement. I can get the pedal pretty much to the floor (lots of leg effort) and still it sucks. I might also benefit from some stainless braided lines.

 

In addition to the advice above, make sure you change the brake fluid. It will make a big difference. Over time the fluid absorbs moisture. The boiling point of the fluid is reduced over time and also if it gets too hot from hard braking.

 

No problems with "cold" stops with the Hawk pads. I ran the Performance Friction pads previously and didn't have problems with cold stops either, but the pads definitely had more bite when warmed up.

 

I wonder if there is something wrong with my car then. I can't think of anything. I mean, I guess if the booster was getting weak (lately I've come to the car after sitting all night and the booster had little to no vacuum, but no change in braking effort during the past month...) then that would cause increased effort. But I can get the pedal basically to the floor if I push hard enough. So the master cylinder is displacing the fluid, it's just the pads don't seem to bite at all at the stock brake pressures.

One tip I picked up is to pull the pads and sand them with like 120 grit. Also it can help to rough up the rotors and kind of "re-bed" the pads.

I have driven a 94 T/A that seemed to stop a lot better, despite having warped rotors. So something is up with my car, even if it's not the pads.

 

Another vote for replacing your brake fluid.

 

Just wanted to update.

I went around the car and inspected my brakes. Here's what I found (from memory).

The front rotors were pretty glazed (very shiny, too shiny....). The slide pins needed some attention and I fixed them up with a wire wheel. I deglazed the pads with a wirewheel and sand paper. The rotors were harder. I took a grinder with a sanding disc and tried to "evenly" scuff up the rotor surface. I think this was a mistake.

The rear was ok, but my e-brake SUCKS so I knew there was a problem back there as well. I tried to de-glaze the rotors by running the car in 1st gear at idle and holding sand paper on the rotor. I also de-glazed the pads. My driver's rear axle seal is leaking and this contributed to the non-function of the driver's rear brake. Also fixed up the slide pins and replaced the two boots on the driver's side rear.

After re-bedding in my performance friction pads, braking power seemed better but I think my sanding job on the front has hurt the rotors. I don't think I sanded evenly. When hot, the brakes will pulsate between areas of high and low friction on the rotor. It DOES stop better (a lot better) but the pulsation will cause early lockup of one or both of the front tires without real warning and the ABS has to work hard to unlock it (it actually put down 6+ feet of solid rubber...).

So my conclusion is this...the PF pads MAY be ok (I had previously deemed them unfit for the LT1 cars) if the rotors are freshly machined and the pads are bedded properly. The pads MUST put down a layer on the rotor for the friction coefficient to be high enough.

I am going to keep driving it for a while and see if the rotors wear in at all. I think they are too thin to be turned (had a pretty nasty ridge on the outer edge). Cold braking still doesn't seem that good though. Disappointing, the brake system.

EDIT: For those interested in bedding theory, I'd encourage you to check out this read:

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/bedintheory.htm

 

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR BRAKING SYSTEM . NEVER SHOULD THE PEDAL COME CLOSE TO THE FLOOR . Did you just put new pads on and not touch the rotor ?? That is your problem if thats what you did . You need to have the rotors resurfaced . Just a guess. I just read your last post . You need to have your rotors professionaly cut . Actually by now you probably need new rotors . Good luck .

Rob

 

I bet you can get your pedal to the floor if you push hard enough. That doesn't alarm me. It's that I should HAVE to press it that far to stop hard. I am sure the system is building brake pressure, so it's not a bleeding problem. It's just a friction problem.

I will probably have better luck with new rotors. Are autozone's duralasts any good? I only need front rotors. But I HATE cheap rotors. I've been through too many cheap ones (from autozone and advance auto) on my Caprice before getting better ones and being happy with them. I can be hard on brakes...and no drilled or slotted, btw.

 

You said it yourself , your sick of cheap rotors . Stop buying autozone crap . That stuff is for regular everyday cars . You want performance right ? Their are many rotors to chose from . Hint, spend a few more dollars now and have the brakes you want . Besides , it will cost your more on new pads and rotors everytime your brakes go out of round . Thats why they pulsate when you hit the pedal , their warped from heat . You can only cut rotors once . Bottom line is if you buy the better rotors in the first place you will pay more money up front , but less in the long run . Good pads help too.

As far as slotted goes , I see nothing wrong with them and im sure they help . I wouldnt put drilled on my car either , though they look nice . I dont think dimpled would be a problem either . Power slot rotors are cheap and alot better then stock and autozones best .

P.S It helps not to jump on your brakes at high speeds thats what kills them !!!

 

I know not to buy Autozone for certain things, but only per application. For example, I know I don't like the cheap parts store solutions for rotors for my Caprice. I read a few people thought AZ's Duralast rotors were ok for these cars, so I asked. I think I'll go mail order for my next set. I mean, I am already handicapped with the pathetic rotor diameter, might as well make the rotor the best it can be to withstand the heat. While I'm griping, WHY do these cars dive the front end into the ground during hard braking? It's unreal. I know I need shocks (oem deCarbons at 158k) but STILL.

The stock rotors were actually ok in the warping department before I sanded the surface unevenly. They are not warped in terms of runout. It is a variance in friction that is causing my current pulsation. But like I said, I think they are too thin to turn so I still need new ones.

I had these rotors glowing red from trying to bed my performance friction pads last year. They still didn't warp from that (ok maybe a little). I think that may have glazed them.

 

Take your rotors in and get them turned and try some better fluid also.

Straight off the website you referred to:
"The all-important transfer layer

As stated above, the objective of the bed-in process is to deposit an even layer of brake pad material, or transfer layer, on the rubbing surface of the rotor disc. Note the emphasis on the word even, as uneven pad deposits on the rotor face are the number one, and almost exclusive cause of brake judder or vibration.

Let’s say that again, just so there is no misunderstanding. Uneven pad deposits on the rotor face are the number one, and almost exclusive cause of brake judder or vibration.

It only takes a small amount of thickness variation, or TV, in the transfer layer (we're only talking a few ten thousandths of an inch here) to initiate brake vibration. While the impact of an uneven transfer layer is almost imperceptible at first, as the pad starts riding the high and low spots, more and more TV will be naturally generated until the vibration is much more evident. With prolonged exposure, the high spots can become hot spots and can actually change the metallurgy of the rotor in those areas, creating “hard” spots in the rotor face that are virtually impossible to remove."



I also think you're overdoing the bedding in process. If you're making your rotors glow you're probably burning off the transfer layer and boiling your brake fluid.