NBM LS1 M6

My car is back on the road, and I am about ready to purchase my first set of new brake pads all around. The car will be used for autox, and on the street, only. No track usage. The car is a stock '90 C4 A4.


I'm interested in suggestions. Specifically, I am interested in whether I should install different pads on the front than on the back. I know friends who run Hawk HPS pads on one end and Hawk HP Plus pads on the other end on their C5 Z06. What about C4s?

c4cruiser

I 've used Hawk HPS on my 92 and I currently have a set of EBC Greenstuff pads I got from the Tire Rack on my 87. The Hawk pads worked very well for both a-x and street use but they did generate a fair amount of dust. I used them for a track day and my chrome ZR-1 wheels were absolutely black!! No fade and little rotor wear from them.

Both the Hawk HPS and the EBC pads have very good cold bite and once hot, they did very well with no squealing and the stock rotors showed little wear. The EBC pads don't dust near as well and after a dozen or so a-x events and 1 track day (Portland Int'l Raceway) they still show a lot of pad material left. I'm doing another a-x and track day there this coming weekend.

I haven't use the Performance Friction Z pads but a lot of folks seem to like them as a good combination pad.

larryfs

auto-x, stock brake pads are just fine.

NBM LS1 M6

TedDBere

PFC Z-Rated here. Lifetime replacement at AutoZone. Here's a link and a good place to buy them too, but no lifetime replacement. Good bite cold and solid for autocross.

http://raceshopper.com/performance_f...ompounds.shtml

rsafier

I had PFC-Zs on my 94, I found them to be really power, even worse then stock. I couldn't even get ABS to kick in with them. I went back to a track worthy pad, Cabrotech Panther+ for autocross. Couldn't be happier. Price is a little more then the PFC-Zs, and no warranty, but they last a long time if your only doing autocross and street with them. Street they are VERY dusty and do make a good amount of noise too. I don't mind it, but probably not for most.

VetteDrmr

Wow, my experience couldn't have been more different. When I changed from stock pads to PFC replacements, there was a slight improvement, but not much. When I went from the PFC replacements to the PFC Z-rated pads, it took about 1/2 the pedal pressure to engage the ABS as before. Also, on the track, I find myself being able to engage the ABS with my Toyo RA1 tires. Also, they have a better "feel" under hard braking than the stock pads did.

Never had a problem with street use either.

That said, remember that my experience is coming from a '00 FRC, so there may be some difference with the C4s.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

BrianCunningham

PF Z-rated pads here as well.

You want a street pad at an autocross, the brakes don't see enough heat to get a track pad to kick. SportsCar (SCCA) had as real nice writeup about it in the multipart article on brakes.

y5e06

I used PF's on my corvette, camaro, and SS.
After I switched to hawks I realized the PF's are just JUNK, and I was a sworn supporter of them before. Thats both Z-rated and carbon metallics.
HPStreets on the C4 and HP+ on the Z28. HP+ are awesome auto-x pads. the streets are nice, they stop well but they dust much less than the HP+ and don't squeal either. If you want to suck the eyeballs out of your head try the HP+, excellent cold and hot bite, good modulation. But if you like to keep your wheels shiny clean then go HPStreets. I've heard good things about Carbotech Panter +, I'm going to try them next but only because I take my car to the track/time trials more often.

md

TedDBere

Am I seeing a trend here?? The C4 guys hate the PFC-Z and the C5 guys like them. Any thoughts as to why? How much different are the brakes between the models?

bcstonic

I am using the EBC greens for autoX/street and I like them so far. I have them on the front only and stock pads on the rear. Less dust than stock(Z06) and the bite is more linear. Brian

corvettefrance

that where I bought mine. They have good advises and prices.
Be sure to tell the guys you Auto-X and street. For the front I bought a set of Hawk HT 10 for the track and a set of HPS for the street. For the rear I just bought one set of hawk black compound for street and track (and did not follow their recommendation).
I ruin a set of brand new rotors (I installed slotted rotors at the same time than the pads).
I was dissapointed te see a lot of dust and 300 miles later I wanted to check the pads (without been on track) and found the pads like new but discover the rotors were worn out (the slots were pretty much gone).
So be carrefull of what you will buy and check your rotors often.
When at the Temp the HT 10 with 275 30 18 on the front give me more than 30% dicrease in braking distance versus stock pads and tire.
The HPS is much better than the stock.
for the rear it is difficult to see the difference.
I installed GM T1 sway bars and bilstein sport but I still have the very soft leaf spring, so the car turn flat but the rear lift when braking and I should be able to obtain a better braking with stiffer spring.
Pascal

ConeKLR

Nope. I love my PF Z rated pads also on my C4.

NBM LS1 M6

I installed new stock rotors and Hawk HPS pads all around Friday. The rotor were paper thin, and perhaps they were original on a car with 134K on the clock. I have put 30K on the car since purchasing the same. After putting $11K into the car in the past 16 months, it better be in great shape.