geerookie

Well I finally killed my other rotors at VIR so I decided now was as good of a time as any to try the AP/Hardbar full floating rotor setup.
I'm running the Wilwood SL6R/ST calipers with Thermlock pistons. These are the full size calipers not the narrowed ones. They take the same pads but these are bigger width and need some extra clearance (about the same as the AP calipers).
I ordered only the rotor kit and the pads because these calipers work great and I haven't had any issues after 2+ years of use so I saw no need to get the AP calipers.
For me everything arrived next day by UPS ground. Hats, hardware and pads came from NH and the rotors came from NC.
The assembly was easy and straight forward. I love how Gary designed the hats to capture the bolt head. This makes the assembly process so easy and fast compared to the Brembo's on our other car and some of the others I've used in the past. Total unpacking, assembly and torquing took less than 40 minutes for both rotors.

I have been running the Cobalt Friction XR2 pads for the last 2 years and love them but Jeff and Gary suggested I try the Ferodo DS 1.11 50mm pads. I was very hesitant about this but the greater pad volume was enticing. Also, I hate the smell of Ferodo pads

After three days of thrashing these rotors and I mean thrashing in ways I have never thrashed brakes before the rotors worked flawless. Never once did I feel like I had to worry about a cracked rotor. I checked them ever time I came in waiting for the heat-checking etc. which is normal and I still haven't seen it. Twice I came in after 30 minutes of hot laps with no cool down and parked the car in the hot pits. The rotors and rubber in the wheels were smoking and/or on fire and I still haven't seen any heat-checking in the rotors. These things were so hot they melted the wheel weights and the heat tape that holds the wheel weights on, right off the wheel. I know melting wheel weights off is common but I have never melted the foil tape and weights off.
My weekend was a day of open testing on Friday 5 - 30 minute session, 2 of them back to back, and then 20 min. practice, 20 min. Qualifying and 30 min. race on Saturday and Sunday.

This combination doesn't have quite as much initial bite as the XR2's but every bit as much torque! The pads are unbelievably predictable and progressive. None of the "feel" like you have 50% brakes and then 1/2 a second later after they come up to temperature they give you full bite like my experience with the DTC's. One of the things I liked about the Cobalts was that they had even, progressive torque from the first cold application to the last hot one. The Ferodo DS 1.11 50mm were the same feel and ease of modulation but just a tiny bit less initial bite. Once you knew to expect that they actually seem easier to control. I was still running the XR2's in the rear so in order to take full advantage of the smooth torque of the DS1.11's I think I will need to change the rear compound. I was having a few issues on initial brake application with the rears being to aggressive, especially in trail braking situations.
I'm running SL4R/ST calipers in the rear and a larger bias spring (it's a '99 so I have this adjustment) so I have about 15% more rear bias than stock.

To summarize, This rotor/hat is fantastic! I have never had a rotor withstand the abuse I inflicted this weekend without at least a little heat checking. If you are looking for a new rotor setup this is the one. Obviously you don't need to get the whole kit. These rotors should work with just about any caliper and the 50mm pads should clear as well. If you are already running a caliper that takes the 7420 pads on your Corvette these rotors should be a bolt up option with only a possible minor alignment tweek to the lateral caliper position. I needed to add about a .6mm to get the centering perfect.

UstaB-GS549

Nice write-up.

naschmitz

After 16 track days including Mosport and Watkins Glen you will see heat checking. All of it is superficial -- haven't had any develop into cracks. These are the most consistent brakes I have ever had.

ghoffman

And no bearing failures yet I assume? Bert, it is probably time to order some new rings, eventually!

UstaB-GS549

If those were stock rotors, I would say that they would not make it thru another day of track time. I would be interesting to see how much longer they go before cracking.

16 days is pretty impressive.

naschmitz

I carry my NAPA rotors along just in case. Haven't needed them yet.

Still running the SKF bearings I bought from you in 2009. They are showing no signs of wear after 29 track days, numerous autocrosses, and 18,000 miles of potholed streets in New England.

naschmitz

Here's some cool pics of what these brakes and rotors can do lap after lap without any noticeable change in performance. By the time my foot goes from holding the throttle to the floor to the brake the car will travel to the tower at NJMP and the "2" at NHMS.

Falcon

....

Falcon

Gee Rookie, your wheels are filthy!

















J/K

Good writeup!

geerookie

They are all scratched up and dirty because a Mustang came out of the pits on my hot qualifing lap on Saturday and didn't check his mirrors. I went two wheels off at 100mph to try and avoid him but he kept coming and knocked me the rest of the way off. Lucky we hit wheel to wheel. I only ended up with a few rubs of yellow paint on the side and some scuffed up wheels. He came over and apologized later so all is good. I'll bet he won't forget to check his mirrors ever again. He also said he never heard me. I guess maybe I should take Danny's advice and pull the stock exhaust off my car and make it sound a little more "angry"

geerookie

I was at Lightening this weekend.
If you are lifting there and braking at the tower, you are braking waaaaayyyy too early
I lift at the 3 marker and I'm to the brake before the 2. LOTS of compression going into that corner. I go over the top at about 90 - 95mph.

Of course I see you are doing 143 where you are. I'm doing 142 at the rev limiter just past the tower. C5 w/ 325hp

naschmitz

Lightning is a really cool track. If I ever get back there, there are lots of things I'd like to try differently.

Do you have any video you can post? According to the data logger I am cresting the hill at 70-72 mph so I am scrubbing way more speed than you and the car was still getting very light and sliding out to the dirt at track out. The aero cars were much faster through there, as they were through several sections at Lightning due to the fast cornering speeds.

My car is a C6 base coupe, 375rwhp, with Penske coil overs and AP brakes. Daily driver, no aero, 3370lbs w/o driver.

geerookie

I'm running Penske 8760's and have a little aero. 2" splitter on the front and an APR GT300 wing with 7 degree AOA. The aero does help at that track in turn 1 and the bowl in my car but not anywhere else. When the backend starts sliding in the bowl I just give it more gas and it eventually plants itself.

The key to turn one is to turn in early, get the right sides over the rumble strip before the apex and don't lift as you go up the hill. When you get it right it is a smooth awesome ride When you get it wrong it is kind of bumpy and you get some oversteer when you go over the top.
As the car goes over the top, a slight lift just as the car gets light. But not too much because if you do the torque of the wheels slowing will tend to make the back-end want to come around. The car will go over flat, get a little air and settle just before the rumble strip on the left. When the left sides slide to the rumble strip they will stop at the edge because of the slight berm. If you lift too much going over the top the back-end will get higher than the front and start to rotate. If that happens just get back in the gas a little bit and it will settle a little before you land.
I was a little ambitious on my guess at speed over the top.:o I was guessing since at the bottom of the hill I'm on the rev limiter in third which is 100mph for me. At the crest of the hill I'm between 77mph and 82mph when I don't over brake. (only off by 20mph)

I do have video from the races and qualifying this past weekend but it is 720HD so it is almost a 1Gig file. I will have to transcode it and then figure out how/where to upload and post this evening. In the video there are a few times when I do it wrong or I'm forced to the extreme inside and you can see it is a rougher ride and the back end tries to get ahead of me. Also the guy I'm racing with just in front of me hits it dead on a few times. I'll try to work on getting it posted.

Oh. and your lap times are nothing to sneeze at for a street car. I'm about 1 or 2 seconds faster. 1:11.5xx - 1:13.xxx in the race. I suck in qualifying unless I have someone faster than me in front but not too fast. I think I qualified with a 1:12:4xx

geerookie

Here's some HD video from a guy I know. If you look at the 8:00 mark you see a good shot of the guy in front of Jimmy hitting almost perfect (just needed to be a bit further to the right)and Jimmy hits it about right also.
He came from the back of the field so you get to see many different cars at different parts of the track.

http://vimeo.com/27424003

If you pause it at 21:55 and look at where the cone is, you want your right side tires to go between the cone and the rumble strip.
If you pause at 25:39 you will see PJ my teammate go through one. His right side is as close to the cone as you can get without hitting it. The idea is to not have the right side tires hit the rumble strip and upset the car.

ArmyBoyC5

Which route are you going to go for the exhaust

AU N EGL

Mossport ??

Come on post the video