jayh007

Setting up 2007 GT for the track and performance street driving. Debating over getting GT 500 calipers with 14" rotors or just keep the stock calipers and getting slotted rotors and racing pads. Is the GT 500 setup worth it or is the stock caliper adequate for intermediate track duty. If I went with GT 500 set I would most likely stay with a high performance street pads (less noise and dust). The down side to stock calipers would squealing and Brake dust with race pads. Feedback would be appreciated.

Norm Peterson

Performance street pads are still STREET pads. With diligent concern for their shortcomings in a track day environment it is possible to make them survive entry-level track days. But you will quickly outgrow them as you gain experience and start driving harder/faster.

I wouldn't consider running street pads of any sort at an intermediate level (where I'm assuming that you either have been or are about to be signed off to run solo. Think entry-level track pads instead. Better still would be to shop even higher up the brake pad food chain and dedicated rotors.


Norm

Andy13186

There are some 2013 gt500 take offs with 6 piston brembos and 15 inch front rotors available at times on ebay too, for about 1200$ for the full setup including front and rear rotors, calipers, dust shields, lines etc.

im no expert in brakes, actually i have no idea about them, but 15 inch rotors with 6 piston brembo calipers sounds good and they come stock on a 200 mph car

Sam Strano

I'd not recommend the 15" 6-piston GT500 stuff, if for no other reasons than the cost of replacement parts, and the huge wheels you are forced to run.

The Stock Brembo stuff isn't bad but the rotors are heavy, and frankly if you are going to be tracking it a 2 piece rotor is a nice thing to have as it helps keep heat out of the hubs, and warping down the discs. To use 2-piece on stock Brembo's isn't cheap. There is a huge variety of brake pads for the Brembo calipers.

Another option would be Wilwood. I could put you on a set up that has 6 piston calipers, and 2 piece 13" rotors for about $1675 total (includes brake lines too). And pads are typically much less than pads that the Brembo's use. That kit comes with BP-10 pads, but those aren't track pads. However, we have all the Wilwood pads, but also Hawk, Ferodo make them too (among others). And pad swapping is easy.

And fwiw, new rotors rings are about $200 each. Bear in mind that these are real life Directionally vaned rotors. Also they are curved vane which gives better airflow through the rotor and more area for the air to cool them too.

I don't have these on the website, but I'll work on getting them added. It's more than a little complicated to do it. But I think this is an option worth looking at if you want bigger brakes that don't require huge wheels. In fact this Wilwood kit I'm talking about works with *most* 17" wheels still.

Alternatively, I have track pads, rotors, and stainless lines, etc. for stock brakes too. They'll stop you. You will be harder on pads for sure on a stock setup due to the 2 piston design that allows the caliper to **** and wears the pads crooked. Also the rotors are smaller @ 12.4" and nobody has curved vane rotors for stock brakes. But it's a lot less initial investment!

jayh007

Thanks for info. I gather even if upgrade to a 4 or 6 piston caliper a street pads would not do the job. I need to decide how deep to dig in the pocket.

Sam Strano

Right... the number of pistons and all doesn't make whatever pad you are running deal with more heat. A bigger better air flowing rotor helps a touch as it can help pull some heat out of the pad but it's not nearly enough to suddenly be able to run a cheap or a street pad.

What you do get with the bigger calipers is a firmer pedal. Better pad wear, better stopping power, all else being equal (like the pad compound) because you are clamping the pads to the rotor more efficiently.