Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

[Patrick B.]

Need high coefficient for reasonable pedal force. Hoping for organic pads. Do ceramic pads cause high wear on rotors?

[Gary S.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?116865-Brake-pads-revisited/page2&highlight=Gary+Schisler+brake+pads

Here's a long discussion on brake pads, changes to pads but retaining original numbers and general brake pad information. At a local car rally, a local restoration shop claimed that their AC Delco were organic and not ceramic. I suggested that this above-cited reference might be a good place to start since the box implied organic. They were not. Oth, I don't drive enough to worry about rotor wear.

In the link I sent above, I referenced two applications where I put ceramic pads, both BMWs. I had no issues with unusual wear on the rotors.

[Duke W.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

This is equivalent to asking who sells the best motor oil for Corvettes.

OE equivalent brake pads should be labeled FF on the side of the friction material. This means the "cold" and "hot" (about 300C) Cf is in the range of 0.40 to 0.45. GG or GF is better since G indicates a Cf of 0.45-0.50, but I don't know if any GG or GF D8 pads are available. D8 is the FMSI (Friction Materials Standards Institute) number for the Corvette pad geometry. New designs are up to several hundred, so you can see that the Corvette pad design is very early.

Most modern asbestos-free non-metallic friction materials can be said to be ceramic based. So-called "organic" linings which imply asbestos have been long gone. You would think that a ceramic material would be tough on rotors, but they are not, and the little dust they produce is light colored. They are also usually silent.

So you should do some research including here on the TDB as there have been recent discussions on the issue, and make sure you buy FF ceramic pads. I believe that all the name brand pad suppliers will meet this requirement and use the same of very similar material. And remember that "Delco" pads are not made by GM. Delco is just a marketing outfit and use outside suppliers to manufacture most if not all of their products, especially for older cars.

I have Repco Deluxe Plus pads on my '88 MBZ 190E 2.6 special order five-speed, (Repco built the C4 brake system), and they are rated GF and FF front, rear. I'm very satisfied with their noiseless performance and low dust. I recall contacting Repco some years ago about D8 pads and they were not available. Maybe you can check, but I think the name has changed due to a merger or acquisition.

Duke

[Patrick B.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

Duke --- I understand your point. I probably should have asked whether anyone had found pads with a higher friction rating than FF, but how many people even know the friction rating of the pads they are using. The friction rating is not advertised in internet descriptions of brake pads for sale.

Zip advertises Delco boxed pads with the GM Restoration Logo that are pictured as riveted pads and described as non-asbestos organic material. I called them and asked what was printed on the edge. They said GR.5.017 FF 17D8 DBR17/66367 was printed on the edge. I guess these are some form of the Delco 17D8 product that was much debated in the previous threads. I have given up on anything better than FF so I will order these. They are not expensive. Does any know whether the friction rating of the original production pads were FF or something with a higher friction rating? The material descriptions in the Zip ad notes that the ceramic pads are a little lower in "initial bite" than other pads which does not sound good for manual brakes.

[Joe L.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

Duke --- I understand your point. I probably should have asked whether anyone had found pads with a higher friction rating than FF, but how many people even know the friction rating of the pads they are using. The friction rating is not advertised in internet descriptions of brake pads for sale.

Zip advertises Delco boxed pads with the GM Restoration Logo that are pictured as riveted pads and described as non-asbestos organic material. I called them and asked what was printed on the edge. They said GR.5.017 FF 17D8 DBR17/66367 was printed on the edge. I guess these are some form of the Delco 17D8 product that was much debated in the previous threads. I have given up on anything better than FF so I will order these. They are not expensive. Does any know whether the friction rating of the original production pads were FF or something with a higher friction rating? The material descriptions in the Zip ad notes that the ceramic pads are a little lower in "initial bite" than other pads which does not sound good for manual brakes.

Patrick------


NOS original pads have friction coding "FE". I consider these pads to be the absolute best for 1965-82 Corvettes. I will post photos later.

[Patrick B.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

Joe —— Thanks for this information giving some context about pads used for C2 and C3 non-power disc brakes. There probably never were any pads with G friction levels for them. Somewhere I have some L88 rear pads from the 70’s that are very heavy with visible copper. If I can find them, I will add their friction rating to the historical context. My calipers have been together so long that the little O-rings between the caliper halves seem to be weeping and contaminating the brake pads.

Part of my petal effort issue may be the rotor surface. It is very smooth and glossy. This must be what is called glazed. Repeated hard brake applications do not affect it. I wonder if a light application of phosphoric acid would reduce the glaze?

[Patrick H.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

Part of my petal effort issue may be the rotor surface. It is very smooth and glossy. This must be what is called glazed. Repeated hard brake applications do not affect it. I wonder if a light application of phosphoric acid would reduce the glaze?

3M and others make rotor resurfacing kits that you use your drill to scuff the surface.
There are special abrasive pads (think Scotch Brite) that attach to the drill adapter. I recently used one of these on a 72, and it worked well.

[Joe L.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

3M and others make rotor resurfacing kits that you use your drill to scuff the surface.
There are special abrasive pads (think Scotch Brite) that attach to the drill adapter. I recently used one of these on a 72, and it worked well.

Patrick and Patrick-----


Yes, this is absolutely the best way to do it. I would not do it any other way. The 3M kit will provide the perfect, non-directional finish for the rotors. I've used the 3M kit for years.

[Joe L.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

Photos of NOS pads:


DSCN3795.jpgDSCN3796.jpgDSCN3797.jpgDSCN3798.jpg

[Thomas N.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

I just bought the GM Restoration organic pads from CSSB out of Florida. They even have the delco insignia on the rivets.
D-8RGM is the part number $31.46 for a set of four (front or rear). I'm digging them for the price and what I'm going to do with the car.

[Patrick B.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

I found the L88/J56 rear pads. They are bonded not rivited, and when viewed at an angle the friction material displays lots of copper flakes. The part number is 5452515 but the friction material itself carries part number 5452510 and a friction rating of FF. There is also an interesting tag describing a break-in procedure of dragging the brakes for 1/2 a mile at 20 mph and half throttle.

My Delco "restoration parts" pads also came in. As Thomas said, they look like a very good product with an FF friction rating and a label saying they cannot be sold in California (implying that they must have some old fashioned ingredients).

Pictures attached hopefully.

[Tom M.]

Re: Who sells the best brake pads for a non-power brake C3?

I installed CSSB pads this year in my manual brake '69. They replaced Hawk hi-po pads and stop the same for street driving. The big difference is the Hawk pads let off rediculous amounts of dust. I think they were even spraying dust on the quarter panels and wheels when the car was parked in the garage.