I'm looking to take care of the stopping power now that Midnight has more power and with a lot of the idiots on the NY metro area roads I want to know I can stop if just down shifting and swerving is not an option.
I'm looking to get Summit's drilled & slotted rotors with their ceramic pads, and have a few questions:

1) Is it worth getting the steel braided brake lines or are stock good enough?

2) I have manual tranny does that mean I don't have traction control?

3) Am I better of getting Zinc coated rotors instead of Summit's natural finish?

4) Should Summit's ceramic pads be good or should I look to spend more on some better pads?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

 

I can't speak from experience for 1 and 2, but the manual or inside the door tells you if you have traction control.

I got slotted rotors because enough people said they cracked drilled rotors at high speeds and had less stopping power. Makes sense you want more surface area. Mine were black zinc plated which I liked, keeps rust forming where the wheel and lugs touch. Of course the paint will rub away where the pad touch.

Not sure about summit pads. I am on my third pair of Bendix Ceramics- very good for the price, little dust, no noise and don't cost as much as some of the other brands. If you are a high speed racer get something better like Hawks.

 

If your looking to increase stopping power you need to be looking at better pads, calipers, and possible upgrading to bigger rotors.

Bigger rotors give you an increase surfaced area...like tires, the bigger the better. The c5 conversion is popular and fairly easy to bolt on. This will give you much bigger rotors and better calipers.

Pads are like tire compounds...the softer the better, however, you will sacrifice wear.

Steel braided lines are better for consistency, like racing applications where high brake pressures are consistent...they will decrease brake fade...but not really enhance stopping distances.

As is the same for drilled/slotted rotors. the slots help to reduce temperatures by channeling air. the drilled rotors decrease weight...there by giving better upsprung weight...again not really going to give a stopping distance advantage, rather consistency and handling. in actuality...they have less surface area because of the holes/slots and in theory would give less results in stopping distances...but one would rarely notice in street applications.

 

I have a third gen, and I got steel braided brake lines all around, mainly because the old original lines were... well, old and original. The improvement was noticeable with just that addition alone. Maybe it was because of the dilapidation, but I recommend SS brake lines to just about anyone.

The only other thing I can say is my two cents on "drilled, slotted, and 6 or 8 piston brakes" (don't worry, I know you didn't ask about the piston amount, I'm just throwing it in there )

I have watched the aftermarket brake arena explode with "zomg wtfbbq get these huge 14 inch 8 piston drilled and slotted rotors it's the best stopping stuff on earth!" Well, guess what, a lot of that is hype. It is certainly true, a 4 piston caliper is better than a 2 piston, and the results show that... but from there on up, it's pretty much overkill. 6- and 8-piston calipers will not allow you to brake much faster from 60 or 100 mph. The truly are only necessary for true racing where you may be coming down from over 100 mph, and of course in that situation, brake fade, wear from heat and endurance usage of them comes into play, and so their pads and rotors are also top of the line. But for you, on the street, trying to stop from 35, 45, or even 55 (idk the average speeds in NY while driving around?) you will be wasting your money on "top of the line" brake stuff.

Imho, Maintain your brakes- fluid, lines, resivoir, and hardware. Get bigger rotors in front, with top-of-the-line pads, and maybe a 4 piston caliper set-up if you really have the money and want the best stopping power. You will see the difference then, and you won't overpay. If you buy anything more than that really, I think you're wasting your money.

My opinion is based on different articles I have read in car mags, tuning books, and the like. No, I don't remember the specific mags or articles, so you'll have to take my word for it. Just my two cents!

 

All brake lines & hoses that are legal for street use have to meet the same strict DOT standards. Many braided brake hoses are for off road use only and are not approved for highway use, so check the specs before buying.
Traction control works with either manual or automatic transmission, so check your car options. Most cars with traction control have a switch to disable it.
High performance brakes are designed to absorb a lot of heat to prevent fade. Fading is not a problem for street use and just about any car can lock up the wheels during hard brake application. What is really important for street use is traction, a good set of tires (Michelin Pilot as an example), and ABS will help your car stopping performance more than any fancy after market braking system. Also, very high performance pads do not work well when cold, making them unsuitable for street use.

 

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the input and will continue to do a little research before buying anything.

I don't have a button for traction control so I guess I don't have it. Also I can't find the RPO code for it in the sticky on the 4th Gen section so I guess I will determine that I don't have it based on not having a button for it.

 

SS (Stainless Steel) braided lines will improve your pedal feel -- not as spongy as with OEM rubber lines. Also flush your brake fluid to improve brake performance -- use a high-wet boiling temp fluid -- compare and contrast those on the market.

 

slotting and drilling the rotors isnt dont to cool the rotors or reduce weight. They are done becuase when braking the pads releases gases. the harder the braking the more gas. The slotting and drilled rotors allow the gas to escape. If you dont do this the pads will not wear even the gas will push one side of the pad up so your only getting part of your pad making contact with the rotor.

Im running ceramics for the first time im not a huge fan of them. My are the top end napa ones.

 

im using the power stop slotted and drilled rotors with hawks ceramic pads and strano's stainless braided brake lines. like very much. noticed difference when i changed to the braided lines, less fade and stiffer response. big difference with the new rotors and pads, more stopping power.

 

Appreciate all the input guys.
Thanks