1995 z28 brakes...are they supposed to suck in the rain.

[wrd1972]

Hello, I have 1995 z28. When I drive in the rain and hit the brakes it is sometimes very hard to get the car to slow down, usually when the brakes are cold. The problem is a little less noticable when the brakes are hot. I will bet sometimes I have to push twice as hard to come to a stop. I have never ever driven a car that had wet braking issues like this and it has always done it since it was new. Is this normal or can it be repaired. I dont want to replace the entire braking assemblys. I have performance friction pads on it now and the rotors are good, so what gives.
Thanx for any input.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I have always wondered about the performance friction pads. They are made out of the same stuff that NASCAR pads are made out. I was watching a show on NASCAR and they said the brakes they use don't work well until they heat up. So I choose not to use them. A lot of people here use Hawk pads. I think I will go with those next.

I have a 95 too and I'm not impressed with mine either. Is yours an automatic? Mine is and it's like the torque converter locks up so tight that the engine keeps pulling you forward when you are trying to brake. When the engine is cold, I push it into neutral because it pulls so hard and the idle is kicked up from being cold.

[Christopherrr]

Hawk pads are by far the best I used...I take a few hard stops now and then to marvel how well they work in conjunction with the rotors...

I heard early 4th gen brakes suck compared to the 4th gens...I think hawk pads should do the trick, although they are a little noisy.

[wrd1972]

mine is a stick.
Im confused about "hawk"pads, sorry but I have never heard of them. Where do you get them and are they expensive.
Thanx
Bill

[Christopherrr]

www.thunderracing.com

i think they're 80 bucks a set...but that's for 98+ should be cheaper for yours.

[Black97]

Many years back in Switzerland I bought a limited edition Opel Kadett used for Rally's. The guy I bought it from was racing it on weekends on local tracks.

It had "racing" break pads on it and they breaked like crazy when they were hot, but cold, they were a nightmare.

I came home after several months gone and sat in the car. I took off rather quickly down the street and came to a Stop sign. I hit the breaks and the car would hardly slow down and I ended up more than half way into the intersection. Luckily nobody was around.

Maybe you have similar pads that really need to be heated up but with rain they don't get enough heat into them to work properly.

[jspeed97]

When I had my 97' Formula, I noticed an extreme difference in its braking abilities as compared to my 99' Z28 and 98' TA.... Of course it was because of the small rotors on the 97 cars. Also, it really didn't like water on it, especially when it was cool. I knew I had to start pumping the brakes before any stop sign, or else.