Corvettes have always been known for horsepower under the hood and handling ability. But what good is all that power and maneuverability if the brakes aren't up to the task of hauling you to a stop in short order?
Chevrolet did a good job with C5 braking systems right out of the box. Some 60-0-mph figures indicate an '00 Corvette like our test vehicle should come to a complete stop from 60 mph in about 120 feet. That's pretty respectable in anybody's book.
It could be argued that 60-0 braking performance isn't really indicative of "real world" conditions, especially in Southern California, where typical freeway speeds hover around 80 mph. We figured a 70-0 braking test would be a more accurate reflection of real-world performance. And, to see whether we could ratchet up the car's braking performance, we contacted the folks at Wilwood Engineering to order new rotors, pads, and calipers.
Our test car, an '00 Corvette, was equipped with the stock brake system except for an owner-installed line lock, braided stainless caliper lines, and a set of well-used Hawk brake pads all the way around. As tested, the 3,410-pound car was equipped with Kumho Ecsta MX 275/35ZR18 95Y tires on the front and meaty 295/35ZR18 99Ys on the rears.
| DIFFICULTY INDEX |
| ANYONE'S PROJECT | No tools required |
| BEGINNER | Basic tools |
| EXPERIENCED | Special tools |
| ACCOMPLISHED | Special tools and outside help |
| PROFESSIONALS ONLY | Send this work out |
| Tale Of The Tape |
| 100-0 mph |
| (Before Wilwood installation) |
| G-TECH Pro | Distance Wheel |
| 339 ft | 312 ft, 4 in |
| 383 ft | 311 ft, 11 in |
| 70-0 mph |
| (Before Wilwood installation) |
| G-TECH Pro | Distance Wheel |
| 158 ft | 150 ft, 9 in |
| 160 ft | 138 ft, 6 in |
| 160 ft | 149 ft, 1 in |
| 165 ft | 152 ft, 2 in |
| 60-0 mph |
| (Before Wilwood installation) |
| G-TECH Pro | Distance Wheel |
| 122.1 ft | N/A |
A week after our initial tests, we took the car back to the test facility to see the difference the Wilwood installation made on its performance. The conditions were slightly different: Instead of warm sunshine we had to deal with cooler temperatures, cloudy skies, and a slight drizzle. We felt all of these factors may have had a slightly detrimental effect on the test, and we may have seen even more improvement if Mother Nature had cooperated.
We first noticed we didn't have to wait between runs-they were made back-to-back. And, not only was our braking performance increased right out of the box following the Wilwood installation, the braking distances did, indeed, get shorter as the pads and rotors heated up.
Tale Of The Tape100-0 mph(After Wilwood installation)G-TECH Pro335 ft341 ft
70-0 mph (After Wilwood installation)G-TECH Pro162 ft160 ft159 ft155 ft155 ft
60-0 mph(After Wilwood installation)G-TECH Pro115 ft115 ft117 ft114 ft113 ft