As many of you know, I've been running the Racing Brake Carbon Ceramic front rotors on my GT350 for the last two years. I love them - I've done BBK upgrades on a bunch of cars for track work, and the simplest and best upgrade for the GT350 has been the CCB rotors with the OEM calipers. Bite like a T-Rex and an absolutely flat torque curve with the sintered pads, great modulation and minimal wear. And no dust either.

But the problem has been that they were only available for the front axle. Rears seemed to be an engineering problem unless you're willing to give up the hand brake, which just doesn't work for a street and track car.

This morning, I got an email from RB with pictures and specs for new GT350 380x28 CCB REAR rotors THAT MAINTAIN THE OEM PARKING BRAKE! RB says they weigh about 9 pounds less than the OEM rotor, and of course they'll deliver the brake performance of ceramic.

In case you're wondering, yes, I've ordered a set.

Good to hear that we are getting more options. I would love to move to CC eventually so your coverage of this is much appreciated.

@JAJ - how many days do you have on your rotors now? How are they wearing?

honeybadger said:

@JAJ - how many days do you have on your rotors now? How are they wearing?

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Well, it's like this... I've got 12 track days on them and they look like new. However, that's what CCB brakes do - they don't wear in use, the ceramic is like a dinner plate and it's super hard and tough, so it doesn't grind away like iron does. When they get hot, though, the carbon oxidizes from the inside and the rotors get lighter and lighter, eventually reaching a point where they're condemned. The sintered metal pads I'm using slow down the oxidization process though, because they lay down a metallic transfer layer on the rotor surface that protects the rotors, so they don't age like they would with regular pads.

At this point, I've used about 1mm of pad depth (!) and the rotors look like they'll make it to the next century. People who've used them a lot say they get about 4 times the life of an iron rotor, but I have no way of knowing if that's true or not.

Can you reveal anything about the price yet?

Great news and I’m glad they are working well for you.

5.2 liters of democracy said:

Can you reveal anything about the price yet?

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It's on their website. Check out the new 380mm front kit with calipers and CCB rotors that fits under 18" wheels while you're there

JAJ said:

It's on their website. Check out the new 380mm front kit with calipers and CCB rotors that fits under 18" wheels while you're there

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I was checking those out as well. Significantly less than the AP Racing brake (FP350S) option but does eliminate the rear parking brake where AP Racing just came out with a rear brake option that retains the parking brake. However they have a rear OE style 380mm brake rotor that is superior to the OEM rotor it seems. The 380mm front rotors where you can adapt the GT350 front caliper is very interesting allowing one to run 18" wheels. You have to shave 7mm off of the caliper mounting pads(pictured). They also have hardware to adapt different pads to the GT350 calipers which provides many more options and according to RB have better friction capabilities. "Actually the ZR1 (D1395) pad is deeper in friction vs. GT350 (D1853) but they are practically the same in applicable friction area." Any thoughts?

JAJ said:

It's on their website. Check out the new 380mm front kit with calipers and CCB rotors that fits under 18" wheels while you're there

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Just for clarification to those that read this the 380mm carbon ceramic rotors are only for the GT not the GT350. The GT350 CCB option only comes in 394mm(front).

BTW I found very similar (same rotor, different hat) front GT350 carbon ceramic rotors for $1400 less than the Racing Brake price.....same rotor.

https://www.racingbrake.com/RB-394mm-Carbon-Ceramic-Rotors-for-2016-Ford-Must-p/2c67.htm
http://www.tonybracing.com/tbrperformance/

cj350 said:

I was checking those out as well. Significantly less than the AP Racing brake (FP350S) option but does eliminate the rear parking brake where AP Racing just came out with a rear brake option that retains the parking brake. However they have a rear OE style 380mm brake rotor that is superior to the OEM rotor it seems. The 380mm front rotors where you can adapt the GT350 front caliper is very interesting allowing one to run 18" wheels. You have to shave 7mm off of the caliper mounting pads(pictured). They also have hardware to adapt different pads to the GT350 calipers which provides many more options and according to RB have better friction capabilities. "Actually the ZR1 (D1395) pad is deeper in friction vs. GT350 (D1853) but they are practically the same in applicable friction area." Any thoughts?

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It's been a while since I was on the RB website, but most of the stuff that Warren said was coming for GT350's is on there now. The product selection is quite amazing really, when you realize how much of it is totally custom-made for the GT350.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind: first, rotor pairs and calipers are all available separately so you can mix-and-match to get the setup you want, even if it's not listed as a kit on the site. For instance, they list a front+rear CCB kit with 380x36 front rotors and calipers along with 380x28 rear rotors without handbrake drums and calipers. Now that they also offer rear rotors with handbrake drums, you can swap them into the kit to set up a street+track car with CCB's and top-loading calipers on all four corners with a working handbrake that can run 18" rims. You couldn't do that six months ago.

So, to make the choices clearer, here's what's available:

Front - you can choose either a 394x36 CCB rotor only (works with OEM calipers) or a set of 380x36 rotors for use with RB 6-piston calipers that bolt directly to the OEM GT350 knuckle without adapters - the RB calipers are bespoke forged aluminum 230mm mounting-center top-loading calipers with stainless pistons, etc. In case all you need is a racing caliper to run with stock dimension rotors, RB also makes a caliper mount spacer to move the RB calipers up to the correct height for the OEM 394mm rotor. And just to round out the product line, they also have stainless steel piston sets for the OEM front caliper.

Rear - RB offers two different 380x28 CCB rotors - one with the parking brake drum and one without for track-only applications. They also offer a 380x28 cast iron directional rotor with parking brake. As for calipers to work with either of the RB rotors or the OEM rotor, they make a bespoke radial mount 4-piston caliper and bracket, just in case you're sick and tired of disconnecting the handbrake cable. These are also forged and come with stainless pistons, etc, and they take a pad shape that's widely available. As with the fronts, they offer stainless pistons for the OEM rear calipers as well.

CCB certified pads for OEM calipers: The GT350 OEM front pad is a descendant of a whole family of Brembo CCB brake setups for OEM's. It's basically the same shape as the Enzo/Corvette ZR1/Viper ACR-Extreme pads. The pads are very close but not identical - each OEM made some changes so you have to be careful, but it's pretty safe to say that for track use with RB's CCB rotors, you can use pretty much any CCB-certified pad that fits a GT350, a ZR1 or a Viper ACR-X. For my setup, I have a set of RB streetable sintered (solid) metal pads, which area also available in a higher mu race-only version. If you prefer quieter organic race pads, PAGID offers two compounds that are certified for CCB use - RSL-29 and RSC-1. RSL-29's are available for both the front and the rear of a GT350, which is not true of most of the other pads out there. For the street, I'm using the RB 910 compound - it's quiet, substantially dustless and it works great for the winter. Like the RSL-29, it's also available for the front and rear of the GT350.

cj350 said:

Just for clarification to those that read this the 380mm carbon ceramic rotors are only for the GT not the GT350. The GT350 CCB option only comes in 394mm(front).

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You're correct that the 380x36 is made for the GT, but as I said above, RB has a replacement caliper for the GT350 that makes that smaller rotor work on a GT350. The caliper was specifically developed for a race team that was running 18" rims.

cj350 said:

BTW I found very similar (same rotor, different hat) front GT350 carbon ceramic rotors for $1400 less than the Racing Brake price.....same rotor.

https://www.racingbrake.com/RB-394mm-Carbon-Ceramic-Rotors-for-2016-Ford-Must-p/2c67.htm
http://www.tonybracing.com/tbrperformance/

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That's fantastic! A little competition is a good thing! Tony's commentary about brake pads is accurate but unnecessarily narrow - there are other options than the RSC-1's he's focused on, but I don't think that matters - I'd use them without a second thought.

@JAJ great info...all makes sense. So if you wanted to run 18" wheels. Would you do the caliper mod (I have a spare caliper)and run the RB 380mm iron 2pc rotors for $1080+pads or run their Caliper/380mm rotor for $3060? In other words do you gain enough brake performance in the running the RB caliper vs the modified OE caliper to justify the $2k difference?

The ultimate setup would be the RB full brake kit with 380mm carbon ceramic rotors F&R. Between brakes and wheels/tires that would be in excess of 70lbs unsprung weight reduction from a typical 19" OE setup. Long term wearable costs are still a concern for me though.

cj350 said:

@JAJ great info...all makes sense. So if you wanted to run 18" wheels. Would you do the caliper mod (I have a spare caliper)and run the RB 380mm iron 2pc rotors for $1080+pads or run their Caliper/380mm rotor for $3060? In other words do you gain enough brake performance in the running the RB caliper vs the modified OE caliper to justify the $2k difference?

The ultimate setup would be the RB full brake kit with 380mm carbon ceramic rotors F&R. Between brakes and wheels/tires that would be in excess of 70lbs unsprung weight reduction from a typical 19" OE setup. Long term wearable costs are still a concern for me though.

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I can't answer the question about machining vs replacing the caliper - I suspect though that the OEM caliper body might still be too tall and bulky to fit inside an 18" rim even after milling 7mm off the bottom. I suggested to Warren last year that there might be a market for an 18" compatible setup for the GT350, and then later it turned out that he had a customer for it, so he built it. One of the fitment checks I believe he did was to swap 3D model data with one of the wheel manufacturers - Apex, perhaps - to make sure that their 18" rims would go over his calipers. You'd best call RB and ask, though.

As for braking performance, again, I'm not sure what your needs are. The OEM caliper is massive and handles heat remarkably well as it comes, and it can be improved with ventilated stainless pistons. It's only really annoying features are that it's bottom loading and it has a relatively narrow range of available pads. RB's calipers are top-loading, they're made from forged 7075 aluminum blanks, they come with ventilated stainless pistons and they take pads with a wide range of pad compounds. They're a great product, but they're priced accordingly.

On the weight thing - the front CCB's take 32# off the front axle, and from the numbers that RB has posted, the rears will take 18# off the rear axle. All I need now is a set of CF rims - that's good for another 50# or so off the car. Lightness doesn't come cheap - it's looking like about $250 a pound!

John, great info, keep it coming.

Any update on this?

Not yet. I'm expecting delivery in April or early May for the rears.

@JAJ

You stated, “For my setup, I have a set of RB streetable sintered (solid) metal pads, which area also available in a higher mu race-only version. If you prefer quieter organic race pads, PAGID offers twocompounds that are certified for CCB use - RSL-29 and RSC-1.”

How much noise does your setup make on the street?

cholmes1 said:

@JAJ

You stated, “For my setup, I have a set of RB streetable sintered (solid) metal pads, which area also available in a higher mu race-only version. If you prefer quieter organic race pads, PAGID offers twocompounds that are certified for CCB use - RSL-29 and RSC-1.”

How much noise does your setup make on the street?

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That's totally pad-dependent. RSL29's make a bit of noise once in a while, the sintered pads are quiet after a track day, but they develop a few squeals and squeaks after a few days of city driving. The winter pads -Racing Brake XT910's - don't make any noise at all.

BTW - i should have the new rears in the next two or three weeks.

We have progress!!! The nice folks at RB sent me some pictures of my rear CCB rotors today:



They're in the tender care of UPS and I should have them later this week. They each weigh about 7 pounds less than the OEM brakes, and that big dog-dish thingy in the middle of the back side is the drum for the factory parking brake.

Very nice!

Congrats. Can’t wait to see them on the car