Installing Rear Brake Rotors

Part II: Rear Brake Installation Many hobbyists increase their Pontiac's horsepower output in search of "the number," with less concern on the braking system. However, since we have installed a few bolt-ons and started taking our '05 GTO out to local autocrosses, it has become apparent that the factory brakes could use some improvement.

With a bit of research and weighing the pros and cons of a big-brake kit, we concluded that the factory brake calipers are strong and have proven to be reliable in similar high-performance applications. We decided instead to upgrade the rotors, while retaining the same overall diameter, and employing high-performance pads and hoses.

The most attractive element of sticking with the factory calipers is the lower cost versus the expensive big-brake kits. We upgraded to DBA 5000- and 4000-series rotors with Hawk HPS pads and Russell stainless lines. The DBA front rotors are part number 52020BLKSL and 52020BLKSR, and retail for $1,056 per pair (only sold in pairs). Rear DBA rotors sell for $165 each or $330 per pair (PN 42021SL and 42021SR). Russell's lines (PN RUS692320) are $140 and the Hawk HPS brake pads (PN HB247F.575, front; PN HB573F.615, rear) cost $70 and $90, respectively. Finally, we replaced the old fluid with AmsOil Series 600 High Performance DOT 4 brake fluid, which has a boiling point of 580-degees Fahrenheit.

So if you're just joining us for Part II, we tackled the front brakes in Part I and we'll move onto the rear and then properly bed in the pads. Once we're done, we will complete our testing to measure any improvements.