I now have an 88 GTA 350 TPI w/ the WS6 performance suspension package. I was calling around today for a price on brake pads. The guy from the auto part store told me the price for pad and i wasnt surprised when he said $24 for cheapies,and $30 for better pads and so on. But then he said "Wait do you have the WS6 package". Once i said yes, he said the front pads were gona be $89.99 because its a WS6. I called another store and instead they said the front pads would be $50 and they would be ceramics. He also said the rear would be $30 but they were special order because of the WS6 package. Now when it comes to buying pads for a WS6, does it matter which ones you buy as long theyre decent pads?Are the pads any different front thos on a non-WS6 trans am? And when it comes down to it, is it more important to have a better pad on the front or rear?

 

First off, I think the parts guy was a bit confused and was thinking "Performance Package" when he referred to "WS6". Just check to see that your front calipers are cast iron and not aluminum. Then just go get a set of pads. Get ceramics if you want a low dust pad, and go for a more aggresive pad if you want performance. I have EBC Greenstuff pads on my 1LE Iroc and it stops like mad but dusts like crazy. I got them from Tirerack, www.tirerack.com.

You need a "better" pad on the front as they do most of the braking. Stay away from Performance Friction pads as they are crap until they're hot, which they won't be under normal driving conditions.


Ed

 

i used to own an 88 350 WS6. i dont remember the rear pads being different than the fronts. but it was a while ago so i could be wrong. i know my 91 has different style calipers so it requires different, smaller pads.

i've bought front pads now twice for my car and they havent asked me if it's a WS6. i had cheap $20 pads before going with the $50 ceramics. i went with these b/c i wanted something that wouldn't get dust all over the wheels.

 

i dont buy anything but premiums....if i die, it's not gonna be cause of my brakes.

 

what ed said..

ceramic pads are your best bet if you want minimal brake dust.

check the front and rear calipers. more than likely to be single piston cast-iron.

i ran into something similar while looking up endlinks for my car. it specified "performance package" for one listing. i grabbed them, and the links were a funky white color. must be the 1LE endlinks.

 

Are the links white-ish? If so, 1LEs.

Ed

 

OK....ive called around for pads again,and got prices for ceramics.Should they work just fine on the car if theyre ceramcis or do they specifically have to be for a "Performance Package" ???

Id hate to go spending $80-$100 for a set of pads, if i can just get the ceramics for $50 and they will work just fine.

Thanks...Al in NJ

 

 

And is the 1LE performance package the same as a WS6???

 

I just installed ceramics on the front of my 88 form. WS-6. QS- Raybestos model and they work real well. not real grabby but they stop fast and no dust or fade. They stink a little when they get good and hot after a run on an auotcross track but hey, they work good enough that I can just stand upwind from it! Right?
Put the good ones on the front. They get the most abuse.

 

no, ws6 and 1le are NOT the same as far as my parts store computer is concerned. i can look up pads for a performance package, and end up with the 1le front pads.

look at your front brake calipers.

do they look like the ones below? link is non dial-up friendly.

http://www.robertg.org/images/brakes/calipers.jpg

if your front calipers look like these, then you NEED "performance package" brake pads. however, with your car being an 88, i highly doubt this applies to you.

ceramic pads will work just fine. they don't need to be for a "performance package" to work effectively. the many different brake maufacturers should market ceramic pads for both types of original equioment brakes found on these cars.

here's an example. i work at napa. i carry 4 (four) different lines of brake pads for these cars for each of the two brake types.

ed.. yes, the links i looked at had to be 1le's... they had whitish bushings. click to see them. http://www.napaonline.com/cgi-bin/nc...grpid=67011176

 

OK its done. I finally bought my ceramics and had them installed. Should i see a drastic difference between the ceramics and regular pads? I ask this because the brakes feel good,but i dont think it was a drastic improvement over regular pads. Maybe they need to be bled again too possibly.

 

Ceramic pads perform like carbon metalic except, they dont fade as bad and you won't have the ugly brake dust on your wheels!
I ran mine in a Autocross two weeks ago and I had the same stoping power from the begining to the end. The harder I steped on the pedal the faster it slowed down with no fade. I'm running them on stock rotors that I bought new. The only problem I'm having now is if I stop hard and I'm not going in a straight line the drums on the rear want to grab and lock-up on me! end result, endo swapo! Your lucky to have the 4 wheel disc!
You will probably notice your brakes are better while slowing down on a freeway off ramp or emergency stop. Not much to notice in everyday driving but when you really need the performance, it's there. Hope you wear your seat belt!