CaptKirk

Hmm I was running ATE Super Blue at the time as well...

I was applying the brakes a lot though... Like i said, I didn't really get to go through like I would've liked, but I would get quick bursts of speed any time I got a chance to get on the gas so maybe thats why mine faded... Keep in mind that any time I'd get a little straight line opening where I could give her some throttle, I would've ended up at a higher speed than you. Then I would slow down quickily again since I wasn't really tackling the twisties themselves as fast as I could've since it was my first time down.

And keeping in mind that Carlo also has a considerable amount of extra HP over stock, some extra insurance against brake fading might not be a bad idea.

bighead

That might be what it was then, I was doing some late braking and heel-toeing so I was probably on the brakes less than you. which would make sense.

So basically that proves the point that it's all about the driver's specific needs.

FF2Skip

The plastic coating cracks. I know this from my own experience. I have another set waiting to be installed. For most folks, even the occasional trackers, stock lines are adequate and provide virtually maintenance-free usage.

I used to run slotted/dimpled rotors. I'm not sold on them at all for the stock application. On larger brake kits, yes, as there is more surface area on the rotor itself. Also, the Dragon is a unique set of circumstances. A person's car will never encounter such potentially harsh conditions anywhere else. Being in the proper gear helps tremendously on the Dragon. The problem with the Dragon is that if you over-use your brakes, you do not have enough time bbetween braking zones to adequately cool them. The heat continues to build. At that point, one could argue in favor of slotted rotors.

bighead

I should've known

Here I thought I break everything

CaptKirk

with the previous posts from Bill and Skip

It depends a lot on the driving style. So you need to take all the factual advice in this thread but then add in your analysis of your own driving style and then base it on that. Major thing to keep in mind is what kind of driving you will be doing, what kind of roads you will be driving the car on, and the fact that you have much more power than a normal car...

And as far as slotted/dimpled rotors on a stock setup, I would have to agree with Skip and say that unless you have a BBK, to just stick with normal rotors. Eventhough I might have better fade resistence now, I liked the nice bite the brakes had before. Not a big deal, just personal preference. And yes the Dragon is a very extreme example, but just something to consider if you like driving on roads like that.

TubeDriver

OEM rotors are going to perform better than any dimpled/slotted/pierced/tattoed rotors of OEM size.

If you experinece fade (push brake pedal and car does not stop) you have overheated your pads. If you experience pedal "mush" (push brake pedal and it goes to the floor) you have boiled yor brake fluid. In both cases the answer is simple : better pads and better (or at least fresh fluid).

The rotors have nothing to do with either fade or mush.

civicguyinva

So for my driving, what type would I be looking for as far as rotors brake pads and such? I hear that slotted rotors and such crack under aggressive braking. So .....OEM rotors and some good brake pads and brake fluid?

Around my home area I hardly hit over 60 with a lot of stop an go (50% of my travelling).
I hit 120+ daily and need to be able to slow that at a VERY quick rate
I street race and go to skyline drive OFTEN to test myself and my car
I will be tracking next year (I hope)

Is there anything that is between full track and full street that you guys would recommend?

Highlift

you could say that


i ran the carbotech panther plus both on track and off for a good while. the pads eventually wore down my blank rotors about an 1/16th of an inch. not to mention the gross amount of brake dust they let off.

CaptKirk

yes in terms of brake feel and responsiveness rotors dont matter, but dont slotted rotors better prevent fade, especially with regards to the pads glazing over?

TubeDriver

The short answer is no. Slotted rotors used to help when old style brake compounds degassed at higher temps but that is not an issue with modern pads.


I have used slotted rotors and all that I got was additional vibrationand they eat up pads faster. I am running around in a car that has about 14 track days on this current set of rotors (which is super long life, they were OEM Miata blanks). There are a ton of heat and stress cracks on these rotors and my last set of pads (XP10 in front) lasted 2 track events. When I run the same set of pads with nice, new blank rotors (without all the little heat/stress slots) I get 3-4 track events of pad life.


Basically, you want street pads on the street and track pads on the track. I use OEM pads on the street and autoX and Carbotech XP12 front and XP10 rear for the track.


If you really do need a track pad on the street, SLOW DOWN before you kill yourself. J/K (sort of).


Decent compromise pads like the Carbotech Bobcat or Panther+ tend to work great for aggressive street driving and autoX but not really that well on the track. I actually drove around all summer on XP8s (light vehicle weight track pads - Miata) with no problems.


Get OEM rotors, pads that match your intended use and decent, fresh brake fluid (I use Valvoline Synpower DOT 3-4 which is availabe at AutoZone and work great street or track).