Optikal

Just trying to figure out my options regarding brake pads. I am hoping there is a good pad out there that can provide better stopping than the stock pads, but doesn't create a ton of brake dust, and can be used for street and race applications.

Is that too tall of an order?

Is there any brake pads that would suit me better than the stock pad considering I use my car for the spirited weekend drive as well as a track event every 1-2 months?

Thank you!

mikegarrison

As far as I can tell, it is too tall of an order. I've mainlt tried Carbotech pads. Panther+ pads work great on the track, but squeal and dust like crazy. They are usable on the street other than that, however.

The stock pads work fine on the street but fall apart in track use.

I've been running Carbotech Bobcat pads on the street, and the dust and noise are comparable to stock. However, I don't know if they would survive much better on the track than stock. They also are not nearly as grippy as the Panther+ -- it's been so long since I used stock I can't directly compare their bite to the stock pads.

-Mike

Optikal

Yes, that is what I have heard about the stock pads... I have 5 events on my car already and the stock pads seem to have held up well. No crumbling yet, but I don't want to push my luck. So I am hoping there is something out there that can handle my criteria. Thanks, Mike!

jerrypeterson

Sorry Ananda, you can't have it both ways. For a pad to operate at high temperatures, it will compromise low temperature performance. A pad that doesn't dust an appreciable amount falls into one of two catagories: shread your rotors without hardly any stopping torque, or its a stock pad that behaves the opposite. Switching to a more aggressive pad compound will not improve your braking distances either, you will need stickier tires to accomplish that task.

The stock pads are probably your best bet, especially if you are primarily autox'ing. Besides they cost less money than the aftermarket pads.

Tedster

Ananda,

I think you're out of luck.

I've tried the compromise street/track route, and so far I haven't found a winner. There are pads that perform fine in both applications, but you'll have to live with a lot of dust and noise.

There's nothing wrong with the stock pads for street, spirited drives, and even auto-x (experts please correct me). You might find a pad you like the feel of better, but the old adage is "if you can lock up the tires, you don't need any more 'stopping power'".

The need for a different pad for the track is about the pads overheating, glazing, and crumbling. Once you start seeing those symptoms, you know you need a race pad.

My favorite so far is the Panther Plus. I may try Performance Friction next time, if the reviews are good.

Ted

mikegarrison

That's an over-simplification. The coefficient of friction between the pads and the rotor depends on many things, most importantly the temperature of each but also the speed at which the car is moving. On the track, as the car is moving faster and the brakes are hotter, the stock pads can no longer lock up the wheels. So not only do they have a very short life, but they also don't stop the car as well.

At street speeds and temperatures, they work just fine or even better than race pads.

I don't think a typical auto-x would put enough heat into the brakes to require anything different than street brakes. Remember that the energy required goes up with the square of velocity, so slowing from 120 to 70 puts about three times as much energy into the brakes as slowing from 60 to 10, even though you have dropped 50 mph in each case.

Optikal

Thanks guys... I had a gut feeling I couldn't get the best of both worlds. I tried though!

I am experiencing glazing from the last track session, so it sounds like I need to pay up and get a race set up. That means tires, wheels, and pads for those "special" days.

Panther+ sounds like the best pad for the S, including RA1 tires.

PedalFaster

Yup, with the possible exception of heavy left foot brakers who use brake and throttle at the same time.

For everyone else, stock pads are fine (that's what shaggy and I are using) although some prefer aftermarket pads with more initial bite. Brake pads are one of the last places an autocrosser should spend money on their car, though.

Steve

Tedster

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mikegarrison

hi50

My track buddies in TX used to use Brakeman #3's. They withstood the TX heat very well at TX World Speedway (very fast track).

If I remember, they have a large operating range, so you could use them for the street (don't have to wait until they are hot), and had a high upper temp, so you don't crumble them.

Do a search in the UTH forum, I think there was a good review in there from a year or 2 ago.


I use Porterfield R4S daily, since it gives a slightly better initial "bite" for AX, but they dust like crazy. I've tracked on these before, but I've seen heavy brakers completely demolish these pads.

Good luck with your search.