Thomas Guide

I'm in need of new pads and would like to upgrade. I track 3-4 times a year and would like a pad that I don't have to change out. I've read a lot about these 2 pads on this forum and others.

I would like performance but not at the cost of my sanity as I've heard the Cobalts squeek a lot. Then again, I also heard that using a bit of grease on the stock shims will resolve this...

My tradeoff then is I don't care about brake dust, but I can't stand noise.

I'm all stock except my tires are Yoko Neova, and I plan on replacing my rotors with OEM.

Nimbus

It depends how hard you drive on the track. I've burn through both the RS4 and GT Sport pads in one track day in the past (on street tires as well). Non-race pads wears quick once they are over their max operating temp. You are much better off spending the extra 15min and swapping out race pads for the track to gain both better performance and cost effectiveness.

Vitt

Just curious, why do you plan to change the rotors? Are they really warped, or can't be turned anymore?

As for the pads, I don't know the max operating temp for the R4S, but I assume they are below 1000 degrees. I only have experience with them on a GSR, and they wore fast. In any case, the R4S felt similar to the Axxis Ultimates on my GSR and lasted about the same. The Ultimates have a max operating temp of about 930F.

As for the Cobalt GT, their operating Temp Range is 50F - 1300F. The max range is only 300 degrees lower than the XR-2 (MOT 1600F). I would call Cobalt and see if the GT squeal a lot in street driving.

Another option you might consider is the Carbotech XP8. I don't know it's temp range, but from what I've read it's a nice compromise between street and track. Although for hard core tracking it seems that most people will use the XP10 in front.

I agree with Nimbus though, that you better off having have a set of dedicated track pads and spend an extra 15-30 minutes to change them. Because the faster you get on the track, the more you will be needing a high temp track only set of pads. You can keep the stock rear pads for the amount of track driving you do (I have been changing only the front).

Thomas Guide

I've had the rotors the life of the car, 30k w/ 7 track days and they've been turned once. Since I need pads I would like new front OEM rotors and keep the existing ones as spares at the track just in case.

Getting a set of OEM pads and track pads seems like a good idea at this point.

When putting track pads on a rotor that's been used with OEM pads, is there a period of time for the 2 to 'meld' together? (I'm not sure if the terminology is correct)

RamVA

Carbotech Panther Plus will work as a street/track pad. They are a little noisy on the street, but not bad. The name may have changed recently.

R4-S is junk and will not work as a track pad for this car - I wore the fronts to the backing plates in less than a day on track. I have used the R4 with success in the lighter Lotus, but they are hard on rotors.

Vitt

And very loud. I am daily driving with them right now b/c haven't had time to change them since the last track day, and I hate the noise. But for track they have held up amazingly well.

AMW

I have been using the new compound Cobalt GT Sports, first no bedding in is great, without shims they do squeal a lot. It is less with the shims and high temp anti seize. The performance is great and the wear for me has been good. they dust quit a lot but so do the OEM's. The only other pad I can compare to were Hawk HPS which wore badly and faded and dusted, the GT Sports are incomparably better.

JackOlsen

It also depends on what tracks you're driving. Willow Springs is pretty easy on brakes. Laguna, Sears and Thunderhill are harder. I run either R4 or R4S pads on my 2700-pounds-with-driver 911. I get six months out of a set of R4 pads, longer out of the R4S. I've got front rotors that have been doing monthly track (and street) duty for seven years, now. So I don't know that they're all that hard on rotors. But my car is lighter than an S2K, and my brakes are pretty big.

But it's another data point for you.

dnace

I can agree with all of these I am running the GTS they were real loud at first but quited down significantly after one HPDE. I used a traqmate and noticed 1.25gs of braking (215-255 azenis) in the next week or so I should have actually atatistical stock comparison. They dust like hell but they are fantastic. Glen at cobalt says highest clamping torque of any non-carbon 100% carbon operating temp is good and haven't faded once. Initial bite if fantastic for a streetable pad and I have beat them hard at Blackhawk Farms. I would recommend them. PS prices might be going up on these soon as he mentioned they have remained constant even after material changes.

Thomas Guide

Ok, GTS pads it is, just placed an order for a set.

JackOlsen, your sig cracks me up, how did you crash BBI?