TrueDrezzer

For the last season, I had been experimenting with various sport and semi-track pads with my car for use on the road and the Nurburgring Nordschleife track.

My problems are that the street legal pads are too much of a compromise on the track, and the sport pads I'm using seem to leave deposits on the rotors when driving on the street, plus they're loud and make the wheels dirty.

I think what I'll do this year is run stock pads on the street, and swap to Ferodo DS3000 Endurance pads at the track before lapping, then swap back to stockers whenever I get home. Seems like the right way to go, eh?

I wonder if there are any issues with swapping the pads out so often. Will I have to re-bed in the pads whenever I swap them out?

I bet I'll get pretty good at pad swapping by the end of the season, plus I'll be able to monitor the condition of the suspension / brakes more often.

Anything I should watch out for?

///Robin

Elistan

I do pad swaps before and after each event. (I drive out and back on the race pads.) I only bed in pads the first time I put them on. Never had an issue.

Ludedude

Yep, it's my understanding also that the bedding procedure is a one time thing to get the new pads up to temperature before their first hard use.

rlaifatt

Change to race pads at every event, and no problems. No need to rebed. I presume that after a few hard brakings with the race pad the stock pad material on the rotor is removed and replaced with the race pad material, so no problem on the track. The street pads seem to work well on the rotors after using the race pads.

cthree

besides being a pain in the ass? Don't see an issue.

Triple-H

As others have indicated, no real issues regarding swapping so often, and no need to rebed a set of pads that have already been run through the first bedding procedure.

Other than just one more thing to do at the track prior to an event I see no real negative for this; I just see the positive. You can now get pads that are the best for the job you will apply them to, no more compromise compounds. In addition all this extra changing will really allow you to keep an eye on your pads and rotors and you will see any "issues" with wear soon after is starts.

About the only other thing I would say is after you do the fronts all the time, it sure becomes obvious how much more a pain the backs are to do by comparison...

TrueDrezzer

Thanks all for the info. I'll definitely be picking up a set of stockers and will swap before/after track events. First event is Nurburgring Nordschleife on the weekend, and I'll be hitting LeMans later on in the month!

Since I'll be doing this swapping probably 10-15 times this year, do you think I'll need to bother with coating the caliper bolts with Loctite or other securing products? When I learned pad swapping, I was told that a dab of this stuff was good for the longevity of the bolt and ease of removal.

Last time I did the pads, the rears were a pain but that was mainly due to the wrong tool used to push back the piston (now I use a 3/8'' drive). By the second time around, I could get the fronts done in 15 minutes flat.

///Robin

pfb

I usually swap all four tires and the the pads in my garage before/after track events. Just a bunch easier with a concrete floor, air tools, and my full toolbox. About 30-45 minutes for a full change with a quick bleed.

Sometimes I'll cheat and leave the back pads in if I know I'm going to be back at the track within a few weeks.

Retracting the rear calipers, regardless of the tool I use, is just a PITA.
Not to mention the requirement to completely remove the caliper vs. swing it out of the way, and the hassle of E-brake cable getting in the way of things...

Triple-H

For what it is worth there is one "tool" I have in my tool box that has made this job so much easier, especially the backs. I use a 6 to 10" bungie cord to hold up the calipers when I'm working on swapping out pads. The hooks on the bungie cord clip over the springs and then slide through the caliper bolthole in a snap. Then as it sort of hangs there I can use my two hands just to screw around with turning the piston. I have tried a lot of things and for me; the bungie has been a huge time saver and has reduced my frustration.

rlaifatt

For turning the rear piston, a flat file (about 10-12 inches long) makes it extremely easy (I think this was posted a while back). Lots of leverage with the length and it doesn't slip because of the grippy grooves, so very easy to turn. Also, I change pads at the track and not at home before/after the track because full race pads are very abrasive when not up to operating temp to make use of adherent friction, so the rotors may wear worse on the street than on the track. This article has been posted many times too:
http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/warped...rotors_myth.htm