Hi,

I just changed the brake pads on my MY04 for the first time (8700 miles, with two track days). The rear pads were down to about 1mm, while the front pads still had lots of depth left.

I changed both, putting in Cobalt GTS pads, to better handle the stresses of the track, but I was very surprised that the rear pads went so much quicker than the front pads, which do most of the work.

Is this normal?

Also, can anyone tell me what to expect as to longevity of the Cobalt pads compared to the stock pads?

Thanks.

 

I think stock rear pads may be more vulnerable to overheating and accelerated wear on the track. They have a lot less mass, and the disk is unventilated. When I had stock pads on the track, I overheated the rears and they crumbled to dust. Hasn't happened on the street, or on the track with the track pads.

Either that or next time remember to take the handbrake off....

Ted has front brake ducting, and he routinely sees more wear on the rears than the front. So likely it is the heat that is the biggest issue.

 

I wore out my Cobalt race rear pads in 3 track days. So yes.

 

It is not uncommon on Hondas for street or track. The rear pads are so small (I assume to help save on unsprung weight and cost) that they do tend to wear faster. The compound (stock) may have something to do with it as well.

 

Yep, what they said.

We get about twice as much life from a front set of Cobalt racing pads as the rears.

 

Try to not let them get to much below 3mm

 

So I might be well-advised to buy, say, a couple of sets of rear pads for each front set I buy?

 

Thanks. When I said 1mm, I really meant 1mm until the metal thingy would start making horrible noises to tell me that I need to change the pads. I probably had at least 3mm left on the pad, total.

And I will be more vigilant in checking pad thickness, now that I actually know how to do that.

 

 

Mark, you should know that track pads probably won't have that little metal warning indicator. If you aren't careful, it is possible to run them right down to the backing plate before they start making any unusual noise. Ask Jerry about that.

Also, pad wear is non-linear. The less pad material you have left, the less mass you have in the pad. So the faster it heats up and therefore the faster it wears out. Check your pads often when you track the car.

It doesn't hurt to measure them before and after an event, and keep a log. That will give you a good idea of how your pads are wearing on your car.