Thanks, Mike. I was actually impressed that the pads lasted our last session, during which I ran about 250 miles on the track.

The Cobalt pads I just put in have the metal warning indicator only on the rear pads, not on the front. I will be checking the pads regularly, now that I'm not intimidated by the idea. I made a boo-boo (two, actually) installing the pads on Saturday, and had to go right back in to fix it, just after I had put the wheels back on and taken it off the jackstands (next time I will review the shop manual before I close up). It took me many hours the first time, getting familiar with the geography, but only 1.5 hours to completely re-do the install the second time. I have no problem with spending some time before I go on the track, and after I'm done, making sure the pads are in good shape.

 

Mark, in the future you could consider buying 2 rear sets for each front if you're concerned about it and need to have a backup. The Cobalts should outlast your OEM's though, so just keep an eye on them and let me know if you need another set of rears sooner rather than later. You never want to get them to the wear indicator if you can avoid it as that can potentially damage the rotor.

J.P.

 

Mark, you should also be aware that sometimes the inside pad will wear faster than the outside pad, so don't wait for the outside ones to be gone. Also, with a little practice, you'll get it down to <10 min per wheel.