Brake Pad and Brake Fluid Recomendations

shb5007

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I need some recommendations for brake pads and fluid if I want to autocross my 2003 Cobra.
 

TroyV

Brakes only slow you down
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If this is really just for autocross, and you are bleeding your brakes when things get mushy, then any stock brake fluid will do. If you want to bleed the brakes just a little less than that, you can use something with a higher boiling point. Since I tracked my Cobra in addition to autocrossing it, I used ATE Super Blue, and also the ATE gold stuff....this way it was easy to determine when the old crap was out and the new crap in for the change in color.

For autocross, you want a pad that is good from a low temperature (ambient) to somewhere in the 800 to 900 degree range. If you are really hammering the brakes, and you are willing to give up the first run or two to get heat in the pads, then you can work toward a pad in the 400-1200 degree range. As much as I dislike Hawk products, their HP+ pad has really good cold temp bite, and has good range. They dust like crazy, and you need to wash your wheels immediately after running if the event is in the rain.

I ran Carbotech pads in the Cobra and liked them. The Bobcat compound was ok for street and some AX but I found myself moving up from there to XP8, XP10, and eventually using XP12.. Properly heated, the XP12's are amazing.

Autocross, even in a Mustang is more about throttle modulation than braking power. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
 

01FR500

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For autocross any DOT 3 or 4 fluid from the local parts store will be fine in most cases. I use Motul RBF 600 fluid, but only because I open track the car in addition to a few autocross events a year. I use Hawk HPS pads front and rear, but have used the HP+ compound for one autox event. I would just hit the brakes a few times to heat them up a bit to make sure they were in the proper operating temp range. I was on street tires.
 

98cobraRx

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I need some recommendations for brake pads and fluid if I want to autocross my 2003 Cobra.

If you drive the car on the street fairly frequently I would go with the Hawk HPS. The HP+s are a little too aggressive for the street for my taste. It is almost like they are completely on or completely off, no in between. I have not used anything other than Hawks so dust wise I do not have anything else to compare them too. FYI I use hawks in my terminator and my 98 cobra for autcross and love them.
 

98cobraRx

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Autocross, even in a Mustang is more about throttle modulation than braking power. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.[/QUOTE]

Agree x 1000. Esp with the power you are putting down. If your termy is stock it will not be as bad. If you have a pulley or a twin screw traction on street tires will be very difficult to find.
 
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