What pads do you guys run for street/track use? I'm upgrading my brakes to 99GT brakes (I need to keep the 16'' rims for winter) and I need new pads. Suggestions?
Brake Pads
- Thread starter AnaheimE
- Start date
Are you looking for combination pads you can keep in, or will you swap out street/track pads before and after the track?
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more like I'm doing my brakes in two weeks (spring break) and I want some decent pads for the track when I go, but still will mostly street drive them. It'll be hard to have time to change them when I'm out on a co-op.
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Hawk HP+
I have been very happy with EBC yellows.
I've used just about every Hawk pad the past 15 years from HPS to DTC-70.
HP+ is a good street/ track day pad, but is loud, abrasive and dusty on a daily driver. I have them on the Cobra, and will go back with HPS next round. Will need new rotors, too. :shrug: HPS are a good street pad- easy on rotors, work well for autocross, and are a decent pad on track if you don't left foot brake and don't late brake all over the place. I managed to fade a set on a SVT Focus at VIR into 1, but they came right back after a couple of easier corners.
When you choose a pad, be REAL honest where the car will spend most of the time. Street with a track event or 2 a year and you will be disappointed with the HP+ day in day out. If you plan to be on track every month, might be worth the trade off. Just about ANY pad will lock up your brakes once. The different compounds let you hammer them corner after corner. If 99% of your driving is commuting, you -hopefully -don't hammer them often.
HP+ is a good street/ track day pad, but is loud, abrasive and dusty on a daily driver. I have them on the Cobra, and will go back with HPS next round. Will need new rotors, too. :shrug: HPS are a good street pad- easy on rotors, work well for autocross, and are a decent pad on track if you don't left foot brake and don't late brake all over the place. I managed to fade a set on a SVT Focus at VIR into 1, but they came right back after a couple of easier corners.
When you choose a pad, be REAL honest where the car will spend most of the time. Street with a track event or 2 a year and you will be disappointed with the HP+ day in day out. If you plan to be on track every month, might be worth the trade off. Just about ANY pad will lock up your brakes once. The different compounds let you hammer them corner after corner. If 99% of your driving is commuting, you -hopefully -don't hammer them often.
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Dave, I'd suggest he watch his wear if he puts some street miles on HPS and then does a weekend at the track.
I don't know if the GT would have the same issue, but a friend with fairly new HPS pads on his '03 Cobra went down to metal after 2 days at Shenandoah. Guess it depends on where and how you'll run, Anaheime.
I don't know if the GT would have the same issue, but a friend with fairly new HPS pads on his '03 Cobra went down to metal after 2 days at Shenandoah. Guess it depends on where and how you'll run, Anaheime.
Cobra brakes usually have more work to do, but VERY true.
Fresh pads are always a good idea for track days, which is why I said be honest about how you are going to use the car.
1/2 or less pad on a race track will go away pretty quickly.
We've found that anything under 1/2 starts heating calipers and boiling fluid, so we replace them when they get close to 1/2 pad.
On Hawks, the last 3 numbers are thickness in 1000th of an inch.
On the HB111's, .610 is a tad about 2/3 inch. 3/8" or so and we swap. HM112's are .540 so we don't go less than 1/4 inch on the rears.
Just like checking your tire pressure, oil level, and brake fluid before going out, you have to check pad thickness, too.
We can change pads in about 20 minutes at the track, if we have to. Easier to check at home in the garage before we leave to be sure we are going to be ok.
Fresh pads are always a good idea for track days, which is why I said be honest about how you are going to use the car.
1/2 or less pad on a race track will go away pretty quickly.
We've found that anything under 1/2 starts heating calipers and boiling fluid, so we replace them when they get close to 1/2 pad.
On Hawks, the last 3 numbers are thickness in 1000th of an inch.
On the HB111's, .610 is a tad about 2/3 inch. 3/8" or so and we swap. HM112's are .540 so we don't go less than 1/4 inch on the rears.
Just like checking your tire pressure, oil level, and brake fluid before going out, you have to check pad thickness, too.
We can change pads in about 20 minutes at the track, if we have to. Easier to check at home in the garage before we leave to be sure we are going to be ok.
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So Dave, I went in the garage and looked at all my pads (sounds like a soap opera-LOL).
I currently have for my Brembos:
HB194E.665 (Hawk Blues)-current track pads
HB194S.665 (HT10)-came with the used calipers when I got them, need lots of heat, I only use in July/Aug
HB194F.665 (HPS)-current street pads
And I always take all of them in case I go down too far and need to swap out.
If I'm reading right, they're all .665 to start with? I never thought to measure them when new.
But I do measure after each event. The blues have 3 weekends on them. They were at .400/.450 (L/R) after 1 weekend, .318/.320 after second weekend, and .275/.285 after the third. I was wondering whether to try for a forth, but based on what you say, I think not.
Daniel, I find it very easy to change my pads before going to the track, I start a day or 2 before leaving, and it gives me a chance to look over other stuff in the suspension that I might not otherwise. And then changing back afterwards offers the same opportunity to see that nothing shook lose at the track.
If you don't have time for that, you must realize that you're going in not as prepped as you could be.
I currently have for my Brembos:
HB194E.665 (Hawk Blues)-current track pads
HB194S.665 (HT10)-came with the used calipers when I got them, need lots of heat, I only use in July/Aug
HB194F.665 (HPS)-current street pads
And I always take all of them in case I go down too far and need to swap out.
If I'm reading right, they're all .665 to start with? I never thought to measure them when new.
But I do measure after each event. The blues have 3 weekends on them. They were at .400/.450 (L/R) after 1 weekend, .318/.320 after second weekend, and .275/.285 after the third. I was wondering whether to try for a forth, but based on what you say, I think not.
Daniel, I find it very easy to change my pads before going to the track, I start a day or 2 before leaving, and it gives me a chance to look over other stuff in the suspension that I might not otherwise. And then changing back afterwards offers the same opportunity to see that nothing shook lose at the track.
If you don't have time for that, you must realize that you're going in not as prepped as you could be.
If you don't have time for that, you must realize that you're going in not as prepped as you could (should) be.
Agreed. :beer: That honest part, again.
Yep http://www.hawkperformance.com/part_number.php
I used HT-10's roadracing before I tried a set of DTC-70 I got from a National driver when she changed over to Wilwood stuff.
Driving around in the paddock WAS/is always exciting.. 20-0 in about 80 feet. :dw:
All good choices, BTW.
On the thickness, part. I'd be braking fine and then I'd notice I was getting fade. Pads looked good, so I'd change fluid. We were sitting in a buddy's trailer, drinking a beer and telling tales, when a couple of the guys were talking about swapping pads and I saw they looked better that what I was using.
Then they explained the pad material works as an insulator for the piston, which transfer heat to calipers and thus the fluid. DOH!
1/4 pad and the heat goes straight to the calipers and fluid.
In college, I did a lot of trail riding, but didn't have money to race.
I got out and had some REAL salary coming in, so I started racing motorcycles with AMA. After breaking WAY too many bones, I found out about SCCA and cars. Started autocrossing in '84. Time Trials in '94 (we do hillclimbs, too) and finally had the means to go roadracing in 2002.
http://www.rheacermotorsports.com/racerbios.html
You have to be able to write off a car, if it happens. (been there, done that)
Hard to do while you are still in school.
Point, don't skip on safety! :thumbsup:
Agreed. :beer: That honest part, again.
Yep http://www.hawkperformance.com/part_number.php
I used HT-10's roadracing before I tried a set of DTC-70 I got from a National driver when she changed over to Wilwood stuff.
Driving around in the paddock WAS/is always exciting.. 20-0 in about 80 feet. :dw:
All good choices, BTW.
On the thickness, part. I'd be braking fine and then I'd notice I was getting fade. Pads looked good, so I'd change fluid. We were sitting in a buddy's trailer, drinking a beer and telling tales, when a couple of the guys were talking about swapping pads and I saw they looked better that what I was using.
Then they explained the pad material works as an insulator for the piston, which transfer heat to calipers and thus the fluid. DOH!
1/4 pad and the heat goes straight to the calipers and fluid.
In college, I did a lot of trail riding, but didn't have money to race.
I got out and had some REAL salary coming in, so I started racing motorcycles with AMA. After breaking WAY too many bones, I found out about SCCA and cars. Started autocrossing in '84. Time Trials in '94 (we do hillclimbs, too) and finally had the means to go roadracing in 2002.
http://www.rheacermotorsports.com/racerbios.html
You have to be able to write off a car, if it happens. (been there, done that)
Hard to do while you are still in school.
Point, don't skip on safety! :thumbsup:
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Then they explained the pad material works as an insulator for the piston, which transfer heat to calipers and thus the fluid.
One of the reasons true track calipers use such large pads. The other being life span of course. Adding friction material in size won't make the pad work better, only longer. Many of the high end caliper pads are upwards of 1.20" thick. Yes, you read that correctly.
One of the reasons true track calipers use such large pads. The other being life span of course. Adding friction material in size won't make the pad work better, only longer. Many of the high end caliper pads are upwards of 1.20" thick. Yes, you read that correctly.
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Hey, Todd.
Small world. Wanna buy some directional slotted rotors?:lol1:
Dave
Small world. Wanna buy some directional slotted rotors?:lol1:
Dave
I understand the importance of specified pads and proper preparation, however I will be living in either an apartment or a hotel for my internship, so I am not allowed to work on the car.
Still, might be a good idea to take a set and some tools with you to the track and just keep a dedicated set for track days. That should work.
As you move up the feeding chain for pads, they get more aggressive. Some may argue switching back and forth wouldn't be good, BUT a couple of sets of HPS (one for street and one for track days) or HPS for the street and HP+ for track should work fine. Since they work at only slightly different temperatures, you shouldn't have a problem. I'd even consider HPS all around for daily stuff and just change the front to HP+ at the track, or 2 sets of HPS's.
You can do this.:thumbsup:
30+ years of racing, I've found there is going to be somebody at the track that will be happy to lend a hand, if you need it.
As you move up the feeding chain for pads, they get more aggressive. Some may argue switching back and forth wouldn't be good, BUT a couple of sets of HPS (one for street and one for track days) or HPS for the street and HP+ for track should work fine. Since they work at only slightly different temperatures, you shouldn't have a problem. I'd even consider HPS all around for daily stuff and just change the front to HP+ at the track, or 2 sets of HPS's.
You can do this.:thumbsup:
30+ years of racing, I've found there is going to be somebody at the track that will be happy to lend a hand, if you need it.
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Well, people keep recommending HPS in general so I think I'm going to pick those up. If I find myself tracking it more often I will splurge on a new set and then see if I can get someone to help me throw them in while I'm in the paddock or something.
Thank you everyone, greatly appreciated.
These them?
http://www.stangsuspension.com/store/comersus_viewitem.asp?idproduct=98
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I still say give the EBC yellows a shot. They give about as much dust as a factory pad. I used them for 25 minute sessions at Summit Point Main and never got any fade. While I was using them in HPDE 1 my instructor did solo me and I was only passed on my 2nd day by Greg (gcassidy), who is a much better driver than me, and a Z06. They also make no noise on the street.
Yep, Good price, too.
+1 for HP Plus pads, decent for track use. I don't know about the street though they tend to make noise.
The pads that i used for years were the kevlar metallic from lomandi in canada. The set was 75.00 for front and rears. On a smaller track with speeds in excess of 120mph downhill i did have some brake fade. They were not noisy like the hp+'s (which is embarrassing on the street) and they wore similar to the stock pads.
^ I tried those Kevlar pads. They were horrible in my experience. One side completely disintegrated during brake in. The other side had chunks missing. Even the rear had some accellerated signs of wear. I followed the brake in procedures to the T. Maybe I got a bad batch. Even though I really don't think that they are designed to handle the weight of the Cobra for repeated hard braking.
Either way they left a bad taste in my mouth and I will never use them again.
Here are some pics.
Either way they left a bad taste in my mouth and I will never use them again.
Here are some pics.
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