road race guys: brake replacement help

Maniak

TCG Elite Member
Apr 17, 2006
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Highland Park, IL
i am getting really bad brake shudder right now from my front breaks. i am lookin to get new pads and rotors all the way around. maybe not rotors in the rear, not sure yet.

the question i have is what parts to go with? i will be doing some open track and auto-x events so i am going to need some good components for street/race use.

i have been thinking about buying hawk pads and stainless steel brake lines but i am still unsure with what rotors to go with? will stock replacement rotors do the trick or should i go with some powerslot rotors? don't think it is necessary to spend a lot on the rotor as they will need to be replaced alot.
 

Mystic Terminator

TCG Elite Member
Oct 6, 2004
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maniak said:
i am getting really bad brake shudder right now from my front breaks. i am lookin to get new pads and rotors all the way around. maybe not rotors in the rear, not sure yet.

the question i have is what parts to go with? i will be doing some open track and auto-x events so i am going to need some good components for street/race use.

i have been thinking about buying hawk pads and stainless steel brake lines but i am still unsure with what rotors to go with? will stock replacement rotors do the trick or should i go with some powerslot rotors? don't think it is necessary to spend a lot on the rotor as they will need to be replaced alot.

A lot of the Cobra-R guys are perfectly happy w/ the stock OEM Brembo's. You can get them pretty cheap from tirerack. There are a lot of choices in brake pad compounds, and what works well on the track does not last long on the street. You may want to start with a semi agressive pad for street/auto-x/track for now. Maybe something like Hawk HP Plus. You will soon be needing seperate pads for street/track use. Stainless lines are a good thng.
 

Maniak

TCG Elite Member
Apr 17, 2006
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Highland Park, IL
Flyn high again said:
I can't see spending 4 times as much to get expensive rotors. They won't last 4 times as long. I'd rather get the Brembos and replace them each brake job. Cutting the rotors on our cars usually leads to brake shudder. Modern rotors are crap compared to the old days. Too light and too thin.

you can't see spending twice as much on rotors yet you buy brembos? aren't those pretty expensive?
 

Flyn

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maniak said:
you can't see spending twice as much on rotors yet you buy brembos? aren't those pretty expensive?

Like Vince said, the stock OEM Brembos are relatively cheap. I think all 4 rotors were around $200 from TireRack. I spent around $400 total for hawk pads and the Brembo rotors.
 

Flyn

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Mystic Terminator said:
But a soft rotor will not last long on the track.

Same thing with pads. As Vince mentioned in his first post, street and track pads are different. Track pads have higher temperature operating ranges that work at the track because road racing really heats up the rotors and pads. They won't work right on the street because they won't get hot enough. Conversely, street pads won't work well on the track because they will get hotter than their optimal operating range.
 

Fast99Snake

track rat
Jun 26, 2005
1,590
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i think an hp plus pad would be the most aggressive pad i would run on a street driven car
i have em on mine with oem rotors and im loving the stopping power
not so loving the noise coming up to every stop light though :(
if you can deal with the noise theyre great, but it gets to u after awhile
 

nytebyte

Not Politically Correct
Mar 2, 2004
13,627
20,958
I've personally had bad luck with Hawk pads and would recommend Carbotech pads instead.

As for rotors, the OEM Brembo rotors should be fine. The last time I changed my rotors, I decided to give the cryogenically treated ones a try.

I only have two track sessions on them but they seem to be holding out better than the OEM rotors and are still perfect. Looks like I'll probably be able to go a lot longer on these than the OEM rotors, but the verdict is still out. I need more track time on them.

One thing I did notice about the cryo rotors is that it was much harder to bed-in the pads for some reason. It took twice the amount of effort it normally does with the stock rotors. Once I got it done though, they looked perfect and still do.
 

jfranci3

Regular
May 13, 2005
419
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I don't know if you've done anything yet, but like everyone said Brembo rotors from Tirerack. Just the plain/cheap ones. The rest are bling.

As for pads- Everyone has differing opinions. I've tried carbotech, Performance Friction, OEM, Porterfield, and a few others. The best (by far) I've found for the street are the OEM ones. They are quiet, have great inital bite, and do ok on the track. They are a bit pricey, but you may be able to find someone who has a set laying around. The other pads don't have the intial bite the OEM ones do, which is what you want for auto-x and your first few track days. Your first day, you just won't have the experience to know how late you can brake and really get them hot. For auto-x, you just need a linier brake bite.
Don't be fooled by all the pads that say they ahve 15% more bite than stock or the torque level is .56 or whatever. This just isn't important for the level of tire you're using and how you're using your brakes.

Fluid - Remember nothing makes your brakes feel better than a fresh bleed. The best off the shelf stuff is Valvoline Syntech. That's all you'll need till you put R-comps on your car and run 30 minute sessions. If you have a big, fat 03, you'll need the expensive 600 deg stuff just to get to the super market.
 

jfranci3

Regular
May 13, 2005
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WhtSuperStang said:
+1

i tried aftermarket and the just made all sorts of noises for me so i went back to stock pads and don't regret it one bit.....
The wrong *aftermarket* pads will make all sorts of noise. The pads the open track guys run will squeal so loudly that it rivals your exhaust for the points your GF uses when she complains your car.
 
maniak said:
you always point me to the most expensive parts :laughing2

my car isn't going to be an all out road/race car like yours....... at least not yet :D

still not sure what to do about pads, seems like everyone has different opinions :dunno:

Hey did i steer u wrong on my shifter? :dunno: -- I think i am going with those i pointed out to u. Hey for what they r those are cheap!!!!! :clap:
 

ShelbyGuy

Turgid Member
Mar 26, 2004
5,230
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I get my brake consumables from http://www.raceshopper.com/

you'll need to work your way up to racing brake pads. start with a street pad thats suitable for autocrossing, such as Ferodo ds2500. i think you'll find they both squeak less and tolerate track use better than hawk hp+. but thats just my opinion. no need for things like hawk blues if you're on street tires. remember, tires stop your car, not brake pads.

fwiw the wilwood kits our survey taking friend linked to are just blingy blingy and probably wouldn't pass tech at many track events. rotors with holes in them are a no-no. That plus there's absolutely no reason to spend over $500 on a pair of rotors that you're just going to throw away by the end of the season. Even my custom two piece rotors cost less than that.

having a rotor grenade at speed is no fun for anyone involved.
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Stick with the plain brembo rotors. people going lots faster than we go are using them just fine.

maniak said:
you always point me to the most expensive parts :laughing2

my car isn't going to be an all out road/race car like yours....... at least not yet :D

still not sure what to do about pads, seems like everyone has different opinions :dunno:
 

Maniak

TCG Elite Member
Apr 17, 2006
7,953
0
Highland Park, IL
yes this is an old thread but it has come time for me to actually buy pads and rotors.

i will be going with the brembo OEM style rotor.

as for pads, i would like to go with the ferodo DS2500. problem is, i cant seem to find them anywhere.

jon, do you know if they make them for our cars? thanks for your advise by the way, its one of the best!!!
 

jfranci3

Regular
May 13, 2005
419
0
nytebyte said:
I've recently heard good things about the EBC Yellow pads.

Supposedly they are aggressive enough for light track use but still have great cold stopping power for street use.

Anyone have experience with these pads?
Most enthusiasts reject the whole EBC line up. I've never tried them, but I've heard a positive or neurtal thing about them from someone who has.

Additionally, if you're buying a set of track pads it's important to buy from a company who has an entire lineup of brake pads for your car. You want to see compounds for everything from street-ish application to endurance racing applications. This way when you start having problems with one pad compound (too much or too little heat), you KNOW what pad to move to next. If you have to switch mfg, you may not fix your problem.
 
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