Brake pads Gen IV

[gb66gth]

I know there has been a lot written about the pads people are changing to on Gen II cars. But I am about to replace the pads on my Gen IV and I would like to hear what people are doing.
I track the car a half a dozen times a year and drive fairly aggressively on the road. Suggestions please!

 

[ViperGeorge]

Porterfield RS4

 

[gb66gth]

Thanks GB!

A few questions about them...Are they noisey on the streets? Lots of dust? I'm looking for something with good initial bite.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Generally the more aggressive the pad the more dust and noise. That's why I like the Porterfield R4S (I can never remember if they are RS4 or R4S but Porterfield will know what I'm talking about), they are neither dusty or noisy considering their excellent stopping power. I've tried many pads but most are too noisy or dusty for the street. On track I like the Porterfield R4 or the Raybestos pad that Porterfield also sells. I should warn you though that everyone that responds to your thread will have a different opinion as to what the best pads are.

 

[gb66gth]

GB, that's good feedback, and sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks!

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

Carbotech XP8 for the front and XP6 for the rear, unbeatable initial bite, track worthy, noisy if lightly braking on the street. They do dust, BUT it is non corrosive to the wheels which is a huge + in my book. I have them with the Eurotek rotors on my Viper and won't drive anything else. I have tried Brakeman, Hawk, PFC, and these are the best in my mind except for the noise but I'm OK with that.

 

[NI-KA]

Why not keep two different sets of pads ? One for the track and one for the street. Changing pads is not that difficult a job and you would have the best of both worlds....

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

Pad compounds don't always "mix" well if you are switching and not cleaning up the rotors in between. Some will say it does not matter but overall braking is affected.

Why not keep two different sets of pads ? One for the track and one for the street. Changing pads is not that difficult a job and you would have the best of both worlds....

 

[JonB]

the "S" nomenclature on R4S means STREET.

Several things to consider:

1) Rotor friendly? Or rotor eaters.
2) Safe temp range for street and track and YOUR driving venues?
3) Tolerable levels of noise-dust for your style?

I have many, many dozens of dust-tolerant customers that use the BrakeMan 3 for street and track, and I use them myself. good at 200f-1100f. I was a Hawk and Porterfield user, feel we have better temp ranges with BM3. Several SRT customers run MINTEX fronts, and BM3 rears for TRACK. PFC are great for track, but like the Hawks, they EAT ROTORS and they are spendy.

And the BEST scenario is to alternate: use a low-dust pad (EBC) for street, and as MJ says, 'clean up the rotor' when making changes to your track pads....it can be as simple as fine-grit sandpaper or scotch-bright pads. Use Brakeman, and IF YOU LEAVE EM IN you will be OK......

Good Luck, be Safe.

 

[gb66gth]

While I'm willing to change my wheels/tires for track day use,I'm looking for one set to leave in all the time. I guess I can live with the dust and even a little noise.I know it a give and take kind of thing with brake pads.

 

[GTS Dean]

If you're tracking aggressively, (and at 6 times a year, that's pretty aggressive) then be prepared to swap rotors along with dedicated pads and compromise nothing. If you're NOT that serious, you should find a good compromise compound for both. There is lining transfer to the rotor surface and not all linings are compatible with each other when used on the same rotor.

 

[cheryl mccally]

I have used every brake pad mentioned above on the track and street. I don't like to change and want something good for both. I LOVE PFCs for the Viper on the track, very linear, predictable braking, on the street they dust a lot but not too much noise. I have pagid on my Spec Boxter that is not street legal and they work very well on that car for the track. The weight difference is tremendous though so I prefer the PFCs for my ACR.

 

[gb66gth]

I took the car to a guy who does some set-up work on the Spec Miata I race, and he indicated that my rear pads still have +50% life left on them.
But not only are the fronts toast, the inner pads are wearing very unevenly towards the inside(lets say bottow of the pad). Has anyone else had this problem? Could this be a warranty issue with the calipers?
Ya know, I thought I wasn't getting full stopping power but I chalked it up to the extra MPH on the car at the end of the straights.

 

[cheryl mccally]

Your front pads and rotors will always wear out first due to the front brake stopping bias. Uneven wear is another issue. Have you had Keith look at your car?

 

[gb66gth]

Cheryl, who's Keith?

 

[GTS Dean]

When you say "bottom" is that in relation to the caliper mounted vertically, or toward the center of the disc? If the former, then it is called taper wear and is probably a disc cooling issue or a stuck piston on the inboard side.

BTW - I run PFC 01f / 97r, but it's a Gen 2 with a lot spottier rear compound choices.

 

[Dan Cragin]

Best to have a set of pads and rotors for the street and the track.

Brake Man #3's seem to be the best if you want street and track.

 

[ViperGeorge]

I have tried the Brakemans on the track and found even after bedding that they tended to shutter on application. Didn't care for that, in fact they felt downright unsafe. The Raybestos or the R4 didn't do that for me. I do clean up the rotors between pad changes and I always try to bed the pads in properly. I've also used the Performance Friction pads in a variety of compounds. I like the 01s but they are a bit rough on rotors and the dust is pretty corrosive although they aren't very noisy.

Last point, I always use different pads for the street and track. Street pads, even the R4S that I like will wear out on the track quickly. I did warn you about the number of different opinions you will get when you ask for opinions on pads. I think some of the difference relates to driving style and the type of track you're at. Some tracks are harder on brakes than others.

 

[GTS Dean]

PFC are great for track, but like the Hawks, they EAT ROTORS and they are spendy.

They outlast Brakeman by 3-4x and only cost 2x as much.

 

[gb66gth]

gbatejan, I see what you mean.

 

[gb66gth]

GTS Dean, I'm not sure on the wear. I'll go see the pads tomorrow.

 

[JonB]

They outlast Brakeman by 3-4x and only cost 2x as much.

Downside is they EAT Rotors. Best for competition when rotors are sponsored.

 

[GTS Dean]

Is that an offer - old buddy?