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Ideal Brake pad/rotor recommendation - Real world experience from advanced drivers

11K views 64 replies 21 participants last post by  q8caymanS 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi All,

First, I did a lot of research on this, and while helpful, I was hoping for more up to date info. For the advanced DE and or TA, TT guys/gals out there, what is your recommended pad/rotor based on experience

Use case - Lots of experience on this end, (usually not on race pace for a given track, usually around 5-10 seconds off) not new to track driving, new to this car on track. Car is track car only, not a daily driver.

Do not like grabby pads, consistency and relatively easy on rotors. I am not racing, just having fun, don't want to have a pad that wears very quickly or wears rotors very quickly (yes I know that is subjective, I get that). Spoke to a few vendors and get advice on pads that is (just guessing) biased to product they sell.

Rotors - Are factory rotors, with right fluid, new pads effective to prevent brake fade due to heat soak? Driving out west.

So far, thinking Pagid or PF for pads, however just starting my research. Heard RS29/RS14 was the hot ticket, also heard PF 08 is good. As far as rotors... uhh, everywhere from you need Griodisk two piece to stock...help please:)!



Thanks
 
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#2 ·
You are no doubt going to get a wide range of replies to this post, so here's my take on it. I use OE spec Pagid rotors and pads, Motul 600 fluid, Goodridge braided lines and 997 GT3 front brake ducts. This set-up has seen me do up to ten laps of Silverstone GP circuit at around 9/10ths and without any fade or overheating. I have also used this set-up at shorter tracks where more braking is required but from lower speeds than at Silverstone and with the same results.
 
#11 ·
Thanks, really very helpful! I am trying to determine if OE style Rotors will meet the need for now. I know that there are 340MM rotor kits, but my guess is, until I go to slicks and a racing setup, I will be fine based on what you have noted!!

Best!
 
#5 · (Edited)
I wasn't expecting a magical answer, just some real world advice. I get not one size fits all. Been doing this for 20 years, raced karts...etc, etc, etc.... I get it. Looking for a short list so I can buy the right stuff and not waste money and time. :)
 
#13 ·
+1 on the Sebro slotted rotors at the front. In my experience, you can continue to use the OEM "drilled" rotors at the rear, but they crack too easily in the front. The conventional wisdom is that when the cracks start running hole to hole, throw them away.

I like Pagid RS-14 blacks front and rear. The only negative to me is that the price is such that you will be more concerned with pad wear than rotor wear. I have also found that the RS-14 compound seems to be compatible with the OEM Textar pads, so you can swap them in and out without any odd vibrations or other ill effects. Strangely, the RS-14's are very grippy when cold but also have the highest temperature rating of any of the Pagid offerings from what I remember.

Kippis

:cheers:
 
#15 · (Edited)
Pagid RS29 front and rear - great wear, progressive and not grabby. RS14 in rear are fine, but no need and they create additional heat when the nannies kick in. No need for new rotors until yours are gone. Really. We raced on stock rotors for years before there was a slotted alternative. Don't waste your money until the stock rotors are toast.

Also, good fluid is a must generally, but really not needed for your first event at Willow (very easy on brakes). In fact, you can probably run with the stock setup (pads, rotors, fluid) for this first event and be fine. Spend your time and money on control arms to improve camber. This will save you from wasting a set of tires (Willow is hard on tires).

Cheers,
 
#18 ·
Sebro slotted front & rear (when your stock cross-drilled ones are done), PFC 08 or Pagid RS29 (I prefer PFC but have a stash of Pagids I need to use up 1st). LCAs for front are a must.
 
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#19 ·
I put on Endless ME20 pads with Motul 660 fluid and took the car out on the track the first time....brakes disappeared on me after 15 minutes into the 2nd session. Scared the hell out of me because I've never had that happen. So I decided to add the GT3 master brake cylinder, SS lines, the larger slotted GyroDiscs, and GT3/997 Turbo brake ducts. After that, the brakes felt like they did in my RS and were confidence inspiring.
 
#22 ·
As others have said, stock rotors (or stock size slotted rotors when the stockers give up) should be fine. For what you describe, Pagid yellows are a pretty good pad choice: long wear, easy on rotors. My only significant complaint about them is that (for me) I like more bite and less pedal pressure, but this is individual preference and you said that initial bite is not a priority for you. Good, fresh fluid is essential.

If you get fast enough and push hard enough, eventually you will probably wish for more brake than the stock setup can handle (larger brakes/calipers and lots of $$, essentially to increase heat capacity). Most people never reach this point so I would not worry about it for now. It depends a lot on how far down the competitive road you go, how much grip your tires generate, and your individual driving style.

Mostly get out there and have a blast!
 
#25 ·
I am going with stock rotors, then Sebro, RS29 all around. Also looked at our brake setup, radial mount etc. Fairly easy to do a larger rotor with stock calipers. Going to eventually look into this. Depending on what OEM Rotors are available with 28MM and correct offset there may be a cheap solution. I just don't know if OEM rotors from other P cars have correct offset. I know one P car has a 330 by 28 but don't know offset, if it were correct this would be a no brainer.
 
#28 ·
I do run with Schattenbaum but not very often - just a function of which events I could fit into my schedule past couple of years. You're probably thinking of another white Spyder that's at NJMP very often, frequently with Schattenbaum. :)
 
#31 ·
For a racing application I have 2 piece stop tech 355 mm front rotors and stock sebro slotted rears. i have ducted cooling to front and the rear. Also SS brake lines with 600 fluid. I am running the CL endurance pads. At this point I am not getting out-braked by anyone, have good pad and rotor life.
 
#33 ·
How do you like the Stop Techs with stock rears? Notice a difference in balance? Which calipers did you install?

I'm getting ready to upgrade and like the Stop Tech setup; would like to hear feedback from people who have gone big in front only versus all around.

Cheers,
Walter
 
#35 ·
I would say the #1 thing to address on any braking system is COOLING! If you are braking hard on track from my experience, you need to add cooling. Olsen Motorsports and a few others make a ducting kit for the fronts that made all the difference for me. I'm racing so I'm always looking for the last tenth of a second, but I think a slotted rotor setup and stock calipers should be fine for your application with proper (and lots) of cooling. I started out with the GiroDiscs, then moved to the PFC rotors. Finally, I moved to the Brembo racing BBK up front and stock setup with PFC rotors in back. I also run Teves ABS on my car. For my money and your application, Quality cooling ducts like Olsen Motorsports and the PFC rotors and pads would give you lots of life and good service. I don't find the 08 compound grabby, but the more aggressive compounds in the PFC stable likely would not suit your described tastes. Feel free to PM if you want more info. Good luck!
 
#37 ·
More specifically, the thing to address is heat capacity and rejection. Brakes are very simple: they turn energy in the form of motion into energy in the form of heat. The more of this heat you can absorb, and the faster you can reject it, the more braking you can perform without overheating the brakes or fluid.

Cooling with added air flow is great and will help, but the reality is this will not increase heat capacity and rejection nearly as much as larger brakes. It's just physics, and unfortunately expensive physics. Calipers that are 50% bigger can absorb 50% more heat before they reach the same temperature as the smaller calipers. Larger rotors also will increase in temperature less than stock rotors for the same about of braking. And in both cases, the larger area also means they reject heat to the air around them faster. So they can both absorb more heat without overheating, and can get rid of it faster.

:cheers:
 
#36 ·
I have GT3 front brakes, PCCB master cylinder, SS lines, GT3 front ducts. In rear I have Sebro slotted. In front I have run combinations of stock drilled, solid Cayenne, and Deman slotted rotors; OEM Pagid, Hawk, and PFC08 pads w/ SRF and PF fluid. As far as braking performance I didn't notice much difference. I got fade after a few laps w/ all of them. Trying to teach myself to brake less. :) The stock drilled rotors were banned by PCA tech guys because of cracks getting too close to each other and the outside long before they would be replaced on the st.
 
#38 ·
this is true, however there is no point to increase heat capacity more than required.
otherwise you'll end with huge and heavy rotors and calipers.
where the exact points that you decide that increase in heat capacity is required and when it's sufficient - it's different for every type of car and its specific application.
but IMO before heat capacity increase the cooling should be done first.
 
#43 ·
Ran the RS-29 this weekend, nice pad! Not grabby, nor is there any significant difference from cold to hot, like some other pads I used (read,-- no worky cold to worky a lot, hot). WSIR is not hard on brakes at all, actually at the other end of the spectrum, only two corners on the track I braked, so maybe not the best test by any means. That said, Like the pads. Thanks for all the great feedback!
 
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