MontrealStang

Just for your information, EBC Yellowstuff brake pads are really not adequate for track days as a choice for front pads; they are probably adequate for the rears. I melted a set in a 2 day weekend (5 x 30 mins) with a lot of brake fade.

I had heard that some people had some success with them on HPDE events with their 05+ Mustangs ... they must not brake as hard as me

I'll post a video later from this past weekend to give you an idea of the kind of track I was on

I'm running stock calipers and R-compound tires (Toyo RA1 275/40R17). What kind of pads are you guys running at these events

SoundGuyDave

Carbotech XP12 up front, and XP10 in back works well for the high-speed tracks, and I've run XP10/XP8 on shorter tracks, like rovals... 8 sessions at Road America (3 spots to hit over 130MPH) showed about a 30% wear on the fronts, mild wear on the rears, and no fade with the 12/10 setup. I did three complete weekends on the 10/8 at slower-speed tracks with about 50% wear. With both, you need to heat them up before they really grab, though. Not a good choice for a street pad, but the guy that pitted next to me at RA ('03 Mustang) went through two complete sets of "stock" type pads and one set of rotors.

Import-Slaya

Did you bed them in properly? I know their instructions say 5-6 progressively harder stops and then you are good to go, but in practice it takes much more. My brother ('06 GTO) also uses these pads and the only time he had a fade issue was when he had put on a new set the week before a track weekend. Even though he bedded them per instructions, he wasn't getting great braking from them (some fade, low initial bite, etc...). The next track day (few weeks later), however, the same pads were great for him.

I'll post a counter-point for these and say they are just fine as track pads.

When comparing what works, there are just too many variables to keep in mind. Everything from braking style, track speeds, track layout, wheel weights, air flow to rotors, tire grip (pressure, width, compound, suspension, etc...) and any number of other variable play into whether a pad "works" for someone or not.

At Summit Point, I can match CMC/CMC2 mid-packer lap times (and some back-halfer AI times) using the EBC's. To me that indicates they are plenty of pad for my style of driving at the track I frequent most often. There are only two hard braking zones per lap. Turn 1 has me braking from ~130 - 135 down to ~40. Turn 5, which follows very shortly after, comes off a downhill at ~90+ (I've never had a chance to look at my speedo here ) and I slow to ~25 or so. I haven't had fade at Summit, yet, and I'm pretty aggressive on the brakes there (according to all my instructors...).

I recently had a chance to try them at VIR--a much longer, high speed course, with two long straights (135+) and some more intermediate braking zones. At VIR I wasn't driving too aggressively, since it was my first time there and I needed to be able to make the 4.5 hour drive home (unlike Summit, where it is within the 60 mile AAA free-two zone!). I wasn't a complete puss, though. Again, the EBC's were fine all weekend, with one exception.

On one lap during the weekend I did notice some fade at the end of the front straight (135+ down to ~30 or so). It was a lap where I had been on the brakes more than I needed to be, however, in the sequence leading into the straight. It was easy enough to adjust my braking zones after that, and it was never an issue the rest of the weekend. These were also brand new pads installed the weekend before (see above about bedding), which could also be part of the issue.

Sooo, I'm still happy with the EBC's and am in no rush to change them out this season. For <$100 a set, I still feel like they are a great choice for an HPDE pad that is still very streetable.

That said, I've been toying with trying the Carbotech XP12/10 combo for next year (particularly if I'm actually competing in Time Trials)--I'm still trying to get confirmation on whether you *have* to swap back to street pads. Anyone have info on this? They would be installed in the Spring and removed in the Fall. The car is pretty much a weekend driver/track toy and I try and minimize my pre-event prep time.

MontrealStang

I have bedded-in 2 sets of EBCs accordingly with the same results; brake fade ! They were OK on another track I went (Calabogie Motorsport). The EBC performed as I thought they would; they cost half as much as REAL race pads but last half as long (even less !).

I have tried Cobalt Friction XR2 & Gransport GS3 (both sort of equivalent to HAWK Blue/Black) and they were great but corrosive for the mags.

I will probably try Carbotech XP12 next year; they seem to be a good race pad and problably wheel friendly !

The only problem with the Carbotech is to use them with fresh rotors as they do not like to be used with rotors that were used with other brands.

BTW, I wouldn't run them on the street as they will probably prematurely wear your rotors since they will not reach their working temp.

MontrealStang

The Tremblant track has a couple of hard braking zone (210 to 120 km/h, 160 to 60 km/h). Here is a video taken last weekend when using the EBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBPCPUjbcP8.

The braking I had particularly a hard time with the EBC is the one just before the banked curve (1min52 in the video); that's the 160 to 60 deceleration.

Import-Slaya

I've gotten decent wear out of mine (6-7 track days, 3-4 sessions per day), but again, very track/user/setup dependent. *If* the Carbotechs last twice as long, then that pushes me towards trying them even more.


A nice thing about Carbotech, though, is that all of their compounds are compatible with each other. If you start with fresh rotors, you can swap back and forth between their street and track pads. I've heard that they aren't too bad on rotors when cold--the pads take a beating instead.

06GT

I've also had good luck w/ my Yellowstuff pads, I have noticed that pedal feel gets slightly softer as they heat up, but there is definitely not any loss in stopping power that I have observed. I've run Yellowstuff pads for 10 events w/ no issues (usually last about 4 track days at 4x 20min sessions per day).

Running stock rotors & calipers, 255/45/17 Hoosier R3S05s on-track. Valvoline SYNpower fluid (switching to ATE Super Blue as SYNpower is no longer made in the 500* type)