dmichaels

The xp10's were really good at limerock. That track is fairly light on braking compared with some other tracks I run, but pads had good modulation and not too much initial bite which was nice as the car weight transfer would happen as the brakes were grabbing. This is better than the hawk dtc70's which had massive initial bite and would actually engage front abs as the car wouldn't even transfer weight forward before the pads had grabbed hard.

Anyways I liked the 10's. I expect I'll overheat them at Thompson and at Watkins Glen so might pick up a set of xp20 before those events. But the 12's have a higher heat capability than the 10's... We'll see

I hope my rear sticking caliper issue is finally fixed and weeping fronts are fixed too so I can really judge the brakes this week

Brandon302

Was running R888's, I wasn't out braking the tires at all.

5.M0NSTER

Good deal, this has been my experience as well. They allowed good weight transfer and modulation, while providing high grip in threshold braking. Good luck and I hope that XP12s stand up to the abuse you put them through!

What size are you running the Toyo's in? I looked at these and disregarded them because I couldn't find a size I was happy with.

Brandon302

I have the 18x10 Team Dynamics wheels sold by BF racing so I am running 295/30/18's.

mustang5o

Sounds like there are some serious track people jumping in now. The thread started as a guy looking for replacement pads but won't be on a track. I'm in between. I'm doing my first track day (track weekend actually Sat/Sun) in June and was looking for some suggestions.

First, I plan to swap my brake fluid with either Castrol SRF or Motul 600 so I can keep it in there for a while.

As for pads. It would be nice to have something that didn't produce too much noise or dust but would hold up to my time on the track and ideally, drive them on the street so as to avoid swapping pads for track time. Oh and I'm running the stock Pirelli's and will do so until they need replacing. After that it will still be a street max performance summer tire.

So my research has led me to the following:

Stoptech Streets
Power Stop Z23 or Z26
Hawk HPS

I'm hoping either Stoptech or Power Stop would fit the bill to save a little cash.

If I get more serious and decide to do track days more often then maybe I'll consider swapping pads for track time (and maybe rotors too).

Brandon302

I think you will be disappointed with the HPS on the track, street not so much. I would look into the HP+, good initial bite and will last a good while, I have had mine for about 2 years. The dust, they can squeal, but they work really well.

5.M0NSTER

+ 1 with Brandon. Nothing sucks more than experiencing fade 10 minutes into your 20-30 minute session. Unfortunately there isn't any options for pads that handle track temps and don't dust and squeal.

Nice thing with the Brembos is front pads are a breeze to swap, you don't even have to take callipers off. You can try HP+ (at least) and see if you can live with the noise/dust. I was hoping to go that route too at first, but quickly realized it doesn't work.

And the last thing you want to worry about at 130+ mph is if you have enough brakes. I'd recommend getting used to swapping pads on the fronts at least. That way you have the confidence in the brake zones, lap after lap. And it comes at the cost of 2 hours of work in your garage the day before and after. Good luck and have fun!

Also great article about pads:
http://www.autotrackdaymonthly.com/i...-track-day-use

Brandon302

This. I would go a step further and say if you want to track get a set of track rotors and pads to mate to them. I have centric blanks which are about 200 a front set I believe, maybe 300. I notice they are already warping from the high temps but at least they aren't also my street rotors.

mustang5o

Great information from everyone and great article here. I'm thinking I may have to consider postponing my track time until next year when I can invest more money into doing this properly.

5.M0NSTER

If you do fluid and pads you're ready for a first track day or two. Initial investment is a bit substantial, but you can build on it later down the road.

I did my first 4 track days on factory fluid and I only swapped front pads. The car felt adequate on the brakes, though the tail wagged a little. My initial investment was $230 for front pads.

This year with proper pads on all 4 corners (another $160), SS lines ($140), RBF fluid ($35) and GT500 cooling shields ($50) the car was a brake zone champ. Nice thing is you can slowly build your brake mods on top of each other.

P.S. Keeping rotor/pad sets is a good idea particularly when using very aggressive pads, but if you use rotor friendly pads like XP10/8 you can get away with just swapping the pads. Been doing it for 2 years now with no warping/vibration issues.

mustang5o

My problem is that I also have to buy a helmet and fire extinguisher. Not that a fire extinguisher is that expensive. Are there any good places to get the brake pads cheaper?

At this point I'm looking at about $500 for helmet, pads, fluid.

Coyote5-0

As far as the HPS pads, which ones are you guys talking about? HB453R.585 came up for 2013 Mustang with Brembo Calipers, but the picture says Mitsu Evo and Subaru Impreza

mustang5o

They probably use the same caliper on those cars. When I looked last year my buddies Hyundai Genesis Coupe Track Pack was showing the same pads as my car. Although when looking here they don't seem to be coming up the same now.

5.M0NSTER

Something like this will probably get you through your first few track days. And at $173 it won't break the bank.

http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...rake-Pad-07-14

1200F is not great, but its about 400F better than stock pads. Long term though you want a pad which is fade resistant to 1500-1700 deg.

mustang5o

Actually when I look here it does specify a wide range of vehicles including the Mustang.

dmichaels

Yes, our Brembos are common with Evo, STI, 350Z, CTS-V (older ones I believe), and others.

I instructed someone with a GT500 at Limerock who was an intermediate 1 driver and ran Hawk HP Plus pads. He had no real fade all day and the car gained speed very quickly. Granted Limerock is easy on brakes, but my point is those pads are perfectly fine for a novice, and you can drive them on the street.

Another friend just put them in his car as well (Cobalt SS) for occasional track days, and I have experience with them in my old Audi S4 back when I started doing track days. Good solid pad.

Brandon302

Not to continue harping on getting HP+ over HPS, also a little embarrassed though it was my pit crew (Dad) rather than my mistake, I found out I ran an HP+ drivers side front and XP20 passenger front last weekend and other than higher temps on the HP+ there was no difference. The HP+ came out looking slightly more worn then the other street pad when doing the swap back to street but wasn't bad.

mustang5o

Do any of the lower end race pads (HP Plus, XP8...) cause issues with ABS in our cars?

dmichaels

Bit of a loaded question in my opinion... I've had a few issues with race pads and street tires as the brakes overpower street tires I was on. But if the tires are a bit stickier, then no there should be no abs issues. The hawks have a lot of initial bite which can be a little rough if you are on stock suspension, as the car dives a lot under braking but if the brakes grab very quickly you'll engage abs right away before the weight transfers. The carbotechs seem to have a little less initial bite and a good progressive feel, but you can manage any type of pad by adjusting your braking application. It comes down to personal preference

But to the abs question - no issues with any pad I've seen thus far.

mustang5o

Didn't mean for it sound like a loaded question. Just a newbie to track driving (with my own car) trying to figure this stuff out. I will be running on the stock Pirelli's this first time.

Thanks for all the help in this thread. I'm probably going to go with HP Plus pads and a fluid change to start with and then see how much I end up back at the track.