For people who track their car what is the most critical component of the brake that you would want to upgrade. I took it to a roadcourse last week and even though the brakes were amazing I did experience fade...ie the pedal got soft after a few laps, but the brakes never gave. To upgrade to a solid brake feel and stopping power what would you upgrade first.

I have to flush the brake lines so I will change to Super Blue, but should I

A) - Get Stainless steel brake lines
B) - Better pads
C) - Mitsu Air guides
D) All of the above or any of those combos in any particular order.

Also which brake pads would provide better stopping power for both street and track use and not squeal like crazy. I'm on a limited budget here and will eventually get all 3, but now I don't want to spend more than 300 bucks

thanks!

 

I would get better rotors (slotted or drilled or combination, your preference) and pads. Brakes lines.....yes SS of course and for the Air Guides........not really.

 

I don't want to change the rotors until they warp as they're way expensive and beyond my budget at this time. I thought the rotors were up to the task, but I'll definitely upgrade to cryo treated slotted rotors once the OEM's warp

 

My formula, after receiving much feedback and criticism is similar to what you outlined:

1.) New brake fluid.
Some "engineers" on this board would disagree with me but the stock fluid will boil on track days. Ate Super Blue is a good choice. Others have also recommended Motul RBF 600. The boiling points are similar and the prices are in the same ball park. The take away here is to replace the stock fluid.

2.) Upgraded pads.
The stock pads work okay but are probably not the best compound for the track. They exhibit very good cold braking performance but their temperature range isn't as well suited for track duty. They also may transmit more heat to the calipers which in turn will heat up the brake fluid.

3.) Air guides.
Any increased air flow to the rotors should help. I'm not sure if anyone has done any testing to measure how well these combat heat build up. Some people swear by them, claiming that the guide direct enough air to blow the brake dust clear of their wheels.

4.) Stainless Steel lines.
These aren't really going to do squat for brake fade or pedal softness under extreme conditions such as those at the track. I upgraded mine with a set from Stoptech. They seemed to help with pedal feel to a certain degree but most of the change may have been due to a better bleed job than what the car had from the factory. Overall a worthwhile upgrade but not necessary for the track. They also look cool.

I too considered upgrading to two piece rotors. At this point the only ones I am aware of are the Endless rotors for ~$500 each and the Baer rotors. The Baers seem to have some kinks that have to be worked out. I've heard of a few people working on bringing at least two other solutions to market but at this point they're vaporware.

 

Really appreciate your feedback. This is some good info.

Have a couple questions though.

1. Have you had a chance to test any pads out at the track yet?
2. If so, which ones and what is your opionion?
3. Are you using them as Track and street pads?

Thanks!

 

I have upgraded my brakes with the following components:

Endless 2-piece slotted rotors (front), 1-piece slotted (rear)
Endless stainless steel brake lines
Endless SS-S pads
ATE Super Blue fluid

I gave this setup a VERY vigorous workout on Sunday during some high-speed work and it was extremely durable (ie no fade) and progressive (not grabby). As for a track-specific pad, I have heard great things about the Endless CC-R pads, however like most track pads, they wear quickly. The SS-S pads have an operating temp range of 32-900 degrees, so they work well on the street and track.

According to some of the best drivers on this board, the Mitsu brake air guides work very well. I'll be installing those soon, along with some corrugated ducting pointed straight at the front brakes.

For the most basic (essential) upgrade, I would suggest upgraded pads and fluid. Good luck!

 

Chris in HB - I'm assuming that the brake ducts are probably sth you're going to be doing yourself. Can you please post installation instructions in the How To Forum and also give us your feed back. thanks!

 

You hit on exactly what started my brake upgrades. If you are going to completely flush your system, I would definitly recomend putting in the SS lines at that time. It will save the mess and hassle of bleeding the system twice. If your inclined to do the SS clutch line, now would also be the time. Be sure to buy two liters of brake fluid - that way you won't need the second can. One thing nice about ATE Super Blue is that it is highly resistant to pulling moisture out of the air.

After that, the first thing I would recommend is the air guides - easy to install and they do make a noticeable difference. I was skeptical, but they did help keep tempratures (and fade) down on my front brakes. I put them in just before my last track day.

For pads I would wait until your stock ones have worn a bit, and you have a better feel for what you want. Brake pads are one of those "compromise" pieces on a car. You can't have great stopping without some noise, dust and rotor wear. Once you decide how far you are going to push your car, look for pads that fit that segment. If you really do track your car hard, though, you might consider buying both track pads and street pads - by the same pad manufacturer so they will have compatible friction compounds.

I just ordered a new set of track pads today, in fact. It looks like I glazed my high performance street pads pretty badly on the track. This was on a track were I was seeing 140+ with quite a bit of hard braking, however.