Some love for the hawks i see...way to confuse this more guys!

i run hawk hps' on my other car, and like them...except for the one that separated from the backing plate on me

according to the hawk site blues are "medium bit and effectiveness) and the ht10's are "medium high". but according to essex the blues are for low power lightweight cars, and the ht10's are for light to medium weight up to 2800lbs, and subsequently they recommend the dtc70's (which hawk lists for high weight heavy decel sports cars/grand am). so now that my head is spinning...

what did everybody run before they moved to hawks? or what other pads have you tried and how did they compare?

 

Haha. Sorry to get you confused. Brakes are tough because there are so many options and all the different companies have ridiculous systems for naming their pads. I gave up trying to sort them all out long ago. Just chose Hawk and stuck with it.

Not to beat on the dead horse but, I checked out the Essex website and I think their recommendations for pad use is for full track cars. That is why they recommend Blues for the Miata and DTC70s for heavier cars. You are under different circumstances since you are running street tires.

 

your not beating a dead horse dont worry, i need to learn this stuff and the info you guys are providing is the real world insight i need to do that.

im getting frustrated with not being able to find any good info on what might over pad the car, but at the same time thinking it almost might not be too bad if i did, since that would probably mean i would never fade them from being a scared rookie and having my foot on the brake way too much

 

The last thing you want to do is drag the brake, that will cause problems for you.

I recommend the XP10's. Thats what I started on, and I know others who have as well. No complaints for anyone I've talked to.

 

Brake compounds are a very personal thing. What one likes, another may not. Best is to try them out and see what you like best and what works for your driving style.

I have tried many pads... HT10, Blues, DTC60, DTC70, RC6, RC6E, Porterfields (forgot model) and a few others. They all work great but just have that "personality" that makes them different. You just have to try them and see which you like best! And, this will change as you learn how to drive quicker and as your driving style changes as well! A pad that you may have not liked 3 years ago could in fact now become your favorite pad!!!

You can take people's opinions as a starting point, but best is to learn and experiment!

There is no one golden nugget! Prime example in this thread, some like the ST43's some don't.

If you are new to track days, start off with a mid-torque racing pad. That is your best bet. Typically high torque pads are better utilized by experienced drivers combined with race compound tires.

Hope this helps!

 

It is not a bad thing to "over pad" the car necessarily because you can learn threshhold braking. You want to be able to brake firmly and smoothly right to the edge of ABS without triggering it or sliding the wheels.

You will not have your foot on the brake too much because your instructor won't let you. If you have never driven on track pads, they will take you about a day to start trusting. It's nothing like street pads where you start braking like 1000 feet from the turn in point. Your instructor will start you at a safe distance for braking and as you gain confidence you will start compressing your braking zones. You want to be on the brakes for the shortest possible time to slow the car the appropriate amount. That means braking HARD (but smoothly) and back on the throttle (smoothly!). You should only brake at the specific places on the track you need to slow the car for corner entry. Otherwise you don't touch them. I normally brake 3 times on Summit Main (a 10-turn course).

The first time you go into turn 1 after a front straight you will have a real pucker moment because your experience with street brakes makes you think the car won't stop in time. It will... and it will redefine what you think is possible in a car.

 

Since you are getting so many opinions, I figured I would throw in mine too!

I have used a number of racing pads with street tires in my in my stock Evo (brake pads are my only mod, no brake ducts). My driving is in 20 to 30 minute HPDE sessions. I usually run in the second fastest run group.

The following pads were run only in the front calipers. For the rears I used Axxis Ultimates or Stoptech Street Performance pads.

RC6 with 245/45 Star Specs
~$305 KNS Brakes
Pros: Great bite/torque. Good cold bite. Yes, they can lock the wheels but there is enough control to avoid lockup too.
Cons: Significantly more expensive than ST-43s. Only lasted 5 HPDE days (505 minutes).

RC6E with 245/45 Star Specs
~$385 KNS Brakes (!!!)
Pros: Longer lasting than RC6s: 9 HPDE days (875 minutes). Caveat: at less brutal tracks
Cons: In comparison to the RC6s they are even more expensive (!) and frustratingly weak in bite at track speeds. Not able to tap full braking grip of my tires. Pads faded because I was overusing the brakes trying to get that extra braking power.

ST-43 with Hankook R-S3 235/45
~$260 Porterfield
Pros: Same great bite and control as the RC6s, and cheaper too. Good cold bite. I bought these used with ~3 days wear (7mm thick vs the 10mm of a new set) and I got 4 more HPDE days (400 minutes). Thus they appear to be longer lasting than the RC6s too.
Cons: None?

DTC 60 with Hankook R-S3 235/45
~$245 KNS Brakes
Pros: Cheapest, decent bite (less than RC6 and ST43)
Cons: Need careful bedding. Little cold bite. Lasted 4 HPDE (490 minutes). I wish they were as torquey as the RC6 and ST43 pads. I could try the DTC 70s but they cost ~$290.

I think my favorite so far is the ST-43s. They could lock the tires, but they give me enough control to avoid doing so. The pricing is decent too.

 

Yeah, i totally understand that it will wind up being a personal preference in the end, but like you said opinions on starting point is never a bad thing. the input has been awesome so far, so thanks a ton guys, i think this thread might wind up being useful to a lot of people.

another question in my head when i woke up this morning (sickening that as soon as i wake up this stuffs in my head eh?)

-would there be any benefit to a beginner to having a pad requiring less warmup and providing better cold bite? im thinking it would be a wash, but it comes back to having no experience with how long pads will take to warm up.

 

For the new guys I've rode with it's not really an issue because they tend to brake early/drag brakes anyway which will heat them up much quicker. But it goes in line with the other suggestions anyway - if you get a mid torque pad it won't require much heat to be functional in the first place.

 

so mid torque would put me in line with say the HT10's, hawk blues, cl rc5+ and possibly the rc6?

i have heard horror stories about some of the hawk dust (i should be worrying about that...right? LOL) the blues are actually 200 bucks on tire rack.

 

The only pad that I ever ran that destroys rims is the Hawk Blues, especially when the dust gets wet and dries. In that case you can say goodbye to your finish. The dust welds itself on to the rim and you can never get it off again.

Had no issues with the other Hawk compounds, the CL pads and others.

 

well this is the whole thread i read through today

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...s-ever-14.html

started as an rc6 review but has other very good input on the CL brakes. im startin to think about doing a set of rc5+ to start out since it is a mild torque ad what a couple prominent TA guys showed time wise like Nils.

see how they work for a event or two and then move up. especially since, at times i may wind up keeping the track pads in for a few days after an event.

on a side note - is everyone running SS lines? ad what are people using for shields if any, and pad grease if any? i had read mentio of a very high temp permatex i think?

 

Cool man, just come out and have fun! Hopefully I'll see you at some of the events.

 

I ran with stock lines for the first few years, then eventually upgraded to SS. Honestly, I could not tell any difference (street or track). Some people will say it is a night and day difference. Again, that depends on your braking technique. I got them mostly for safety reasons (the ss brading helps protect the rubber line more and helps limit the stretching.

I used 1mm Ti shield and SS shields at the same time. I don't use any grease.

BTW, I have a set of RC6 pads 50% let if anyone wants to give them a try for a good bargain and a set of 1mm Ti shields I no longer have a use for.

 

My opinion to use a pad which is works with your rotors. Dealer should have a good sight on that.
My experience is th RC pads are unbeatable.

Rob