Brake pad choice

[MazdaMatt]

I am looking for a recommendation for new brake pads for my Del Sol. The car will have a race weight around 1600lbs, i assume; so it is pretty light. My PRIMARY requirement is a pad that has a very good lock-up release. I will be totally new to this car when it gets on the track and the last thing I want is flatspots on my brand new tires.

Any advice or experiences will be helpful.

[pigeon]

Is it stock drivetrain?

[Guillermo]

Are the rotors and calipers stock?

[MazdaMatt]

4 wheel disc, all stock (well i believe the rear used to be drum, but they are nothing special, and the lines are steel braid). I probably won't be putting money into good rotors for the first season. Drive train is all stock, and I'd be willing to bet the motor is putting out less than stock numbers right now.

Smooth is definately going to be key for this car.

[Slowpoke]

1600 lbs.. what tires are you going to use? (Size and stickiness?) What types of motorsport are you going to do?

You might not want pads with too high of a co-efficient of friction or you'll be locking up all the time. It may be easier to drive something with less bite. So stay away from Hawk HP+, Blue, HT series, etc.

If you're just doing slalom and Solosprint, you won't need a true race pad either because you won't be building too much heat in five laps or less. A quality street pad like a Hawk HPS or Ferodo DS2500 might do the trick...

If you plan to do some sustained track sessions like driving schools as well as competition... call me crazy here, but consider an EBC Yellow. Low coefficient of friction so it doesn't lock up badly, takes moderate track heat, and ONCE YOU BED IT IN FOR 200KM OR SO, it's predictable. Those pads NEED a good long mating session with the rotor though, so they're not something you throw on top of another pad's transfer layer. They're also not predictable in the cold. It's not the right pad for a heavy car like mine on Ubers, but if you're on used RA-1's on a light car... they just might be the right amount of grip for you.

[MazdaMatt]

I'm using V70A's, 245/??-13. Apparently these are an intermediate tire between the V710 and V700. With the way my car is set up (low fairly stiff springs with Koni yellows) the car handled INCREDIBLY on those tires. I had more grip than guts.

I believe that it has Blues in it right now, but after cooking my breaks I had a look at the pad and found about 1/8th inch left or less. These pads were locking me up in the beginning, but once I got used to the car and warmed up the tires I had no problems.

The car will be a solosprint car mainly, but I intent to go to lapping days and schools with it as well. Certainly I will be at the spring solo school again and the big-track solo school.

I am thinking HP+ may be a good idea. Less bite than Blues with a decently fast warmup time and heat tolerance. I used HP+ in the front of my Mazda and I loved them. I figure I'll go with a lesser pad in the rear. If you've seen my del sol... its VERY light in the back! (I can pick it up)

[ScotcH]

Blues are probably a bad idea since they really grind when cold, and with that weight, you're likely not getting any heat into them. Maybe a ceramic pad would be good for you? You could try the Carbotech XP8. You need something with a low initial bite, but still need the fade resistence for confident braking.

[MazdaMatt]

Never heard of that. I will see if i can find some reviews.

[Pete@Marcor]

I'm using V70A's, 245/??-13. Apparently these are an intermediate tire between the V710 and V700. With the way my car is set up (low fairly stiff springs with Koni yellows) the car handled INCREDIBLY on those tires. I had more grip than guts.

I believe that it has Blues in it right now, but after cooking my breaks I had a look at the pad and found about 1/8th inch left or less. These pads were locking me up in the beginning, but once I got used to the car and warmed up the tires I had no problems.

The car will be a solosprint car mainly, but I intent to go to lapping days and schools with it as well. Certainly I will be at the spring solo school again and the big-track solo school.

I am thinking HP+ may be a good idea. Less bite than Blues with a decently fast warmup time and heat tolerance. I used HP+ in the front of my Mazda and I loved them. I figure I'll go with a lesser pad in the rear. If you've seen my del sol... its VERY light in the back! (I can pick it up)

I think that the V70As come in 235/45R13.

As all of you know, I am a bit of a Hawk fan. I would think that HP+ front, with HPS rear woudl be a good option. If that is not enough pad, then stepping up to Blues in the front would likely be too much.

Not that we sell them, but the DS2500 is a great pad, and easy to modulate.

The DS3000 is probably similar to the Blue in performance, but easier to modulate.

[MazdaMatt]

I think that the V70As come in 235/45R13.
-you'd know, you sold them to me in the spring! I havn't seen them since my first outting which was cut short by Mosport staff.

Not that we sell them, but the DS2500 is a great pad, and easy to modulate.

Does anyone else have any experience with these, or an estimated price? Can anyone compare first hand to HP+?

[Slowpoke]

Avi runs the 2500's for Solosprint. (We THINK so anyway. Avi doesn't actually KNOW the details of what he drives... he doesn't trouble himeself with that knowledge; he just jumps in and drives the hell out of it.)

Avi knows they're Ferodo and streetable, so that likely makes them a 2500 given that they also make it through Solosprint sessions without fade.