Street/Track Pads - Experiences Wanted

[603Racing]

Looking for input from people with direct experience with brake pads used on the street and at the track. I don't mean auto-X. I need a pad that can take a full-on track day and still work for my daily commute. It doesn't have to be perfect for street use, just acceptable.

I have Hawk HP Plus pads now... not happy with their track potential given the fact that they also create a LOT of brake dust and squeal when I even think about braking. I can put up with noise and dust if the pad will be great on track, but that's not the HP Plus.

[jlevie]

If you find that the HP+ pads aren't good enough for the track, you will have to move up to a set of full up track pads (PFC or Hawk) and swap between those and street pads (say Hawk HPS). Fortunately swapping pads is easy and quick and can be done at the track.

[redlightpete]

Jlevie has the 'real' answer for street and track pads. Cars with big brakes may be able to get away with HP+, but e30s need a full track pad. When I used to do track days, I used Hawk HT10s for the track and factory pads for the street. I never had any problems driving back and forth to the track with the HT10s, or until I got around to swapping back to the street pads. They can be SUPER loud though, like "what the hell is that?" loud. Ironically they tend to be quieter during track use.

I wouldn't recommend Hawk blues. They don't work as well or last as long as HT-10s, and the dust seems really corrosive. One session with HT10s and I bet you'll be thinking "this is more like it!".

[603Racing]

I just did some research on the PFC's. I understand the potential concern with using a track pad on the street. What are the actual observed outcomes/side effects of using track pads on the street?

[ForcedFirebird]

Noise, dust and some of them won't have much bite until they warm up. That being said, I tended to get lazy and just leave the track pads on (running Carbotech xp20 front, Hawk DTC60 rear) - you will just sound like a dump truck everywhere you go.

[cgk_iii]

Oem bmw pads on the front and hawk pads on the rear. Been working great for street and holds up nicely for auto-x/track days.

[cgk_iii]

Be prepared to sound like a bus when coming to stops on the street though.

[603Racing]

I'm ok with the noise, not as fond of the extreme dust from the HP+ and potential severe fade when staring down a concrete wall at the track. There is no way stock pads will hold up on the track... at least I don't even want to risk it. I will be potentially running at GMP, Putnam, and Autobahn (Joliet). And on the outside of 1&2 at Gateway is a very hard concrete wall and I will be coming off the front straight over 110mph... maybe over 120 if my setup is right... and into a very interesting, very hard braking zone.

[jlevie]

I just did some research on the PFC's. I understand the potential concern with using a track pad on the street. What are the actual observed outcomes/side effects of using track pads on the street?

The PFC pads are acceptable on the street. As long as you keep in mind that they won't have a lot of cold bite. They make some noise, but not too bad. But they wear rapidly and thus you are better off to switch to street pads between events.

[603Racing]

Thanks everyone and especially that last bit Jim. They will likely only be on my car from April to September. Summer pads so to speak. :)

Specifically, I was referring to the PFC 08's.

[ForcedFirebird]

The PFC pads are acceptable on the street. As long as you keep in mind that they won't have a lot of cold bite. They make some noise, but not too bad. But they wear rapidly and thus you are better off to switch to street pads between events.

I haven't tried PFC, but the last 2 sets of Carbotech that I used on my car (would often see daily driving between track days) lasted exceptionally long. I typically go to several events per year to get as much seat time as possible (officiate and instruct with a few local groups, about 8 events per year). The xp20 I have now was only purchased because they were new but second hand, normally xp16 since they are only $135/set. This set has been on there since January and haven't been off the car between track days, still have at least 3mm left on them. Horrible noise and dust, but not so lazy on cold bite to make street driving abnormal.

[Axxe]

PFC 08's are excellent on track. We had a set of Hawk DTC-60F/70R on the Chump and it was very difficult to find the edge of tire grip, very sharp torque rise and difficult to modulate, doable but not easy. In contrast the PFC 08's are amazingly intuitive to trail and threshold brake with, which in turn makes it easier to find the limit and not think about which lets you drive better and focus on the rest. The price of PFC's makes it a no brainer as well ($145 an axle from Bimmerworld).

I have DTC-70's on my E46 M3 and when I get lazy on swapping back I run them on the street, the noise is cool for about 20 minutes and then it just sounds like a bus. The dust is unbelievable and when a track pad is cold it is working abrasively which will chew rotors to hell. There is no such thing as a good compromise pad, I have Stoptech Street performance pads for the M3 for everyday (unbeatable price) and got lazy at a test-n-tune day for our chump and ran them for a few laps. Smoked them out very quickly, anybody that claims that street pads are fine on the track are either lying or are too slow, or both.

I understand the laziness factor but if you don't swap pads, you will always be compromising either track performance or street manners.

[ForcedFirebird]

Smoked them out very quickly, anybody that claims that street pads are fine on the track are either lying or are too slow, or both.

I understand the laziness factor but if you don't swap pads, you will always be compromising either track performance or street manners.

LOL! Truth. I can't believe when people tell me how awesome hp10's are on the track, or that "these stock pads are exceptional!" hehe. I had some Pagid pads on my very first track day, within the first session they were fading bad and one of the Spec e30 crowd let me use up a set of half-gone race pads. Never even thought about trying street pads again.

Yes, my wife would remind me about the racing pads whenever she borrowed the e30. Best part would be when she called me from the car and I could hear the "dump truck" through the phone and she would tell me how embarrassed she was. The wheels would have to be cleaned every day to boot.

Just glad those days are behind me now, feels much better driving caged cars to boot.

You have me interested in the PFC brakes now. Have been using DTC's on the chump and spec cars only because we bought a whole lot from someone who sold their e30, but we have just about depleted that stock. Liked the Carbotech so stuck with those on my HPDE/DD - if the PFC's are that cheap, they are worth a shot.

[redlightpete]

LOL! Truth. I can't believe when people tell me how awesome hp10's are on the track.

I'm assuming you mean hps or hp+. Might cause some confusion with Hawk HT10/HT14.

[ForcedFirebird]

I'm assuming you mean hps or hp+. Might cause some confusion with Hawk HT10/HT14.

Sorry, yes HP+ is what I meant.