Front brake backing plates and kleen wheel question

[markhchambers]

Hello, I am building a non-daily driver to putt around town and occasional track days. I am wondering about leaving the front brake backing plates off for a cleaner look. I am using Hawk hps pads. Any harm in running this set up? I am also wondering about using the kleen wheels on the street. I really hate them but, I am having my euroweaves refinished and everyone knows what a bitch they are to clean.

Thanks, Mark

[nando]

it actually can a good idea to remove the backing plates for track days. On the street I believe their purpose is to keep the rotors warm and keep crap out of them, but on the track unless you have ducting you don't want your rotors too hot.

[Massive Lee]

HPS pads are street pads. Or beginner track pads.

You want to remove backing plates to help rotors cool down. Bouncing heat won't help you.

[nando]

oh yeah, don't use HPS on a track. Not unless you want to destroy them.

[markhchambers]

Are they not good pads? I got them because the car is mainly a street car. Will they not work decent at the track? Not planning on too many track days, just every now and then.

[Massive Lee]

I got them because the car is mainly a street car.

Will they not work decent at the track?

No.

[xwill112x]

they will work for your purposes.

[Massive Lee]

The "S" in "HPS" stands for "street". If the car is driven casually at the track, it can stand it. But by experience, novice/occasional drivers will use their brakes more than really needed, and often in panic situations. Therefore, I wonder if "casually" applies to a novice.

[nando]

they will work for your purposes.

god, shut up already.

I've used these on the track. You'll just destroy them. You may as well throw them away now if you plan on using them on a track, because they will be useless after. They're fine for the street - I've used them for years. But get a dedicated set of track pads so you don't trash your street brakes.

[xwill112x]

if its not a dedicated track car and only 1-2 track events a year? yea they will be fine. why dont you quit following me around and shut up already?

[nando]

he'll be lucky if they even last ONE track day. How many track days have you done with Hawk HPS? One? Zero? They lasted me about two 30 minute sessions before they were gone. I had to throw them away at the end of the day - and they were only a couple months old.

that's why I said shut up, because everytime you post something retarded comes out.

[xwill112x]

but if hes not building a track car, but a weekend street car it makes no sense to have track only pads. thats retarded. op will be fine with hps's.

[nando]

why is it stupid?

Pads are about $100. He will most likely destroy the HPS in one day. So now he will have to buy another set - at a cost of $100. On top of that, he will have suffered with poor braking performance at his track day, and will probably want to upgrade to track pads for the next event. Now he has to buy new street pads ($100) AND new track pads (another $100). He's just wasted $100. When a set of street pads should last 2-3 years, and those track pads an entire season or more.

now THAT would be stupid..

[Massive Lee]

why is it stupid? He's just wasted $100

Plus another $100 for the discs he has gouged by going thru the brake pads to the metal backing. Not to mention that braking on backing plates might lead you straight into a wall... Not worth the risk.

BTW When going to track pads, purchase them as a front and rear set. Not just the front-only-is-enough noobie mistake.

Lee

[gearheadE30]

but if hes not building a track car, but a weekend street car it makes no sense to have track only pads. thats retarded. op will be fine with hps's.

You have no place giving advice, particularly advice that can possibly put someone's life in danger, when you have no idea what you're talking about.

Pads take like an hour to change out once you do it a few times, for one, and second, I killed a set of HPSs on my first track day in 2 sessions. In a 318is. Luckily I had HP+'s on hand just in case, and I've had some fade and overheating issues with those, too.

But really, it isn't about how fast you go through them. HPS's just aren't made for the track. they will fade so badly that you won't have the stopping power that you are expecting, and that is just plain dangerous. That has nothing to do with how many HPDEs and track days the car sees. Brand new HPSs and ones used on the street will, for all intents and purposes, will perform equally inadequately on the track. One HPDE will put about the same stress on the brakes as the next; brakes don't suddenly become less effective if you do 6 HPDEs in a season versus 1.