LeMons pad recommendation? '87 eta

[KenC]

We're building a LeMons racer right now, and we're trying to pick out a brake pad. We're driving a stock eta (on coilovers and street tires), and none of us have a lot of track experience. Our needs are a pad that doesn't fade, but also one that we can use for the whole session.
Any pad recommendations? Hawk HT-10s? Porterfield R4?

[priapism]

Either of those are fine. Just don't cheap out...we made the mistake of using some Akebono pads and they were toast way early, had to come in and do a brake pad change while the track was hot. I hear the HT10s are the good stuff but we've been running Porterfields with some success, I'd say you can't go wrong either way.

[Massive Lee]

Also check the Performance Friction PF06 endurance pad

[kishg]

my vote's for PFC 06!

[KenC]

Thanks for the recommendations!

[jlevie]

Another vote for PFC 06 pads. They have nearly the same performance as the 01 variant, which are equivalent to Hawk HT-10's, but last far longer.

[Massive Lee]

I'd say that PF01 have more bite than HT10, but indeed they last longer and have friendlier/non-corrosive dust.

If the OP had been running Wilwood calipers, I would have suggested Wilwood H compound. A long lasting high friction endurance pad.

[KenC]

It looks like the PF06 is going to be the best for our application. We're running OE Ate calipers (rebuilt obviously) with OEM blank rotors. I'm doubting our car will even see speeds in excess of 80mph often. Fade resistance and longevity are what we're looking for.

[Massive Lee]

Get the PF06 at the front AND the back. If your car is a track-only car, I suggest removing the rear backing plates and handbrake assembly to keep radiant heat from bouncing back onto the rotor. At the front, the usual cooling ducts are recommended because the stock rotors are small and not too good at evacuating heat as they have straight vanes.

Wilwood and Tilton make a fluid recirculate kit, allowing to keep the fluid much, much cooler. This is a superb idea in theory. After each application of the brakes, the hot fluid is recirculated back into the reservoir.

A cheap improvement on stock front and rear calipers would be the replacement of stock chrome steel pistons by stainless steel cups. Stainless reduces the progression of heat, therefore better insulating the fluid from the pad's intense heat. A good machinist can probably craft pistons and have them polished.

[NigelStu]

Cobalt Friction XR3 front and probably XR5 rear (maybe XR4). I'll be running one of those set-ups on my Chump car.


I run that combo on my Spec Miata and love it. I ran a ton of races this year, changed front pads once and rear pads are still good for next year. Also ran Cobalt's (XR1/XR3) on a E92 M3 for One Lap of America this last year; the 1 set of pads lasted the entire week of 4000+ street miles plus 2 track sessions per day plus an open track day a few weeks later with material to spare at the end.

Cobalt Friction has been well known in endurance series like Grand Am Cup, and is becoming better known in club racing now. They have excellent wear characteristics with good bite and modulation.


Shamless plug - I am a dealer for CF brakes if anyone is interested in that route.

[lateracer]

We're building a LeMons racer right now, and we're trying to pick out a brake pad. We're driving a stock eta (on coilovers and street tires), and none of us have a lot of track experience. Our needs are a pad that doesn't fade, but also one that we can use for the whole session.
Any pad recommendations? Hawk HT-10s? Porterfield R4?

Destroyed brake systems are all over the place at Lemons.

The speeds are slow enough and the corners are crowded enough to where you can live with one set of decent pads (we run HP+) in an E30, but DON'T FORGET FLUID. We boiled our DOT 3/4 synthetic and cheaped out on pads in the first race and I had to rebuild the entire system (calipers, seals, boots, rotors, bushings, etc) as a result of the ensuing melty chaos.

You guys running Buttonwillow in a few weeks?

[KenC]

Get the PF06 at the front AND the back. If your car is a track-only car, I suggest removing the rear backing plates and handbrake assembly to keep radiant heat from bouncing back onto the rotor. At the front, the usual cooling ducts are recommended because the stock rotors are small and not too good at evacuating heat as they have straight vanes.

Wilwood and Tilton make a fluid recirculate kit, allowing to keep the fluid much, much cooler. This is a superb idea in theory. After each application of the brakes, the hot fluid is recirculated back into the reservoir.

A cheap improvement on stock front and rear calipers would be the replacement of stock chrome steel pistons by stainless steel cups. Stainless reduces the progression of heat, therefore better insulating the fluid from the pad's intense heat. A good machinist can probably craft pistons and have them polished.

Thanks for the tips.

We'll be fabricating some ducting for the front and rear. As it's a LeMons car, we'll be doing it on the cheap... think dryer ducting and household HVAC heater registers for "scoops"

[MaksV]

hawk pads are usually pretty good. just make sure you get ATE blue/gold fluid.

[KenC]

Destroyed brake systems are all over the place at Lemons.

The speeds are slow enough and the corners are crowded enough to where you can live with one set of decent pads (we run HP+) in an E30, but DON'T FORGET FLUID. We boiled our DOT 3/4 synthetic and cheaped out on pads in the first race and I had to rebuild the entire system (calipers, seals, boots, rotors, bushings, etc) as a result of the ensuing melty chaos.

You guys running Buttonwillow in a few weeks?

Yeah, we're definitely taking the brakes seriously. I don't want to "fade" into the side of anyone.
I'm betting we'll go with the PF06s front and rear. And we'll definitely be bringing many liters of full DOT4 fluid. I definitely don't want to be rebuilding hot calipers.

We're just starting to build our car now. It's a weekends project thing right now. We're planning on running at Infineon/Sears Point in March.

[lateracer]

We're planning on running at Infineon/Sears Point in March.

Yeah, that's an awesome race. Hope you guys get in. We ran it last March.


Seeing an E30 do battle with a weinermobile on a world class track is not something that happens often.