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Need Brake Pad Recommendation and a few other Q's

- - - - - Brake Pads rotor hubs

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#1
bmarshall1

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Hello,

 

Newb here again, I made it through my driver's school and getting ready for my first race weekend but have a few questions.  I know many of the answers may start with 'it depends on...' and that's OK, as long as I know what it depends on and can possibly get a range. Currently the car is in storage so I do not have immediate access but can go to it if need be.  Here are my 21 (OK, maybe 5 or 6 questions.)

 

1-Can anyone recommend a brake pad set up for a 99 being driven by a new guy.  I have read until I'm blue but there seems to be no 'brand X' is what you want statement.  I'm looking for something (probably?) not too initially grabby as I'm sure my pedal finess is not the greatest at this time, also rotor friendly if possible.  My current brake pads are 'blue', not that it means anything.

 

2-How do I know when my rotors are toast? They currently have the 'checkered cracks' but feel OK and do not look bad. 

 

3-Any rotor recommendations? NAPA, Mazdaspeed, stoptech...??

 

4-Do the pads need to be bedded to the rotors, if so how to accomplish this on a race car

 

5-What about hubs; buy Mazdaspeed, aftermarket, new/used, rebuild or not?

 

6-Is Redline CV grease still the 'go to' grease to use?

 

7-How many weekeknds should I expect out of a set of: pads, rotors, hubs, calipers, tires, and any other consumables that I can't think of right now (I'm am making a spares list also)

 

8-Are tires good until down to the wear marks or can they 'go bad' before then.  I am in the SE region, is the SM6 or SM& the correct tires at this time

 

Thank in advance for all the help!

 

Bruce



#2
Todd Lamb

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1 - blues are pretty aggressive - suggest DTC30 rear, DTC60 front for less aggressive pad

2 - if checked, time to keep a close eye on them. Replace before any of the cracks get to the outer edge or get big. This is on a budget, otherwise replace when they check.

4 - Pads do transfer material to rotors, so there's a small bedding process that takes place with new pads or new rotors. With Hawk Blue/DTC you can accomplish this in the first couple laps of a practice session. With the DTC's you can even start a race on new pads if you bed them well on the pace lap.

8 - tires will heat cycle and lose some grip. The SM7's tend to last longer before falling off. On a budget, if there's rubber you can use them, but they will be less than optimal.


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#3
davew

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Lots of "DEPENDS". Depends on your driving style, what track, how fast you are, how fast you think you are, how fast you will be next time, budget.

 

1-I start my newbies on PFC pads, easy on rotors, long lasting, easy to modulate

 

2- If the cracks get to the outer edge, change now. If you can catch a fingernail on the crack, change now, if  a lip developes on the outer edge, change now

 

3-I sell and use only Brembo rotors. My home track, Blackhawk Farms, is the hardest track in the country on brakes. If they can survive Blackhawk, they can work anywhere. 1.8 rotor $40, 1.6's only $30

 

4- Yes, a lap or 2 at moderate braking will get the job done. DO NOT BED ON THE STREET

 

5 and 6-I use Raybestos hubs, had good luck with them. Repack any hub with high quality synthetic race grease. CV2 works, I use Schaeffer. Just as good and 1/2 the price. Cheapo hubs are hit and miss.

 

7- depends, depends depends. How hard you drive, what track, how well you maintain the car etc.

 

8- Just get SM7s and forget about the 6s. Old tires are almost always are slower than new ones. But if the tire is faster than the driver it really does not matter.

 

Dave


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#4
bmarshall1

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Dave, Todd,

 

Thanks for the advice, as I get deeper into the game, I will have a better idea of what to do and when to do it but your comments have definitely helped.  I expect to be mid-pack and improve from there (came in 4th in my driver's school and set fastest lap one session); budget, while not unlimited, I have learned not to scrimp on the important things (buy once, cry one theory)

 

Dave, I was at your 'store' and it looks like there is a good price on a rotor/pad package I will be picking up.  I would like to start from a known point as I purchased the car used and although seemingly in good shape, I have no idea how many race weekends are on what parts.



#5
jeopardyracing

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What Dave and Todd said. Once point of clarification: for pads, I've used both Hawk Blues and DTC. I found the Blues to be very grabby (ie too easy to lockup) and prone on my car to causing rear lockup. I think this is what Todd means by 'aggressive.' I switched to DTC 30 rear, 60 front and have been delighted. The reason of the difference (30 rear, 60 front) is to keep the brake bias from shifting to the rear as a result of mild fade in the front. With equal compound pads front and rear, that is what happens, making rear lockup and / or squirrely behavior under braking a risk. 


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#6
jeopardyracing

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Also, when posting to forums like this re replacement of items, make the distinction in your mind and in your posts between "need" to replace for safety (ie rotor cracks reaching the outside edge) and "need" for performance (when do tires "need" to be replaced). In the latter case, technically tires can be run down until visible cords show, but only pros [I use 'pros' figuratively and literally] can run up front like that (and likely not even pros could when running with other pros).  Given that it's your first year, you'll find replacing things like tires often for speed may not yield a ton of results yet, but as you move to the front, you'll find the lap time gaps drop significantly between competitors. At that point, you'll be ready to worry about spending $$$ to find those final tenths. 

 

Oh, and WELCOME!


Rich Hoyer
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#7
svvs

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You will find that brakes are a preference thing.  I started on hawk blues front and back on my 1.6L....still use that setup for long enduros because they last.

 

With the hawks I changed rotors every time i changed pads.

 

Now I run carbotechs....xp10's front and xp8's rear.  I get the pads "pre-bedded" direct from carbotech.  These pads have less initial bite but really easy to modulate.  Work well for me as I'm a "light and long" braker.  Also I have never cracked rotors, and generally go through two sets of pads to each rotor unless I warp one.

 

I don't know how much experience guys up here have with the SM7's yet...but from running them in an enduro they seem to have a much longer useable life than the sm6's.  Last year I basically budgeted a set of SM6's per weekend of double dipping (running SM & SM2) at a SCCA regional.  Towards the end of the weekend I was able to notice the drop off in tire......At the NJMP major I was one of three or four guys that only used one set of SM6's for the whole weekend.

 

In terms of calipers they last until something goes wrong...inspect your seals and pins for wear.

 

On front hubs I went all last season on one set of fronts that I had packed using Mobil 1 synthetic.  One of those hubs also just survived a 12 hour race.  No clue what it started out life as.  Rears are generally good for a couple of seasons unless something goes wrong.  Check hubs regularly for play and carry a spare....if you run your car for a few seasons and swap out the rear uprights and hubs just keep those old ones as spares.  Changing a front hub will get easy after you do it a few times.  Consider having a spare hub nut with your spare hub.

 

One thing you didn't mention was fluids.  I change all fluids every weekend now.  Cheap insurance.  Some guys running "Race" oils (joe gibbs, schaeffer....) change oil every other weekend.  On the tranny fluid and diff fluid....I figure if there is any metal floating around in there it will come out when I change the fluid, so might as well just do it.  A small transfer pump like the one from harbor freight makes putting fluids into the diff and trans easier, especially when you are working alone.

 

Also inspect the axle boots/inside of your wheels for grease while you're under the car.  Pretty rare to tear one but I know a few guys (including myself) who have.

 

My first few seasons running the car I never did any of this by the way....these cars can take some abuse and then some.

 

-Vick


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