Atmosfear

iTrader: (18)

I learned a LOT last season, but have yet to completely dial in my brakes. I'm still at a point where I'm playing with pad compounds.

The car is a 95' Civic CX hatch, weighed 2074 with me in it when it still had the D15B, probably weighs somewhere around 2200 now with the ITR swap.

I am using ITR front calipers with 11" rotors, stock sized Integra rear disks, and RBF600 fluid.

I have found the Porterfield R4S to be perfect for autocross, and I fade the Porterfield R4 at the end of the long straight after 3-4 laps around Bremerton Motorsports Park. I have kept the R4S pads in the rear and havent had a problem with them yet.

I have the parts to run ducting, but I think I can find a better pad before going that route.

The car is presently driven to all events but not daily driven. I plan to get a trailer ASAP, after that the car will rarely see street miles.

So.........I said all of that to say this. I plan to run the Porterfield R4S (front) for Auto-x, and I am going to try Cobalt XR3's (front) for the track. My question is:

1) Do you think the XR3 would be suitable or should I go with an XR2?

2) Do I need to swap rotors when I change the pads out? I vaguely remember reading something a while back saying that it is less than ideal to use race compound and street compound pads with the same rotor.

I have been on BFG G-Force KDW street tires all last season. This year I have a set of 225 width Continental Grand AM spec R-comps (equivalent to Hoosier R6 from what I am told) and also a set of 225 width (more like 245!) Hoosier wets I will be using so my tires should be able to handle whatever pad I select.

The car made 191whp and I typically see 120-125mph at the end of the longest straight I have raced on so far. Also, I only run Time Trials/Lapping Days. No wheel to wheel until I have more money and a trailer!

rice_classic

Bremerton is especially hard on brakes because of the trackday layout (not autox layout) it's designed to GO GO GO...BRAKE! Then Go Go Go... BRAKE!

I race on the XR2 and XR1's. However, I'm considering changing compounds/companies because the last 2 times I've tried to order Cobalts they take 6 weeks to get to me, unacceptable.

You do not need to change rotors. You'll be just fine and the XR2's don't need any special "bed" process. Just plunk them in, give them a lap and then go for it.

Go with the XR2's due to the nature of the track and power of your car. Ducting most likely won't be necessary as the XR2's are designed for those high temps. Ducting is good if you're boiling fluid but the RBF600 is good stuff (I have 9.5" rotors and I race with ATE Super blue so you're ahead of the game).

There's an IRDC racing school at Pacific Raceways you should attend and you should also do the lapping days and time trials at PGP (next to Pacific Raceways).

See you out there.

chrisb

Agree with rice_classic. Any fairly aggressive race pad I have ever used removes so much damn rotor to make swapping rotors pointless. However, bring an extra set of rotors in case your rotors crack. Getting home on a cracked rotor or missing track time is no fun. The stress cracks are normal but once the cracks start to open up you need to swap rotors.

dirty19

iTrader: (1)

Harley,

I say ....
Leave the rotors alone unless they need re surfacing.
XR3 is a great pad to run, it will be my next choice after the Hawk HT10's are done.

Don't think you need ducting... a very wise man I know doesn't think ducting is necessary either, but i am sure there will be others with their opinions.

Atmosfear

iTrader: (18)

I agree, Bremerton is very tough on the brakes. The Porterfield R4 was okay for me for one event, then as I got faster and started braking deeper I had problems with fading. The RBF600 is great and I have had no issues with fluid boiling.

I went to the last PGP lap attack. I was on street tires and it was wet all day, I couldnt put the power down at all. Roldan kicked my *** all day long despite the fact he had way less power than me!

My first born is due any day now, so I wont be able to make it out in February. Im hoping to make it to PGP events from March forward and also more lapping days. Id really like to run the IRDC school, Ive never driven at Pacific.

Atmosfear

iTrader: (18)

Thanks Paul! I dont think I need the ducting either, but the option is there for me as a worst case scenario.

Im happy to hear Im good with the same set of rotors. Makes life easier and less expensive!

VTECIntegra9

I absolutely love my XR2's on my integra (heavier)... So far havnt been out on them on race tires tho - will have to see how they hold up. They are more aggressive than is needed by far but that is my personal preference. For street tires XR3's would be easier to control

dirty19

iTrader: (1)

With a new born comining your gonna need all the extra money...
Babies are like second mortgages.
Fatherhood is wonderful, congrats on being a dad!

Atmosfear

iTrader: (18)

Thanks Paul, and I am quickly realizing the expense. I could have had a very nice cage built for what I have spent so far and he's not even born yet!

Regardless, I know its all worth it and I'm pretty damn excited to be a Dad.

Im already scheming on his first kart!

DAVIDKX125

hawk DTC-60 on front and DTC-hp on back + motul rbf 600, cheapest autozone rotor = problem solved

Stinkycheezmonky

XR2s will be quite a bit more aggressive than XR3s, especially for such a light car. I was using XR3s the last few years and liked them a lot, but found the XR2s harder to modulate (with a lighter car).

The current Cobalt pads are a pretty neat design, and should be fine when used on a rotor with street-pad material already present. The reverse may not be true, however. That behavior is really dependent on which pads you're talking about, but unfortunately I don't know how the Porterfields are in that department.

rice, that's disappointing that you've had trouble getting Cobalts shipped to you in a timely manner. What kind of car are you driving that XR1s work? The most aggressive I've seen on any Honda is an XR2, and they worked very well for H1 cars.

<--- Shameless plug: I have a set of front ITR fitment XR3s new in box that I have no use for anymore. Willing to let them go pretty cheaply. PM me if anyone is interested.

VTECIntegra9

As a side note I ran Porterfield's on the teg a lil while ago and found them to be - very disappointing... they really are just a street pad. I havn't drivng any XR3's but would like to give them a try.

I have been switching between the cobalts and street pads for a few events this year and every time the cobalts, after getting some heat into them and kinda bedding them back in - worked flawlessly. I expected maybe needing to resurface oncein a while but so far so good.

Adam if nobody wants the xr3's those will fit my calipers :-) Lemme know how much.

Tyson

in my experience, its best to use the same rotors with the same pad and not mix.

mixing compounds on the same rotor makes it more likely to leave uneven deposits and give that warped feeling. theres always a bit of the old compound on the top layer of the rotor.

also, pads usually bed in the rotor non uniformly, so it mates with the rotor. i wouldnt want to mess with that and change that up. youd be wearing down the street pad more than necessary and shortening its use i would think.

if im down there swapping pads, its not much more effort to swap rotors.

sander

Don't buy brake pads from this guy!

(Completely kidding to any party that is actually interested in buying brake pads from Adam, this is more of a stab at him in a friendly manner. Adam is a good guy )

Stinkycheezmonky

Thank you for the politically-correct explanation there buddy

SHG_EasyE

Since youre using stock rotors I would just get a second set. Theyre so cheap from an auto parts store Its not even worth the extra trouble of having to re bed the brakes every time, and risking uneven pad deposits and hot spots.

Atmosfear

iTrader: (18)

Well, they are pseudo-stock. They are basic 11" blanks, but I got them from FastBrakes. They are the re-drilled 4x100 version.

sander

Also, some of the information here applies directly.

http://stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml

It's an excellent read.

SHG_EasyE

Ah, so fastbrakes probably puts a premium on some redrilled $25 rotors then.

Yeah, since the OP has to pay for redrilled rotors or having some new rotors redrilled, cleaning and re-bedding his current rotors may be worth it.

I just picked up an ST40 kit for my car and Im hoping to be able to get away with running one set of rotors between my street pads and DTC-70's. Ill have to be dilligent in cleaning and bedding the rotors each time I switch pads.

monEmakindave

what rotors is everyone running?

cheapo pep boys or something different make a difference?

Atmosfear

iTrader: (18)

Thank you Sander!

In my first post where I said I vaguely remembered reading something, the link you provided was the document I read some time ago and forgot about.

I dont remember exactly what I paid for them, but I dont remember them being unreasonably priced.

SHG_EasyE

I had originally gotten RSX-S rotors redrilled to 4x100 from fastbrakes before I went 5 lug and I think I ended up paying about $75 a rotor, while I could get them from Autozone for $25 each. Still very reasonable compared to floating rotors but still alot more than stock.