577HondaPrelude

Just wondering if ayone has tried several different pads, and what some of the better ones are? I have been doing a web search and it seems a lot of people really like the Mintex 1155 pads. What do you think?




[Modified by 57STS, 2:43 PM 10/23/2002]

smokin rubber

I've never heard of mintex pads but they do sound minty fresh. I am guessing this will be your first time on track and you will be using street tires, if so I would reccomend the carbotech panther+ pads. If you have a little more experience and will be using race rubber that I would reccomend the pantherXP.

SPiFF

When you are staing out, good fluid and a high performance street pad like the Hawk HP+, Panther+, or Porterfield R4S will work fine.

As you get faster and start running race rubber, you will need/want to run full race pads. I prefer to run Hawk Blue. There are others as well.


[Modified by SPiFF, 3:07 PM 10/23/2002]

Crack Monkey

I'm not so sure that holds true on a fat-*** car like a Prelude. I also recommend Carbotech Panter+ or similar. And good fluid.

Mintex makes good pads, but I know next to nothing about them.

Two good resources:
Carbotech Engineering
Cobalt Friction
do a google search for links.

XR4racer

Mintex 1144 and the next step up(1155) are kick *** pads... and I would be willing to try them on my ITR if they had a fitment, however, I don't think they do. Good luck. They are a british import pad, sometimes used for Nascar applications in the states. And used overseas on many touring cars.
I really like the Carbotech 1108 compound for a good quality track pad that is still car/rotor friendly.

577HondaPrelude

I made some phone calls and they don't make the mintex 1155 to fit my car, however they do have the 1144.

This will not be my 1st trake day, been to a few with stock pad (hehe). I'm just getting my thing to buy and install list for the winter, and new pads is on the top. Thanks for all the info, I'm still researching and this helps out.

FYI for those of U who have not heard of Mintex I found several good sights that tested brake pads on the track/street and mintex was allways rated up at the top, however I'm not sure they make a set of pads that will fit other hondas.




[Modified by 57STS, 4:38 PM 10/23/2002]

WRXRacer111

I've talked to a number of people that have run the Mintex 1155 compound on some other cars. I've been told that they're more like a Hawk HP+ in that they're a good high-temp street pad but will fade at the higher temps of aggressive braking on a roadcourse. I would shoot for some of the other pads.

Hawk HP+ didn't work so well at VIR-N on my '95 RS.

cobalt

I will be more than happy to discuss your various options if you would like to call me toll-free at 877.562.9237.

Best Regards,

Andie

bb6h22a

stock, oem itr pads, and carbotech panther + pads on my '99 prelude, and, by far and away the panther + pads are the best. they are noisy and dusty, for the kind of bite they offer, i don't care; also, i use them on the street; cold bite is decent, and they are a 'streetable' pad; however, if you need shiny clean wheels, stay away!


after a day at willow springs:

577HondaPrelude

OK, anyone try the cobaltfriction racing pads??

speedracer33

I would buy any pad Andie recommended, without hesitation. He's not just some vendor, he's a friend to a lot of us.

As for what pad you should get, it depends on how hard you drive... Give Andie as much detail as you can, and he'll take care of you.

Matt

SloEG

How are Portefield R4S compared to Carbotech Panthers? Do the carbotech panthers eat up clear coating on wheel when they dust? I heard Portifield R4S wouldn't.

uncleben

I don't know about the panthers, but I've used Porterfield R4S and Hawk HP+ both on the track and street. I do too many track-days to be bothered with changing out the pads in between. Yeah yeah, I know, it takes all of 30 minutes, but I'm slow and lazy. Anyway, the dusting on both was a lot, but it's never seemed to have damaged the finish of the wheels. Granted, now I have gunmetal wheels and I'm not sure if you'd notice the effects but they look perfect after I clean off the dust. And I don't wash too often either (the car I mean, lol)

For my money, the HP+ are pretty nice... I use them with Motul 600 RBF brake fluid. This past weekend at HPT in Topeka my brakes got a bit mushy after a session, but never faded. The mushiness went away the next day too. I attribute that to, and think that it helped, that I drove around an additional 5-10 minutes letting the brakes cool down in the parking lot outside of the paddock area after the last few sessions were over.

bb6h22a

I have a spare set of wheels for the track, incidentally, the ones pictured above; I clean them w/ wheel cleaner after every track day, along w/ all the brake components, and coilovers; anyway, the short answer, in my experience, NO. However, I'm good about cleaning my car weekly, including my street wheels, and have never notice the panther + dust to be eating away at the finish of either wheel. Seems like a little elbow grease goes a long way.

MaddMatt

Absolutely not. One week of street driving (1000 miles) 2 days in the rain, and I wiped the Panther XP dust off my wheels with a damp paper towel.

DSC240sx

I didn't know they ate clear coat...I hope they don't. But the porterfield r4s dust like crazy. They stop really well hot and cold but damn do they dust. For daily driving you'll have to clean your rims like 2x a week
Not to expensive, $40-$60 or so (per end) and work great, but expect to clean your rims often.


[Modified by DSC240sx, 7:14 AM 10/27/2002]

Blue Liquid

Amen to that, my R4s pads dust like hell. I'll be running the Ferodo DS3000 up front and the R4s in the rear at Lime Rock. Anybody find a problem with that setup?

carl_aka_carlos

actually for those of us w/o ABS using different brake pads front and rear is a good way to change the brake balance....I'm thinking of running a 'grippier' pad in the rear to help swing my **** around on the autoX course....but I don'tknow what benefit/downfall it would have for road racing/track days

Crazydave

I use the Porterfield R-4 in the front
and the R-4S in the rear

You almost *have* to run the r-4 in the front..
the 'S' compound doesn't really hold up to a weekend of hard track abuse

I also use different rotors for the track (stock)

577HondaPrelude

wow, thanks again for all the info

92sleepR

Agreed. I have run both the Porterfeild R4S and the Carbotech and they are both great. (I hear that the Carbotech are just re-badged Hawk's)

One observation about the Poeterfeild R4's. At VIR I coundn't get them hot enough and they ended up eating my front rotors (willwood calipers on 11" rotors). On a shorter track with lots of hard braking they would be great but the long straights at VIR allowed my rotors to cool too much. (of course it could just be my shitty driving as well )

Mike

MaddMatt

Absolutely NOT!!!

I don't know where you heard that, but the Panther line of pads is entirely a Carbotech compound. Not a Hawk, Porterfield or PFC compound. Ours entirely.

SloEG

Do any companies make performance brake shoes? I don't need something that bites crazy, just slightly better than oem shoes. I think once I get good pads in the front, my rear would be almost useless.

MaddMatt

We do

http://www.carbotecheng.com/prod-ct-compounds.htm

Scroll down and the last 3 materials are our shoe compounds.

SloEG

Thanks, what carbotechs do you recommend that work good when cold or hot, rotor friendly, and wouldn't glaze during road racing/canyon racing?