I know its been asked a bunch before but in my searching i couldnt find a satisfactory answer.

I'm looking for some new pads for my car and want your guys advice.

i have a 92 civic hatch vx with a b18c5
stock brakes in the front
95 integra rear discs
40/40 prop valve
integra master and slave cylinder
jic flta2 coilovers

its a daily driver sort of but i do have a second car that i split my time in but i drive the civic quite a lot on the street. i dont mind making compromises for performance within reason.

my question is what would be a good pad(s) for my car?
I drive my car at the track in HPDE events and have recently been upgraded to level 3 with nasa and plan to do that for a while. i ran a total of 9 days last year and plan to do more this year. i had axxis metal master pads with power slot rotors previously and they seemed good to me but i dont have anything else to compare them to.

id rather not have to deal with a squealing pads but i dont mind dusting.

oh yeah my first event will be at cal speedway next month and i have new brembo blank rotors on the way.

thank you for all the help guys.

misha

 

Dump the slotted rotors for sure. Axxis Ultimate ceramics are the next step up, cheap decent dual duty pad but not a full race pad...

Jon

 

Get Cobalt GT Sport pads. They almost never squeal, so they're great on the street, and they grip terrific for HPDE events.

 

Cobalt GT Sports
Carbotech Panther Plus

both squeal

Axxis Ultimates

non squeal
(doesn't hold up all the way through a 20min HPDE session)

As for rotors just get some cheap rotors (make sure they aren't too thin though)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fuuma0083 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Cobalt GT Sports
Carbotech Panther Plus

both squeal</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've used both of these pads on my ITR, on the street and on the track. In my experience, the Panther Plus squeals BIG TIME on the street, and the GT Sport doesn't squeal at all.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fuuma0083 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Axxis Ultimates

non squeal
(doesn't hold up all the way through a 20min HPDE session)</TD></TR></TABLE>

With ducting and hi-temp fluid, I tracked my Miata on Ultimates several times... and I have tracked my E30 with them several times as well. I will put some HPDE sessions on 'em this weekend at VIR. And they'll hold up just fine as usual I'm sure

Although to be fair I don't brake like I'm in a roadrace, its just HPDE

Jon

 

personally, I prefer Porterfield's R4 pads for track duty. Never had a problem with 'em, but they are definitely a track use only pad. Driving home from Cal Speedway with them still on the car was interesting, not so much dangerous, as long as you realize your stopping distances are greater and you give yourself plenty of room of the freeway.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FormulaIntegra &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">personally, I prefer Porterfield's R4 pads for track duty. Never had a problem with 'em, but they are definitely a track use only pad. Driving home from Cal Speedway with them still on the car was interesting, not so much dangerous, as long as you realize your stopping distances are greater and you give yourself plenty of room of the freeway.</TD></TR></TABLE>

There are lots of great track-only pads around - the Cobalt Spec VR and various Carbotech compounds are other examples - but the other downside to track-only pads used on the street is squealing, which all of them do. In his initial post here, Misha said that he would rather find a pad that doesn't squeal (presumably so that he could use the same pad for the street as well as for his HPDE events)...

 

XP8's do not make noise on the street

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">XP8's do not make noise on the street </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'll second that with the XP-8 Great track pad & okay for street use (except that at $120 I feel that street use is a waste)

Although, if you're a stunna, you might not like the black dust on yo rims

Personally, I don't mind the dust as it matches the rest of my fugly car

 

I would NOT recommend any street pad on a Civic swap for track duty in group 3 unless you have Type R brakes at a minimum. You don't.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by luder94si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I'll second that with the XP-8 Great track pad & okay for street use (except that at $120 I feel that street use is a waste)</TD></TR></TABLE>

Meanwhile, Ultimates are $35-$55/set for most fitments

Jon

 

I wouldn't run P+'s on the streat ......my experience is that they are loud and eat rotors.... I currently use Bobcats on the Suby for DD and Hawk Blues on the Miata for the track.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

There are lots of great track-only pads around - the Cobalt Spec VR and various Carbotech compounds are other examples - but the other downside to track-only pads used on the street is squealing, which all of them do. In his initial post here, Misha said that he would rather find a pad that doesn't squeal (presumably so that he could use the same pad for the street as well as for his HPDE events)...
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good point. I guess I was digressing.

 

whats everyone think of EBC Green stuff, i have crx dx with a b18a a fair amount of suspension, but stock dx brakes up front and stock drums in the rear. i just got the EBC rotors and green stuff pads for the front and i think they work great for street and the track , they make a little bit of noise but no fad but some time u got to sacrofice comfort for performance.

 

you couldn't pay me to track EBC pads. i would rather be out there with raybestos pads.

I've tracked the cobalt GT-sports for a while now, and they're usually up to the task, though on hotter days (120+ on the asphalt) i've had some pad fade issues. i'm probably going to step up to the VR's when these pads are through, but they're good on the street and great for A/x.

 

i run xp8s on the street... they squeal... but i live with it... street/hpde car btw

 

where do you get ultimates for 35-55 bucks?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by racekar &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">where do you get ultimates for 35-55 bucks?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You've got PM

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LsPoweredEF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">whats everyone think of EBC Green stuff, i have crx dx with a b18a a fair amount of suspension, but stock dx brakes up front and stock drums in the rear. i just got the EBC rotors and green stuff pads for the front and i think they work great for street and the track , they make a little bit of noise but no fad but some time u got to sacrofice comfort for performance.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I haven't tried the EBC Green pads. I've heard less than complimentary comments about them, but that's second hand, so take it with a grain of salt.

If I were willing to accept a little bit of noise on the street, I would have kept using the Carbotech Panther Plus (or the Endless CC-X, which offered excellent performance but were quite expensive). If I were willing to accept a LOT of noise on the street, I'd get the Cobalt Spec VR.

 

Greenstuffs are a great street pad

 

thanks for all the help guys. i really appreciate it.

anyways im going to go with the cobalt gt series pads. im sure they will be better than my old pads. i cant wait to try them out at cal speedway.

thanks again guys.

misha

 

Just as an FYI, NASA members get a discount through Porterfield. Just picked up my $160 R4 race pads for the Civic today, for $128.

Sorry to keep harping on the Porterfields, but I loves 'em.

 

My Cobalt GTs are great My roommate bitched when he drove my car, he was not used to the brakes and he kept snapping his head because they stopped so well haha.