Most of the topics covered are for daily driven Integras or full blown race stup.
So, here is my scenario

99 Integra GSR running in STS class.
Driven for less than 250 miles per month on the street=> Not a daily driven car
STS class allows "Cross drilled/slotted brake rotors are permitted, same type size as standard. Brake lines may be substituted with DOT approved brake lines"


What are the recommendations regarding the brake pads? Brake fluids?
What are the recommendations regarding the rotors? (Its a GSR sedan with 70 k miles on it and still on stock rotors. )

May be a stupid question, what are the advantages of changing the brake lines?


Thanks

 

Leave the rotors plain. No performance advantage in x-drilled or slotted. Be careful about getting too strong of a brake pad. A high torque pad may overwhelm the grip of a street tire and all you'll get is the ABS going nuts.

 

Many recommend carbotech pads, or personally I'd go with Hawk HPS or HP+ depending on how much noise/dust you can tolerate, even blues but may not heat up enough for optimal performance in autox.

For fluid, can't beat the price/performance of valvoline synpower at about $5.50/qt. ATE super blue or TYP200 gold is the next step up I'd use, but tis usually mail order, and about $12+/qt.

For rotors, standard blank, non-drilled, non-slotted would do you fine. Many HC'ers have great results with Autozone Duralast and even the cheaper Valuecraft rotors. They are cheap, about $22 and $13 respectively for the front, and $22 and $9 for the rears.

Lines provide better pedal feel so you can modulate better. Also helps eliminates most flex in lines [so say the left hose isnt expanding while the right one is providing imbalanced braking]. Stoptech and Neuspeed lines are coated, goodridge and russel are not coated. The coated ones are better because dirt trapped inbewteen the stainless braid and teflon innner tune will not wear away at the teflon tube.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">even blues but may not heat up enough for optimal performance in autox.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I *HIGHLY* recommend you stay far away from Blue compound for autocross/street driving.

Good choices:
Carbotech Bobcat (I'm a little biased )
Hawk HPS
Hawk HP+
Porterfield R4-S
Axxis Ultimate

All are readily availible for your car.

 

If you are only autocrossing and not doing any track days you can stay with stock equivalent fluid. I use Valvoline Synthetic in an autocross only car(available at every autoparts store and cheap). Just make sure you flush the lines and bleed every once in a while.

As far as brake pads go, there are quite a few choices. Carbotech, Cobalt, and Hawk have good autocross compounds. I use Performance Friction Carbon Metallic because they are available everywhere and inexpensive. They do suck on the first run unless I'm able to get heat in them beforehand. After that they are great and will provide more friction than the tires can handle.

Stay with the stock rotors or stock blanks from Autozone, Advance, etc. Slotted and/or cross drilled provide no performance benefit and are a waste of money.

Like myself, a lot of guys go with stainless lines because they don't flex when heated up versus the rubber lines. However, a fresh pair of OEM lines will work just as well. The runs are so limited you shouldn't notice the difference between the two.

 

I thought you bought some V710's.

Anyway, I like Hawk pads (HP+ if you can stand them, HPS if you can't), Ford heavy duty brake fluid (I think it may or may not be the same stuff as the aforementioned Valvoline), and cheapo parts store rotors.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by steverife &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I thought you bought some V710's.

Anyway, I like Hawk pads (HP+ if you can stand them, HPS if you can't), Ford heavy duty brake fluid (I think it may or may not be the same stuff as the aforementioned Valvoline), and cheapo parts store rotors.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I think the Ford fluid you are thinking of is Motorcraft. I know several people that use it and highly recommend it. Is it only available at the dealership?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is it only available at the dealership?
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Yep, and jsut about cheaper than water. $3.09/bottle at my local dealer. Way plenty good enough for autocross. Actually, anything fresh and new is plenty for autocross.

 

I like the Hawk HP+ on my 2000 Civic Si for STS. But that car is 400-500lbs heavier than my 1991 Civic Si. Yeah the Hawk HP+ dusted alot and squealed but it's something you gotta figure out which is more important. I had AEMs, Hawk HPS, and Axxis Ultimates on that car. Hawk HP+&gt;Axxis Ultimates&gt;Hawk HPS&gt;AEM

My 1991 Civic Si I think came with Hawk HP+s also but I didn't like the feel of them at all on the lighter car. I would constantly lock up the front tires even with moderate pressure. So I went with AEM pads. Even though the braking friction is not as high as the Hawk HP+ I don't have to worry about flat spotting my tires AND I can brake pretty damn hard with them. So far no problems.

 

For my 97 GSR 4-door in STS, I used stock rotors, Hawk HP+ pads front, Cobalt GT pads rear, Goodrich stainless brake lines, and ATE super blue brake fluid. This setup provided me more than enough stopping power for my 2800 lb. beast while autocrossing. HPDE is another story. . .

 

MaddMatt is correct - stock rotors, fresh fluid (any good fluid will do, but you can use a race fluid if you want), and a mild performance pad.

I'm happy with Axxis Ultimates on my Miata - not squeally, not too dusty, cheap, and slightly more grab than OEM pads. Some of the Carbotech or Cobalt pads might work well - call them and what they recommend.

 

thanks a lot...I will go with these for my autocross et up.

I have been thinking about doing a track/HPDE event too. Above mentioned set ups should be good enogh for occassional track days (less than 5 events per year)too?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Above mentioned set ups should be good enogh for occassional track days (less than 5 events per year)too?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not for very long. Street pads (even GOOD street pads) make lousy track pads, once you figure out what you're doing and really start picking up the speed...

 

Although I've only tried some hawks and the AEMs, and not the other pads, I wouldn't discount the AEM ones. They have a less bite than the hawks, but I think the pedal modulation feels much, much better.

And they're cheaper. I run the AEMs. I think they get something of a bad rap because AEM is such a ricey company.

 

As someone said street pads will cook at a track. I never even thought about changing out my pads when I did my 1st HPDE back in 2002. I had AEM pads, Valvoline Synpower brake fluid, Goodrich lines and brembo blanks and I had no brakes after about 10 minutes

You can use the Hawk HP+ for lighter cars for track days. I never tried it but others have.

 

For my very first track day, I was running AEM pads in the rear and wore them all the way down to the backing plates at the end of day 1. No ****. I suggest going w/ something more robust, like Cobalt GTs. At the advice of much more experienced GSR drivers, I used Hawk blues or Panther XPs up front for all of my HPDE experiences, and also used a dedicated set of front rotors (Brembo blanks). Really smart to do this because the under-sized GSR front brake set up really gets stressed during rigors of a track day. You'll be surprised how quickly even a strong setup will wear out. And by having a dedicated set of front pads and rotors, you won't have to worry about how you'll get home if you've totally trashed your street/auto-x setup.

 

I have started off asking for a good set up for Auto-x about which I have a very good idea....thanks to all the replies!!!!.

If I am spending money, can I spend some more to have a single set up which will work "very good" for Auto-x and will atleat "survive" occassional track days?
I mean, I am not looking for the very best for track days but something that will last couple of HPDE events?

thanks

 

Cobalt GT Sports coupled with fresh high-temp fluid might be able to do it, depending on the track where you intend to do DEs. The Integra GSR is pretty hard on brakes, and a braking intensive track like, say, BeaveRun may lead to some time spent babying the brakes because of fade. At other, less-braking-intensive tracks you may be able to get away with the GT Sports just fine.

They do make excellent autocross pads.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Targa250R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Cobalt GT Sports ...
They do make excellent autocross pads.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that is what i use on my nationally competitive SM car.

 

panther+ will work as a dual duty pad. bit aggressive for street tires but manageable i think.

nate