Do most of you guys who frequent the autox/HPDE events change brake pads for track use only? Is it better to change the pads and rotars for just the track? I wanted to brake in a set of Axxis ultimates, switch them for stock and then put the ultimates on when I was gonna hit the track. Is it okay to switch back and forth?
Thanks

 

Yeah, that's fine, but you shouldn't need to worry about doing that with the Ultimate's, they're fine for street driving.

 

Very doable. Have been doing this for 3 years now. Makes for a long "get out of Dodge" on Sunday evening though when you go to swap tires and brakes back to your street setup. My advice would be to just change them, run on them all weekend, and drive home on them. Change them later.

 

I switch all the time, but I don't recommend Ultimates for the track. Ultimates are a good street pad, but not one I'd sport at the track. But back to switching, I normally swap my track pads in at the track on Saturday morning, and on Sunday evening I drive home and find time the following week to swap my street pads back in. Then again, I walk to work , so the swap is usually delayed several days or so.

 

I used Ultimates at my 1st track event, they were OK but I glazed them by the end of the day.

They are an AWESOME street pad and I will continue to use them forever, but for the track you ought to shell out some more money for something better.

 

If you are going to bother switching to a pad at the track, get a real pad. Non corrosive, but at least ~1200*F fade temp or so.

I have trashed a set of Ultimates I have transferred so much pad material on them, not to mention I think the pads are falling apart by the looks of their outer edges. I've only done a few HPDE's, so they are decent your first or maybe second time out. After that you are going to kill them.

 

I usually just switch pads the night before the event. If you want to switch out at the track thats cool, but I STRONGLY suggest waiting until you get home to swap back because the sliding caliper bolts get damn hot and they become brittle with that much heat and can snap. You are also in severe danger of snapping a wheel stud too (ive snapped one changing wheels after an autox! So I definately dont suggest swapping after doing some lapping.) Also get some garnet paper from home depot and buff the rotors lightly before installing different pads so you can get a semi-fresh rotor surface for the new pad to transfer to.
But yea, there is no other way but to have a designated track and street pad. I use the same rotors for both, however.

 

I usually switch a day or two before hand, use them at the track, and drive home on them. I switch pads later.

 

Thanks for the info guys!
I'll definatly look into better pads. COnsidering I've ran two hpde's and an autox on the stock pads , I think the ultimates will be good until I upgrade

 

You ran HPDEs on stock pads? Good god that's insane, you must have had no braking after a lap or two!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU1337 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You ran HPDEs on stock pads? Good god that's insane, you must have had no braking after a lap or two!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I ran JC on stock pads!

 

My GSR was the first car I owned with ABS so I did an experiment to see what it did. From 60 hit the brakes hard enough for ABS to work (stock pos Michilin squeelamatic tires) and slowed to about 30, accelerated up to 60 did it again. The third time, not enough brake power to activate ABS. This was on stock brakes on a car with 48k, brakes all in good shape with stock pads. I never even considered using those pads on the track.

I'm using Carbotechs now and sometimes put them on before driving to the track, sometimes when I get there, sometimes at the hotel the night before. I usually do drive them home, but check them when changing tires back to make sure there is enough to drive home on.

 

yeah the first one I went to, I was still learning so I didn't really cook them real bad to the point they never worked. Second one I went to, I started thinking I was hot **** and got into a few hairy situations. Oh well, live and learn

 

You guys saying people need near-race-spec pads for their first few HPDEs are being a little unrealistic. I was still learning fundamentals at my third event and not pushing the brakes anywhere near the point where fade would be an issue with both stock and crappy Mintex street pads. Ultimates are fine for an everyday pad and at the track for at least your first five events (unless you've got mad talent/skillz unlike me.)

Just run the Ultimates all the time if you can live with the dust so you can get really intimate with how your brakes behave in different situation, at different temperatures, etc. Worry about uprated pads when it's obvious the Ultimates are holding you back. You'll have enough to deal with / think about at your third-through-fifth events.

-Adam

 

I have the Axxis Ultimate pads on my car for street and autocross use, I originally bought them prior to a track day in December, ran them without ducting in ~45 degree weather, I seriously overheated the pads, they work well, but I can now overheat the pads in "spirited" mountain driving on my way home. For someone that is a beginner(I still am after 6 track days) to the track and does not abuse their brakes(I'm a little heavy footed here) the Axxis pads are fine, and there isn't a need to change pads at the track. However if you're quite hard on the brakes like I am, you might be interested in upgrading to the Ferado DS-2500, or the DS-3000...I skipped that level and jumped right into the Cobalt GTRspecVR race pads which have worked wonderfully for me as of yet.

Cliff notes - Ultimates are fine for beginners, no need to change at the track, once you become harder on brakes an upgrade is required.