Not too sound like a n00b, but are there any decent off-the-shelf brake pads to be had at your local PimpBoys/AutoZone/Advanced? If I actually had spindles on my SE-R right now, I would probably drive it into the trees along the BW Parkway. So either way, I'm going to drive the crusty Firebird at Summit this weekend. I'm sure the front pads that are on the car now won't hold up to much abuse (and I don't even have 1LE brakes anyway), so I'm wondering if there's a "quick fix" available that would be good for a few laps at a time.

Pat, who hasn't bought off-the-shelf brake pads with "performance" in mind since ... well ... ever

 

I have heard that the "Nascar ceramic enhanced" pads at pepboys work pretty good on track. I think I remember Todd Reid mentioning him using them on his race car (?)
Anyway Ill leave the details to those who have used them.

 

another option might be PF Z pads from the 'zone

don't those pep boyz pads have todd's picture on the box?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JoelG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">don't those pep boyz pads have todd's picture on the box?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, and when you open them you hear todd's voice going "whumpawhumparattlecrackacrackboombang!" (todd describing what his LS motor did at summit point last year.... if you've never heard it, ask him next time you see him. Its quite funny).

 

Um.... why didn't you ask me this last night? &lt;rolling eyes&gt;

I use Bendix MKDs (off the shelf at Advance Auto, and in Frederick at McHenry's) on the Camaro, and they work fine at autox and for the open tracking I've done. Not too much dusting, and considering I don't have ducting or anything, they last about as well as anything else will on a 3400lb car that goes in excess of 130mph into turn one.

Karen

 

Why would he want to ask a girl ?

*sound of whooshing air as Chris disappears into the distance*

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CamaroFS34 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Um.... why didn't you ask me this last night? &lt;rolling eyes&gt;</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats just way too easy.

 

I run the Raybestos Ceramic Enhanced pads for HPDE's, auto-x and daily drivng. They are great pads for the $. I will continue to run them on my multi-purpose car but will most likely run a "race" pad on my ITA civic.

 

i'll now chime in now: the Raybestos Ceramic enhanced Nascar Select pads, which can be found at Pep Boys, are "da bomb" when it comes to cheap, off the shelf, pads.

I've raced, yes RACED, on them for 3 years. and i have returned ALOT of sets at my local pep boys, for another free set.

they work very very well for a street pad. on a light, lower powered H1 cars with good brakes (Accord Wagon calipers) they work great. good wear; good fade resistance; very very low wear on the rotors; no damage to the caliper dust seals or tie rod boots, etc.

i am not saying that a real race pad, such as Carbotech or Cobalt or Hawk isn't better (it definitely is -- better pedal feel and ZERO fade); i'm just saying the Pep Boys are good enough to get the job done for basically no cost. for HPDE it is a no brainer for me; i will always use the Pep Boys. The last several races i have been experimenting with Cobalt and Carbotech front pads. awesome stopping power. no fade. great pads. but no free exchange when they are worn down to metal! and they definitely get hotter. i no longer have any rubber dust seals (oh well, for a race car don't need them anyway!). after one day with the race pads the rubber burned off; it survived 3 years with the pep boys pads and the rubber was fine. the race pads can take more abuse, but of course put more heat into the surrounding areas....

well, thats long winded enough... hope that helps you make a decision....

todd

ps don't by the cheapo cheapo variants at the parts store. they will burn up and WILL NOT stop your car. been there and tried that! you need to get the ceramic enhance nascar select variety; not the regular raybestos prostop.

 

Hawk pads are what a lot of the pro racers use. They also make street pads, and street/track pads. Check http://www.tirerack.com and look under brakes.

 

I went with the Raybestos "NASCAR" pads. Hope they don't cause too much rear steer!

 

Wow, this might be the pad I'm looking for to put on my wife's 00 EK hatch. She needs better-than-stock pads (especially when Im driving it), but it will never see auto-x action (its an automajic).

 

I run the Raybestos ceramic enhanced pads on my integra for HPDE. For the money, they can't be beat. They actually feel good when they're new. But after they glaze they don't feel that great. Still work fine tho. I'm sticking with them on this car, can't beat the free exchange!

 

only complaint I had about Todd's brakes......during a test drive, old D15 power with big brakes.........

Was doing 60 mph on the road Mid Ohio is on, stepped on the brakes pretty hard, car didn't slow very much!!!!!!

Speedo and tach at ZERO and 2 black strips out the rearview mirror.......

"A little touchy when cold, then need to heat up a little".....OK......

I was used to puny 9" brakes a PFCM pads......

 

I bought a set of the "Napa PLus" pads..
4 laps I had to come in because they were worn thru... I dont know why the hell this happened but no faith anymroe

 

The brakes held up OK on a 3300-lb car with pads smaller than MaddMatt's hand. They were good for 2-3 hard laps, which was about as long as the 245 Falken Azenis were good for, so it worked out well. Run hard for 2-3 laps, take an easy lap, repeat until you see checker.

I did get a "meatball" flag my first session on Saturday when corner workers reported seeing sparks from my brakes. Matt and Larry from Carbotech said that was about normal for pads like these -- they were wearing so much that tiny pieces of the pad were shooting off. Just as long as the brakes weren't catching on fire, I felt comfortable.

Pat
'90 Formula (305), 1:35s at Summit
'91 Sentra SE-R, 1:35s two weeks ago at Summit (on Hoosiers and Porterfield R4's)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by poSEuR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Pat
'90 Formula (305), 1:35s at Summit
'91 Sentra SE-R, 1:35s two weeks ago at Summit (on Hoosiers and Porterfield R4's)</TD></TR></TABLE>

Pick up another 2 seconds and your cars can run with PeePee.!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Matt and Larry from Carbotech said that was about normal for pads like these -- they were wearing so much that tiny pieces of the pad were shooting off.</TD></TR></TABLE>

OE Nissan pads do the same thing. I got meatballed years ago for "sparking", at Summit Pt. no less.

I think "the Captain" has it on video too. People were impressed....