I got some porterfield R4S a couple months ago for the autoX track season, but as that winds to a close i'm thinking about saving them for next year and putting the stock pads back on for the winter, they've still got plenty of life. I broke in the pads as recommended, but i'm guessing that's a permanent change, not something i'll have to do again. And while i highly doubt that inanimate carbon/kevlar can go "stale", i just wanted to make sure there's no bad side-effects to storing pads for an extended period (in a dry, warm place of course.)

 

There's no bad side effect. The only problem is if you're using the same set of rotors but swapping pads, the bedding process will be needed again to match up the grooved on your rotors to the pads.

I suggest swapping out the rotors with your pads. If you have time to properly seat them, then it should be ok, but if you don't and just swap them for races or events, then it's better to have a set of rotors to go along with the pads as well.

 

Good point, hadn't thought about that. Have to debate new rotors, or just keeping them on and saying the hell with it

 

I used to swap pads and rotors at a point, then I just gave up on that and started using my track pads on the street as well. Probably not the best thing to do...

 

Yeah, the R4S are great on the street, but i wasn't sure i wanted to wear them at all when i wasn't racing...but most likely i'll just leave them on. While pricey, there's no reason to shortcut on brake performance, and my rotors don't seem as warped as they were getting on stock pads. Thanks for advice!

 

I just swapped my pads back to stock today. I was running Carbotechs for the racing season, but put the stock pads back on for the winter. The Carbotechs were very noisy (I may not have put enough anti-squeal compound on when I installed them) and they produced a lot of dust that was mildly corrosive.

Anyway, after I got the stock pads back on I took the car out to bed them in and it seemed like I could hardly stop at all. Either it will take a bit to properly bed them, or I was just used to the Carbos. I don't think I could lock them up if I tried. I'll have to give it a few days and see.

Also, I thought warped rotors are normally a result of improperly tightened lugs, not anything to do with the pads...?

-Floyd

 

I hand tighten and torque lugs to 80 every single time i do anythign with them...for some reason, both my GS-R and to a lesser extent my ITR warped with the stock pads, and were somehow fixed when i went to aftermarket pads (PBR Metalmaster on the GS-R, Porterfield on the R). Never really figured that one out

 

What is warped?

 

Warped means the rotors, which should be perfectly flat on both faces, bend and distort slightly so the faces are not flat and smooth. It shows up as a vibration in the car and steerign wheel when you hit the brakes (usually at higher speeds), because the pads aren't gliding across a smooth face on the discs. Warping also refers to wood, when it gets wet it can bend and distort out of shape. Warping is most often caused when the brakes go from hot to cold too quickly, or if they cool unevenly (like if you had them really hot, and you parked them without givng them some cooldown, the pads would keep the heat in on that part of the disc, and the rest would cool quicker, which could warp the disc). Uneven torquing of the bolts can also lead to fatigue in the disc, causing it to warp.

 

Dyno? Sat? I promise it will be warmed up by the time I get there.