Stock equipment will be fine for your first event. Might get yourself a new set to chew up, and keep your current set for back-up "oh **** I gotta get home now" pads. At your first event, you are not likely to use anywhere close to your full brake potential. If would be a good idea to replace your brake fluid, especially if it has never been done. At least get some hi-temp synthetic. ATE Blue or Motul is even better. Get one of those and you aren't likely to have any fluid problems.

See you at Speedtrials...

 

This is true, for some people

I remember my first track event at summit point.. New Axis MM pads, were, well GONE! After 3 laps I had to take it easy to let them cool down.. I highly recomend a better pad, one that you can use on the street as well on the track. Porterfield R4S pads are pretty good dual purpose I hear..

I recomend the Carbotech Panthers though.. Aggressive for a street pad and works well at the track

Carbotech Panther + is HIGHLY agressive for the street (pretty much track only, but can be used on the street if you can afford it) and is a GREAT track pad.. Once they arn't enough, time to upgrade to Hawk Blues..

 

R4S's get my vote too.

 

R4S's for me. i just put a complete set on myself.

 

Another vote for R4S's as a great dual-duty pad here.

RJ.

 

I think R4S's are ****, but I am in the minority here...

I killed a set in not hard driving at the Glen. I can't recommend them... but I'm a well balanced RWD car... I can't speak for front heavy FWD cars... But you ITR/GS-R guys seem to have many more brake problems that I do... Hum... (Yes, I remember Brian has a Civic Si, not an integra.)

My recommendation doesn't mean a thing to Hondas I suppose, but I personally don't like the R4S's.

YMMV.

 

I wasn't happy with Hawk HP+ at VIR-N, and from what I understand, those are comparable to the R4S... My $.02. As a general rule I have never liked questionable brakes on anything I've ever ridden/driven. Maybe if you're relatively easy on brakes you could get away with them.

 

General rule of , once you've driven on track pads on a road course, you'll never go back. Compromise pads just aren't good enough.

 

Agreed, unless you are notoriously easy on brakes (like me) and also constantly broke (like me)...

RJ
Who also likes $10 WearEvers thanks to MaddMatt

 

I glazed my new Hawk Street pads first time on Jefferson Circuit and ended up off course, "both feet in" as they say.
Next up will be Carbotech Panther Plus and fresh Brembo blanks.

 

Oh and haha Brian*Black99Si i think you were in my car when Michael Ko fucked it up.

 

Well, as you may already know Brian, I have a 99 Si as well. Allow me to recommend Carbotech Panther + for your car. This pad has served me well. Stock pads are NOT going to cut it. I had them fade on me at a Jefferson Circuit autocross once (One lap at a time and whatnot), and that convinced me to not to ever use them in a competitive environment. (except for parking lot events)

 

Bite the bullet and get Hawk Blues or some other full race pad. Totally unstreetable, but once they are up to temperature, they are amazing.

 

For a FIRST track event? come on now At least he carbotechs are streetable if you never go to a track again... Just more value for the $ if you ask me..

 

Blues are COMPLETE overkill for a first time track event.

 

Very well said CJ The Panthers get my vote as well.

Bryan

 

Then I'm in the minority too. They suck ***. They were fine for auto-xing, but they were terrible on the track (on my Prelude). I tried two sets, and both sets burned and were completely useless after one session. I agree with the others who say Carbotech Panther +. I just got a set for my CRX and tried them out at Nazareth. I just got off the phone with them to order another set to finish out the season. The pad gives you good bite when they are cold, and stands up to a good amount of heat. Admittedly, Nazareth might not be the best track to test brake performance on, but I'm going to the Glen this weekend, so I'll know for sure after that.

Matt

 

http://www.carbotecheng.com/prod-ct-compounds.htm

Willis

 

Warning, the following is opinion only:

I really don't think the full course is all *that* hard on brakes. There are 3 major braking areas. 2 of them are uphill braking areas. After I vaporized some $90 EBC Redshit pads in February on the full course in 60 miles, I put on the Wagner pads that came with the loaded Wagner re-manned calipers I had just installed. I drove ~150 more miles without a problem and still have half of them left.

If this were Summit Point or CMP, I'd say get nothing less than Hawk Blues or Panther + pads. Being your first event at a track that is only moderatly hard on brakes, I'd say stock, metal masters, or R4S might be OK.

However, might as well get off on the right foot and get some Panther + Pads. With fresh fluid and Pather +, I garuntee you will have no brake issues the whole weekend.

MM, who'll be running Wearevers at CMP next month...

 

Yea, VIR Full is about the easiest track on brakes I have driven..

But still, I LOVE brakes! =~)

 

Heh...The Carbotechs are also great, especially when you're bedding them in at night. It's possible to put on a little light show of sorts, with some fancy sparks coming out from behind your wheels.

 

I dunno, I kinda like knowing that the brakes will last all session, every session.

So far, I've heard mixed tales for every single compromise pad. The only possible exception is the Panther+ (which isn't a compromise, it's a full blown race pad that happens to have non-corrosive dust), which, if memory serves, is more expensive than the Blue.

As a side note, the Hawk Blue operates at a LOWER temperature than the P+. So, in theory it is no less streetable.

 

Crack Monkey, yer da best! Interesting with the operating temp of the Blues...I'll have to look more into that. How much do Blues generally run for the fronts?

 

According to carbotechs website:

Hawk Blues, medium/high torque compound with effective temp range of 100-1000*F

Carbotech P+, high torque compound with effective temp range of 150-1300*F

As far as I can tell, the only thing that makes the P+ more streetable is its lack of dirty dust. My Blues don't squeal, so that isn't an issue.

 

I am just going by what I know, I have used both pads, Carbotech's are good on track and street, believe me! Blues, well, they don't bite when cold, but the carbotech's do.. I know each website is a little different with the temp ranges, but I have used both.. And I recomend, Carbotech Panther Plus UNTIL they are not enough for you, then make the step up to Blues..