Since I recently reported my rate of gas/oil/tire usage at the track, I thought I'd also drop a note about my front brake pad and rotor usage, since I used those up at the end of the weekend as well.

I was using Carbotech Panther Plus front brake pads. They were down to 2-3 mm thickness, which is about where I like to replace them. They had 3604 total miles including 470 actual track miles. That's consistent with other pads I've used (stock, Endless CCX, Hawk HP+), all of which have varied in the range of 250-500 track miles.

I've only replaced rear brake pads once, after getting 1317 track miles (12,348 total miles) on my original stock pads. I have about the same mileage on the set of Endless CC-X rear pads, and they still have ~4 mm of material on them.

I developed some cracking in one of my Stoptech two-piece stock-size front rotors, and replaced them. They had 849 track miles on them (7786 total miles) and had been turned once. My previous set of Stoptech rotors had 1263 track miles (10,664 total) when I replaced them. My original stock rotors got 502 track miles (6,659 total). This time I put on a pair of Autozone front rotors, so we'll see how long they last.

 

Interesting. How would you rate your Stoptech two peice rotor in terms of price and life?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by IGGY &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Interesting. How would you rate your Stoptech two peice rotor in terms of price and life?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Price - expensive. I forget how much the complete original rotor cost, but I think replacements (when you re-use the center hat) are going for $120 for each rotor (outer ring) plus $40 for the hardware (I'm not sure if that's $40/side or $40 for two sides). That compares with $100/rotor at Sunnyside or $29/rotor at Autozone.

Life - as you can see from the numbers, my two sets lasted 70 and 150 percent longer than my original stock rotors. I'll have to see how long my Autozone rotors last.

 

Brake usage is really track dependent.

I can go 3 weekends at VIR, racking up over 1000 track miles on one set of pads, but i'd burn up a set of pads in 2 weekends at CMP, probably 300 track miles.

[edit] I use carbotech XP8's. :throws gasoline onto flame fire:

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'll have to see how long my Autozone rotors last.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

For 29 bucks, they do pretty good. Wear 'em out as fast as you can, they have a warranty.

 

I've going over 15K miles on my StopTech 2PC rotors w/o problems. I'm just now starting to see some hairline cracks. This was with P+ and now much nicer VR's.

-Victor

 

How many track events?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Rguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

For 29 bucks, they do pretty good. Wear 'em out as fast as you can, they have a warranty. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Dunno if their warrenty applies where I live (NY). As a matter of fact I tossed the reciept since they were so cheap and thought that their warrenty with rotors in particular was a thing of the past.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How many track events?</TD></TR></TABLE>

As for their life, they lasted me only 1 track day with minimal road usage and began to show hairline cracks immediately thereafter. They were seasoned correctly and the pads were broken in correctly. The Cobalt rotors I have experienced on the other hand, lasted 3 track days and minimum 2,000 miles road usage with no major issue other than them actually being eaten away from the track use with Hawk Blues.


Thanks again for the info Ken

 

My cobalt rotors have tons of cracks - but nothing that goes all the way across the rotor, and no deep cracks... just surface heat/stress fractures. They have 11 track days on them and just about 20,000 miles on them. I plan on taking new rotors with me to every event from now on and monitoring the situation after every session.

Pads - My Spec VRs had 9 track days on them - on average I got 144 miles per day. Gingerman is not very hard on pads, nor was Beaver or MAM. I had 2-3mm of pad left at the end of the last session in October - and 3mm is the absolute minimum thickness recommended by Andie.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris N &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My cobalt rotors have tons of cracks - but nothing that goes all the way across the rotor, and no deep cracks... just surface heat/stress fractures.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Those tiny surface heat/stress fractures are not reason to replace the rotors, but they are a reason to keep a closer eye on the rotors, to see if any develop into serious cracks.

One rule of thumb (no pun intended) is to replace the rotors if there is a crack deep/big enough to feel with the tip of your fingernail (obviously, not when you come off the track and they're really hot).

In this particular case (this past weekend), one of my Stoptech rotors had a couple of thin radial cracks (in addition to the usual heat stress cracks) but if you looked closely, you could see that the thin radial cracks went from the center and extended about half the width of the contact part of the rotor. That's enough that you don't want to keep using them. Plus, some of my connector hardware was broken.

 

i finally just killed my original set of autozone rotors. i'll have to check when i get home when i originally bought them but it's been at least 1.5 years and probably closer to 2. they are are only used at track events. they developed stress cracks almost immediately but remained very much usable until this last event at gingerman where large cracks that spanned the entire radius of the surface developed.

probably the most cost effective purchase you can make for a track car. i have a set of cobalts that i bought before expo3 and unless they last me 2 to 3 years i don't see the reason for my next set to not be autozone's.

as for pads i like both the cobalt's and ferodo's. i think the ferodo's provide superior braking both in clamping force and feel but not really worth the shorter life. i get 6 to 8 days from the cobalt's and 4 to 5 from the ferodo's.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lanceh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">as for pads i like both the cobalt's and ferodo's. i think the ferodo's provide superior braking both in clamping force and feel but not really worth the shorter life. i get 6 to 8 days from the cobalt's and 4 to 5 from the ferodo's.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Both Cobalt and Ferodo make a variety of brake pads, everything from full-on track pads (grip like the dickens, squeal like a pig, dust like a duststorm) to user-friendly street pads and everything in between. Please specify which Cobalt and Ferodo pads you're referring to...

 

DS3000 and spec VR

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris N &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">DS3000 and spec VR</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah. we're talking track here. i figured the specific model's were assumed.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lanceh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i finally just killed my original set of autozone rotors. i'll have to check when i get home when i originally bought them but it's been at least 1.5 years and probably closer to 2. they are are only used at track events. they developed stress cracks almost immediately but remained very much usable until this last event at gingerman where large cracks that spanned the entire radius of the surface developed.

probably the most cost effective purchase you can make for a track car.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just happened to notice the stress cracks happen faster on the Autozones but, this could mean nothing at all.


The only Real difference that I can see when comparing the Cobalt rotor to the Autozone is the venting vanes look more effective and numerous on the Cobalt.

Well that and the Cobalts are nicely blanchard ground as opposed to the cheaply finished looking Autozones.

I've tried them both and when I run out of the Cobalts that I got cheap, I'll most likely go back to the Autozones.

Spec VR pads up front here with GT Sports in the rear. The feeling when braking is much more balanced then when previously with Hawk blues or VR's in the front and stock rear pads.


Oh, and BTW. My brake fade, boiling fluid was FIXED, FINALLY!


Currently with SS lines and loving the feedback. Actually feeling the threshhold is a very nice thing. Of course it's also nice to stop the car altogether again.

 

so your problem was the lines? glad to hear it's resolved.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lanceh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so your problem was the lines? glad to hear it's resolved.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nope, wasn't the lines.

It was a combination of ABS not functioning correctly and air in the lines and bad bleed procedures.

But, all is good now and I do like the SS lines.

I just gotta get my *** in gear and get some seat time so I'm able to hang with you guys next time.

 

so how was the ABS problem fixed?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lanceh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so how was the ABS problem fixed?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The ABS solonoids can either be activated individually with a 12V signal or you can go tear-assing all over the place activating ABS on loose surfaces a crapload of times (as I did on dirt horse trails.) Afterwhich a good full bleed with a bleeder bottle fitted with a one-way check valve in the proper order,

and all was good as new.

Oh, and I had the dust shields removed as well but that had nothing to do with the ABS, just with overheating the fluid.

Me overworking the brakes at times is still possibly an issue but that will only come with seat time. At least I have brakes again, which tends to build confidence.

 

yeah. i've become a big fan of the flush, beat on the ABS and flush again. i just went from ATE super blue to type200 yellow. after beating on the ABS for a bit the fluid turned completely blue again. after the second flush all was well in brakeland.

 

Both me and willord put new rotors on before VIR this year, then did carguys at summit a few weeks later.

My rotors (centric, from carbotech, same as andie sells) looked better than his (autozone) - less stress/heat cracking on the face... however I did crack one. Only 4 track days on it, although i'm *assuming* that its my own dumbass mis-management of my equipment driving in the rain. Does this mean anything? I have no idea. I've got 5 days on the current set (including 2 at CMP), and they look great so far.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How many track events?</TD></TR></TABLE>

14

-Victor

 

My rotors usually only last a few events before something needs to fixed.

As far as pads, I ran Ultimates last year...made it through 2, barely.

I'm running GT sports in the rear, and Spec B's in the front...will keep everyone posted.