Which pad should I use?

#1

Hi All,
I am using Hawk Blue pads. I have run 3 weekends and I am metal to metal. This was quite unexpected.
I would like to find out what pads people are using, what kind of life they are getting, and if you remember what they cost.
I have to get all new pads by the Nor Cal September event.
Thank you.

#2

3 weekends is about what I experienced with the Hawk HT-10s and DTC-60s up front. I made the swap to the PFC-06s and have gotten about twice the pad life.

#3

Another thing to consider when talking about pad life is heat. If you are not running ducting and are very aggressive with your breaks you will build more heat and use more pad. I was highly recommend talking to Larry Moore about his break backing plates.

Currently my dad and I are using raybestos st43 up front and hawk blues in the rear. This set up is decent on feel and performance and excellent on life. We get almost half a season on the front and a full season in the rear. However I am looking to switch to the performance friction for the contingency opertunity.

#4

Hi Rich,
Very, very happy with Raybestos ST43 & Hawk H10 in rear. TFB likes PFC 01’s. Keep using Hawk blues & you will have less brake than the front runners & pads wear out very quickly.

#5

I use Carbotech XP12 in front and XP8’s in the rear. Lightyears better than the HT-10 setup I had before.

#6

Hi All,
Thank you for the input.
I had not heard of Carbotech before.
I have decided to try the PFC08 and ordered them last night.
The price was very close for all three brands(Hawk, Raybestos, and Performance Friction).
I will start a new thread about rotors.
Rich

#7

Feedback from our guys is PFC06 can run almost a season provided it is well ducted; highly recommend the solid slide guides to ensure equal (non-tapered) pad wear. PFC08 should be even better again from all reports; and hopefully increase rotor life at the same time.

#8

Are the ATE calipers a direct bolt on replacement for the girlings? The ATE ones are the ones that don’t cause pad taper right?

#9

No direct experience, but they have different carrier brackets, and as long as you get the ATEs with their carrier brackets, that assembly bolts right up.

That said, I’ve had two sets of Girlings (replaced originals with remans), and don’t have any problems with pad taper.

And I ordered a new set of DTC-60s just before this thread appeared. I think my last set only lasted 3 weekends. My next set will be PFC-08.

#10

You’ll probably need to get the brass bushings, I think BW sells them, to beat pad taper.

The problem with pad taper isn’t so much reduced pad life, as a soft brake pedal. The pad doesn’t travel very far when you push the brake pedal down. If you have 2mm of travel then the pad has to move an extra 2mm before it is in full contact with the rotor and you’ll easily feel that 2mm of additional pad travel at the pedal.

I think I’ve tried about every combo. My first calipers were ATE’s w/o bushings. Then I tried Girlings in front. Then I went back to ATE’s but this time put in front brass bushings. And then finally I put in rear brass bushings.

Different people have different experiences with the same setup so not everyone is going to have the same results I did. It’s a complicated world. With that caveat in mind, ATE with brass bushings on all 4 corners FTW. Your brakes will never be Porsche stiff (meaning hard pedal), but they’ll at least be as stiff as you can make them.