Do it all brake pads (Miata content)

I need some advice on what brake pads to buy. My car is driven on the street and will be autocrossed a lot. I would also like to do a couple track days. From the research I've done people seem to like the Mazda pads for autoX because they have good initial bite, but I think they'll fade right away on the track. Most of the track pad threads I've read suggest pads that take a while to get up to temperature and therefore won't be good for my purposes. Is there anything that will work well for autocross and still be acceptable on the track (I've never done a track day before so I won't be pushing it too hard)? I've gotten some recommendations for the Hawk HP+ Do you guys agree with that advice or should I be doing something else?

I also noticed that lots of people like to run different pads in the front than in the back. I don't want to do this to start with. I'd rather figure out how the car reacts to my driving style and then maybe stagger my pad compounds based on my results.

All I can say is that your mileage may vary--and the tracks you visit will make a difference, too. Sebring and Roebling Road are each 3 hours from here, but one is way tougher on brakes than the other.

I really only used autocrosses as shakedown runs after making changes to my Miatas, but I liked EBC pads for the track. Both cars would also see a few street miles every year.

CrashDummy wrote: I need some advice on what brake pads to buy. My car is driven on the street and will be autocrossed a lot. I would also like to do a couple track days. From the research I've done people seem to like the Mazda pads for autoX because they have good initial bite, but I think they'll fade right away on the track. Most of the track pad threads I've read suggest pads that take a while to get up to temperature and therefore won't be good for my purposes. Is there anything that will work well for autocross and still be acceptable on the track (I've never done a track day before so I won't be pushing it too hard)? I've gotten some recommendations for the Hawk HP+ Do you guys agree with that advice or should I be doing something else? I also noticed that lots of people like to run different pads in the front than in the back. I don't want to do this to start with. I'd rather figure out how the car reacts to my driving style and then maybe stagger my pad compounds based on my results.

highlighted part: there's a lot of mis-conception in regards to this ... the "heat-up" time ( depending on which pad ) is really mSEC. the Carbotech AX6 / XP8/10 heat up so quickly you won't notice the lag ... the initial bite is such that you'll be loving it ... there are several Hawk pads the same way ... HP+, HPS, ( and the ones I use ) DTC60 ... absolutely no problem using them on the street .... other than the amt of brake dust

I drive my CRX on the street, a-x it, and TT it .. all on "track" pads

Well I bought a set of Carbotech XP10 for the front and AX6 for the rears on my supercharged 99. The first use was a track weekend at Robeling Road. But since then I have weekend driven them on the street, and one autox. I have to say they have been really good, not too dusty and no squeal, well just a little sometimes. Enough to make me feel like I'm back on the track.

I bought them thru 5x racing and ended up with the kind of odd pairing due to their advice. Here is an exchange we had at the end.

"That helps tremendously! I see now why you were recommended the 1521's for the rear, because you want to use them on the street when not on the track, but have a pad decent enough to handle a track event. Got it!

I would go one further than Carbotech and recommend the AX6 compound for the rear for a little bit better of braking, it is their auto-x compound but can also be used on the street, with the side effect of a little more dust and maybe some cold temp squealing. Nothing that will be bothersome for a weekend driver. The AX6 will handle the track day better too, and if you ever decide to go anywhere other than Roebling, you'll be ok. Roebling is very easy on brakes, but other tracks not so much! If your plan is to go with 1521's all the way around in the future, by all means you can use the 1521's in the rear for now and add the fronts later with no side effects. You can also think about the AX6's all the way around too for some better performance on the street and for light (very light) track use and auto-x. They will be awesome on the street too. I agree with Carbotech that your car will be too fast for anything less than XP10's up front on the track. You'll probably hit 120 at Roebling on the strait, you'll need a track pad to avoid a meltdown.

Any carbotech compound is interchangeable with each other, so you can go from an XP10 to a 1521, then back again without worry. The biggest thing is to avoid mixing Carbotech pads with anything else, the transfer film is unique and they won't work as well (believe it or not...).

Hope this helps. Thanks, John

I've seen HP+ pads overheat in less than two laps of our local track. Not my favorite.

The concern with running track pads on the street - to me - has to deal with panic stops. If you're on the highway for a while, your brakes will basically be at ambient temperature. Then what happens if you have to stop NOW? They can also be grabby when cold, which means more difficulty modulating the brakes and thus longer stopping distances. A friend used to run Hawk Black (I think, they might have been Blues) on his track Miata and that was a cantankerous little braker on the street.

The closest I've come to a "do everything" pad is the PFC97 compound. They always work, from a V8 Miata on a kart track to commuting in cool weather. But they take a toll on rotors in the process.

Haven't spent much time on the street with the xp10 on the front though.

i was worried about cold pads, but really haven't seen a problem. But I don't drive it daily, so I was figuring if I had an issue I would switch to the 1521's in the front, or maybe ax6 all around.

I'm looking for pads for the exact same purposes for a car of a similar weight, and had a thread on it:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/recommend-me-pads-for-mixed-streettrack-car/57791/page1/

Short story, there is nothing for your exact application, you'll either have to settle for "a bit too pedestrian" or "a bit too aggressive."

On the "a bit too pedestrian" side is the Carbotech AX6, Porterfield R4S and Hawk HP+ (the most aggressive of these).

On the "a bit too aggressive" side is the Carbotech XP8 (XP10s are even more aggressive) and Porterfield R4.

So you have to choose whether you want your pads to get gooey on the track or take some time to warm up on the street/in autocross.

For your purposes you might want to try the HP+. Just keep in mind, I've been told the dust is profuse and turns into a nasty corrosive goo when wet.

Keith Tanner wrote: I've seen HP+ pads overheat in less than two laps of our local track. Not my favorite. The concern with running track pads on the street - to me - has to deal with panic stops. If you're on the highway for a while, your brakes will basically be at ambient temperature. Then what happens if you have to stop NOW? They can also be grabby when cold, which means more difficulty modulating the brakes and thus longer stopping distances. A friend used to run Hawk Black (I think, they might have been Blues) on his track Miata and that was a cantankerous little braker on the street. The closest I've come to a "do everything" pad is the PFC97 compound. They always work, from a V8 Miata on a kart track to commuting in cool weather. But they take a toll on rotors in the process. Haven't spent much time on the street with the xp10 on the front though.

Keith, I've never had any problem driving on the street with "track" pads ... think Carbotech AX6's, XP10's, and Hawk DTC60's ... the ambient to OMG they're working seems to be measured in the milli sec. range ... at least for those there ( '01 Integra and '91 CRX ... both built for ST comp. fwiw )