Brake Pads for AutoX / Track Days?

[MattN]

You guys need to be careful about using Hawk pads on the Mazdaspeed Protege. They do not have the right pad shape for your front. Some have been sold the pad for the Protege 5. It *fits* and *works*, but it is much smaller than the stock MS Protege pad. There's a lot less contact area with that pad and the rotor.

I do not recommend HP+, R4-S, or our Bobcat for track work.

Hawk should be pushing the Hawk Blues for track use.

 

[gar777]

You guys need to be careful about using Hawk pads on the Mazdaspeed Protege. They do not have the right pad shape for your front. Some have been sold the pad for the Protege 5. It *fits* and *works*, but it is much smaller than the stock MS Protege pad. There's a lot less contact area with that pad and the rotor.

I do not recommend HP+, R4-S, or our Bobcat for track work.

I guess you are Matt from Carbotech. If so, can you suggest a Carbotech pad which I could use for street, autocross and track? I realize there will likely be some trade offs but I'd like to find the best one-pad-fits-all compromise, if possible, rather than having to change pads for the track? I run maybe 5-7 auto crosses a year, 2-4 non-timed track days and I don't car about rotor wear. From your website, it looks like your Panther Plus--your entry-level race pad--might work. Do you know anyone running them like this? I have R4S and HP+ on my cars now and so I am used to a fair amount of noise and dusting. Thanks.

 

[DistantTea]

I can answer that... although Carbotech couldn't sponsor my brakes

The Panther+ could work depending on where you live. They dust waaaay less than the HP+ or R4S but do have the same amount of noise when cold. From what the autocross/racers around here say they are much friendlier to rotors too.

The only major problem that could happen is I'm not sure if anyone knows how the Panther+ does in bone chill northern winter weather. Thats pretty much why I'm running bobcats instead of Panthers and not doing any track days this year. I'm 100% certain that my bobcats/axxis combo could do a track "school" just fine. But thats because track schools (like the MidOhio school) keep speeds down and braking zones easy... no agressive manuvers whatsoever and limited track time.

If I go to Putnam this fall I'll be taking a front set of Panther+ and ATE Superblue with me.

I have noticed that dead cold the Axxis rear pads grip better than the Bobcat fronts. That changes once the bobcats get a little warm though. At operating temps they are equal but both will glaze when overused (I've never overused them and I've beaten my brakes to hell and back this year).

So I'd say the only thing keeping someone from using Panther+ all year would be the temperature question... what happens to the pads when its below freezing.

 

[MattN]

gar777, sounds like P+ is where you need to be. Expect a fair amount of dust and some squeaks out of them on the street. They come on early (~150 F degrees) so they are good for R-compound tire autocrossing, and their fade point of 1200 F is good enough for a track school.

 

[DistantTea]

gar777, sounds like P+ is where you need to be. Expect a fair amount of dust and some squeaks out of them on the street. They come on early (~150 F degrees) so they are good for R-compound tire autocrossing, and their fade point of 1200 F is good enough for a track school.

gar777 is in NY though... what about the winter temps?

 

[gar777]

gar777 is in NY though... what about the winter temps?

MattN - can you help with this?

If not, Distant, you may be on to something . . . I already have winter tires, maybe I need WINTER BRAKE PADS? Run the P+ or another aggressive, track-oriented pad during the summer autox/track season and then switch to a milder, Bobcat, R4S, HP+ type pad for the winter. It would sure beat having to change for every track event. Maybe a whole new marketing thing?

Also, FWIW, the R4S pads (on my wife's Maxima) dust WAY MORE than the HP+ (on my Protege ES). The squeaking is about the same, maybe slightly worse with the HP+, although I used the red gooey stuff on the backing plates to try to quiet the Maxima.