What Street/Track Brake Pad to use?
06-21-2013, 10:23 AM
#16
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+1 on the PFC08's for dual street/track use. I find them very quiet on the street -- only occasionally I get a little squeak under light braking. If anything, they are noisier on the track when they get really hot, but they have tremendous bite on the track. Also +1 on Clarke at Apex.
06-21-2013, 11:14 AM
#17
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06-21-2013, 11:31 AM
#18
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PFC08, I got mine from Clark as well. Ran great on the track and great for the street as well. After running them at the track, I went back to my street pads and realized how much more I loved the PFC so I run them all the time now and deal with a little bit of squeel.
06-21-2013, 12:45 PM
#19
Three Wheelin'
I love the squeak... People look at me at the stop light... My wife asks me if something is wrong with the brakes... I tell her that it needs to go to the track this weekend and she rolls her guys.
06-22-2013, 03:21 PM
#21
07-03-2013, 06:27 AM
#23
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Performance Friction.
I dont think anyone mentioned the black dust that forms concrete on the wheels and is virtually impossible to remove.
I'm going to use Pagid blue next instead, have previously used Pagid RS19 with the only downside being squeals.
I dont think anyone mentioned the black dust that forms concrete on the wheels and is virtually impossible to remove.
I'm going to use Pagid blue next instead, have previously used Pagid RS19 with the only downside being squeals.
07-03-2013, 10:15 AM
#25
You must be using one of their original compounds like the 97 which supposedly was hard to remove. The 01, 06, or 08 wipe off very easily and dust less than Pagids in my opinion. No issue whatsoever.
07-03-2013, 12:41 PM
#26
Instructor
07-03-2013, 11:29 PM
#27
Burning Brakes
My car came with Pagids 29/14 and they were great as a street/track pad. They lasted a good while, but the last 30% of pad thickness wore down very rapidly compared to the first 70%. I’ve read elsewhere that Pagids lose bite toward the end of their thickness, but I didn’t experience that at all; just rapid wear near the end of their life.
My next (and current) pads are PFC’s 08 in front and the more aggressive 01’s in the rear. I was getting a lot of tail wagging under hard braking with my Pagids, so I added more bite in the rear in hopes of dialing that out. I get much less tail wag now, so it seems to have worked. What I notice about the PFC’s vs the Pagids:
1. The PFC’s bite much harder. So much harder in fact, that it triggers the ABS much sooner. I’ve had to recalibrate my braking effort to manage this effect. I’m running street tires on track, so it’s possible the bite from these pads is overwhelming the grip of the tires and triggering the ABS. In any case, I like the extra bite and I’m glad I made the switch.
2. I haven’t gotten any of the squealing during street use that I’ve read others posting about – not one squeak that I can hear. The GT3 uses rubber washer inserts between the caliper pistons and the back of the pads, and they degrade somewhat over time. Some people omit these washers once they get old, and that could possibly contribute to squealing noises. When I installed my pads, I also used a liberal coating of anti-squeal grease on the back of each pad. Not sure if that improved my results, but it doesn’t seem to hurt anything. I used the NAPA brand anti-squeal grease – two small red tubes for less than $5.
3. It’s weird, but the PFC’s smell different under hard braking. The very first time I applied the brakes at the end of a long straight with the windows rolled down, I could tell right away that the pad compound was different. Funny how you notice small things when you’re tracking a car and constantly on the alert for problems or anomalies.
You also asked about rotors. I run stock cross drilled rotors on the rear (not too expensive and they last a long time), and Deman slotted rotors on the front. If you drive tracks with very fast straights ending in slow turns, you’ll go through front rotors. The slotted Deman front disks hold up a bit better than the cross drilled stock units, and they cost a bit less too.
My next (and current) pads are PFC’s 08 in front and the more aggressive 01’s in the rear. I was getting a lot of tail wagging under hard braking with my Pagids, so I added more bite in the rear in hopes of dialing that out. I get much less tail wag now, so it seems to have worked. What I notice about the PFC’s vs the Pagids:
1. The PFC’s bite much harder. So much harder in fact, that it triggers the ABS much sooner. I’ve had to recalibrate my braking effort to manage this effect. I’m running street tires on track, so it’s possible the bite from these pads is overwhelming the grip of the tires and triggering the ABS. In any case, I like the extra bite and I’m glad I made the switch.
2. I haven’t gotten any of the squealing during street use that I’ve read others posting about – not one squeak that I can hear. The GT3 uses rubber washer inserts between the caliper pistons and the back of the pads, and they degrade somewhat over time. Some people omit these washers once they get old, and that could possibly contribute to squealing noises. When I installed my pads, I also used a liberal coating of anti-squeal grease on the back of each pad. Not sure if that improved my results, but it doesn’t seem to hurt anything. I used the NAPA brand anti-squeal grease – two small red tubes for less than $5.
3. It’s weird, but the PFC’s smell different under hard braking. The very first time I applied the brakes at the end of a long straight with the windows rolled down, I could tell right away that the pad compound was different. Funny how you notice small things when you’re tracking a car and constantly on the alert for problems or anomalies.
You also asked about rotors. I run stock cross drilled rotors on the rear (not too expensive and they last a long time), and Deman slotted rotors on the front. If you drive tracks with very fast straights ending in slow turns, you’ll go through front rotors. The slotted Deman front disks hold up a bit better than the cross drilled stock units, and they cost a bit less too.
07-04-2013, 01:36 AM
#28
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2. I haven’t gotten any of the squealing during street use that I’ve read others posting about – not one squeak that I can hear. The GT3 uses rubber washer inserts between the caliper pistons and the back of the pads, and they degrade somewhat over time. Some people omit these washers once they get old, and that could possibly contribute to squealing noises. When I installed my pads, I also used a liberal coating of anti-squeal grease on the back of each pad. Not sure if that improved my results, but it doesn’t seem to hurt anything. I used the NAPA brand anti-squeal grease – two small red tubes for less than $5.
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07-04-2013, 11:08 AM
#29
Was using Pagid Yellow and switched to PFC08. Found them to have more initial bite. I love them. After a track day they squeal like crazy on the street for a bit. Can reduce it by stopping more abruptly and applying greater pressure. Another shout out to Clark at Apex. He'll take care of you.