mgordon18

FCPeuro.com has a deal where they replace almost everything they sell for free forever. This includes wear and tear items like rotors and brake pads. The only problem I see is that their variety is extremely limited. They carry genuine Porsche pads, for example, but no real track pads (I'm currently on Ferodo DS 1.11s, purchased elsewhere).

Would you run stock Porsche pads if you could replace them for free forever? It would be nice to not have to shell out $1K a few times a season for new Ferodos (or Pagids, or whatever). I'm at the track approximately 10 days/year. Same goes for rotors, BTW.

Thoughts?

PorscheAddict

I wouldn't compromise performance to save a few $. Pagid or PFC compared to OEM is a pretty difference experience, especially driving hard. I also tend to doubt they'd honor that policy to infinity if you need 5 sets of pads every year. Might be kind of like the all you can eat buffets, that eventually kick people out...

mgordon18

I guess that's my question: How much higher performing are track pads vs stock? To me at least, the supposed benefit of track pads were longer pad life. Stopping power was very similar and fade was unnoticeable. I'm no racer, but I'm not a novice either. If pad life becomes a non-issue, are stock pads really that much worse?

911 Rod

Are they not still charging labour?

mgordon18

Not sure what you mean by "labor." You do have to pay for shipping the new items to you and for shipping the used items back, but that's nothing compared to buying another set...

BFT3.2

Raybestos ST-43, tons of power, work great bone cold and last forever. 20+ track days in White(Advanced) and fronts are at about 30%. They run about $550 (for SPB) from Porterfield who can cut them to any size application I believe. I'd probably run them on a non track car but always a chance of them being noisy, dead silent on my car.

mhm993

If you can't tell the difference, then you're not using sticky tires and aren't driving near the car's limit. (Not criticizing) If you and the car progress near that point, you'll know..

Until then.....More power to you if you can get new pads for the track for 'free", and you can't tell the difference. Stock pads for red calipers are fine for many drivers, especially in street cars.

mgordon18

Indeed, I'm in a bone-stock 991.1 C4S with Sport Cup 2s.

Mr. Turtles

The Ferodo's should last at least 10 days. And high end rotors (AP Racing or Giro) should last around 40-50 track days. I'm not sure how you are wearing out your Ferodos's a few times a season when you only track 10 times total. I'm not being critical just surprised as I'm actually pretty hard on my brakes (my friends get more days than I do) and we run in Black and advanced run groups in a GT cars.

As mentioned by mhm993 you will know its time to change brake pads. In my prior 991S the pads eventually melted as I progressed up in run groups from white to blue. I was also running MPSC2's which are pretty sticky...only thing really better IMHO would be slicks but that's a whole other discussion. When/if the pads overheat they typically melt small amounts of pad material onto the rotors and cause brake judder, the OEM pads can't handle the heat. We were wearing out OEM pads in a weekend and so had to move to track pads. Re rotors, the AP racing/Giro rotors while having a higher initial cost (replacement discs are cheaper) overall they last so much longer that they are cost effective.

Good luck in your search for the perfect combination down the slippery slope of tracking.

PS a little camber would help with the life of your tires, just max out the stock settings with an alignment to start.

dgrobs

I run the FERODO DS1.11's on my 981S track car. RE71-R's for tires and Girodisc rotors.
We put in GT3(RSS) control arms on all 4 wheels and took the wheel size down to 19 from 20 to accommodate the new camber we used, 2.8-3.0 I believe. (Amazing change in cornering ability).

With that setup, I get about 10 days on a set of pads. Run in White (and Black with a select region or 2). 50 track days = 5 sets of pads.
No way I could use the OEM pads again on that car. Would be going through a full set every dry weekend on track. Free or not, to me, not worth the constant pad changes, especially up front, and then there is the performance difference. And I'm pretty sure I still "over-brake" way more than I should.

At The Glen, LSS will throw in the new pads for pretty damn cheap. Good guys over there. Sometimes worth the extra couple bucks to not get my hands "dirty".

To the OP, until you need and feel the need for better pads and longer life, stick with the free ones. If you can't tell the difference, then go with free every-time. As mentioned above, you'll know when it's time to move on to a better track pad. You'll just know.

Only thing I see wrong with what you're doing, is not getting enough days on track. You can do better than 10. I know you can.

mgordon18

LOL - Tell that to my wife, 10 year old, and 6 year old! This past season I did 10 days, but all seasons prior to that I was only doing 4 or 6, so 10 is a big jump for me.

I have not yet run through my 1st set of Ferodos. They currently have 4 days on them and they are at about 60% material remaining, but as I keep hearing, "once you get down to 50%, the begin to get eaten up faster." So I expect about 3 or 4 more days on them before they'll need replacing. Maybe they'll get to 10 days. My stock pads were toast in about 2 weekends... maybe 5 days. I'm running at WGI and NJMP, mostly.

The Ferodos also squeal like a dump truck when driving them on the street, but I don't want to swap them in and out every time I have a track weekend. I know, I know...

I'm not as worried about rotors because they do last much longer. But the ones I have on there now (OEM with 25K miles on them) will need replacing before next season. The fronts are getting pretty cracked between the drill holes. I have a set of slotted Sebros waiting to go on the front in the Spring.

Planning on graduating from Blue to White, with you, Bruce!, in 2019.

LuigiVampa

Free or pay a bunch of money for more performance? If you want free stay home otherwise you always go for the maximum performance your skill set demands!

There was a time I couldn't overdrive a bone stock heavy as hell Audi A4 of all season tires (my first DE car). If you stay with what is cheap you never progress.

My $0.02.

docwyte

I wish I could get ten days a season! I'm lucky to get to the track 2-4 times with maybe an auto-x here and there

erko1905

Driving the same car as you (except the PDK), similar run group I assume (PCA blue) I thought the OEM pads vs the Ferodo DS1.11s were very different, so I'm surprised to hear you thought braking power was similar. OEM pads are basically play-doh after they heat up (or that's been my experience during one weekend I used them) - Ferodos on the other hand have much more bite, consistent at track temps - Ferodo + the GiroDisc rotors + 991 already being the easiest car to drive on earth, car is braking as well as anything out there in mid level DE.

I somewhat disagree with the second half of the pad comment as well. I did think w Pagid RS29 yellows the second 50% was worse than the first 50%, Ferodos don't seem to have that problem. If you're monitoring your pads session to session and take a spare set with you to the event, you can likely use them down to a reasonable level, they seem to wear at a similar rate for me down to whatever thickness I'm comfortable with.

Lastly - I'm also using the Ferodos year round due to the same laziness. Because of the good initial bite they're actually passable in cold - and I wouldn't worry about the noise : #becauseracecar

Hopefully see you out there next season at some NJ events.

cosm3os

If you have to ask this question, you are in the wrong sport.