Brake Pads
 

I am going to Mid Ohio for two days and wanted to get a new set of pads just to be on the safe side. I currently have MS pads which I am not crazy about due to lack of linearity in the response and hence don't want to order again.
I am looking for pads that will be used for both street and track (HPDE). Don't really care about noise or brake dust (MS produce quite a bit of dust) but do care about pads not being overly aggressive on the rotors.


I got some good feedback on the "better" Project MU pads but am not sure if they are worth it as potentially I can get two set of the Hawk HP+ for roughly the same price. Any feedback on the cheaper MUs.

I am planning to leaving the MS rear pads in place (Any problems with that)

Right now I am leaning towards the Hawk HP +.


All input is appreciated.

I dont know, but i am highly interested as well! i think there are a lot of these threads already though. i bet there will be a direct answer...

I read some of the threads, but couldn't really infer anything concrete except the HP+ being a viable option. But I am a bit hesitant to order them before getting feedback. This is how I ordered my MS pads, they stop fine but loose the linear/progressive feel of the stock.

I use the HP+ and cant complain about their performance on the track. They are more suited to the track than the daily drive. I still find them OK on the street. The only proviso is that you warm them up before you try any serious driving/stopping.

^ Thank you for the feedback.

Anyone running the Project MU B force or NS ???

I used the HP+ on all 4 for an HPDE season, and I felt they were LESS confidence inspiring than stock. They suck is putting it bluntly. Not enough initial friction, no fade, but nothing good either that i can say about them. I run advanced or adv intermediate depending on the HPDE club I attend.

This year I got the Cobalt Friction GT Sport on all 4 reference here http://www.cobaltfriction.com/compounds/ on the recommendation of one of the forum's sponsers - Synaptic3 and haven't looked back. They are excellent - so far ahead of HP+ in all respects (except noise - there's a bit more at stop lights). They are excellent on the street, no warmup needed whatsoever, about the same dusting, but great initial bite, easily modulated, and they really really haul you down.

any other input on brake pads ???

Cabotech XP series or Porterfield R4S seem to get good reviews. Use a real track pad for track days. HP+ are ok fo street driving andr autocross but not for hardcore track sessions. They squeel and dust a lot but you do NOT have to get them up to temp like a real track pad before you get good bite.

I'm currently using Carbotech XP8 on the front and Bobcats on the rear. Here's my take: Very rotor friendly. Used them at twice at Roebling Road (not a brake heavy track) and once at Sebring (hard on brakes). Rotors are still nice and smooth and pads look like 40% worn. Another plus is that they work surprisingly well when cold (Florida ambient cold that is). I'm able to drive to and from the track with the pads on and switch them out at home. XP8 make a lot of noise though so I wouldn't drive around town on them all the time. Overall a good pad for beginner to intermediate track driving.

Downsides: I don't find that this combo slows down the car as quickly as I'd like. My previous car, Honda Prelude, weighs the same as an RX8(3000lbs.), had smaller brakes, but could slow down quicker when I used Cobalt Friction pads (don't remember model of the pads though).

I think next time I'm going to XP10s or even switching to Cobalt Friction again.

You'll see a lot of varying reviews about HP+ for track use. Although I haven't tracked with them on my RX8 I used them on my Prelude for track days and Miata for autocross. Although they're a good pad a lot of it depends on the weight of the vehicle, track, and driving style.

When I had them on my Prelude (3000lbs) they worked ok, but as I got better they couldn't cut it. You started to see some of the pad material on the rotor and after a couple of sessions, they're not that confidence inspiring. On the other hand, my friend also had HP+ on his 2nd gen RX7 (2600lbs I think) at the same event and they felt much better on his car. I rode with him and the brakes felt very strong. You could also see his car produced much less brake dust than my Prelude did. Brake design and vehicle weight have a lot to do with how people feel about them.

Just be aware that as you get better you'll find that you'll want something more agressive and that can haul the car down quickly.

I've been using HP+ for a year now (7 track events) in the RX8, and have used them on other cars as well. I've finally somewhat outgrown their capability on this car. I like them as I simply leave them on all of the time and daily drive them as well (lazy). I also run intermediate/advanced (also depending on the club).
If you're running a street tire, I don't see much gained by going with more aggressive pad other than bite and feedback characteristics of the compound. HP+ will overwhelm the stock tires if pushed hard. For a beginner/intermediate driver who wants a streetable track pad, the decision to use these is a no brainer.
I think I'll try XP8's later next year when some fresh rotors go on.

Thanks for the input, I have re-examined the MS pads and I still have about 70% of pad left after 3 events, so I am keeping them on for Mid Ohio. I am hoping to be on R compounds for next year so I might go to a track only pad. Again, thanks for the input, it gave me a much better perspective on my options.

To conclude this old thread.

The MS pads died an honorable death through two day BMW CCA/BMW CC events in Mosport and Mid Ohio. I have bought the Cobalt GT pads . They will probably see action in Mid Ohio at the end of May and I will write up a comparison between them and the MS pads.

P.S I actually grew to like the MS pads, they are not ideal for street driving but work well on the track

i didnt really read the thread so my opinion might be useless... but i have EBC green stuff and i love em. no complaints

Out of Hawk HP Plus, Porterfield R4S and the Cobalt Friction GT Sport (all pads which I've had experience with at the track), my preference is strongly weighted towards the GT Sport.