Best Track car brake pads.

[Lardy]

Need best advice please, Ive got an 850 estate track car and want new brake pads but don't know which ones are suitable with dimpled fronts been given all sorts of advice now i'm all confused.com...
lardy

[JUDGENINJA]

My 850 runs Brembo max discs with DS2500 pads and high temp fluid.

I don't know if they are the best, but I don't get brake fade..

[Mongo]

As above is a good setup my vr6 track car runs the same and ive never had brake fade either i use ATE super blue fluid about £12 from euro car parts they may have to order it in but its a good setup ferodo do a ds3000 pad made for track use but ive never used them ds2500 are brilliant.

[jardon]

Carbotech XP series pads are what I would recommend. They will cost more than DS2500's but the difference in pedal feel, initial bite and fade resistance at all temperatures on road or track is night and day in a stock caliper/disc set-up. I have run DS2500, XP10 on road and track. Currently XP8 - my car is road only at the moment. XP pads are a lot noisier than DS2500's in the calipers that come with 286 and 302mm discs but are quiet in the later model calipers (316+ mm discs). There are a few Carbotech users on here and a few more on T5D5.

For track I would run XP10 or XP20 - XP8 may not be up to coping with the highest temperatures if you plan to stay out for a long time and according to reliable track focussed users XP12/XP16 wear themselves and discs relatively quickly. XP20 will give maximum retardation and maximum fade resistance in the Carbotech XP range.

[smithy]

I use ds2500 pads never had a problem apart from the price lol

[t5 stealth]

i use yellow stuff............they are better when they warm up :)

[Wobbly Dave]

DS2500. I ran 4 track days in the last 12 months. DS2500 only faded after 6 laps with an ARDS instructor on Oulton.

[Lardy]

great stuff many thanks lots to start with im using Ap 6dot fluid so hopfully fade is keep to minimum.

[deathrider311271]

im running mintex discs and 1155 pads, they do tend to squeel when they get hot not had them on track in my volvo but i did in my Escort Cosworth and they didnt fade just squeeled a lot lol

[Redbrick]

i use yellow stuff............they are better when they warm up :)

I threw mine away. Without a doubt the most inconsistent pad I have used on a vehicle.

I used to rave about DS2500 with AP 5.1 brake fluid on the old red 855R with AP's. I'm now using Carbotech XP8's all round on the silver 855 T5 with Motul RBF600 dot 4 fluid, this one has front AP's and S60R rears. The difference is staggering. Expensive but worth it.

[Yosser]

I threw mine away. Without a doubt the most inconsistent pad I have used on a vehicle.

I'd have to give that award to Redstuff. I gave them away, they were inconsistent to the point of being dangerous IMHO.

I have Yellowstuff on the S70 with AP's up front and they've been surprisingly good - although I accept (based on the weight of evidence) that Carbotech are the top dog. You don't half pay for that privilege though....

[jardon]

I threw mine away. Without a doubt the most inconsistent pad I have used on a vehicle.

I used to rave about DS2500 with AP 5.1 brake fluid on the old red 855R with AP's. I'm now using Carbotech XP8's all round on the silver 855 T5 with Motul RBF600 dot 4 fluid, this one has front AP's and S60R rears. The difference is staggering. Expensive but worth it.

+1 re: DS2500 - I can understand why people who use them are impressed as they are undoubtedly more fade resistant than stock and they almost got me through a day at Combe. However you had to really give the pedal some oomph to get them going and then they would occasionally lock up without warning - very unpredictable (road and track - hot or cold). They also suffered from horrendous pad pick up because they overheated and that never really went away even after 1000+ road miles. I ended going back to stock as on road they were like wood from cold. With XP's the bite is hard and immediate but easy to modulate with pedal pressure - cold, warm or hot. On track I couldn't get them anywhere near fading with 1800kg of car/passenger and some really bad novice over-braking. There was a little pad pick up but it went after a few hundred miles as the aggressive compound cleans itself up.

Downsides to XP pads will be noise, wear, dust (I can't get it off) and purchase cost but in terms of braking performance I would never go back to DS2500 or stock on road or track. Also, towards the end of the pad life XP's do drop off in performance significantly (last few mm).

Not rubbishing DS2500 but for a track car (and for me road too) there are way better options out there.

[Keri-WMS]

It largely comes down to what you want to pay.

Cheapest (and fine for a lot of people):
EBC Red/Yellow.

Sensible value:
Ferodo DS2500 (DS3000 if you don't have to drive on the road at all)

Best performance (but at a price!!!!):
Carbotech and Pagid

[Wobbly Dave]

Downsides to XP pads will be noise, wear, dust (I can't get it off) and purchase cost but in terms of braking performance I would never go back to DS2500 or stock on road or track. Also, towards the end of the pad life XP's do drop off in performance significantly (last few mm).

Not rubbishing DS2500 but for a track car (and for me road too) there are way better options out there.

You need to get yourself some IRON-X soap (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/carpro-ironx-soap-gel/prod_826.html) or spray (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/carpro-iron-x-500ml/prod_726.html)to remove the contaminents. ;)

I use the soap gel like toothpaste on an old wheel brush - work it in, leave for 5 mins & wash off. Lemon-squeezy ;)

[jardon]

You need to get yourself some IRON-X soap (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/carpro-ironx-soap-gel/prod_826.html) or spray (http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/engine-and-exterior/carpro-iron-x-500ml/prod_726.html)to remove the contaminents. ;)

I use the soap gel like toothpaste on an old wheel brush - work it in, leave for 5 mins & wash off. Lemon-squeezy ;)

Thanks Dave, I may well give it go but it says on the blurb that it's good for removing iron deposits. Carbotechs are non-ferrous ceramic based pads so I don't know that it will do the job. I love how on the Carbotech website it says the dust rinses off with a hose. I used "wonder wheels" a while ago and that wouldn't touch the really burnt on stuff in between the spokes. May try some B+Q brick cleaner - it de-scaled our failing steam iron pretty quickly.

Edit: Just Googled this issue and most folks are saying that they have no problem with Carbotech dust if they clean their wheels frequently but that it sticks like glue if it's left to bake on and go through cycles of wet-dry-wet..... I clean mine twice a year so I guess it's not coming off without a fight. Their claims about no-hassle dust are valid-ish when you consider there's nothing corrosive in it to actually eat your wheels. I still love them but thank goodness for anthracite wheel paint.

[Keri-WMS]

I've had pretty good results with motor-factor TFR (traffic film remover) - might be worth a stab?

[Richy200]

Used DS2500 and 3000 on track and never had a problem with either!

Used to run DS2500 on my Clio 200 and they only started to fade after 15/20minutes of the snetterton 100 which if anyone has driven doesn't give the brakes much time to cool down.

[Theador]

Same, I mix up a strong solution, gets rid of most stuff, including the grease in the CV joints no doubt...

Thinking of going for ds2500's too; the pads on mine at the moment squeal like a pig. God knows what hey are though. They're crap cold, good hot. Unpredictable warm.


I've had pretty good results with motor-factor TFR (traffic film remover) - might be worth a stab?

[don kalmar union]

I would agree with the use of either DS2500, Mintex 1155, Carbotech or Pagid material for track days. DS 3000 are certainly not suitable for road use.

However there is no substitute for taking a cold feed from the front bumper light apertures and piping it into the centre of your discs, it is most effective in getting rid of some of the heat generated and helps... regardless of the pad material, and I am continually surprised that this is not often considered......

Don.

[Wobbly Dave]

I have often thought it would be good to replace my seldom used front fogs and put in a cold air feed to the DS2500s I run.

[Theador]

Anyone got any pics of their cold air ducting?

[Harvey]

Anyone got any pics of their cold air ducting?

If you have a S60R or V70R you could fit this kit from Volvo.

http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?58370-Volvo-OEM-brake-ducts-air-guides-and-spoilers

[Theador]

850R here. And don't really want to lose my fog lights, we get fog! I guess the two air intakes where the tow eye hangs out of could be utilised.

[Theador]

Who sells Carbotech? Can't find them after a quick search online; not in the UK anyway.


I threw mine away. Without a doubt the most inconsistent pad I have used on a vehicle.

I used to rave about DS2500 with AP 5.1 brake fluid on the old red 855R with AP's. I'm now using Carbotech XP8's all round on the silver 855 T5 with Motul RBF600 dot 4 fluid, this one has front AP's and S60R rears. The difference is staggering. Expensive but worth it.

[thunderace]

Who sells Carbotech? Can't find them after a quick search online; not in the UK anyway.

http://www.carbotech-europe.com/