TCE kit works great, pad choices for track use?

[Ludachris]

I just put the TCE kit to work at a track event for the first time. I must say that I experienced no fade during any session. I have the FSL 4-piston kit with 1.67" piston bores. The default pads that come with the kit are the Wilwood BP-10's. I went through about half the pad over the span of a two day event. I was really beating on them.

After talking to Todd about pad choices I'm wondering if we have any other TCE kit owners here that have used different pads with their kits at the track. Does anyone have any feedback? I'm considering the "H" Compound pads for the track and keeping the BP-10's for the street. I want some agressive pads that will stop the car quick, but I'd like to avoid having to change the rotor more than once per year while doing about 5-6 track weekends per year (if that's possible).

Also, any good recommendations for the rears? I'm still using the stock calipers back there but am using Metal Master pads. Is there a better pad I can use that will be good for track and street?

 

[underradar92]

For track use with minimal rotor abuse, Porterfield R4E is a great pad. The Polymatrix H race pads are vicious to rotors. I currently have Poly E pads in front with P-field R4E's in back for DD use and while the R4E's squeel like crazy they aren't damaging the rotors at all. I have EBC greens to use for street but I'm too lazy to change them in. I hear P-field is releasing an R5 series pad but don't know any thing else about them. P-field is also one of the few race pad mfg'ers that make a pad for the Wilwood caliper and our stock rear caliper.

 

[Ludachris]

So Jim, you're running your E compounds on the street and at the track?

 

[underradar92]

Sort of. I was using H pads for 2 days (street) + 2 track sessions & they took about .02 off my rotors. I then put on E's for 2 sessions and never took them off. I've had the (rear) P-field R4E's on the whole time w/no measureable wear. This combo works ok on the street aside from the R4E's squeeling. On the track, however, the E's don't grab as well when hot as the R4E's do, resulting in very entertaining dirt track style corner entrys. The H's grip much better when hot than the E's do though. I WILL be running R4E's all around at the track in fall, however. Then I'll probably go to the greens on the street. I may also try E's with the greens out back. http://www.porterfield-brakes.com/pads.html Here is the link if you haven't been yet. I got mine at RRE, FWIW.

 

[eclipsegsx1736]

I ran R4E's on my STOCK brakes at Willow Springs, and even after a 30 min full-out session I had NO fade at all, stopped the same every time. They really are amazing pads. My caliper paint boiled off, the dust boots melted and cracked, but those damn pads just kept going.

 

[silvah_gsx]

I ran Hawk HP-Plus pads at Streets of Willow, they worked great and had zero fade. I use them on the street as well, and they come up to temperature very quickly.

 

[Ludachris]

And you guys are all running TCE kits? That's the topic - brake pads for TCE kits.

 

[underradar92]

The problem I've encountered with most pad mfg.ers is, they typically don't have a race compound pad (or a hp street pad) for the rear of a 1g, AND a pad for Wilwood front calipers. With the TCE kits we are using, a race pad in front with street pads out back has too much front brake, especially when race pads start to get hot (grippy) & street pads get hot (fade). It is nice to have at least a semi-matched (race/race) set for open track use. Porterfield makes pads for stock rear calipers (street and race), AND pads for Wilwood calipers (again, street & race). As a plus, they work great, & are rotor friendly to boot! The downside is they're spendy $$. EBC also makes both, in 3 (green, red, yellow) colors ;-) Hawk? no rears, Metal Masters? no Willies.
As for a set of pads to use on the street AND at the track, I don't really know, as Road America has really fast straights, followed by some rather slow corners, so I'm not going to try any street oriented stuff there anymore.

 

[Todd TCE]

BP20 has shown promise to being a dual purpose pad to a good extent. Not A1 in all situations but the data on the specs prove out in a number of reports from customers.

http://www.tceperformanceproducts.com/pads.html

 

[underradar92]

Finally got around to putting in my EBC green's on all four corners, and noticed on the box that they recommend yellow's for open track use, and can be used on the street. I've used reds on the street, and they worked well. I may experiment with yellows next season. BTW, the greens seem pretty well balanced on this setup, so far.

 

[D_Eclipse9916]

Bringing back from the dead, but I got a used setup of Wilwoods with the 4-piston calipers on 13x1.10. The first few days everything was fine and dandy, and then after about 4 days the pads whe nlightly pressed start a grinding/high-pitched squealing. Also it feels that the rotors are now warped, I havent done any hard braking to warrant them to start bad pad wear. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[romeen]

I'm not sure if you're asking about pad recommendations or ideas on what is causing the noise but I can tell you that I have been running the Porterfield R4S pads front and rear for several years now. No other pad that I have tried even comes close to these. They are kind of expensive but I absolutely love them and they are very rotor friendly.

 

[Todd TCE]

Anyone have any suggestions?

Yes. Determine what pads you are running now that lead to the issue. Then pick pads better suited to the requirement.

 

[eclipse2via]

Did you bed in your brake pads?