Brake Pad upgrade

[Ferg]

I reached the limits of my standard discs and pads at an SIDC track day in the spring. Ever since then the brakes felt a bit poor, despite a re bleed.

With AMP3 due next week I decided to get new pads in an effort to fix the poor brakes. After lots of wondering, searching, and asking myself what I could justify I finially plumped for a full set of RC5+. More expensive than I'd planned but considering many of the issues that maybe meant the RC5 wasn't always suitable for road claim to have been improved, it seemed like a reasonble punt.

I fitted them today which was a pleasantly easy job and took them out for a quick bedding in run this evening. They took litterly only a mile of long light pushes on the brakes to bed in.

Now I was expecting the previous pads (Ferodo Front, Green Stuff rear) to have been a little off after over heating them on track so expected a slight improvement but wow, the power the new pads took me a little by surprise. They can pretty much lock the fronts at will and when braking properly the power is quite something, really wrenching on the seat belt for what is probably half the pedal power that I needed to brake hard before. I think the front tyres might be the new limitation to braking.

All in all I'm happy with the result, despite the price, but I reckoned it was actually only another 40% over the price of a full set of Mintex and how long really is it going to be before I had to change them again. Thought I may as well.

I have a bottle of SRF to bleed the full system tomorrow ready for going on track and I'm looking forward to continous consistent braking over the course of the session, the real reason for the outlay.

My only down point is the clunk when applying the brakes as the pads shift. I'll need to get some anti rattle pads to reduce that but I expect that it's a 'feature' of such a pad.

Looking forward to slamming the anchors on next Friday already.

Cheers
Ferg

[roadboy]

I would advise using a decent Dot4 like Motul RBF600 rather than SRF.

SRF is pointless on anything other than an all out race car.

Dan

[Ferg]

I've got it now so may as well, but point taken. I went and ordered with the pads in a bit of a hurry as I've been mega busy at work and the track day has been sneaking up on me. It was recomended by supplier so just added to order, so I don't expect it will have a negative effect on any aspect of the car.

Edit: just checked the price difference.. doh Had. Quick scan and can't find a local supplier so might just have to stick with the SRF

[roadboy]

No negative effect as such but you won't notice any difference and you have to change it a lot more often.

Nothing to worry about.

Dan

[robin]

I just use any old DOT4 ... but it helps to remember to change it ...

Cheers,
Robin

[Ferg]

Considering your point of views and some additional research I reckon I'm going to return the SRF and order up some RBF600. Should have remembered Alistair's input about brake fluid choice after last time . I completely replaced the fluid after the last track day with normal Dot4. If the RBF arrives in time and I have time to bleed I'll do it, but if not I'll run the current Dot4 for comparison.

Appreciate the info as always.

[roadboy]

Saved you a few quid anyway, now and in the future.

Dan

[robin]

Agree entirely - the highly hygroscopic fluids are a PITA.

Normal DOT4 probably won't last as long as the super stuff if you're hard on the brakes; I've cooked it twice now since fitting the CL5+ - not sure if that's a feature of the brake pad, my driving or perhaps there is something else happening - in all the years of using any old DOT4 prior to CL5+ I never once boiled the fluid!

Cheers,
Robin

[Ferg]

Hopefully the weather on Friday is good enough to really get a feel for how good the pads are.

I take it the rattle/clunk when applying the brakes is normal? and if I were to get anti rattle pads, they litterally just act to dampen the clunk?

[roadboy]

Yeah,the CL pads backing plates are a bit smaller to allow for expansion so they clatter quite a lot. The buffer pads will help damp the noise a bit.

I don't have this problem with Pagids that I continue to rate over the CLs (taking everything into account).

Danh

[tut]

Same here, melted the discs, destroyed brake pads, never boiled the fluid.

tut

[tut]

Just deciding Dan between RC5's or Pagid 14's. Obviously I know the latter, have not tried the former, what do you reckon for N3?

tut

[robin]

Tut, I'll most likely be switching back to pagids once this set are done. Partly the clonking pisses me off and they seem to have lost some of their feel - a little wooden - perhaps I didn't treat them well/run them in properly, but when I first put them on they were epic and now they've gone wooden - the pedal is hard, it just doesn't feel of anything. I'll perhaps take them out, rough them and the disks up with some sandpaper and then bed it all back in and see if it gets better. If not, I'll probably switch back to pagids ... probably 42 given that I use road tyres, but might get 14s.

Cheers,
Robin

[tut]

Good enough, I know the 14's so will stick with them.

Confess that I do not understand the RC6's as they are supposed to be a track pad, but as I said, they were put on at the same time as the top EBC disks, did one wet Spa where I barely needed brakes, then a KH, and as some of you saw the brakes had a massive lip on them and were worn mirror smooth. I know that I have a fair amount of power, but I do not brake as hard as Neil does in order to try and finish the session, but no way should they have gone like that.

I was warned not to use MMC's on track, especially on the front, they were designed for a 118hp K not a S/C Honda.

tut

[mwmackenzie]

I had 14's on road tyres and when up to temp/hot it was pretty easy to snatch a wheel under heavy breaking...