What brake pads should I get?

[broady]

Hey guys

I want to get some ideas of what pads to get.

My car is currently running OEM rotors & pads. Seems like I'll be doing a track day about every month or so the rest of this year so I want something with a bit more bite.

Front rotors will be slotted Brembos and I just plan to keep the OEM rotors on the rear...

So anyway, what do you recommend? I definitely still want to be able to stop from cold. Not tooooo concerned about brake dust, my wheels are gunmetal anyway. Don't particularly want pads that will squeal (read: project?)

I'm thinking QFM A1RM or EBC Redstuff at the moment.

Thoughts?

[de Bounce]

General forum consensus is the QFM A1RM are a better track pad than the EBC Red Stuff and still a good road pad.

I just fitted a full set of QFM A1RM onto stock rotors.
Initial impressions is cold bite is better than stock, then gets better as they gain some temperature.
Very little dust (about the same as OEM)
No squeal, grind or shudder even when dead cold.

Whichever pads (and rotors) you get, make sure you bed them properly.

[Tony]

Yep... I recently fitted the A1RM pads (on stock rotors) and am mighty impressed.

I second everything de Bounce says. Plus, the guys at GSL RallySport were excellent to deal with.

Certainly worth a try in my opinion...

[broady]

Thanks guys sounds as though I may have to shoot GSL an email tomorrow.

[Hellmun]

I currently run the Carbotech XP12's and I've been running them for 2 weeks now in very wet cold weather on my car which has been my daily while I was blue slipping my other car. They're dusty but still work well enough cold. I got about 11 trackdays and a 3 hour enduro (this used about %33 of the pad from memory by itself) out of my last set. My current DBA4000's have been through 2 sets of these pads already with about 1.5mm of their thickness still left. I've never tried the QFM's but I have run DS2500's, DS3000's, HPS, HP+, EBC red, sumitomo and XP10's. Out of everything the XP12's have been the best value with no fade.

[broady]

Thanks Mark

Sounds like the XP12 is too much for my level of experience, remember I've really only done two dry track days and I'm doing high 1.19s!

Out of interest what is the price range for the Carbotechs?

[deviant]

I have been using QFM A1RM's for a while and don't see a need to use anything else.

On my lard arsed WRX I used to use on track the pads held on until the heat sensative paint on my discs showed something like 800deg.

Even after that they still worked like stock pads on the drive home with zero shuddering or squeeling. In fact you could buy these pads to just use for a daily driver and you would be very happy with them as they really do work from stone cold. Disc wear was negligable to especially compared to the Ferodo DS2500 I had always used in the past.

Price is spectacular on them and Greg at GSL Rallysport really does provide customer service beyond reproach.

[Hellmun]

About $200 for an axle. I usually buy 2-3 sets and it's always around that with postage. I get them from Emilio at 949racing. Might be cheaper for the non sport brakes. They're not a rotor destroying full race pad like a hawk blue. If your running semi slicks you should be fine. Next trackday I'll take you for a spin and show you what they're like if you can wait. I don't get much if any noise from them either.

I also have no thermographic paint left on my DBAs but have yet to experience fade.