I have two days at laguna next weekend, its time to get this under control:

 

I'm trying to get my brake **** on so i can hit the track on Saturday. Which reminds me to call MAxQ Data and ask where the **** my datalogger is which they charged me for over 1-month ago.

 

Now that sucks. Not only is it a long delay, but IMO they should not charge you until it ships.

 

I didn't really mind the 2-week delay, but I have a problem with them doubling the wait time and not answering the phones or email.

 

Hi,

"if" a Pagid Orange Pad is available for your caliper i would try this.

I use them with my Porsche Brake Kit and never had problems with this pad.

Here is some data:
http://www.pagid-brake-pads.co.uk/pr...rbon-based.php

 

Maybe they are on vaca

 

What compound are you using?

 

i have a set of 30s 60s and blacks ready for the weekend. I will probably just start with the 60s since hustler killed his 30s in 3 hours of track time.

 

They were way too compressable too, but that may be a problem with the heat. However, I like the rock-hard blues more than anything else that I've used.

 

1300*f MOT = no thanks. Thats aright on the limit of what we see double digit braking. Triple digit speed will get us up to 1700*f. After the last Charmin moment where I was looking at 100+ mph into a 40mph corner with zero brake pressure and only an e-brake to slow the car, I'm going in with proper gear this time and enough headroom to keep my life. Properly equiped brakes > suspension > motor. Braking performance is where its at. If I had the money I'd put proper 6-piston AP's and big rotors on this thing after seeing what proper racecars were doing braking 50' deeper than me at 40mph faster.

 

Fix your brakes and I'll see you at ECR on saturday. ******.

 

I'm trying to get to MSR on Saturday. Do you need your transponder? I can bring it to you tonight. Sorry about the delay, I'm a drunk.

 

No I dont need it for this weekend, but if you want to use it again, my charger is South of the lake if you wants it.

 

FWIW I have been getting like 5 or 6 full track days out of a set of Cobalt Friction XR2's. Zero fancy bed in procedure required never get shudder from poor pad transfer or thermal issues. They don’t even stink like hot brakes when you get them hot. This is on a 350 rwhp 2550 lb car with driver lapping significantly lower lap times than spec miatas even prior to updating the aerodynamics.

I have tried various wilwood, porterfield, Carbotech, and Hawk compounds. nothing has come close to living as long or feeling as good or consistant when used on the track.

Another thing that helps with my pad life however is the Mini Cooper 11.75” Dynapro front kit I am using uses pads that are 15.2mm thick as appose to 12.4mm like most of the Miata Dynalitght kits. Significantly more pad material to wear down before you get dangerously close to the backing plates.

I suspect pad life will offset the cost difference But the way they perform is substantially better. Dead consistent braking never tried a pad that has come close for track use.

Bob

 

^^^ Based on that I think I'll try a set when I wear out the Carbotechs. It would be interesting to see how they work in stock calipers. You know, if they have a higher frictional coefficient than the Carbotechs (no idea if they do) then they would reduce the braking force (pressure) on the pads and perhaps somewhat alleviate the caliper spread that leads to uneven pad wear. I looked briefly for frictional coefficient data at Cobalt's and Carbotech's websites and have not found it yet.

Yeah, I know, just get better calipers Eventually.

Bob are you staggering the pad compounds, like XR4 or XR5 in back, or using something else entirely?

 

Bob has also convinced me to try them depending upon how my DTC-60's perform.

ZX,
I don't know about "getting better calipers." My Hawk blue did not taper in the Sport brake calipers. I'd sill be on those calipiers if the slider pins did not seize.

 

Ahh OK good to know. I did not hear/remember that part of the story. If I needed new calipers I would go ahead and upgrade as well.

I'll have to go back and look at that tapered pad thread again.

 

Spec Miata guys tend to stagger XR3/XR4 I think. But when I drive a spec like car I always feel like driving it fast is more of an exercise of not using the brakes compared to the OMG I’m going to die feeling of entering a corner in my turbo car. I’m going about 20 to 30 mph faster at the end of straights and into corners than the fastest spec guys so I wanted more pad with the XR2 and have run them with XR4’s in the rear thus far.

After not feeling like I was getting enough out of the rears and have been running my wilwood bias valve full rear. I now have a full set of XR2 front and rear to try at Laguna hopefully I can move the bias valve some.

I also have a set of the last version of the Cobalt GT sports made out of this same type of material. They are not really very street friendly, too aggressive on the rotors when cold and don’t have as much bite as the XR stuff. I plan to use them up on less serious track days when I am doing more instructing than driving but they still take a long time to wear down.

We ran the new CSR material replacement for the GT-sport, one set for 14 hours that is two 7 hour chump car endurance events and had pads left over at Infinion. It was a stock powered Miata on street tires however. Finished 2nd overall. I don’t think any of the drivers felt the torque curve was as nice or as user friendly as the other XR compounds however.

The only negative I have is the brake dust combined with water if it is raining is very dificult to clean off wheels. Carbotechs clean up nicely.

Bob

 

Spec Miata guys tend to stagger XR3/XR4 I think. But when I drive a spec like car I always feel like driving it fast is more of an exercise of not using the brakes compared to the OMG I’m going to die feeling of entering a corner in my turbo car. I’m going about 20 to 30 mph faster at the end of straights and into corners than the fastest spec guys so I wanted more pad with the XR2 and have run them with XR4’s in the rear thus far.

After not feeling like I was getting enough out of the rears and have been running my wilwood bias valve full rear. I now have a full set of XR2 front and rear to try at Laguna hopefully I can move the bias valve some.

I also have a set of the last version of the Cobalt GT sports made out of this same type of material They are not really very street friendly too aggressive on the rotors when cold and don’t have as much bite as the XR stuff. I plan to use them up on less serious track days when I am doing more instructing than driving but they still take a long time to wear down.

We ran the new CSR material replacement for the GT-sport, one set for 14 hours that is two 7 hour chump car endurance events and had pads left over at Infinion. It was a stock powered Miata on street tires however. Finished 2nd overall. I don’t think any of the drivers felt the torque curve was as nice or as user friendly as the other XR compounds however.

The only negative I have is the brake dust combined with water if it is raining is very dificult to clean off wheels. Carbotechs clean up nicely.
Bob

 

This is great to see so much love for the Cobalts. I look forward to running them. It will be interesting to see how you like the XR2s in the rear. I only have experience with XR1/2/3s in the front and XR 4/5s in the rear on other cars.