How Many of You Auto-X Types Change Your Brake Pads At Auto-xEvents......???

[jmciver]

And if you do change your brake pads for auto-x events I have the following questions:

1. Which pad do you use (specifically for auto-x performance)?

2. How long does it take to do the pad swap (since you are replacing your wheels anyway)?

3. Do you need to change pads on all four corners (i.e. is it ok to just change the front pads for an event or is it best to change front and rear)?

4. For the pads you do use for auto-x, what are their characteristics when compared to stock pads (i.e. dusting, noise, rotor wear, etc.)?

5. For the pads you use, which rotor would work best with them (i.e. cross drilled, slotted, stock, etc)?

[BJO]

i've never heard of people changing pads for auto-x, just track events. if you get a good pad, then you can use both for street and auto-x. to answer your other questions,
1. porterfield r4s
2. no need to change
3. all four are the same
4. they dust less, hold up to heat better, and stop shorter than stock
5. i use the euro floaters. i have used x-drilled and did not detect a difference. stick with stock.

[jmciver]

Originally posted by BJO
1. porterfield r4s.....

How do you feel the initial bite is with those pads? As you saw in my other thread about my brakes feeling sluggish, I am trying to get that good initial bite back for auto-x.

[BJO]

initial bite is pretty good. similar to stock.

[Zeegar]

At an AutoX your brakes won't get hot enough to warrant using a track pad, but if you have a decent street pad you should be fine. I have Ferodo with stainless lines. You may feel adifference but really the biggest skill you may ave to master is threshold braking. Most folks, including myself, don't really use all the braking ability that is available. You have to learn to really get on the brakes. Most street driving doesn't train you for the braking you could and should be doing on the AutoX course.

Zeegar aka David
Blue Z3 #36 in CCR SCCA

See me spin.

http://www.teamindecisive.com/az.htm

[///Mracer]

Yeah, like the others said, there is no need to change pads for auto-x. I ran Hawk HPS last season and hated the performance of those, I am installing Axxis Ultimates this season and hopefully they will bite better.

[John V]

I've never changed brake pads at an autocross, but I have bled brakes at an autocross.. Does that count? I've disconnected a front sway bar at the event, too. (Stupid FWD pigs...)

For autocross, IMHO, you need a pad that works well when cold. As others have said you can't wait for your brakes to get hot during an autocross.

With fresh fluid and factory stock pads, I have absolutely no complaints with my brakes. We'll see if I change my tune after the first event of the season.

Regarding threshold braking, I have driven the same car with ABS and with ABS disabled at autocrosses, and although I'm ashamed to admit it, I'm much more consistent with the ABS engaged. Technically, I believe it is possible to stop faster using threshold braking when compared to ABS, but in a real world situation I'm better letting the computer do it.

John V

[John in Houston]

Since I auto-xd the Mustang for 2 years (without ABS)... I was always threshold breaking (the only way to stop and save my tires).

Now that I've installed ABS on the Mustang and started running the M3, I've gotten a little sloppy in my threshold braking. The computer does such a nice job of modulation that it's easy to over-brake and get into ABS.

However, I still think someone highly skilled in threshold braking will be faster than someone simply relying on the ABS computer.

[document]

I think there are a handful of people in the world who are so reliable with threshold braking that they can consistently be better than a good ABS. Could be wrong, I guess. ABS is outlawed in many racing classes, and I always assumed that was part of the reason.

I was okay with my Hawk HPS at autox last year. They're not the ultimate, though, and maybe the axxis ultimates will live up to their name. I'm just going to go ahead and use these up, for now.

As for changing out pads, it goes pretty fast. I think it can be done in around 15 minutes per corner, including taking off/putting on the wheel. Not something I'd do just for an autox, though, that's for sure.

[jmciver]

Thanks for all of the input. I pretty much figured people didn't change their pads for auto-x. I am still dissapointed with the initial bite of the pagid pads I have now (and have had for a while) and am considering getting new pads for auto-x (and street of course). It just bugs my brakes don't have as much initial bite (hot or cold) as most of the cars I have rented for my work (and I have rented quite a few cars).

Originally posted by ///Mracer
I ran Hawk HPS last season and hated the performance of those, I am installing Axxis Ultimates this season and hopefully they will bite better.

The Hawk HPS pads were the ones that have caught my eye, do you (or anyone else) have any experience with these and the Axxis Ultimates (since I have been seeing the Axxis name popping up a bit in the auto-x forum)?

[TeamZ4]

any respectable street pad, including OE, and OE or equivalent rotors will be fine. The most overlooked autox braking item is brake bleeding. Recommend a set of speedbleeders and good fluid with occasional caliper bleeding.

the OE pads on the Z4 are outstanding for autox performance, I see no need to change them. You do need to be careful, choosing the wrong pad can actually hurt your performance. We went through several different brands on the Z06 Vette before coming to the conclusion that anything other than the OE pads created consistency issues when threshold braking.

[megatron]

Originally posted by document
I think there are a handful of people in the world who are so reliable with threshold braking that they can consistently be better than a good ABS. Could be wrong, I guess. ABS is outlawed in many racing classes, and I always assumed that was part of the reason.

Many have said this, but with multi-channel ABS, one can conceivably trail brake much deeper without locking up the inside front.

Outlawed ABS in the big spectator race series seems to add to the spectator aspect of the sport. For example, watching JPM trying to outbrake Schumi and smoking an inside front was always nice to watch.