# Track Brakes



## 1781cc (Jan 25, 2015)

What's everyones experiences of track pads? I know my mintex 1144 aren't up to the task so looking to replace them before Rockingham on the 22nd, plus, I have an MOT due soon and the front and rears have about 2mm left on them  so they need to be done before then.

I've spoken to Carbotech and the XP12 for the fronts are £205+VAT+ Delivery, the rears are £130+VAT+Delivery, which isn't that bad if they are that good, my only cause for pause is they want to old rears to reline and use as cores (!), plus they'll take about 10 days to sort before I have them on the car.

I've also looked at the DS3000, Carbone Lorraine RC6 and Pagid RS4-2, all are within pennies of each other (well, the DS3000s are pounds cheaper).

Faced with this choice - what say ye?

Also, do you replace the discs at the same time? I've done about 1000 miles on these discs and they look fine to me, but I know they have taken a hammering with the wrong pads.


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

I'm now on Mintex F4R f /1155r r. £200 all in. Alan assures me these will pull my face off. I don't need nor can I justify £400 on pads for an occasional track car.

Disc wise just measure them. Up to 2mm wear is fine. Don't forget to emery them well when you change compounds.

VT


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## 1781cc (Jan 25, 2015)

Yeah, saw your comments on a post the other day so bookmarked that to follow lol

I don't mind the money (cheaper than a vmaxx bbk ;-) as long as they do the job, carbotechs and 3000 seem known, so I might become a RS2-4 or Carbone Lorraine test mule unless anyone has had bad experiences?


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## Jenny H (Aug 25, 2013)

I have carbotech xp12 on my car, Dave has xp10 on his. Brilliant pads and last very well. Ian at Carbotech is a really helpful guy. I had to send old rears to use as donors for my first set but they were back within a couple of days. I had bad problems with brake judder which was caused by the RS4.2 pads leaving deposits on the discs. Never had a problem since using Carbotech.


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

Took the car out for a fast blat around the quiet lanes around me this evening. I can confirm the new setup has far more initial bite and stopping power than previous. My limiting factor will be tyre grip now I suspect, as these lock the wheels much more convincingly.

VT


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## 1781cc (Jan 25, 2015)

Thanks Jenny, good to know - if I can get a quick turnaround and can get the pads off the this weekend I'll go that route. Pagids are out then.

If Ian can't do a quick turnaround I'll go for the Carbone Lorraines and report back

VT - you running 1166 or 1177 now?


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## mk2zetec (Dec 27, 2015)

i had Carbone Lorraine pads on my old megane R26 track car and found them to be excellent on track, not too noisy on the road and fine when cold. highly recommended.


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## Von Twinzig (Feb 10, 2014)

1781cc said:


> Thanks Jenny, good to know - if I can get a quick turnaround and can get the pads off the this weekend I'll go that route. Pagids are out then.
> 
> If Ian can't do a quick turnaround I'll go for the Carbone Lorraines and report back
> 
> VT - you running 1166 or 1177 now?


I'm now on Mintex F4R front /1155 rear. Stops on a sixpence on the road tests.

VT


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## Amulet banana (Nov 12, 2018)

No one tried the EBC blue's? I ran yellows and they didn't fade once, I'm running standard weight but also standard power on v6 brakes all round on a 225 with RBF600 fluid, seemed to brake well enough, so much so it felt like the brakes didn't work on my daily's when I got in them afterwards [smiley=bigcry.gif]

I know EBC get bad press but everyone's opinion is usually based on an issue they had over 10 years ago where they read the pads falling apart, and ebc openly admitted they had a bad batch of pads which was sorted but the stigma seems to have stuck real bad.


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

Amulet banana said:


> No one tried the EBC blue's? I ran yellows and they didn't fade once, I'm running standard weight but also standard power on v6 brakes all round on a 225 with RBF600 fluid, seemed to brake well enough, so much so it felt like the brakes didn't work on my daily's when I got in them afterwards [smiley=bigcry.gif]
> 
> I know EBC get bad press but everyone's opinion is usually based on an issue they had over 10 years ago where they read the pads falling apart, and ebc openly admitted they had a bad batch of pads which was sorted but the stigma seems to have stuck real bad.


Not for proper track use, no! :?


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## desertstorm (Apr 25, 2017)

I use EBC red on my daily driver A4 and have taken that on the track but with 380bhp and 1800Kg it only lasted about 5 laps before I felt issues with the brakes. Tried EBC yellows on my Passat and they were much the same as reds just more dust. 
I have EBC reds on the rear of the TT now and they seem to be ok there but for the fronts I would go with something Pagid, Ferodo 3000, DS11 , Carbotech XP , Carbo Lorraine , Performance Friction.
After the last run out at Castle Combe the Pagid RS29 pads were awesome. Silly price new, but I bought them with very little use for half the price. Not sure how common the pad shape is for the V6 calipers. This can limit the choice sometimes and make performance pads expensive. 
Had a Quick look and Ferodo pads only available in DS2500 or DSUNO .
https://www.ferodoracing.com/pdf/catalo ... alogue.pdf 
Wouldn't bother with DS2500, however the DSUNO pads look to be very good. Unfortunately decent pads are not cheap. But these seem to have a very good life.


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## Amulet banana (Nov 12, 2018)

So no one has tried the blue or orange pads? To be fair to EBC, neither red or yellows are sold as "track pads" but they get used as such regularly, I'm using yellows for my TT and they took more than "light track use" I was very tempted to try the blues and I think the only reason I didn't was because I cheaped out [smiley=bigcry.gif]

Ds2500 aren't road legal are they? So that'd be on par with the EBC blues but the EBC blues are road legal, I'd guess the oranges would be the ds3000 rival.

Once I'm done with these yellows I'll try the blues and report back, need to sort my stuff out first as I've done nothing with the TT due to show season and finishing a big job off.


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## desertstorm (Apr 25, 2017)

TBH any pad that is E90 road legal is likely not to be the best on track. The two don't really go together. The pads I had in before the RS29 were OE pads for the Aston Martin DB9 made by Pagid, they were a tweaked version of the RS4-2 compound RS4-2-2 and are E90 rated. Designed to stop a 500bhp 1800Kg road car from potentially 190mph they worked quite well on the track and you can pick them up for £150. Unfortunately won't fit your calipers. The RS29 pads are fine on the road, they may not be E90 rated but aren't like some race pads which are like wooden blocks unless warmed up.


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## NardoRS (Aug 14, 2019)

First post here, been reading the forum for a while now.
I've started off with Pagid RSL29 pads and, although the feel and stopping power was great, I did struggle with uneven pad transfer to the discs on the track and tapered wear. Not sure if they needed more gradual build up of heat? I've just completed a track day at Croft with a set of Ferodo DS1:11 pads which were outstanding in feel, release and plenty of bite. They were easy to bed in and burnished the discs up well. Quiet on the road but will squeal after a while of light use (just burnish again and ok).


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## A_Banging_Donk (Apr 22, 2017)

desertstorm said:


> I use EBC red on my daily driver A4 and have taken that on the track but with 380bhp and 1800Kg it only lasted about 5 laps before I felt issues with the brakes. Tried EBC yellows on my Passat and they were much the same as reds just more dust.
> I have EBC reds on the rear of the TT now and they seem to be ok there but for the fronts I would go with something Pagid, Ferodo 3000, DS11 , Carbotech XP , Carbo Lorraine , Performance Friction.
> After the last run out at Castle Combe the Pagid RS29 pads were awesome. Silly price new, but I bought them with very little use for half the price. Not sure how common the pad shape is for the V6 calipers. This can limit the choice sometimes and make performance pads expensive.
> Had a Quick look and Ferodo pads only available in DS2500 or DSUNO .
> ...


What's wrong with the DS2500's? Mine were excellent throughout the 5 20 minute sessions at Spa this summer, wouldn't mind switching it up next season though..


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## desertstorm (Apr 25, 2017)

Haven't you just answered your own question by saying you wouldn't mind switching it up from DS2500 even though they were excellent. A lot depends on the weight of the car, power and the actual brake system you have on it but DS2500 is not a great compound for heavier cars with small brakes such as standard weight TT with 312mm brakes.


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## A_Banging_Donk (Apr 22, 2017)

I'm very happy with them but I don't want to leave stopping power on the table!

As far as weight goes, everything behind the front seats is gone, plus some crap from the front and lighter wheels, reckon I've taken 75 kilos out total.. so not the lightest nor the heaviest.. grooved from mtec, standard size.

Maybe I just don't know what I'm missing


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