Ferodo DS2500 pads wore out very quickly

[MassTroy]

So I recently bought a set of Ferodo DS2500 pads and they did not last nearly as long as I expected. Maybe this is normal, maybe I'm over using them on track, not sure.

Here's the wear I put on the pads:
- 4000 miles of mostly highway driving (mostly 70-85 degrees F ambient temp)
- 6 sessions, 25 min each, at Blackhawk Farms Raceway (70-75 degrees)
- 5 sessions, 25 min each, at Gingerman Raceway (60-65 degrees)

I had to end my weekend early because there was no pad left whatsoever on my front brakes. I haven't checked rear yet. I also noticed that on both sides, the outer pad was completely worn but there was 1-2mm left remaining on the inner pad. Seems odd, if a caliper was stuck, the inner would wear because that's where the piston is. I also noticed that the pad material seemed like it was squeezed out the back of the backing plate through the holes (see pictures)

[swarb]

Normal. They are street/track(beginner) aka hybrid pads. You need a dedicated track pad.

[MassTroy]

Originally Posted by swarb

Normal. They are street/track(beginner) aka hybrid pads. You need a dedicated track pad.

Yeah, thats kinda what I figured. But my old Hawk HP+ lasted way longer than this. I might have also not been pushing them quite so hard back then...

[JRitt]

It just sounds like you've exceeded their max operating temp and pushed them a bit too hard on the track. Are you on sticky tires?

Uneven pad wear is normal. 1-2mm of difference is nothing. In pro racing we see huge variance in wear side-to-side, tapering, etc. Some of it is simply track layout, car setup, etc...many factors involved. Sometimes the inner pad wears more, sometimes the outer. When checking pad and disc wear, always check the inner and outer pads and disc faces.

I'd recommend trying the Ferodo DS1.11. It sounds like for your setup and driving conditions, that's the most appropriate option. They have a higher heat capacity, and will likely give you the wear rates you're expecting. Shoot me a pm and I'll help you out with a set of those to try.

The DS2500 typically last longer and outperform HP+ in every way. On top of that, they make FAR less noise! I'm guessing you're just faster and harder on your equipment now than you were then.

[churchx]

I have very similar experience on DS2500. - They are wonderful for street use (at least on stock brakes) noise wise even in winter, did well for mild track use like 10-15m sessions, w/o brake overheating, but once i got to stage of red glowing rotors with longer sessions and on more brake intensive track, it was too much for them, and quickly most of material worn down.
In my eyes they are OEM+ (if strictly daily driving is considered, i have to note that they dust more). For more track oriented use insufficient, but good choice for dailying (in addition them being a bit better in several areas i also got them cheaper then oem pads).

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by MassTroy

Yeah, thats kinda what I figured. But my old Hawk HP+ lasted way longer than this. I might have also not been pushing them quite so hard back then...

HP+ can handle more heat than the DS2500's IIRC, not surprising to see this. Your rotors are also really badly grooved which won't be helping pad life at all.

[MassTroy]

Originally Posted by JRitt

It just sounds like you've exceeded their max operating temp and pushed them a bit too hard on the track. Are you on sticky tires?

Yeah, I was running Bridgestone RE71Rs. I just picked up a set of RE760 Sports (long story, only thing available). But I'll probably buy either the Champiro SX2 or Hankook RS4s next.

Originally Posted by JRitt

The DS2500 typically last longer and outperform HP+ in every way. On top of that, they make FAR less noise! I'm guessing you're just faster and harder on your equipment now than you were then.

Yeah, I really liked the way the DS2500 felt over the HP+. The HP+ were very grabby on the initial bite and would start to fade pretty badly towards the end of a session. The DS2500 had very linear pedal feel, were way quieter, and less dusty. The seemed to have a better operating temperature range and I noticed little to no fade. But its possible that the higher temperatures wore them a lot more. I would probably still recommend them to someone doing their first track day.