Brake Pads for Track/Street Use
 

Going to be attending my first track day. Plan on making this a regular thing, every month. I have a good amount of auto-x experience, and I'm hoping that will help accelerate the learning curve for track days.

Need help choosing brake pads. I had initially decided on Winmax W3, but it looks like they aren't in stock anywhere. These seem to be a good balance of brake pad that can be used on the track and aren't terrible for street use.

In place of the W3, can someone recommend some other brake pads that would be good for track days but also acceptable for street use?

I know the best thing would be to swap out pads from street to track, but realistically that's not something I'm going to do twice per month every month.

Ferodo DS2500


https://www.ferodoracing.com/product...e-pads/ds2500/


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My DTC-30 Hawk pads are pretty good on the street, but squeal like a school bus.

I streeted Carbotech Xp8 on S2000, XP10 on V8 FD. IMO either of those make decently-streetable track pads.

Dont compromise. Get a proper race pad. They wont be ideal on the street, but will work.

Try the CSG C2.

Brake pads, like a lot of other things, are a compromise. Whether or not you can get away with the same pad for street and track depends on your tyres, the size of your discs, the track you're at, the way you use your brakes.

I had DS2500 on my previous car, which was not as fast as my BRZ, and they were fine for street and track. I tried DS2500 in my BRZ and they were not up to the task.

I was using XP10s in my BRZ on track but were unbearable on the street due to serious noise.

I'm thinking swapping out pads is your best bet but as you say you're not willing to do that you will be looking at a noisy street car.

Because compromise.

You only need to do the fronts, leave the rears alone. Swap out to xp10 or another track pad every time you go. I hear ya about wanting to get a good 50/50, but they are crumby at everything, good at nothing. Much like all season tires. The move for brake pads is two have 2 sets, like winter tires and summer tires, no all seasons.

I'm not sure staggered pad config is right thing to do (unless required by heavy one-end biased aero downforce or staggered tire choice (which has drawbacks of it's own)).
Meanwhile i had gave up on getting one pad for everything and started switching between dd/track pads. Even w/o good mechanic skills and doing slowly w/o haste it takes ~ 2h for me to change all four. Imho acceptable/quick enough. Just that i had to invest slightly in tooling (hydraulic jack/jack stands/wireless torque wrench/ratcheting wrench set/dynamometric wrench for lugnuts/caliper piston spreader) to ease/quicken process, but some may have tools already, and tools can be used for DIY maintenance for years and on future cars aswell and also for other maintenance jobs then pad switch, so imho that one time purchase is not that killing, and one can get by with lesser/cheaper toolset, eg. just better then OE emergency scissor jack and single 14mm wrench.
Prior joining those that switch specialized pad sets i also tried different pads to get somewhat universal pad that more or less should work for both DD & occasional track day .. but all had some drawback i was not too keen to stick with. CSG C1 pads (for stock calipers) indeed were closest to universal, as in they worked well & consistent both in DD on cold brakes & when rotors were blazing hot red :), had very good modulation, and there was no or little squeal with them in DD, so if DD noise is only requirement, they should do .. but they also dusted like mad and were wearing at increased rate when used for DD (on probably unbedded properly rotors due light braking), got a bit tired from that frequent washing of wheels & wearing down expensive pads for DD seemed waste, so finally moved up to switching pad sets, while still using C1 pads for track due their modulation feel and consistency across wide temp range (and actually relatively reduced wear on track vs few other pads).

You need to talk to CSG Mike, I do track runs 6-7 times a year but didn't want to always be swapping pads. Tried DS2500's and wasn't impressed. Talked (messaged) Mike and he set me up with some CSG pads. Love them
Little to no noise when not on track, less dust then Feredos, huge temperature range since stopping power is great right out of the garage even when cold.
I believe mine are C1's but they are over a year old now so the numbers may have changed.

C1's are awesome pads but they wear the shit out of the rotors in cold weather. Just something to consider.

Do the right thing and swap the front pads. It takes maybe 45 min for floating calipers even less with fixed.

This is how my brake rotor and pad looks (CSG V2 Brembo BM4) after about 21 months of mixed use with the C1.

https://i.imgur.com/gFOBFU6.jpg


The C2 is more rotor friendly than the C1, but requires more rigorous bedding/burnishing.

It's only the winter time I have this issue. I go around 4 months where it is regularly in the 30's and sometimes in the 20s and teens. I am just going to swap them with a street pad during those months from now on.

Ah, yeah that's pretty cold. The pads will still retain cold bite, even in those temps, but the rotors will not be too happy.

Street pad definitely the way to go, as you won't be tracking or doing any spirited driving during those months anyways; even summer tires have zero business on a car in those conditions!

Fortunately, OEM replacement rotors are quite inexpensive.

My car's seen some sub 40F conditions, but not for extended periods of time.