back 40

I switch from street pads to race pads several times a year. At first, I was **** about taking the pads off in order and placing them on the bench in that order and identifying which side of which rotor it came off of. Last time I changed pads, I just stacked each side, instead of laying them out in order. Well I noticed that the fronts are not all the same size. Question: Do I throw these(rather expensive ) pads away? Is there anything that can be done so as not to toss the pads? What the hell caused this?, are my pins possibly in need of grease?

bobmoore2

I've noticed that the pads on the outer side of the rotor wear down a little faster than the ones on the inner side. I think the outer side gets and stays hotter. Or maybe it's because the caliper pistons are on the inner side... (Mine is a Z51 with 2 piston front calipers.)

I would put the thicker pads on the outer side to balance the wear and make the set of pads last a little longer.

Sidney004

Your race pads are junk, just send them to me; I'll pay the postage. What kind are they? PFC 01's or DTC 70's?

When you say they are not the same size, do you mean the width(pad thickness?)

back 40

If you stack 3 padlets from one side of the rotor next to each other, each one is about 1/16 smaller than the next. It's like the caliper was pressing harder on one end.
Yes they are DTC 70's.

95jersey

When I use paddlets, I use to switch mine around constantly to maximize life (take ones from rear put on front, switch left to right). Wherever I saw a worn pad, I would switch it with a less worn pad. As long as they are all the same compound it doesn't matter where you change them. After 10 years of this, you stop doing many of the silly things that you read on this and other forums. I still love when I hear the guys who have 2 sets of rotors (one for race and one for street), that always cracks me up.

back 40

I guess if I can get them back in the order they were, I'll go ahead and use them up. Two years ago, I would just say screw it, and go buy a new set. I'll be putting the single pads on when I burn these up.

mfquinn

95jersey, why does that crack you up? I don't want to use my drilled non-directional Z51 rotors on the track with street pads. I also don't want to drive around town with my noisey and dusty DTC70s and my track rotors. So yes, I have a set of rotors for the track with my DTC70/60 pads and they I put on my HPS pads with my Z51 rotors for the street.

What is wrong with that?

back 40

Now that you mention that, that is a good idea. The DTC 70's are noisy and dusty, so I never run those on the street. However, I never thought to run diff rotors. That way, when I'm rushed for time, my race rotors will already be scuffed up and ready to roll. I have to take them off anyways when switching out pads to scuff them up and get that glaze off.

waddisme

Curious also. My XPs dust like crazy and would be even worse on my street d/s rotors. I would be OK with my track rotors for dd, but not the pads.

mfquinn

The reason I pull both off is that my track pads are bed in for my track rotors. So it is a quick change and I am ready for the track. No sanding, cleaning or re-bedding needed.

95jersey

Guys after about 10 laps of hard braking you wipe off all the old (street) pad material. Of course you don't run the race pads on the street, but there is no reason to change rotors. After several laps, the new material has transferred and you have wiped off any street pad residue.

Sorry, been there, done that, 10 years later I have learned what is just waste of time and more myth than fact. I can drive my car to the track on street pads, switch to race pads, outright win a time trial and switch back to street pads at the end of the day (that is what I use to do with my C5 before trailering) and drive home.

John Shiels

yea but the grooves don't match

I use to keep the rotors and pads in sequence before trailing the car. Plus ten laps is near an entire session some times. and if you have nothing better to do you are occupied

mfquinn

So are you doing autocross or HPDE events? I do not want to use OEM Z51 rotors for high speed track events. Whatever you are more comfortable with

back 40

HPDE, Autocross boors me.

CorvetteZ51Racer

While that may be true in terms of bedding in the pads and rotors, my track pads (and many out there) are very caustic to the finish on street wheels when the dust gets wet. The brake pad dust gets in the drilled holes on the rotors and transfers through and gets all over the street wheels while driving on the street. For those who are able to keep the car as a sunny-day-only-never-gets-wet street car, no biggie. I live in coastal Texas where the weather forecast 9 months out of the year is high of 95 with a 30% chance of rain. THAT is the reason I keep a second set of rotors for the track.

mfquinn

Same here in Florida with the weather. After a track weekend I pull the rotors to inspect them and check to see how deep and long the cracks are getting. I have them pulled anyway so what is the big deal.

95jersey, yes I agree with you that the old material will be wiped off after a few hard laps. And yes, you can just change the pads once you get to the track. You are correct. No different then changing the track pads to new ones while at the track. A few laps and you are good to go. But that was not my main reason for changing rotors. I don't want to do HPDE with the OEM drilled non-directional rotors. Yet I have them and they are fine for the street. So I chose to have a seperate set or rotors that are just used for the track with my track pads. I try not to keep these on for very long after a track weekend because they are destroying my wheels with the brake dust and they are noisey as hell. Since I am pulling them anyway to inspect them, it just doesn't seem like a big deal to me to switch them out. But you are correct that it is not a necessity.

back 40

So, nobody else has had this problem? No solutions?

AU N EGL

Caliper spread ??

John Shiels

Originally Posted by back 40 View Post
If you stack 3 padlets from one side of the rotor next to each other, each one is about 1/16 smaller than the next. It's like the caliper was pressing harder on one end.
Yes they are DTC 70's.


Leading part of a pad wears first that is why they did padlets but it doesn't solve it completely. That is my guess.

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

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