moespeeds

A friend suggested I try Carbotech Pads, and after exchanging some emails back and forth, Carbotech recommended I use the XP24's up front, and XP12 in the rear. I mounted them up with a brand new set of Coleman 2 piece rotors, cup rotors I believe. Anyway, after just 4 DE sessions, this is what I ended up with on the front left side. Both front rotors are very deeply grooved. Anyone else have a similar experience? I emailed Carbotech, they blamed the rotor, and asked for pictures. I sent them pictures, twice, and never got any response back.











What do you guys think?

RDnomorecobra

Never used 24's but I expect they are very aggressive. Did they get up to temp? I had a set of PFCs do that but was running in rain and 65 deg. and I think they never got hot enough. I should've swapped them out.

Socko

I never used 24's either but i can say after 10 sessions(2 days) on measly xp10's my rotors look at least that beat up.

I assume that funky looking pad was on the face you showed us there in the pic and the other rotor doesn't look nearly as bad?

The 2 pads on the left look normal. the 2 on teh right both look sketch. Is it a pad, rotor, caliper, wheel bearing, who knows. But the fact that the other pads look as you should expect makes me thing something was off from side to side.

moespeeds

The right front was deeply grooved, enough that you could really catch a nail in them, but not dug out like the rotor in the picture.

C5 Hardtop

The missing metal from your rotors is spread across the pad.

Sounds like sh!tty customer service. they should explain what happened. further, if it is a fault of the rotors, they need to tell you what rotors are compatible with those pads.
i'm partial to the lack of heat reasoning that was posted, but i don't know what happened.

why did they suggest that pad over the others?

RedLS1GTO

I had the EXACT same thing happen with a set of Carbotech pads on a brand new set of Wilwood rotors. Turned them to scrap metal in a day. I ran the exact same rotors with Hawk, Wilwood, and Ferodo pads for years and never had a problem. The 1 time I used Carbotech, toast.

Got a similar response... it must be something wrong with the calipers (which I used for another 2 years issue free). Their suggestion was that I buy a more expensive set of "pre bedded" pads (at full price) to see if they worked better. Yea... I'll pass.


EDIT: Found a pic of 1 of the pads. All 4 fronts were identical. Looks familiar.

RedLS1GTO

I forgot to mention that mine were also in Wilwood SL6 calipers.

I am sorry someone else learned the same lesson I did the hard way. I would go with either the Hawk DTC70 or Wilwood A or H compounds going forward.

FASTFATBOY

They look too cold? Like they never got to temp.

Or may a bed in issue?

On a side note, how do you like the Coleman rotors? Life compared to others? Specifically the Wilwood Spec37?

Who makes that rotor hat?

moespeeds

I believe the hat is an afx but I never confirmed it. Out of all the rotors I've tried so far, Coleman's last the longest at about 6-8 days. I have been using wilwood poly h pads for 2 seasons and I'm happy with them, was just trying something different. I have since gone back to them. I'm going to try hawk if I end up keeping the car. I may sell it, haven't decided yet.

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

What tires where you using?

moespeeds

Pirelli slicks

Zenak

the 24 are pretty aggressive. In general those pads do NOT like cold. They should never be used as street pads, and that means in HPDE never driving to/from the track with them. Dragging on the pads the first lap to heat them up is always recommended and they need a really good bed in HOT. So when you start with new pas, no 40 mph stops, they need hard braking to bed in.

moespeeds

This car is not a street car, it's a caged track car. I bedded the pads doing 60-20 mph runs, no stopping, until I feel a bit of fade, then roll until they cool. Same way I've been bedding pads for 3 years.

von zoom

Wow that is frightening. I use Carbotech pads and Coleman rotors. Had a problem with a Coleman rotor one time after two sessions when a hole appeared, but otherwise, I have had satisfactory service from both.
vz

0Todd TCE

This is (to me anyhow) a pretty clear sign of a pad not at it's proper working temp. The Poly A pads can do such damages also if run cold. I have no Cf/temp data on those pads but I'd say they are simply not the right compound for the use at this time.

I'd push you into maybe PolyB or PolyH pads but if you like the Carbo's that fine just be sure you ask them for a lower Cf and lower operating temp compound.

03SpiralGray

I use XP24's with AP Racing calipers and their J hook rotors with zero issues.

I even drive to the track with them, hell I drove the car to work this morning.

I love the XP24 compound, works great and lasts a long time.

TheKomoman

Ditto except I trailer to the track. I got about 10 track days (40 sessions) out of a set of AP rings using XP20 once and the XP24 for the balance. Even after that it wasn't grooving or wear on the rings like that, it was cracks that put the rings out of service. I did pony up the extra $ for pre-beds.

fatbillybob

Why would prebed pads make a difference here if the charge is the pad is not the correct selection for the operational range?

What is the physics that cause the rotor to transfer to the pad (vs. pad to rotor) if the temperature is wrong?

I must be a real dumb idiot because in over a dozen years of racing including about 9 in a C5 SCCA T classes running the Stoptech T1 kit I have never bed brakes and have never had a problem. In fact I'm on Xp20's now. I'm not sure the closeness of the 20's to the 24's so that may be an irrelevant datapoint.

63Corvette

I run Cobalt Friction pads and have never had a problem. Even though at some events, it rained, changing my braking effort and thus temperatures considerably.

moespeeds

So what's the verdict here, cold pads? I wonder why Carbotech hasn't seen fit to reply. I'm not racing, but I'm not slow. I run 1:14 at NJMP lightning, 1:34 at Thunderbolt with the chicane. Todd I've been running WW Poly H front and rear with no issues. I tried the Carbotech's just to try something different. It's back to the poly H as they are much better on rotors!