rjs209

I have a C5 with C6 ZO6 brake calipers and rotors. I tack the car 4 or 5 times a year at Lime Rock. My first set of pads were stock GM. I was pretty happy with them as a street/track pad but............. when they wore out I switched to Hawke HPS pads. I had used that compound with my stock C5 calipers on the track and was satisfied with them. Fast forward...... the Hawke C6 ZO6 HPS pads are half worn out after one track day and 500 street miles.

My question...... what is a good combination street/track pad?

Thanks!!!!

skxf430

Hawk pads are not track worthy.

Try some Carbotech pads out. They are a vendor on the board.

2K6Z06

[Try some Carbotech pads out. They are a vendor on the board.[/QUOTE]

VatorMan

Ive had a bad experience with Hawk pads. I'll stay with Carbotech as well. Just make sure your rear pads are as good as your front pads.

Gary2KC5

I'm not sure what you guys are smok'n (in other words I beg to differ).

Hawk DTC 70's are absolutely the best pads I've found for aggressive track laps and what many racers in NASA use.

I've used Cobalt, Carbotech, etc. and they are good pads.

For me, especially on a track like RA where you do 160 MPH to 45 in T5, 160 to 70 in T1, 140 to 70 in T12, 110 to 45 in T8, etc. I use the DTC 70's.

They have awesome torque and decent wear.

I worn out a set of Racing Brake (basically stock) pads @ RA in 4 laps before.

I'm not sure it there are Forum vendors, that sell Hawks, I'm sure there are...I don't make my decisions on what pads will do the job based on if they are Forum vendors or not.

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

What tires are you using on track?

JRitt@essex

The simple answer is, there is no great street/track pads. Pads optimized for the track have different characteristics than those optimized for the street. If you don't want compromises in either area, then you should be switching between street and track pads. If you are willing to accept compromises, the best pad we can offer you is the CL Brakes RC5+ (note, we are also a paid Corvette Forum sponsor). Here's the short description from our site:

The RC5+ is CL’s latest offering, and was developed with the autoX and track day crowd squarely in mind. It is a well-mannered race pad, with lower noise, low dust, and a lower coefficient of friction. The beauty of this compound is that despite its mild manners, it still retains a very high max operating temperature. It is a great choice for lighter cars on race tires, or heavy, high power cars on street tires. The failure mechanism of this pad is one of its greatest strengths. If you do happen to push it over its temperature threshold, bite slowly tapers away rather than falling off a cliff, so you’ll easily recognize when it’s time to back off. It’s extremely wear resistant, and doesn’t destroy rotors with pad deposits when pushed to their temperature envelope. The RC5+ is a great rear pad option for those who like a more front biased setup with the RC6 or RC6E compound up front.
Front

Rear

They have a little noise and dust, but they also have a fairly high max operating temperature.

Here is an article I wrote on choosing brake pads. I think it will clear things up for you a bit, as I go into considerable detail regarding specific usage situations and which type of pad you may want to try.

Finally, here's a video I made on switching between street and track brake pad compounds.

Thanks.

JRitt@essex

As mentioned above, there's nothing at all wrong with Hawk pads. They make some very nice compounds. You just need to choose the proper one for your intented use! The HPS compound is NOT a track pad. It's not advertised that way to my knowledge, and not designed for that type of heat. As Gary said above, the DTC-70 is a very good quality pad for heavy track use.

rjs209

Kumho Extreme Summer. 275/35/18 and 315/30/18


Also................. anyone use the EBC Blue Stuff pads?

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

I would try the Carbotech XP10 front and XP8 rear. We use this set up a lot with great results. Do you have cooling ducts?


When Carbotech™ unleashed the XP10™ to the general public it was an instant success. XP10™ immediately gathered multiple regional, divisional, and national championships. The XP10™ has a very strong initial bite friction material with a coefficient of friction and rotor friendliness unmatched in the industry. Fade resistance is in excess of 1650°F (898°C). Due to the high level of friction and bite, this material is recommended for cars weighing around 2,900lbs or less. XP10™ still maintains the highly praised release, excellent modulation and rotor friendliness that have made all Carbotech™ compounds so successful. Carbotech™ XP10™ is not recommended as a daily-driven street pad due to possible elevated levels of dust and noise.

A high torque brake compound with a wide operating temperature range of 200°F-1350°F+ (93°C to 732°C+). Carbotech™ XP8™ is the first of our racing compounds. Good initial bite at race temperatures, high coefficient of friction, excellent modulation and release characteristics. Extremely high fade resistance and very rotor friendly. Excellent as a front brake pad for lighter applications weighing around 2,400lbs or less. Perfect for track day use with any tire and can still be driven safely to and from the track. Carbotech™ does NOT recommended XP8™ as a daily driven street pad due to elevated levels of dust and noise. Carbotech™ XP8™ is a great compound on the front & rear of most open wheel and sports racers.