Brake rotor surface condition with HP+ pads
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: Anniston, AL
Brake rotor surface condition with HP+ pads
I'm running HP+ pads on centric slotted rotors. I bedded them properly and proceeded to track them. In the middle of my 5th track day they began to develop this strange surface condition. see pictures below. I don't think it's an overheating, cracking, or dirt related issue and after driving them on the street a few times the marks began to rub off. Am I just pushing these pads too hard? Also, I just checked the thickness and there's about 50% pad life remaining. Any help appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 854
From: Daytona Beach FL
The HP+ is not a track pad. Take a look at the Hawk website:
http://www.hawkpadsdirect.com/Hawk-P...-Pads-s/13.htm
You can see that the HP+ is listed under "Street Pads" on the left of the page.
I know it says it's a compound "that can take the heat of the track and get you home safely". Autocross, yeah it's OK, but for a heavy car like our Vettes, it's just not a pad for track use on a roadcourse where you're running 25-30 minute sessions.
You really need a track pad for doing serious HPDE or open track day events.
There's no such thing as a dual-purpose street/track pad.
What you're seeing on the rotor is no problem at all, it's actually what you should get when you properly bed pads - a layer of pad material transferred onto the rotor to give you good adhesive braking.
However, with the layer kind of spotty, I think you're probably overheating the pads and getting those spots rather than a nice smooth grayish/bluish tint to the rotor.
For the track I run Hawk DTC70 front and DTC60 rear, or Carbotech XP12 front and XP10 rear with great results. After a track event you'll need to switch back to a street pad.
The Carbotechs are very good because you can swap from their street to track pads without rebedding due to the similar makeup of the compounds.
Bob
http://www.hawkpadsdirect.com/Hawk-P...-Pads-s/13.htm
You can see that the HP+ is listed under "Street Pads" on the left of the page.
I know it says it's a compound "that can take the heat of the track and get you home safely". Autocross, yeah it's OK, but for a heavy car like our Vettes, it's just not a pad for track use on a roadcourse where you're running 25-30 minute sessions.
You really need a track pad for doing serious HPDE or open track day events.
There's no such thing as a dual-purpose street/track pad.
What you're seeing on the rotor is no problem at all, it's actually what you should get when you properly bed pads - a layer of pad material transferred onto the rotor to give you good adhesive braking.
However, with the layer kind of spotty, I think you're probably overheating the pads and getting those spots rather than a nice smooth grayish/bluish tint to the rotor.
For the track I run Hawk DTC70 front and DTC60 rear, or Carbotech XP12 front and XP10 rear with great results. After a track event you'll need to switch back to a street pad.
The Carbotechs are very good because you can swap from their street to track pads without rebedding due to the similar makeup of the compounds.
Bob
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Joined: Oct 2002
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 16
From: Sugarhill Ga
Hawk Hp pads are for autocross. They can be used on the street, I do when going to the track, but they take longer to heat up and make noise. They are hard on rotors. My drilled / slotted rotors turn BLUE. I haven't seen cracks but I do check them every time.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,001
Likes: 243
From: Surprise, Az
They won't be hot enough. The problem with running track pads on the street is the pads never get hot enough to be effective translating to longer braking distances. It is best to match the temperature range of the pads to your intended purpose. Street pads are specifically designed to run cold...and stop well.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 415
Likes: 247
From: Seattle, WA
Another option is to run Carbotech XP10's up front & XP8's on rear. I've had good results with this set up so far. The XP10/8 vs XP12/10 setup may depend on your driving level and braking needs on track. I don't drive the car too much off the track so I leave the XP10/8 pads on. The little I drive with them around town, they can be noisy at times not being in designed temp range. So if you daily drive it you'll want a more streetable pad to swap with.
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