Why you upgrade your brakes
Jun 22, 2010, 09:13 PM
#1
Why you upgrade your brakes
I bought my Evo last year with the full intention of running it on the track. So with that in mind, one of the first things I did was a brake system upgrade. Here is why:
I just attended my second track event, this Monday (6-21) at TGP (Talladega Gran Prix, a neat little 1.4 mile road course about 20 miles from the Nascar track). It was 98 degrees, just plain old hot. I ran 6 15 minute sessions, starting the morning at 1 min 24 seconds just feeling my way around the track cutting time down till I hit in the 1 min 12 sec range in the last session.
What you see is the results of those last two sessions. A good bit of that time shaving came from exploring the braking limits of the car. Two things. 1) With good pads properly bedded, your Evo will brake like somebody tossed out a boat anchor. 2) Things get very, very, very hot doing so.
I am a track noob, but I thought this picture was a very effective way to show why all the seasoned track drivers tell you to do good brakes first. When you really start pushing and you are approaching tight turns at the end of long straights well into triple digits, your brakes have to work and work well.
For the record, I am running OEM rotors and calipers, Racing Brake ET700 pads, Racing Brake Stainless lines and ATE Blue fluid. Next up I am going up to ET800 pads and adding a cooling duct kit.
I just attended my second track event, this Monday (6-21) at TGP (Talladega Gran Prix, a neat little 1.4 mile road course about 20 miles from the Nascar track). It was 98 degrees, just plain old hot. I ran 6 15 minute sessions, starting the morning at 1 min 24 seconds just feeling my way around the track cutting time down till I hit in the 1 min 12 sec range in the last session.
What you see is the results of those last two sessions. A good bit of that time shaving came from exploring the braking limits of the car. Two things. 1) With good pads properly bedded, your Evo will brake like somebody tossed out a boat anchor. 2) Things get very, very, very hot doing so.
I am a track noob, but I thought this picture was a very effective way to show why all the seasoned track drivers tell you to do good brakes first. When you really start pushing and you are approaching tight turns at the end of long straights well into triple digits, your brakes have to work and work well.
For the record, I am running OEM rotors and calipers, Racing Brake ET700 pads, Racing Brake Stainless lines and ATE Blue fluid. Next up I am going up to ET800 pads and adding a cooling duct kit.
Jun 27, 2010, 09:08 PM
#6
Evolving Member
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: airborne
Posts: 332
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
haha i had a similar thing happen on my first trackday with my original '03 8.
came back to the pits and was telling a friend that the car needed some serious attention in the braking dept to hold up for full sessions. as we were talking the centercap fell out of the wheel. it had melted so much that it warped and popped out. i guess that proved my point haha.
btw, just think if the outer edge of the wheel is getting that hot how hot are the wheel bearings getting working like a heat sinc as the heat transfers right through the rotor to the hub. at least upgrade to two-piece rotors. the money you save in wheel bearings will cover the cost
came back to the pits and was telling a friend that the car needed some serious attention in the braking dept to hold up for full sessions. as we were talking the centercap fell out of the wheel. it had melted so much that it warped and popped out. i guess that proved my point haha.
btw, just think if the outer edge of the wheel is getting that hot how hot are the wheel bearings getting working like a heat sinc as the heat transfers right through the rotor to the hub. at least upgrade to two-piece rotors. the money you save in wheel bearings will cover the cost
Last edited by smack_evo; Jun 27, 2010 at 09:10 PM.
Trending Topics
Jun 28, 2010, 05:56 AM
#9
As a further note. I never got fade with the ET700's, they held up well. BUT, the heat did kill the front pads. I had plenty of pad (90% + thickness) when I left for that trackday. In going over the car this past week, the fronts were down under 1/8 inch.
After talking with some more experienced track drivers, they confirmed what I thought, the excessive heat will kill the pads. I presume they loose some hardness (soften) and things go downhill from there.
After talking with some more experienced track drivers, they confirmed what I thought, the excessive heat will kill the pads. I presume they loose some hardness (soften) and things go downhill from there.
Jun 28, 2010, 06:01 AM
#10
As a further note. I never got fade with the ET700's, they held up well. BUT, the heat did kill the front pads. I had plenty of pad (90% + thickness) when I left for that trackday. In going over the car this past week, the fronts were down under 1/8 inch.
After talking with some more experienced track drivers, they confirmed what I thought, the excessive heat will kill the pads. I presume they loose some hardness (soften) and things go downhill from there.
After talking with some more experienced track drivers, they confirmed what I thought, the excessive heat will kill the pads. I presume they loose some hardness (soften) and things go downhill from there.
Last edited by chu; Jun 28, 2010 at 06:06 AM.
Jun 28, 2010, 06:05 AM
#11
haha i had a similar thing happen on my first trackday with my original '03 8.
came back to the pits and was telling a friend that the car needed some serious attention in the braking dept to hold up for full sessions. as we were talking the centercap fell out of the wheel. it had melted so much that it warped and popped out. i guess that proved my point haha.
came back to the pits and was telling a friend that the car needed some serious attention in the braking dept to hold up for full sessions. as we were talking the centercap fell out of the wheel. it had melted so much that it warped and popped out. i guess that proved my point haha.
Last edited by metalsaber; Jun 28, 2010 at 06:13 AM.
Jun 28, 2010, 06:12 AM
#12
The ET-700 were really not meant for the usage you put them through. It seems the track you were on are very hard on brakes in general...with the amount of heat you've generated. I say the 800s would be a good upgrade, or even the 900s for a full race pad would be a wiser choice. Also, cooling ducts would be a nice addition to your setup!
I think part of this process is also figuring out how hard you (myself as a track noob) are dispositioned to drive the car.
Jun 29, 2010, 06:45 AM
#15
Couple thing, I have run the ET700s and ET800s and I will tell you that the Raybesto ST43 pad kicks the ET800s square in the jimmy parts. They brake much better, last much longer and seemed to be easier on the rotors as well. Also, I am unsure if you are having any issues with brake fluid, but Girodisc titanium shims helped our car out tremendously with this issue.
Dan
Dan