MJ23FE

iTrader: (3)

After roughly 1,000 miles, these pads have quieted down a bunch, but still do have some noise associated with them. I still have to order new front rotors, and so once I receive them, they'll be bedded and I'll report on their performance. When I install the rotors, I'll be applying some anti-squeal lubricant to all the pads, as I mentioned in my last post, as well as bleeding my lines with ATE Super Blue fluid.

-Jalal

kyoo

iTrader: (29)

any new updates from anyone in terms of driving these pads on the street and particularly any autocross usage?

Raptord

iTrader: (10)

For autocross they are very good, initial bite is excellent. I can't say I recommend them for road-racing anymore though; after a few track days I was getting faster and faster and starting to try to compress my braking zones, however the pads would start fading a few times per session. It was fairly inconsistent too; they'd fade for 1 or 2 turns then go right back to normal, so I couldn't risk compressing my braking zones because I never knew if I'd have maximum braking or not. Also, when I swapped out for PF01 a few weeks ago, it turned out that on one of my front pads the pad material had separated from the backing plate. Too much heat/stress I'm guessing.

All that being said, for street driving and autocross I'd definitely recommend them.

kyoo

iTrader: (29)

thanks for the input - i agree, i still dont believe in a true track pad that can work properly on the street. my current set up with the ds2500s sometimes in autocross i feel like im just standing on the pedal waiting for the car to stop. other cars i've ridden in the stop is much more immediate.

how is the noise? i'll probably use the girodisc shims i have with some graphite antiseize on the back

Raptord

iTrader: (10)

The pads are a little squeaky and every once in a while you'll get a real SCREEEECH from them. I found it acceptable for daily driving.

The PF01's should be that "track pad that works on the street"; they were recommended to me by someone who time attacks his Evo X and daily drives it. I haven't had a chance to hit the track yet to see how good they are there, but for street driving at least they've been just as good as the RC5's (bit more noisy though).

vd

iTrader: (3)

I second the quoted post with confidence, had the same result after tracking RC5+.

MJ23FE

iTrader: (3)

Raptord,

When you noticed the pad material separating from the back plate, were you running the the CL RC5 or the CL RC5+? That's definitely concerning and I would/will contact Jeff @ Essex if this ever happens. I recommend any of you to do the same. I can't imagine that being a good thing, whether it be daily driving or otherwise!

-Jalal

Raptord

iTrader: (10)

AFAIK there's only RC5+ that's available, right?

MJ23FE

iTrader: (3)

CL had the RC5 before they released the RC5+. I'm not sure on the release dates, but they still reference the RC5 in some of the graphs on the Essex site.

http://www.essexparts.com/shop/brake...e-pads-65.html




_________________________

Posting a semi-kinda-sorta-update...

-Jalal

MJ23FE

iTrader: (3)

Brake Update – 11/16/2011
So, my CL RC5+ pads were installed on 1/9/2011 with 73,450 miles on the odometer. It’s now 11/16/2011 and with ~87,100 miles on the clock, I’ve put ~13,650 miles on the pads. During this span, 97% of this time has been spent spiritedly daily driving through my normal North Jersey commute, along with several trips out to CBRD in York, PA, Boston, MA, Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, Poughkeepsie, NY and anywhere and everywhere else my escapades have taken me. The other 3% spent on these pads has been debauchery. They have performed great. They dust! They squeal. If you don’t like either, run away. If you don’t like the way my car sounds when I’m coming to a stop, blow me! Approaching traffic circles, my car has been mistaken for the sound of a bus… I heard the kids say it with my own big ears. I giggled because I thought it was fantastic. They also squeal at higher speeds, as you expect a race pad to do. Yeah, they are entry level race pads, but they are race pads nonetheless, and they work on the street great! When I hit my brakes, I worry about others behind me stopping short because these pads have so much torque. I think I’ve only had 1 ABS situation. Also, I am convinced that on several occasions on I-80, and otherwise, that if it weren’t for these pads, I would have eaten ****. People are A-s-s-holes and think slamming their brakes for no reason is fun. It gives me a heart attack. Especially when traffic begins to immediately move on smoothly after the incident. Ugh.

Status Update – 11/16/2011
Since I’ll be having a new clutch installed at CBRD in the next week or so, I figured I might as well order some other stuff that I know I need to take care of.

That brings me back to my brakes! Last you guys heard from me, I had attempted to bed my brakes, but continued to get shuddering even after my attempt at scrubbing the rotors for a week or so. Since I didn’t want to cut the cheap GiroDisc bailout rotors, I wanted to just a new front set on there. All along, I wanted to get a set of Centric Premium blank rotors since they are cost effective and I’ve read nothing but good reviews on them. Also, the fact that my car is still 99% daily driven is more reason to keep it simple.
Along with the rotors, I also wanted to flush out my brake system with new fluid. The Amsoil Series 600 DOT 4 Racing Brake Fluid that I’m currently running was put in back in February of 2009 from what I can remember and so I’m definitely due for a fluid change! This time around, I’ll be running ATE Super Blue Racing DOT 4 brake fluid. Over my years as an automotive enthusiast I’ve always heard great things about this fluid and I wanted to give it a shot. It’s supposed to be a great fluid for daily driving since it has a great temperature range and also has good hygroscopic properties, or a lack there of. Whichever way that goes. Haha! It’s good at resisting moisture! There!
off-topic
Last time I did an oil change, I rotated my tires and while doing so noticed that Techna-Fit brake lines had a lot of movement in them. It turns out the little rubber grommet that keeps the brake line snug in the strut bracket came out, and has since dried out and split. This has allowed my front brake lines on both sides to move to and fro as they wish. No bueno. There is enough play in the line without the rubber grommet in place to allow for the line to come in contact with the wheels/tires. Not a good thing if you drive your car! If this happens to you, over time, the Teflon coating will eventually wear out and then continue to wear through the SS line. That’ll be the surprise of your life if you happen to be on the highway on your home, or coming into a turn at your local road course.
What did I do to resolve this issue? First thing I did was find a zip tie and secure the lines on both sides to the sway bar. While still allowing a safe amount of play, this keeps the brake line away from anything that can cause it harm. The second thing I did was call up Techna-Fit and let them know of my situation. After speaking with the secretary, and relaying my issue to the owner, I was asked to email him my situation along with phone number and address. She said I would hear back from him and they might possibly send me a new set of lines. I’ll keep you guys updated and let you know what the resolution is.
The reason why I mentioned this little tid-bit is because I’ll be waiting for new lines before I flush the brakes out. If Techna-Fit can’t take care of me, I might go with another brand. However, after checking around and looking at the product photos, ever single brake line looks to be manufactured by the same company. They all have the same design and seem to be constructed by the same place with different colors. Any recommendations???

Back to my rotors and fluid!
After my positive experience with Mike at Touge Factory, I decided to go back to them when I needed to purchase my rotors and fluid.
As mentioned, I ordered a front set of Centric Premium Blank Rotors, and 2 Liters of ATE Super Blue Racing DOT 4 brake fluid.

Once I get the brake line situation cleared away, I’ll be installing the lines (or keeping them on - TBD), installing the new rotors, applying Permatex Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant to the back plate of each pad, and then flushing the system with the Super Blue. I’ll then move on the bed the pads following the Smikey Evo Super Fantabulisticness Bed Procedure.

And I quote!
Once this is all day, I will come back to you, my fellow Evo brethren, and report on how my Carbone Lorraine RC5+ pads finally feel with a proper bedding! HAH!

VICTORY SHALL BE MINE!!!

To be continue….

-Jalal