Is there an echo in the room?
Could I use OEM pads all around if I track the car no more than 6 times a year?
I live where even the coyotes won't go...
Is there an echo in the room?
Buehler.................Buehler................... ..............................Buehler
I live where even the coyotes won't go...
Will placing a piece of quality ham with the cheese make it stop quicker or just make me hungry?
I live where even the coyotes won't go...
OEM pads are fine on the track. You just have to remember that you have to brake early......
92 Sunny 214k, 95 Dimples, 93 James Bondo, 92 SM (Speedie Jr )
Shelley, Apex, Tigger, Max, Baby(cats), Fluffy, Spot, and Peanut (mini horses), Cinnamon & Bitsy(dawgs)
MSR #1001, SCCA #208822 Let's go racin'
Merv... Keep in mind that Timmy has a blower, so he hits the braking zone a good bit faster than your stock 1.6 SPEC Miata.
Titus... Keep in mind it's Timmy driving the car.
92 Sunny 214k, 95 Dimples, 93 James Bondo, 92 SM (Speedie Jr )
Shelley, Apex, Tigger, Max, Baby(cats), Fluffy, Spot, and Peanut (mini horses), Cinnamon & Bitsy(dawgs)
MSR #1001, SCCA #208822 Let's go racin'
Merv is the straight man for the comics on the board.... Thanks MM
OK, that was funny POS but just for a few seconds
I live where even the coyotes won't go...
I think it's more a case of using the right equipment in the right place. You wouldn't ran a 100-yard dash in wingtips, would you?
If it were me, I wouldn't use the OEM pads on the track. You might get away with them at MSR, but at a more braking intensive track like TWS, ECR, or Hallett I think you'd cook them in no time.
The way I look at it, good brakes are the most important piece of safety equipment you should have on the track. I want to have complete confidence in my car's brakes, not just on the first lap but the last.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Unless you're racing, what difference does it make if your lap times are two seconds slower. I've not been to ECR yet, but many, many times at TWS(before building a racecar), and a few times at Hallett, and I never had an issue with OEM pads......and I'm not exactly the slowest guy on the track :) Driving "smart" dictates different driving styles for different equipment. It's that simple.
92 Sunny 214k, 95 Dimples, 93 James Bondo, 92 SM (Speedie Jr )
Shelley, Apex, Tigger, Max, Baby(cats), Fluffy, Spot, and Peanut (mini horses), Cinnamon & Bitsy(dawgs)
MSR #1001, SCCA #208822 Let's go racin'
If you follow that logic, what difference does it make if your lap times are ten seconds slower? A minute slower? Why bother pushing the car hard at all? After all, if you cruise around the track at 5/10ths, you’ll put a lot less stress on the brakes, the tires, etc.
Just because those doing time trials and track days aren’t racing wheel-to-wheel doesn’t mean we aren’t trying to minimize our lap times.
I know firsthand that you're not slow, Merv. I've seen you in action.
Yeah, you can get by with OEM pads at the track. You can get by with five year old brake fluid and 600-treadwear all season tires as well, if you really want to. But just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.
Tim the Teacher has a supercharged car. He has high performance tires. Why should he skimp on brake pads on a car he intends to track several times per year? Not only is he compromising his safety by running components that aren’t designed for his application, but OEM and “street friendly” pads also tend to wear much faster than true track pads in that environment, because they’re operating at temps well above their intended design.
In my experience, I can make a set of dedicated track pads last for 8-10 days at the track. By contrast, I can destroy a set of OEM or “street friendly” pads like Axxis Ultimates or HP+ in a day at a track like TWS or Hallett. For me, it is much, much more cost effective to run dedicated track pads at the track and OEM pads on the street than to try to get by with a “one-size-fits-none” pad for both applications. As an added benefit, I have complete confidence that my brakes will work as expected, whether I’ve been out for five minutes of forty minutes.
I've driven on the track before with OEM pads and street tires and whatnot, and I personally don't find it enjoyable to have to constantly "drive smart" because my brakes are getting hot or my tires are going away. I like to push my car, and these components give me the confidence and repeatability to do so, which in turn allows me to enjoy my track time to the fullest.
That’s my two cents. Take it for what it’s worth.
Last edited by altiain; 03-11-2009 at 10:13 AM.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Sounds more like $2.00 worth.... I wasn't meaning he should, just that he could. I've always had brakes last longer than most. Afterall, using them just slows you down!
92 Sunny 214k, 95 Dimples, 93 James Bondo, 92 SM (Speedie Jr )
Shelley, Apex, Tigger, Max, Baby(cats), Fluffy, Spot, and Peanut (mini horses), Cinnamon & Bitsy(dawgs)
MSR #1001, SCCA #208822 Let's go racin'