If you have converted to 4 wheel disc brakes, I have found an amazing brake pad combination for road course driving/racing. Raybestos ST-41's up front and ST-42's in the rear. The car bites hard when just touching the brake and I was unable to get the slightes fade during my 4 - 25min NASA HPDE3 sessions at Sebring last weekend. These pads completely blow away the Carbotech XP-8 pads I was previously using. The Ray's are even responsive cold! @_@

If you are using a common caliper (i.e., Willwood Dynalites) you can order the pads online, otherwise you can trace the backing plate of your current pads and send it in for a custom grind. I got mine at speedtoys.biz but there are several vendors around...

Ken

Hawk DTC70 and DTC60 are pretty good too. Been running them on my 350Z. I actually just bought a set of the Raybestos 43s and 41s as the next race pad set to try.

Porterfield Brake custom cuts the pads to fit my calipers.

Does these front pads have any application on the street at all, or would that be a completely incorrect usage? Just looking for something with greater bite than OEM.

How rotor friendly are they and as someone else asked can they be used on the street without making too much noise?

Based on my experience with the 43s and 41s on a 3,200 lb. 350Z, I would say no to street use. Rotors are a consumable item with these or any true race pads. They are also dusty and noisy. I did not feel much responsiveness when cold and I think they need a couple hundred degrees in them before you get good bite.

Hi John! You mention you deal with Poterfield Have or know of someone using the R-4 compound poterfield useson their pads. Just getting back to the track after many years off I used to get DS-11 from him I just got the R-4 FRt/REAR shoes I'm not to sure about them The DS-11 I felt a solid pedal had confidence with this Im stoping good the pedal is solid butjust don't feel the initial grab? Looks to be rotor freindly.

When we still had the stock calipers, we used the R4 from Porterfield and would use them again. I ruined a set from not getting them to bed right. Dusty, only noisy without the thin metal shims, they needed to get heated up before working good.

Had a Nasa instructor cry about how bad he thought they were, but then again he ruined his next set of a different brand too. I got a feeling he has lots of equipment problems caused by him though.

Hi Chino! They warned about the bedding was very important. They are very dusty after a weekend at Sebring the rotors had very minor groves compared to what the DS-11 would do. They are in the car now still thick a couple more races left in them. Going to Daytona next weekend will see how they work there?

I've had good luck with Porterfield R4s on a stock 240Z brake system using then at open track days and autocrosses. They do need to be bedded properly and they need some heat to start biting. But I have had poor luck with them in track sessions lasting longer then 30 minutes. On a stock 240Z brake system then get overheated and start to chunk, at least that's been my experience. For longer sessions I would go with Hawk Blues.

The R-4's would overheat in my roadster and I went to KFP Gold pads. Again, a true race pad had to be hot to work, but once they were, they worked and I could not get them to fade.

I have had VERY good pad life out of the Hawk HT-10's I run. Of course, I am stuck with drum rears and I am using Carbotech Kaelite metallic in the rear. The balance seems pretty good but I am trying to dial in a little more rear.

The HT-10's require heat for any effective braking. I usually end up "left foot braking" on the out lap to try to have braking when the green flag flys.:bandit:

I`ve used nothing but Porterfield R-4s for years........ too many national wins to count......... including a national championship. I have had ZERO fade issues with them AND they are very rotor-friendly on the race track. Their R-4S is a great street pad as well.

Jeff Winter RallyeSport - Winter Racing Engines