How hard is the Gimli track on brakes?

[Fast_Toys]

Most people want to use the pads for street and solo sprint so they just have to last for each session. The Hawk HP+ will do both. I agree that if you want to get serious into lapping and do longer sessions, you need to go to a track orientated pad.

[apex]

Brake pads and rotors are the disposable items.I run hawk blues and 20$ rotors 2sets of rotors for one set of pads .I never boil my brakes I use ford 500deg dot 3 from the tire and never had issues .( at least 10 years)In fact most of the racers at Gimli use the same stuff I use no one comes to me complaining about brake fade . Any rotor with holes and slots are even worse (hair line cracks) etc Not worth the money its cheaper to replace with 20$ rotors 2 or 3 times a year( 4 or 5 events) then spending gobs of cash on fancy plated drilled rotorsthere are exceptions to this also but in general this works for me .Al

Where do you normally grab your rotors from Al?

[Art]

Where do you normally grab your rotors from Al?

Keep in mind Al doesn't race a 3,500 lb late model car.

[LittleBlueGT]

For what I'm doing/planning on doing' date=' the HPS or HP+ will be just fine for me. Little to no fade at 5 laps even weighing in at 3300. I will have to have a look at the rotors though, thanks for the heads up guys.[/quote']You have a 350Z?Take it from someone who lost a pad at 140 mph at BIR, I will never ever do a track event where my brakes are barely up to the challenge, my car, my WAF, and my life are far too valuable.Pads are not that cheap either.FWIW HPS suck compared to HP+, and even they are only so-so for a track event in a heavy car.

[Vapour Trails]

You have a 350Z?Take it from someone who lost a pad at 140 mph at BIR' date=' I will never ever do a track event where my brakes are barely up to the challenge.[/quote']Lost a pad? What exactly happened?

[nishanna]

You guys do realize that swapping brake pads is pretty easy' date=' and only takes a few mins.[/quote']That depends on the car doesn't it? I had to take the calipers off on the M3 to change the pads, but I understand that you can change pads on a STi (factory brembos) without taking the calipers off. If the latter applied to all cars, then I would agree with you, but that isn't always the case.

[LittleBlueGT]

Lost a pad? What exactly happened?

I had supposedly the best street pad around can go to 1300F (which is better then HP+ which are about 1000F) and the brakes never faded' date=' but were starting to vibrate badly, then the left front pad material broke off, and this happened:I lost the pad at the end of hard braking on turn 3. (I had hit 148 mph before on that straight, but was going slower this time) Fortunately the pad let go right at the end of that brake zone, I then lost full brakes for turn 4. If I had not been able to stop at turn 3 I would have hit the tire wall at 110+ mph. I was very lucky nothing got wrecked!FWIW earlier that day a new 911 turbo (trailer-ed in) went off on corner 3 (the fast one) and totaled his car, ouch!!!

[LittleBlueGT]

That depends on the car doesn't it? I had to take the calipers off on the M3 to change the pads' date=' but I understand that you can change pads on a STi (factory brembos) without taking the calipers off. If the latter applied to all cars, then I would agree with you, but that isn't always the case.[/quote']Not sure about the M3, but even on slider calipers it is usually just one bolt. Then flip the caliper up and put in new pads. No need to put shims on (keep them on street pads).Put on track pads a few days before, the abrasive pads will clean the rotors just by normal driving (might be a little loud), then when you hit the track a couple of warm up laps and brakes are bedded ready to go.I have AP 4 piston BBK and I find pads are actually easier to change on the cheaper slider type calipers then it is on my 4 pot BBK, although even for me it is pretty easy.

[Vapour Trails]

It's stuff like your mishap that make me feel like AutoX and the occasional trip to the drag strip are good enough.

[LittleBlueGT]

It's stuff like your mishap that make me feel like AutoX and the occasional trip to the drag strip are good enough.

There are definite risks involved in higher speeds (like that guy that I heard about that wrecked his Hyundai Genesis at the HPDE). Just like winter driving. If you aren't prepared to prep your car for winter driving (like winter tires and such) I would prefer you don't drive. Same thing for the track. If you aren't prepared to prep your car properly, then don't go.Just MO.

[drahgon]

like that guy that I heard about that wrecked his Hyundai Genesis at the HPDE...

:eek: what happened??

[LittleBlueGT]

:eek: what happened??

I wasn't there, but I heard about it.I am sure someone here can tell us first hand.

[Vapour Trails]

:eek: what happened??

AFAIK, spun around turn 2, went into a tire wall. Car looked repairable.