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rotor/pad question

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Old 04-18-2014, 08:26 PM
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Default rotor/pad question

Hey guys I'm just getting into road racing and have a quick question.

I'm getting new rotors and HPS pads for the street, I plan to go to my first track event in a few weeks and was planning to swap the front pads over to one of the Carbotech race pads before I hit up the track. My question is do I have to swap the rotor as well? I can get a spare set of blank rotors for the track if I need to, but with the added hassle of changing the rotor and then changing it back I was wondering if it was necessary. Is there any safety issue with using two different pads on the same rotor (either on the track or on the street once I swap the pads back)? I have the CTS-V front brakes if that matters.
Old 04-19-2014, 06:09 AM
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technically, youd want to keep the same pads with the same rotors. something about the compound of the pad being imprinted on the rotor, something like that.

besides that, there is always a very good chance you can warp a rotor, especially on your first track day. ive been tracking for several years, and id say to get dedicated track pads/rotors. you dont need to go for top line rotors.....any new parts store will do for a day. napa, autozone, local store brand, anything. they only have to last a day. if you get more out of them, fine, but its cheap insurance to have new, straight rotors for a track.

add to that, when changing pads/rotors, you bleed the brakes also, which is another important track day prep. you should either flush the entire system if its been a while, or at the very least, do a thorough bleed at each corner before the track.

that being said, **** does happen, and ive had a set of brand new, out of the box brembo blanks that were warped from the factory. if in doubt, get them mic'd first. if youre friendly with a shop, have them put the rotors on a lathe and give them an extremely light cut, just to see if theyre true.
Old 04-19-2014, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by EchoMirage
technically, youd want to keep the same pads with the same rotors. something about the compound of the pad being imprinted on the rotor, something like that.

besides that, there is always a very good chance you can warp a rotor, especially on your first track day. ive been tracking for several years, and id say to get dedicated track pads/rotors. you dont need to go for top line rotors.....any new parts store will do for a day. napa, autozone, local store brand, anything. they only have to last a day. if you get more out of them, fine, but its cheap insurance to have new, straight rotors for a track.

add to that, when changing pads/rotors, you bleed the brakes also, which is another important track day prep. you should either flush the entire system if its been a while, or at the very least, do a thorough bleed at each corner before the track.

that being said, **** does happen, and ive had a set of brand new, out of the box brembo blanks that were warped from the factory. if in doubt, get them mic'd first. if youre friendly with a shop, have them put the rotors on a lathe and give them an extremely light cut, just to see if theyre true.
True, the bed in procedure for hawk pads is on their website something like 5-6 medium pressure complete stops then 3-4 hard complete stops from 45mph and then let the rotors cool.

Its transfers a thin layer of pad compound onto the rotor so that its not pad on metal its pad on pad compound, think of it like rubbing sand paper on metal, friction right, now rub sand paper against more sand paper, way more friction. There's probably a better analogy than that but its what I'm going with lol
Old 04-19-2014, 12:45 PM
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Cool, Ill go ahead and get separate rotors as well then. And yeah I had already planned to do a full system bleed. Thanks for the help.
Old 04-29-2014, 07:16 AM
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If you run Carbotech street and race pads, no rotor swap is required.

Look at the Carbotech "Panther" pad for the street.



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