Brake Pad Advice?

ChrisSlicks · 09-22-2011, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cossie1600

Their marketing strategy is terrible too. Grassroot motorsports rated them highly in their latest test, but it's nearly impossible to order them without calling them direct.

It is a problem with these companies. They put huge resources into engineering with some very bright people, but nothing into marketing.

THMotorsports is a reseller, but of course if you select the 370Z then you see no products. For the 350Z with Brembo's they are showing $269 for XR3's and $189 for XR5's rear. Just need to figure out if they actually make a product for the 370Z.

cossie1600 · 09-22-2011, 10:41 PM

Like Carbotech, they should have the blanks ready and they can probably make it within a few days.

I am actually curious as to how these places stay in business. They only sell to the race car market, yet they seem to be doing okay. How big is the hardcore racing crowd? I guess they use up a lot of sets in a race. It's the same with all the ALMS cars that barely have sponsors on them.

ChrisSlicks · 09-22-2011, 10:47 PM

It beats me how these companies stay in business. Even if you have 10% of the national professional racing crowd it isn't a large number.

Mike · 09-23-2011, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

Expensive, but not that expensive. For the sport brakes the fronts are about $320 and the rears are around $270. An extra few bucks for mine as the AP pad shape isn't as common.

thats not too bad. Pretty close to what I pay for Carbotechs.

However, when I got my Stoptechs and put them on 2 days before a track day, we found out that Stoptech used a different rear caliper than we were expecting with the small rotor kit, and the Carbotech pads I had for the rear were useless.

I called Carbotech on a friday morning, and they stopped normal production to make a set just for me. Not only that, they hand delivered them to a friend that afternoon so he could bring them to me at the track the next day.

They have my business for life now.

ChrisSlicks · 09-23-2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

thats not too bad. Pretty close to what I pay for Carbotechs.

However, when I got my Stoptechs and put them on 2 days before a track day, we found out that Stoptech used a different rear caliper than we were expecting with the small rotor kit, and the Carbotech pads I had for the rear were useless.

I called Carbotech on a friday morning, and they stopped normal production to make a set just for me. Not only that, they hand delivered them to a friend that afternoon so he could bring them to me at the track the next day.

They have my business for life now.

I've heard several Carbotech stories very similar to that, they definitely go the extra mile and a half. I would probably give them a go but when I was talking to them last Winter they couldn't figure out my AP pad shape. I guess I could just send them some used pads and go from there.

sig11 · 09-23-2011, 10:38 AM

Wow $580 is two sets of Carbotechs for the sport calipers.

Are the AP pads that much larger?

ChrisSlicks · 09-23-2011, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sig11

Wow $580 is two sets of Carbotechs for the sport calipers.

Are the AP pads that much larger?

Typically all the aftermarket caliper pads are more expensive, that goes for Stoptech, AP, Brembo etc. They are a little bit larger but I don't think size is the primary factor determining price, I think it is mostly about volume and how many pads of each compound they can make during a single production run. Small companies like Carbotech can't afford to have large amounts of product sitting around on shelves.

wstar · 09-24-2011, 01:29 PM

x (ninja removal of braindead morning post)

tommyguns · 09-24-2011, 03:03 PM

You should take a look at these. Brake Pad (RB ET800) - 370Z (NISMO) FRONT 2009
I run the ET500 with DBA 4000 rotors and love the combination.

wstar · 09-25-2011, 11:27 PM

For whoever else was wondering: just got done installing and bedding in a set of CT XP8 on all 4 corners, against brand new slotted rotors (Relentless's). Also, I did use the ultra-high-temp Permatex brake lube (on the pad backing plates, the pins, and the obvious wear spots on the spring clip thingies).

Got what I think was "ice mode" (sure seemed like the descriptions here anyways) once during the bedding process, but the brakes came right back a few seconds later for the next stop. Either that or it was just an extreme example of what they call "green fade", but it was pretty late in the process. Looking at the rotors, it looks like I bedded in reasonably well. I may try again even harder if I get the chance, there's still a little bit of "uneveness" to the pattern of the transferred material on the rotor, probably just still leveling out the finer variations in the rotor surface itself or something.

But the good news is, I'm not getting any noise from them, not even riding them light on a slow parking lot turn or anything. Crossing my fingers they stay quiet.

09-22-2011, 10:47 PM	#33 (permalink)
ChrisSlicks A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North East Posts: 6,203 Drives: 09 370Z Sport M6 Rep Power: 653	It beats me how these companies stay in business. Even if you have 10% of the national professional racing crowd it isn't a large number. __________________ Hotchkis ARB \| Stillen CAI \| Art Pipes \| Berk CBE \| Stillen AP Racing Brakes \| AE Performance Oil Cooler \| BC Racing ER Coilovers \| Doran Control Arms

09-24-2011, 01:29 PM	#38 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	x (ninja removal of braindead morning post) __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

09-24-2011, 03:03 PM	#39 (permalink)
tommyguns Track Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: New York Age: 65 Posts: 914 Drives: 370Z/Sport/Black/MT Rep Power: 17	You should take a look at these. Brake Pad (RB ET800) - 370Z (NISMO) FRONT 2009 I run the ET500 with DBA 4000 rotors and love the combination. __________________ 09 Sport / MB / 6sd / Nismo"R" Intake / Eibach Pro Kit / Z1 25 row cooler / JWT LW FW / New Short Block 3/11/11 /H&R 15fr 20rr/DBA 4000/FI CB with 12"res./Morel/JL/"Division"mod/SPC/EcuTek/M370/ZEX C SHOT/ART's/NRG

09-25-2011, 11:27 PM	#40 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	For whoever else was wondering: just got done installing and bedding in a set of CT XP8 on all 4 corners, against brand new slotted rotors (Relentless's). Also, I did use the ultra-high-temp Permatex brake lube (on the pad backing plates, the pins, and the obvious wear spots on the spring clip thingies). Got what I think was "ice mode" (sure seemed like the descriptions here anyways) once during the bedding process, but the brakes came right back a few seconds later for the next stop. Either that or it was just an extreme example of what they call "green fade", but it was pretty late in the process. Looking at the rotors, it looks like I bedded in reasonably well. I may try again even harder if I get the chance, there's still a little bit of "uneveness" to the pattern of the transferred material on the rotor, probably just still leveling out the finer variations in the rotor surface itself or something. But the good news is, I'm not getting any noise from them, not even riding them light on a slow parking lot turn or anything. Crossing my fingers they stay quiet. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

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09-22-2011, 10:41 PM	#32 (permalink)
cossie1600 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: californee way Posts: 5,380 Drives: 370, Leaf Rep Power: 30	Like Carbotech, they should have the blanks ready and they can probably make it within a few days. I am actually curious as to how these places stay in business. They only sell to the race car market, yet they seem to be doing okay. How big is the hardcore racing crowd? I guess they use up a lot of sets in a race. It's the same with all the ALMS cars that barely have sponsors on them.

09-23-2011, 10:38 AM	#36 (permalink)
sig11 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Detroit Posts: 1,294 Drives: 09 370Z Red Sport-MT Rep Power: 18	Wow $580 is two sets of Carbotechs for the sport calipers. Are the AP pads that much larger?