The Mystification of Rear Brake Pads - Honda Prelude Forum

Paul H22 · 02-02-2006, 05:10 PM

I'm in the market for new pads and am noticing some models are only sold for the fronts. Perplexed, I am compelled to make a thread on the trusty AutoX / Road Race forum.

I'm told you don't really need a race pad in the rear. Makes sense, I suppose. The fronts do takes most of the abuse.

I'm considering Hawk HP+ all the way around.

Another option, hypothetically, is to go with Cobalt Spec VR for the fronts and then run HP+ in the rear.

Good idea, bad idea? Would I want to match the rear with a more similar pad?

So here is my main question to all of you. What type of rear pads do you use? While you're at it, go ahead and tell me what type you run on the front too. Yeahhh. That would be great. Alrighty. Thanks guys.

alvanderp · 02-02-2006, 05:46 PM

VR's on the front and HP+ on the rear would be a fine combo for the track. I wouldnt daily drive on VRs though.

Keith · 02-02-2006, 05:59 PM

Considering majority of braking is done by the front, I just have PBR Axxis for the rears.

Keith

71dsp · 02-02-2006, 06:22 PM

With the amount of track time you do Paul, you don't need VRs on the front. Do HP+ front and HPS rear, even for NPM, you'll be fine. I doubt you'll be driving hard enough to need the heat capacity of a Hawk Blue or Cobalt VR.

Paul H22 · 02-02-2006, 06:29 PM

Cool. I'll go with Hawk HP+ all the way around.

71dsp · 02-02-2006, 06:34 PM

I know the Miata is much lighter, but I ran the piss out of the 99 Miata at Hallett on HP+ pads without any problems at all, for 2 days.

Paul H22 · 02-02-2006, 06:35 PM

Cool. That's pretty assuring.

alvanderp · 02-02-2006, 08:55 PM

Yeah I always used to run the mild compound on my Rotora's, with no issue. DD and Track. Even at TWS I never had any issues running the 75-950 degree pads, which is what HP+ are equivalent to.

MRW · 02-03-2006, 09:10 AM

GT-sports in the rear and font will also work as a great for Auto-X, Track days, and street use.

LowFlyin' · 02-03-2006, 10:54 AM

Spec-VR in the front and Cobalt GTS in the rear (I was running GTS all-around, but my front GTSs were toast, and I didn't want to buy another set, since the car is for sale.) The VRs aren't too bad on the street...just have to take the car out ever couple of weeks and re-bed the pads/rotors.

OldManLuder · 02-06-2006, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRW

GT-sports in the rear and font will also work as a great for Auto-X, Track days, and street use.

This is the same setup I'm using...works great for me.

vwong · 02-07-2006, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul H22

Cool. I'll go with Hawk HP+ all the way around.

The HP+ worked quite good on track days, and more than enough for auto-x'es. However, I have been using Hawk Blue in the front and HP+ in the rear for track days.

71dsp · 02-07-2006, 01:43 PM

Paul is also someone with zero track experience. HP+ pads will be more than enough IMO.

Paul H22 · 02-07-2006, 01:48 PM

^^ Yep.. just autoX's so far.

I'm going with Hawk HP+ . Thanks guys.

LudemanDan · 03-07-2006, 03:36 PM

Hey guys, to bring the thread topic back into discussion, does having a more aggressive set of pads in front affect braking technique at all? I think of it kind of like having different tires in front and rear, which would obviously change handling in a drastic way. I don't know if the same applies with brake pads, but it seems like before I buy more aggressive pads for the front, I'd ask if there's any downside to a mismatch (for track driving).

Dan

ExodusFX · 03-07-2006, 06:02 PM

Mismatched tires are a different situation than brakes. The tires woud affect you adversely because you'd be running around with tires that have different sidewall stiffness, grip level, etc, and it could make things unpredictable and dangerous. Having better brakes in front, than before, should just change your braking points.

LudemanDan · 03-07-2006, 07:23 PM

I know the complications of having different tires. My question is, does having mismatched brake pads introduce the same kind of complications? For example, would oversteer/understeer tendencies change during track runs as the front pads take longer to get into their optimal heat range? Would the rear pads actually not grip as hard when the fronts get hot? Etc. TIA.

TimeRacer · 03-07-2006, 08:36 PM

Dan, you're talking basically about brake bias. More or less the more braking power you give to the rear the more twitchy the rear will be under hard braking. Many people use brake proportioning valves fine tune this, but you start out with the pads first. As for getting up to temp, that would probably be one of the very last things I worry about as the operating range of most pads are down in the 100-200F range so they should be up to temp regardless in any situation where you'd be braking hard.

LudemanDan · 03-07-2006, 09:14 PM

So then, having more aggressive pads in front does not introduce complications, and it's not something I have to think about too much while driving?

(^^This is what I want to hear

)

LowFlyin' · 03-08-2006, 01:49 PM

I don't see it being an issue. The rears just do not get hot enough to warrent a more aggressive pad. Now if you are running a track pad in front and a cheap autoZone pad in rear, there might be a problem, but again, the rear just doesn't do that much. I doubt you'd even notice the if the rear was too hot, other than the smell.