The P71 weighs about 4100 pounds. I'll be lucky to get that under 3800 by the time it hits the track.
Nobody makes race pads for it. I have used Motorcraft severe duty pads before with success for track days, time trial and autocross. They stop well and last fairly long. They do eat rotors though. A full 24 hours of Lemons at CMP is a whole 'nother brake pad story. With the Motorcrafts, I would probably have to do a pad change and maybe rotors too.
Porterfield will make a race spec pad but I don't want to spend $300 on a set of front pads if they aren't going to last longer than the $70 Motorcraft Severe Duty.
Porterfield is using Raybestos' ST-47 compound. Anyone use it? Can I expect 24 hours of life out of a set?
They also have their R4-Es available for the rears. I have used them on the Civic with great success. Usually 2 events out of a set. They are $170 a set.
I don't mind spending the money if it's worth it but I don't necessarily want eat up a couple of sets of high dollar pads and spend $1000 on pads for a weekend at the track.
sergio
Reader
1/18/20 5:48 p.m.
We use the Raybestos ST-43 on the front of our 3000 lb SHO racer, have to custom make them. They last 8 8 hour races. On the rear we use Porterfield R4.
Check with Performance Friction. I'm pretty sure they've got something for those cars.
If performance friction doesn't, then I'd got Wagner severe duty (sv or sx beginning part number) it's unfortunate that the porterfield options aren't more cost effective for the application, as they're my go to for lighter chassis.
pimpm3
UltraDork
1/18/20 7:08 p.m.
Carbotec can make you a set. The endurance race compound lasts well, I ran them on my track cars in the past and was happy with them. I can't remember the name of the compound off the top of my head
PF makes some good stuff. The pads I used to rally the V8 Miata were PFC97s. They would always stop the car. Hot track work, in a hurricane, after a 4 km fast section with no braking - always.
If they were outside their happy temp range, they’d take out the rotors. We called them rotor eaters. I usually went through two sets of rotors per pad. They’d also make an unholy mess.. But damnit, the car stopped every time.
Performance Friction only has severe duty/fleet pads for street use. They are reasonably priced but I would probably need 2 sets and do a hot pad change Saturday night.
Carbotech only shows front pads and they are hella expensive. $400 for their endurance compound. I would bet the rears would be even more if they would make them.
In reply to Toyman01 :
Have you run the PF severe/fleet pads, or are you speculating given their "street" designation?
In reply to AngryCorvair :
I have not run theirs, I have run Motorcrafts. PF gives zero information about the compound used so I am assuming they will wear similarly. The Motorcraft pads will survive 3 track events for a total of 5-6 hours of track time. That's not bad for a fleet pad on a heavy car. Even if the PF pads last twice as long as the Motorcraft pads, I'm still looking at a pad change at the 12-14 hour mark.
I'll have to make some phone calls next week and ask some questions.
Definitely call PF. And assume that you may have to change pads while endurance racing.
I am assuming there is some brake ducting planned as well? Best way to make brakes last.
Woody
MegaDork
1/19/20 7:14 a.m.
Didn't Mazduece have some obscure pads custom made for not-a-lot of money? Maybe touch base with him.
In reply to Toyman01 :
PF has in-house chemists who develop their friction recipes and they do a ton of dyno testing. I worked there 10 years ago, so I can't tell you with great certainty what they've got for that caliper.
But this is MURRICA and you're a big boy, so you could probably get 2015-ish Mustang track pack pads and machine them down to the dimensions you need to fit your existing calipers. I have heard That's been done before.
With the year make and model for the calipers you're using, you can get the "FMSI Number" for your pad shape, then you can google that FMSI and get dimensions. Or you could carefully measure a new pad for your caliper and lay that out on the Mustang pad (it's huge and pretty rectangular and is an OE-validated pad for high-performance use, so it makes a good donor for this type of shenanigans).
PM me to discuss.
In reply to AngryCorvair :
That's a thought and worth looking into.
I'll give PF a call tomorrow and see what they have to say.
sergio
Reader
1/19/20 11:41 a.m.
Ten years ago we were racing in Lemons with an 89 SHO. It was a joke for Lemons to race a Taurus but anyway. We were going to Eagles Canyon Raceway, a track known for killing brakes. Never raced there so we didn't know what to expect, except everybody said if you don't have good brakes you're going to be in trouble.
Called Porterfield to explain the situation. We had been using their R4 pads without any problems. They recommended Raybestos ST-43 pads. They cost $220 IIRC. Used R4 on the rear.
The race was in June, in north Texas with temperatures around 100* during the day. We raced 10 hours Saturday ending up in first with a seven lap lead. That evening in the garages everyone was changing brakes. There were 3 other SHO's racing all of them working on their brakes. Two of them used PF pads, don't know what compound. The other one was on Carbotech pads, don't know which. We even gave one of them our used R4 front pads. We checked ours and there was very little wear. Bled the brakes and went to the hotel.
The next day was 5 or 6 more hours of racing. We won by 3 laps. Never had a problem with the brakes. We used those pads for 2 more Lemons races afterwards. Rotor wear was never a problem.
Our front brakes were 96 SHO 11.6" rotors, calipers, and pads. The rear were 11.6" rotors with 89 SHO calipers and pads. So we weren't using anything real exotic. Everything was available at any auto parts store. Except the race pads of course.
I've run almost the same combo as Sergio on our 93 SHO - ST43 up front, and R4-E (for endurance) in the rear and the pads last at least two full 14.5 hour races. Our car is a tick over 3000 lbs with driver as raced.