Audimobile

OK, what do I have to do to get good brakes on the track! Yesterday I went out with my new Porterfield R4 pads (bedded a couple days prior), freshly flushed brakes with Motuls 600, and stainless steel lines. I'm not expecting anything spectacular, just to have solid brakes for the day.

Well, It basically felt like I fried them on the first 30 min lapping session. The brakes went from having awsome grip, to being a slush pedal again. For the rest of the day I had to just live with it and brake way early and easy. It was frustrating because the corner spotters would write up notes on how you were doing and several of them commented on how I was braking early. But every time I tried to push the threshold a bit I'd get in trouble because the brakes just weren't there.

The scariest time was on my second run of the day, after a couple warm up laps, I still wasn't sure if the brakes were toast or not. I went in fast and tried to brake late into a long sweeping 180 turn, and just couldn't slow down in time. Came time I had to turn, so let up on the brake, clamped my jaw tight, and turned in. The back end came around and I just kept telling myself "easy gas, NO BRAKE, easy gas, NO BRAKE". Counter steered a little, feathered the gas, and held the slide for what felt like FOREVER. Got about 3/4 around the corner and the car finally snaped straight. Big sigh of releif....

OK, so my question is, am I just expecting too much from my stock brakes, or is it something else? Maybe I didn't bed my pads correctly? (I did it per Porterfields website instructions), maybe I have air in my lines? I just want consistent brakes for the entire lapping day.

What would you recomend if I had $500 or $1000 I was willing to spend on brakes. How about cooling ducts, anyone try that without haveing to modify the car too much.

Thanks,
Jason

valium

with ATE slotted rotors. The pedal is softer than stock (for me, stock is Mintex Red Box daily), but no fade or anything.

I have gotten into the ABS, but that's when I brake at the #2 marker at VIR for the 180 right-hander, down from 110+ mph.

It's unnerving to not be "rock solid" but I haven't "lost the brakes" at all.

I agree the softer pedal is a PITA though.

Jon

Corey S

...but most likely you didn't get a good bleed on the brake fluid. Try bleeding your brakes again, and retry. If you had brake bleeding tools with you, it would've been good to bleed the brakes while the fluid was warm. Sharon and I have gotten our best bleeds (on our Alcons, though) while the fluid was warm at the track.

Also, check the pads to see if they've glazed over, or turned blue at all.

WJM

maybe a set of slotted rotors would help you

WYSIWYG

"what was that? that cant be right"
"what was that? that cant be right"
"what was that? that cant be right"
"what was that? that cant be right"

mintex reds

Another Drew

Why is it better bleed them warm?

Corey S

And coincidentally, our best brake bleeds have come while the fluid was warm.

maugt

Which produces vapour which you can then get out?

Not really sure, just guessing.

MikTip

Judging from your statement, you glazed the pads and boiled the fluid. Probably as a result
of the pads being too efficient at clamping down on the rotors, and 30 minutes of heat soaking.

OEM brakes just cannot handle the heat generated by race conditions. Throwing in an uprated pad
simply transfers the resultant problems to the other components. This is why folks get those
"Big Brakes"! Slotted & drilled, etc......

If you want to race, and you want your brakes to perform under race conditions, ya need racing brakes. Its that simple.

Audiboy

about this a while back because he had a pressure bleeder I could use. That was what we came up with about the vapor in there, which dissappears when the brakes cool down again and the pedal feel goes back. He wanted to feel the brakes more before each turn just for the sake of feedback for his instructions, but I told him I didn't have any more braking :P Gotta get me a pressure bleeder