Raybestos Pads

[JeffYoung]

Well, PFC stopped making 90 compound in my unusual pad shape and Porterfield for whatever reason will not cut 93 or 97 for that backing plate.

They are offering me a new Raybestos pad (ST-43?) at $220(!) a front set. Anyone ever heard of this pad?? Thoughts? The old PFCs were high, I thought, at $150. $220 is tough to swallow.

[JohnRW]

I ran Raybestos ST43's last season on the front of the vintage car, where I had previously run PF 80's, 83's & 90's. Loved'em. Nice 'feel', good bite, easy to modulate and they seem to have a very broad temp/friction range.

In "Wilwood GN" caliper pad size they were ~$150/set. Custom backer price sounds about right.

[This message has been edited by JohnRW (edited February 08, 2005).]

[Knestis]

If you'd like to get a set of my old favorite "full metal jacket" sintered iron pads made, let me know and I'll find the contact info. They charge about $125 and need a good set of backing plates but they might be just the ticket for the 'umph.

K

[Ron Earp]

How do those work out? Pads last for years but the rotors have to be changed every 3 races?

Ron

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Ron Earp
http://www.gt40s.com
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey ITS
My electrons don't care if they flow through OEM wires, do yours?

[gran racing]

I highly recommend using Carbotech's Panther pads. They last me a long, long time. I previously used Porterfield but they were more expensive, and didn't last nearly as long. I also like how the Carbotech pads feel better.

They will make you what ever you need...

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Dave Gran
NER ITB #13
'87 Honda Prelude si

[Turfer]

Originally posted by JeffYoung:
Anyone ever heard of this pad?? Thoughts? The old PFCs were high, I thought, at $150. $220 is tough to swallow.

I ran them last year. They were the best pad I have ever run on (ITA CRX). They are definitely worth the $$$ for me.

I am rather hard on brakes and have destroyed almost all the other brands and compounds in short order.

The Raybestos pad feels a lot like the PFC-93 but with a better intitial bite (which not everyone likes). I found that I could consistemtly go in slightly deeper and had better modulation abiltity during threshold braking. I find with most pads that I have to back off 10-25% pedal pressure to stop a lock up and that with the Raybestos it was only 1-5%.

We ran 20 races with two sets last year (around 44hrs) while going through 30+ rotors. Never grooved a rotor with them and never got the trypical mushy Honda pedal. With the other pads we have to rotate them to prevent excess tapering and we have to perform a bleed every session. Not so with the Raybestos.

I hope this review helps a little bit. They are not cheap but they work for and my confidence knowing that the brakes are as good at the end of a 30 minute dogfight as they were at the start.

Rick

[trd77]

Jeff, will porterfield cut the 90 compound

[trd77]

Jeff, scratch that last post, I see you said that they no longer make the 90s. shoot I liked the 90s. Did porterfield give you a reason they will not cut pads. They have always been good about doing that for us

[Knestis]

I sent Jeff contact information so he can get in touch with Metal Frictions in Seattle.

Those iron pads are amazingly predictable because they don't have any binders or organic compounds in them. No real bedding required and no pad fade - unless you exceeed the melting point of Fe.

Sintering is an interesting process. It uses powdered material, formed into the final part under high pressure and temperature just short of the actual melting point. Back when we ran the Sports2000 Tiga, we were surprised to learn that the brake tophats from AP were sintered aluminum.

Rotors last just marginally longer than the pads. PMT is not an issue either. Pedal pressure is typically high and they MUST be hot to work well, for what are probably obvious reasons.

20 years ago when we started using them, there weren't very many real racing options for IT cars. We pretty much had to make do with "Metal Masters" or some other aftermarket crap from the local auto parts place. The Blues that we used for the 13 hours lasted just about as well as the iron pads, were exactly as hard on the rotors, but were more forgiving, I think.

K

[Greg Gauper]

I have been very, very happy with the ST43 compound from Porterfield on my Honda Civic (now converted to G-prod which puts an even harder load on the brakes due to the racing slicks). I ran into the same problem with Hawk Blues becoming hard to come by.

I tried a set of the Carbotech XP1109 compound but did not like the feel of the pads plus I bent the backing plates inspite of running the biggest ducts possible. Keep in mind that this was at a brake killer tracks like Blackhawk & Road America.

The ST43's last as long (or longer) than my Hawk blues and seem to be more rotor friendly. Very good pedal feel.

I put a new set in the car for our Cat national at Road America, plus I ran a regional there the following week, plus the full week of the Runoffs at MO, and then finished up at a regional at Blackhawk with lots of track time, and I have over 50% pad left.

I concur about the agressive initial bite. I did have to adapt, but I found I could go much deeper with more confidence.

[This message has been edited by Greg Gauper (edited February 09, 2005).]

[ITANorm]

Originally posted by gran racing:
I highly recommend using Carbotech's Panther pads.

Dave, are they making the Panther again. It was the perfect rear pad with the TRD fronts I use. They discontinued it and suggested the Panther+. I tried them and it has too high a CF for the bias I'm trying to achieve.