1st Gen Rx7 Brakes

[TomL]

I run Hawk Blues as well, and I've never seen the kind of wear you're describing. I get about the same use out of the pads as I do on the rotors - at least 6 and sometimes 8-10 weekends, and those are mostly doubles. I don't do anything special to keep down wear and I've gone to using the absolute cheapest Chinese-made rotors ($38 apiece) I have found. I've found no discernible difference in lifetime between them and Brembos or other "quality" rotors. The only "problem" is that the dust cap is a little loose fitting (fixed with RTV.) The cheap rotors act just like the good ones - after 3 or 4 weekends they start showing heat checks, which gradually get bigger. When the cracks get close to the outside edge, I change them. Occasionally, they'll even get a single crack that goes all the way to the outside edge, but it's never caused any noticeable degradation in performance.

Maybe your experience is related to the tracks you run? But if so, I'd think you'd be wearing out the pads quicker, too.

[SLUF]

We are running at St. Louis, Memphis, and Hallett. We are getting approximately 150 laps or two to three weekends before the rotors are completely cracked to the point of being unsafe. We are running cooling ducts and I don't think we are that hard on the brakes as we are just not that fast yet. I have seen and heard some racers getting better life out of the Hawk blues but not too many for sure. We will be switching to Carbotech after this set.

[mustanghammer]

I guess I don't understand the issues being described because I haven't cracked a rotor in 7 years of using Hawk Blue's front and rear. I have also never experienced any brake fade. My car currently weighs 2470 - the lightest it has ever been - with my fat ass in it. Please don't take this the wrong way....but maybe you are using the brakes too much?

As far as tracks go, I haven't been to Memphis or Hallet (I really need to get to Hallet) but I have raced at StL, MAM and HPT. None of those tracks require allot of heavy braking in my opinion. The RunOffs configuration at HPT is extremely kind to brakes. StL isn't too bad either. Both allow an RX7 to carry allot of momentum and ask the driver to give up speed in stages - not all at once.

Here is my routine:

• Front rotors are replaced after they have seen their second set of pads.
• Brake pads are replaced when the friction material is thinner than the backing plate and not before.
• I do not turn rotors.
• I buy cheap rotors from Black Dragon or a national autoparts chain
• I inspect and repack bearings at pad half life and when new pads are installed on old rotors.
• New rotors always get new Timkin or National bearings an races
• I use high quality grease from Amsoil or Lucas - I am worried about a wheel bearing failure because they are so small.

Let us know how you like the Carbotechs.

[Ron Earp]

Guys that are cracking the rotors and having short pad life, do you have caliper and rotor ducts on the brake system?

[SLUF]

I guess I don't understand the issues being described because I haven't cracked a rotor in 7 years of using Hawk Blue's front and rear. I have also never experienced any brake fade. My car currently weighs 2470 - the lightest it has ever been - with my fat ass in it. Please don't take this the wrong way....but maybe you are using the brakes too much?

Easily could be the answer! We are chasing some braking issues with the car and this may also be a contributing factor. Trey and I are using the car at HPDE/PDX events and we have even cracked rotors in two weekends of that lighter use. I wish I had a better handle on this for us but I don't. All my research has indicated that Carbotechs are much more rotor friendly than Hawks. My weight is identical to yours it looks like. (Except my son who manages to be 75# lighter for some reason! I hate kids!) If you get a chance to go to Hallett in a few weeks I'd love to chat a bit about this.

[mustanghammer]

Easily could be the answer! We are chasing some braking issues with the car and this may also be a contributing factor. Trey and I are using the car at HPDE/PDX events and we have even cracked rotors in two weekends of that lighter use. I wish I had a better handle on this for us but I don't. All my research has indicated that Carbotechs are much more rotor friendly than Hawks. My weight is identical to yours it looks like. (Except my son who manages to be 75# lighter for some reason! I hate kids!) If you get a chance to go to Hallett in a few weeks I'd love to chat a bit about this.

I can't make the Hallet race. I am looking at running the MAM race later that month. There should be several people you can talk to about this at Hallet, however. Look up David Long - EP #82. He was the second owner of my car (I am the 4th) and he put allot of the good stuff in it. So he knows what it has and what my maintenance routines are because I keep my car at his shop. Also Charlie Clark (EP #6) is another great source of 1st gen info. If you do what Charlie says....you will go faster.

My brake ducts are attached to modified backing plates - made by ISC I believe (they were on the car when I bought it) The other end of the duct attaches to the air dam and has and an unobstructed access to air. I am not ducting air to my calipers put some E Production cars do.

I do use high quality fluid - Motul, Willwood, etc and bleed my brakes before every event and as needed between race days. I rebuild or replace the calipers every couple of years and I have braided flex hoses front and rear.

Good points made by Jake regarding suspension setup. If your car transfers allot of weight to the front during braking you are not getting the full use of your rear brakes. My car was setup based on the GForce engineering tech manual www.gforceengineering.net