Joe,

For what it is worth, I have tried Porterfields and Carbotech. No comparison, the Carbotech Blue compound is by far a superior pad. It is the same compound as Hawk Blues. Here in Cen-Div, I tried a set at Blackhawk and they sucked!!! They were very inconsistant. If I backed off for a lap to cool them down they would come back for a few laps and then go away again. When I pushed them really hard I actually bent the backing plates and wound up with 'U' shaped pads!!! I put a set of Carbotechs in and they work great from start to finish and last 6-8 race weekends! A fellow Honda competitor and friend of mine also tried a set of Porterfields and he didn't like them either. He then threw a set of PFC's (which we can't get anymore for our Hondas) and couldn't believe the difference.

Good luck with the Carbotechs! I think you will be happy with them. They are slightly more aggressive on the rotors and drums, but in these days, most people treat brake rotors as consummables since they are cheaper than the pads in some cases. (At least they are for VW's and Hondas). You may find out that your brake balance is restored if you run 'real' pads up front instead of the Porterfields as well. Follow the bedding procedure