Race Tracking Your Supra - Information exchange

[tomfree]

After a case of severe laziness, I finally put some effort towards the Supra this weekend - pulling the front pads and rotors off the car. I'm running CSG pads at all 4 corners, and these had about 10K miles of use that included 2 OneLaps and a couple of track days thrown in there for good measure. At a glance, the outside pads looked great, with about 1/2 the pad material left. In previous lives, I learned the inside pad often tells stories you weren't expecting, and it was true again.

The pass side inside pad had significantly less friction material than any of the other 3 pads. I think it's just a function of the tracks I drove and working the pass side brakes more than the drivers side - not a caliper dragging issue. All the pads are still usable for at least 1 more track weekend. I'll swap the pads left to right and put the more worn pad on the outside. (@razorlab...yeah, yeah, I know...PMu Club Racers are my next pad, ordered them today)

The rotors had some heat checking(nothing to worry about), but there was a defined lip between the unswept outer part of the rotor face and the swept area. They definitely failed the "does your thumbnail catch the edge" test. Anecdotally, I'd read here that the CSGs eat rotors, but I can confirm it. That was a LOT more rotor wear than I was expecting, even with all the street miles. FCP Euro warranty to the rescue.

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[Gabe]

After a case of severe laziness, I finally put some effort towards the Supra this weekend - pulling the front pads and rotors off the car. I'm running CSG pads at all 4 corners, and these had about 10K miles of use that included 2 OneLaps and a couple of track days thrown in there for good measure. At a glance, the outside pads looked great, with about 1/2 the pad material left. In previous lives, I learned the inside pad often tells stories you weren't expecting, and it was true again.

The pass side inside pad had significantly less friction material than any of the other 3 pads. I think it's just a function of the tracks I drove and working the pass side brakes more than the drivers side - not a caliper dragging issue. All the pads are still usable for at least 1 more track weekend. I'll swap the pads left to right and put the more worn pad on the outside. (@razorlab...yeah, yeah, I know...PMu Club Racers are my next pad, ordered them today)

The rotors had some heat checking(nothing to worry about), but there was a defined lip between the unswept outer part of the rotor face and the swept area. They definitely failed the "does your thumbnail catch the edge" test. Anecdotally, I'd read here that the CSGs eat rotors, but I can confirm it. That was a LOT more rotor wear than I was expecting, even with all the street miles. FCP Euro warranty to the rescue.

awesome to hear your experience. I have yet to learn how to do basic brake work. I had my first track day ever a month ago and the instructor suggested I upgrade the pads and the brake fluid because by the afternoon the brakes were feeling spongy as I was getting into the corners faster than at the beginning of the day.

Goal is to do this before my next track session when south FL temps start to come down a bit.

 

[tomfree]

awesome to hear your experience. I have yet to learn how to do basic brake work. I had my first track day ever a month ago and the instructor suggested I upgrade the pads and the brake fluid because by the afternoon the brakes were feeling spongy as I was getting into the corners faster than at the beginning of the day.

Goal is to do this before my next track session when south FL temps start to come down a bit.

Project Mu Club Racer pads for the front, leave the rears stock (for now) and Castrol SRF fluid. That will get you through just fine for your first few track days. I switch out rotors between street and track, which means I leave my track pads and rotors on the majority of the time. You don't need to go there yet.

 

[Gabe]

Project Mu Club Racer pads for the front, leave the rears stock (for now) and Castrol SRF fluid. That will get you through just fine for your first few track days. I switch out rotors between street and track, which means I leave my track pads and rotors on the majority of the time. You don't need to go there yet.

Thanks for the suggestion. Agree. I can’t really put all the power this car has on the ground yet so I’m planning to progressively improve the car as I get more seat time.

 

[Eyelise]

Can I use my OEM rotors with project mu pads or will the OEM brake pad material screw things up

 

[type-964]

Can I use my OEM rotors with project mu pads or will the OEM brake pad material screw things up

Absolutely.

 

[Evolution]

Can I use my OEM rotors with project mu pads or will the OEM brake pad material screw things up

8 track days later on oem rotors, all good. Well the pads are getting angry…

 

[Rob_SER]

what's your pads?

 

[Eyelise]

what's your pads?

I am on the OEM pads so wanted to make sure I could just swap in the Project Mu

 

[Rob_SER]

should have quoted, the question was for @Evolution

 

[Rocksandblues]

I am on the OEM pads so wanted to make sure I could just swap in the Project Mu

Yes. Just rebed. Most don't get that right. If you need help first time ask a track rat at your local track. It is pretty violent- done correctly.

 

[tomfree]

Yes. Just rebed. Most don't get that right. If you need help first time ask a track rat at your local track. It is pretty violent- done correctly.

This, a thousand times this. It kinda depends on the pad you use, but if you plan to switch pad material and keep the same rotor, you need to bed the new pad material into the rotor before you drive in anger.

I broke this rule the other weekend with my LeMons car, as we cracked front rotors (again...) and threw on new rotors and pads and raced on them without bedding. The first hr in the car, the brakes made the car vibrate like crazy as we were bedding them in with no time to cool. As the day went on, the vibration lessened, but it was never gone. That's an extreme use case. You should never have to do that at an HPDE weekend.

 

[tomfree]

8 track days later on oem rotors, all good. Well the pads are getting angry…

You might have put some heat into those :-D That's a lot of "crumbling" at the pad edge.

 

[PowerGetter]

Has anyone previously or currently run a square tire setup? How has the handling characteristics changed on the Supra?

Looking to downsize to 18"s and heavily considering a square setup but would love some personal feedback before deciding on wheel widths.

 

[Traxion]

Speaking of hot brakes, I've got a question about the project mu club racers since it's my first track pad. When they're EXTREMELY hot on track they get really bitey and start to squeal. When they get to that point the brakes are extremely sensitive and seem to grab really well at the slightest touch of the brake. This does not happen during the first few laps. I don't want to glaze the brakes and wasn't sure if this was a sign of anything I should be concerned about. When I mean hot, Tire temps are in the range of 175-200 degrees F. I don't have any way of checking brake temps. Is this normal?

Secondly, for street driving they seemed decent when I first put them on and bedded them but now after my first track weekend with them the initial bite seems to have lessened. They seem okay when warm on street (not hot) and it's mainly just low speed braking that it feels off. Like when I back out of the driveway between 5-10mph it doesn't seem to grab well. Or when I was modulating the brake when backing the car off my trailer when I got home from the track and everything was cold. In short I'm wanting to make sure everything's still safe.

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