I've been using Carbotech pads for the last three years. Just track days, no WTW or TT. 2007 Enthusiast w/ stock brakes. XP10F/XP8R. Love the performance but sometimes I only get about 3 track weekends out of them (my home track is CMP and is hard on brakes). Smetimes they begin to crumble a little before they are worn all the way down (but have run them down almost to the backing plate with minimal loss of performance!). A set costs about $320. Unfortunately my track budget is getting smaller.

Is there anything cheaper and comparable?

The Carbotech endurance pads are a good bit more expensive, around $400. Would they last significantly long enough to be more affordable? How do they perform?

(I've browsed the track pad database. Too hard to find specifics there.)

 

High-performance brake pads are expensive, no doubt about it. You're also handicapped by the fact that your pads are smaller than the ones used in Brembos or other BBK claipers. I've had good result with Cobalt Friction products in W2W, but three weekends sounds about right in terms of extracting the most out of your pads.

 

I would at minimum step up to XP12 , they should handle the heat better. Or look at other brands for pads.

 

I've thought about going up to the xp12. Not sure I need it and it is slightly more expensive. No experience with other brands. The 'cheaper' brands, like Porterfield and Raybestos (who actually make some decent track pads, do not make pads for the non-Brembo 07 Z.). Would love to hear if someone is getting decent performance from a less expensive brand.........but I doubt that combo is out there.

 

Well you might want to consider a slightly more expensive pad that has to be replaced less often. I just tried out carbo techs and got about 3 events out of them. I had been running PFC08s, and I could get at least twice as many events. The per event cost was probably less, but the initial cost was higher.

Side note: the PFCs where on a stoptech st40 332mm bbk and the carbotechs (xp12) where on the factory bembos.

YMMV

 

If that was the case I would get autozone pads with lifetime warranty. $60 semi-metallic

 

I don't plan to switch away from Raybestos for a while...they just last too long to ignore.

 

Check out hawk dtc-70 and dtc-60. They seem to last me longer than most and are half the price

 

Spotted this ad and thought OP might want to consider some used pads:

https://my350z.com/forum/brakes/5997...on-brembo.html

 

You must be running Brembos. I cannot find Raybestos pads for the stock calipers. I've actually got a personal source for cheap Raybestos pads...I think it is the ST43 compound or something like that....wish I had Brembos...

 

Hawk only lists the dtc-60 for the rear non-Brembo calipers. It does not list the dtc-70 for front or rear non-Brembo. Prices at Hawk Direct are not much less than Carbotechs.

It looks like the key to a wide range of choices is having Brembo calipers.

Also, I've got an email in to Carbotech asking them if their endurance pads would be any more economical. I'm guessing that with the difference in price it will probably be a wash.

Anyway, if I can't find any other alternatives I may at least step up to XP12 front and XP10 rear. If I'm going to pay I might as well be able to slow it down better......(I'm not on R comps but the Hankooks are handling the XP10/XP8 combo just fine.)

 

I love my Raybestos. I just recently switched to Winmax to try them. Running W6 front W5 rear. They are cheap too. Way better than CT pads I use to run.

 

Stoptech front/Brembo rear

 

Carbotech recommended XP20 front/XP10 rear.

I called Raybestos and they will make a set of pads for $280 in their ST43 compound. Which compound have you guys used?

That is not much of a savings over the Carbotechs. Not sure if it is worth it. However, I know several guys who run them on Mustangs and they seem to get longer life with them.

 

Raybestos will last longer....

 

Which compound? And is your experience with road course, cones or both?

 

Both...I've been using 43/42. Do like.

 

Just exchanged emails with Porterfield. Price quoted to me was just for fronts. Another $135 for rears. Thats over $410 a set. Ridiculous. Back to Carbotechs.

 

I also use Cobalt pads. I don't think they sell anything for stock calipers though. I have the Brembos. I had lots of problems with Carbotechs so I switched. The Cobalts are a tad more pricey, but I have zero issues with them. I was replacing rotors every weekend I raced almost with Carbotechs. I can run the same set of cheap blank rotors now almost all season with the Cobalt pads. As far as amount of time they last, I'd say they are about the same as an XP-12 depending on which compound you use.

I also agree with what someone said about using a lot more pad since you're on stock calipers. I ran stock calipers for a season or two and I went through pads faster than I do with the brembos of the same compound.

 

I run Hawk DTC-70 front and DTC-60 rear on my Spec Z race car. They seem to work very well and last fairly long.