Come-on people... the rear brakes have what is known as a Banksia style parking brake that is exactly what Enthuz described. Because the parking brake IS using an integral drum built into on the back side of the disk it is physically impossible to warp the disks using the parking brake.

If you're going to be an authority - study first, then practice, then re-study----for years.

 

I think you misunderstood. Leaving the parking brake on in this style of brake will NOT warp the discs...IT WILL EGG SHAPE THE DRUM. Last I checked...ummm...about 24 hours ago...this drum is still the same physical piece of metal as the disc. This means that if the disc gets really hot, so does the drum. The bottom line is to not use the parking brake after a session...PERIOD!

You could theoretically argue that the deformation of the drum would also deform the disc...an egg-shaped drum could cause the rotor surrounding it to warp. It's not likely the brakes will get that hot, but it's best not to find out.

I hardly doubt that you are in a position to dispute my qualifications.

 

I do not want to dispute this enlightening information, BUT.........I've really cooked my brakes a few times this past year, and I DID use my parking brake without ANY problems. I never noticed my drum surface um.....deforming. Nor did my disk surface show any detrimental effects. AND, my parking /"emergency brake" works as c r a p p y as it always has.

For grins & giggles, TRY and stop your Z with the emergency brake.............good luck! It's probably the worst excuse for an emergency brake I have ever experienced.

 

ENTHUZ, you're quite right...the parking brakes on the Zs are a joke. I hope that my main brakes never fail, 'cause I'm gonna hit whatever's in front of me!

I still wouldn't recommend your practice. Just because you don't see anything happen doesn't mean this is always the case. It takes only a slight amount of warping to cause problems; on some cars as little as 0.010" - 0.020" runout is enough. The point is that you will likely never visually see the problem.

I'll concede that the wimpy parking brake on the Z may not be capable of generating enough force to permanently deform the drum at any temp short of glowing, but only the qualified Brembo or Nissan brake engineer knows for certain. Ask yourself: do you really want to test this theory with a pair of $400 OEM discs (track model)? Isn't a pair of Walmart wheel chocks a whole lot cheaper?

 

Do you guys realize how freakin hot you gotta get cast iron before you can deform by a parking brake??? Never happen. Ever.

With "normal" parking brakes which use the rear pads, you definitely run the risk of possibly welding very hot pads to a hot rotor and/or boiling the fluid in the rear calipers.

Edit: BTW, if you guys use HPS pads for track work you're absolutely out of your mind.

 

Thanks Matt.........and I was ALMOST beginning to think I'm nuts.....


AND, I do know hot brakes......sheet, I almost burned my fingers taking off my rear aluminum valve stem caps!

OK, I am nuts!

 

Not a Little Bias are you Matt?

 

From some old textbooks, it appears that grey cast iron (typically used for brake service) melts around 2200F, but depends upon carbon content. The temperature range for creep of most materials is listed as 30 - 50% of the melting temperature, so figure 658 - 1096F. It's not unheard of to see brake temps past 800F on a track. Even though it's not common, it is possible to push cast iron around with a brake pad. I would be more concerned with attaching my brake pads to the rotors/drums, though, and this can happen at much lower than 658F...and since the rotors and drums are still the same piece of metal on the Z, this can still happen.

However, if you feel the need to use your parking brake despite all I told you, please go ahead. Just let me know this before I buy your car. Yeeesh...I give up....

BTW: Would you care to elaborate about not using HPS pads on a track? I've run OEMs on a track before and been OK...I think it depends on how/what you drive...

 

They don't have anywhere near enough heat capacity for track duty. If driven in anger on track, I *garuntee* they will glaze and smear material on the rotors after 1 session. They *are* a street pad after all, and we're talking about race pads (at least that's what the thread title is). HP+ would be a better choice. Much better. But even that is not at the top of my list for track use.

Edit: My comments are regarding the OE brakes on the 350Z. 287hp+3200lbs+Altima brakes+HPS pads = disaster waiting to happen on track. Now, if you have a 2100lb Civic that you installed Wilwood 6-piston brakes on with 1.25" thick rotors, yeah you can probably run HPS pads and be just fine on track.

It's all about the heat and the capacity of the brake system...

 

Actually Matt really knows his brakes. Not to mention he is next to impossible to beat in STS.

 

PFC's

 

PFC's race compounds are very good. Also, not availible for the standard 350 brakes.

 

For the Brembo track caliper package we have tested
PFC .........90,97,01 and 03 compounds.

 

Didn't really follow the parking brake mechanism description in the Z but my understanding of warping due to the parking brake is heat transfer. i think someone mentioned the parking brake exerting momentous force to deform hot metal. uh.. no. if you're rotors are hot after a track session and are cooling down in the pits, clamping a conducting material on a localized area on the rotor is going to make that area cool faster (if the clamping material is cooler). the difference in temps in the rotor MAY cause warpage. not to mention nicely heating up the brake pad. sure go ahead and use the p-brake but why risk it? just stick it in gear or park.

 

The parking brake is a separate drum brake, doesn't clamp on the rotor.

 

Which did you like best and why? What do you like for the standard calipers?

 

Havent used the standard cliper package.
The 90's were good but the wear rate with our rotors is horrible.
The 97's were much better coming off of the brake pedal with a good intial bite.
The 01 and 03 had too much intitial bite for most of the track we went to..but they work great at Daytona.

 

I think you're seeing just how *good* the Brembo system is. Most racers with less of a brake system (C5, Mustang Cobra) consider 01 to be the best pad on the market. The fact you prefer a pad that is, on paper, not as good is a strong statement about the capacity/efficiency/capability of the 350Z brake system.

IMO, if you replace the track model brakes with an aftermarket system, you're just throwing money away.

 

I tried these the other day on my supercharged Z and found them to work great a a high speed autocross on an old airfield in Texas. We had three drivers running just about non stop on over a 2 mile coarse and had no brake fad. For under $70 you can go wrong ...... IMHO


EBC V2 Redstuff Sport - Front Brake Pads - '03 350Z Brembo
http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchan...t_Code=DP31644