Quote:
Originally Posted by lucid
Do you guys not swap the pads out after the track day?
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I don't any more - I used to spend a full day getting my M5 ready for track days (adjusting the suspension height, dampers, and camber plates, changing pads, etc) and I got tired of doing it over and over.
With the M3 and the minor brake mods I outlined above, my plan is to put the RS19's in at the start of the season and take them out after the last track day. Other than that, I can just drive it, school bus sound effects and all. I don't commute in the car, so it's not a big deal.
I did find myself thinking about Stoptechs the other day. When I got the car, my plan had been to put them on as early as possible. I had them on my E39 M5 and they were super. However, I eventually concluded that marketing overcame common sense in their product design for the E9x, forcing me to stay with the stock brakes. Not a bad choice, really - they're working fine so far.
The problem I have with the design of Stoptech E9x fronts is that they have 380mm rotors and 6-piston calipers. From my 400 pounds heavier M5, I know that 355mm rotors and 4-piston calipers will stop this lighter car just fine. Stoptech's choice of the big rotors and calipers force you to use 19" rims, sharply restricting your available track tire choices. The few really good extreme-summer and R-comp choices available in 19" will set you back between $400 to $600 more than 18's at every tire change. The sad part is that there's no performance benefit from the larger tires, larger wheels or larger brakes - they reduce your options for tires and brake pads and they make driving more expensive - that's it.
The perfect track-rat package for the E9x brakes would be 355x32 rotors all around with ST-40 calipers. The range of available pad materials is vast, they're a breeze to change, 18" tires and wheels will fit, and nobody will ever miss the two-tenths of an inch in rotor diameter.
Sigh. How hard can this be?