[L8APEKS]

I'm posting this message to the Euro forum in the hopes of finding someone who can help me locate a source or vendor locally that carries upgraded racing brake pads. My location is Brussels and I need to buy racing brake pads by early next week for my practice session at Zolder. Thank you in advance for any help.

[Morty]

Hey L8APEKS,

I'm moving this to the performance forum.
You should get more comment there i guess.
the link will still be here, don't worry.

Morty

[dukesantos]

EBC produces several models of brake pads in the UK so they should be available near you. I'm not familiar with that track so I can't say which pad is best. Their Greenstuff pad is a good street/autocross/light track use pad, and very low brake dust. They have others that are more true racing pads.

www.ebcbrakes.com

[chris@helix]

I think that the JCW cars use a Mintex race pad. They (Mintex) sent us a set to demo last year on the track and we got 10-11 session (@25 min each over three days) out of them. They were OK for that type of use but they were toast after that weekend. What ever you do, upgrade your fluid! These cars trend to produce a great deal of heat in the rear pads.


All the best

Chris

helix MINIsports
helix13.com

[L8APEKS]

Quote:

Originally posted by Morty
I'm moving this to the performance forum.

Thanks Morty. Sorry for misposting to the wrong forum. I assumed since it was a question more localised to Europe (specifically to Belgium) that it would be okay to post there.

[L8APEKS]

Quote:

Originally posted by dukesantos
EBC produces several models of brake pads in the UK so they should be available near you.

Thanks for the advice and link Duke. As a re-located American racer, learning the ins and outs of the European scene is quite a challenge. Throw in the language barrier and it makes it doubly hard.

What I was hoping to find was a specific source for brake pads here in Belgium. I've written to EBC to ask if they have a seller here in Belgium. If they do, I think I'm more interested in the "Red Stuff" pads for the practice sessions I'm looking at doing in my wife's 2002 MINI Cooper (it will still be a daily driver). Given my past experience, the specs on the Green Stuff pads make me wonder if they'll last a 20-30 minute practice session without fading. That's just speculation never having actually tested the pads though.

Most likely I'll go with something more aggresive in my 2003 S for the races. What that ends up being I'm not exactly sure. I believe the race series might even specify or at the very least suggest a brake pad to go with but I'm not sure of that. I've got a lot to learn before the first race .

[Morty]

No problem L8APEKS,

I just thought you would get more reply in here..

[L8APEKS]

Quote:

Originally posted by chris@helix
I think that the JCW cars use a Mintex race pad.

Indeed they do. I spoke with JCW some yesterday and was told their pads are OEM'd by Mintex. From my understanding JCW carries 2 compounds designated 1155 and 1166 with the former being a "street/light track" pad and the later being a "full-on track" pad (as described by them). I think, but I'm not 100% sure, that the 1155s were used for the JC Challenge in England. Their website only lists one part number for brake pads: JCW 103.

Quote:

They (Mintex) sent us a set to demo last year on the track and we got 10-11 session (@25 min each over three days) out of them.

Did they send both front and rear pads? Do you recall what compound Mintex sent you? Did you do your testing at Summit Point (that's my home track )?

Quote:

[i]They were OK for that type of use but they were toast after that weekend.

[/b]

That sounds perfectly acceptable for what I have in mind for short term, practice use.

Quote:

What ever you do, upgrade your fluid! These cars trend to produce a great deal of heat in the rear pads.

Castrol SRF is going in this week! Its odd to me that the rear pads generated a lot of heat. I'll keep that in mind. Where you testing with brake temp paint?

BTW, on another note I like your website. Your product line looks like its dedicated more to hardcore enthusiast racers. Also, I see you guys race SRX7. Do you know Al Gervais & Jim McGonigle?

[dukesantos]

I agree the Redstuff is probably more suited to what you are doing. Perhaps their UK distributor can supply you quickly if there is no dealer in Belgium.
Regarding your other thread on maint. and tools, there have been some good accounts of the procedures, I suggest you search for past threads. There are a couple of items regarding the oil filter fitment that are useful. Pads must have proper OEM-style parts. Again a search will reveal the mess that some early Porterfield pads caused because they didn't come with proper parts and they moved around.

[chris@helix]

L8Apeks

Yes, know both Al and Jim, although I have not seen Jim since he sold his car early last year. If you speak to him please pass on a hello from me. Al - I am sure I will see him come MARRS 1. Mintex only sent us the front pads as that was all they had @ the time. That weekend of testing was @ both Jefferson and Summit Point. On a side note the Copper was perfect on the Jefferson course but for Summit Point, the gear box was all wrong. You were forced to shift in all the worng places. SRF did cure the problem with the heat in the rears. Great stuff! The MINI uses alot more rear bias than most other cars, you can tell because the car "sits down" under hard braking instead of "nose diving". Stay in touch and send us a few pictures of the Club Sport when you get it.


Chris

helix MINIsports
helix13.com

[L8APEKS]

Quote:

Originally posted by dukesantos
Regarding your other thread on maint. and tools, there have been some good accounts of the procedures, I suggest you search for past threads.

Interesting story on the Porterfields. I was able to find info on tools for the brake pad swap but nothing on the size of the bleed screws. I'll keep looking or eventually do it myself; whichever comes first .

[L8APEKS]

Quote:

Originally posted by chris@helix
Yes, know both Al and Jim...

You'll probably see them both before me as I'm in Belgium for the next 3 years. Although Al has made some noise about coming over this way.

Quote:

The MINI uses alot more rear bias than most other cars, you can tell because the car "sits down" under hard braking instead of "nose diving". Stay in touch and send us a few pictures of the Club Sport when you get it.

Good info to know on the bias. It'll be nice to have a car that doesn't nose dive like my Firebird Formula used to do.

For what its worth, day before yesterday I was at the dealership that is outfitting the Club Sport option on my MCS and snapped these pix. The files are kind of big though.