Battle Magazine — March 1997

Metal-based pads, made more durable by mixing in metal powder, have also appeared. It is better to avoid using metal pads at the front if possible. They do bite well, but the brake pedal feel becomes very firm: merely resting your foot on it can make the wheels lock, which can readily cause brake understeer. Ideally, choose pads whose braking force rises in proportion to pedal pressure. Brake control matters more than absolute stopping power. If one pad locks after one unit of pedal travel, you must control it within that tiny range; if another locks after five units, you have a much wider range. It is obvious which is easier to modulate.

…so choose carefully after considering how you will use them. Pay particular attention to temperature characteristics. Gymkhana pads must deliver strong braking immediately from a cold start, so they are designed to provide full braking from low temperatures, though they may not work well when hot. Rally and endurance-racing pads tend to be relatively weak when cold but maintain effective braking after hard use at high temperatures. Choosing the wrong type can cause serious trouble: gymkhana pads used for rallying work at first, then quickly overheat and fade; endurance pads used for gymkhana may never reach their operating temperature before the finish. Street pads should work at relatively low temperatures for ordinary-road use, but consider your own driving before buying.

● Endless CC-M ceramic-carbon-metal pads have been repeatedly tested in real racing. They deliver the firm pedal feel characteristic of semi-metallic pads and have a heat-resistant coating. Developed to allow powerful, heavy cars to run flat-out on a circuit, they also offer a broad control range on the street. Operating range: 200–800°C. Front: ¥27,000–32,000; rear: ¥27,000–30,000.

Endless CCS pads use the CC-M ceramic-carbon-metal compound and prioritize hard street driving. They are designed to keep costs down while delivering strong braking in the medium-to-high temperature range most important for hard use, and are suitable for circuit track days too. Operating range: 150–600°C. Front: ¥23,000–24,000; rear: ¥22,000–23,000.

● ZEAL combines the Endless heritage with a new generation of pads offering exceptionally high braking performance. Two versions are available: PROGRESSION STREET (PS) and HARD (PH). STREET has a broad rotor operating range of 50–480°C and covers driving from beginner level upward. HARD operates at 100–630°C and offers excellent stability at high speed. PS: ¥18,000–22,000.