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NotYetLegend · 04-28-2014, 04:38 PM

Update:

Got the car up on a lift and pulled the rear pads out. Compared to stock, they are indeed slightly different sizes, similar thickness and similar height but the length is off by about 1/8" or so. This means when the pads contact the rotor they "tilt" slightly before being stopped by the caliper. Placed the OEM rear shims on the Porterfields but that does nothing to change this dimension, so therefore no change. Spoke with Porterfield one last time who said perhaps my specific pads were cut from a different size to fulfill the order or something but other than that had no idea how this happened, the rears should have been a standard part number with no "hand cutting" necessary.

In any event I just decided to go for it as-is for my HPDE weekend. Put the Porterfields back in and bedded them in. Felt great after a few hard stops (barely worked at first as is to be expected) and really have the right front/rear balance that I want. Firm stop from 140mph to about 30mph can be done with your hands off the wheel, no vibration, no pull to one side, works great.

Completed 8 20 minute track sessions this weekend with all 4 Porterfield R-4 pads in place. I can't offer a quality review as my only other experience is with the OEM pads at autocross. I can say that they never once faded, not in the slightest. The first stop when cold is a little weak but they are plenty warm after one good stop for the rest of the session. Not a terrible amount of brake dust. Rotors don't look excessively worn. Pad "feel" I would describe as "flat", there is not nearly as much modulation as the OEM pads offer and they just don't respond to subtle adjustments in pressure. You get used to it after a few laps making it easy to hit the same brake pressure over and over again, so that's a positive but it is difficult to finely adjust braking force if you are that kind of driver. Pad release is instantaneous (probably because they are a little loose...) and overall similar to OEM.

Overall they are a great value, pretty happy with em. Let me know if anyone has any questions and I'll do my best to respond.

04-28-2014, 04:38 PM	#8
NotYetLegend Drives: 2012 1SS/RS Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 344	Update: Got the car up on a lift and pulled the rear pads out. Compared to stock, they are indeed slightly different sizes, similar thickness and similar height but the length is off by about 1/8" or so. This means when the pads contact the rotor they "tilt" slightly before being stopped by the caliper. Placed the OEM rear shims on the Porterfields but that does nothing to change this dimension, so therefore no change. Spoke with Porterfield one last time who said perhaps my specific pads were cut from a different size to fulfill the order or something but other than that had no idea how this happened, the rears should have been a standard part number with no "hand cutting" necessary. In any event I just decided to go for it as-is for my HPDE weekend. Put the Porterfields back in and bedded them in. Felt great after a few hard stops (barely worked at first as is to be expected) and really have the right front/rear balance that I want. Firm stop from 140mph to about 30mph can be done with your hands off the wheel, no vibration, no pull to one side, works great. Completed 8 20 minute track sessions this weekend with all 4 Porterfield R-4 pads in place. I can't offer a quality review as my only other experience is with the OEM pads at autocross. I can say that they never once faded, not in the slightest. The first stop when cold is a little weak but they are plenty warm after one good stop for the rest of the session. Not a terrible amount of brake dust. Rotors don't look excessively worn. Pad "feel" I would describe as "flat", there is not nearly as much modulation as the OEM pads offer and they just don't respond to subtle adjustments in pressure. You get used to it after a few laps making it easy to hit the same brake pressure over and over again, so that's a positive but it is difficult to finely adjust braking force if you are that kind of driver. Pad release is instantaneous (probably because they are a little loose...) and overall similar to OEM. Overall they are a great value, pretty happy with em. Let me know if anyone has any questions and I'll do my best to respond. __________________ "Driving is the only thing I love about f1." (Kimi Raikkonen)