Question - G-Loc R10 vs R12 for 1st Trip to Watkins Glen?

[MNINBLK]

Hi everybody! I need some input from the hive mind.

I am headed to Watkins Glen next week for SCDA in my 2021 mach 1 (NON handling pack - but I do have slightly wider RTR rims with 275s on the front and 295s on the rear. Tires are continental extreme contact sport 02s.)

I already had the brake fluid swapped for Motul high temp, and I'm going to be putting a set of g-loc pads on the front along with new OEM rotors as well.

My original order of pre-bedded R12s seemed to get lost in shipping, so I overnighted a set of non pre-bed R10s (which is what Steeda recommended after I talked with them to order a replacement set). Well - both orders actually showed up today, so now I have the option of running the R10s (which need to be bedded) or the R12s which are already pre-bedded.

I do have some prior racing experience back in my younger days on both dirt/asphalt oval track and some lesser experience running some supercar road course "experiences". So I'm pretty comfortable on the track, but this will only be my 2nd HPDE day. Also, I recognize Watkins Glen is a whole different level compared to anything I've done before.

Just wondering what the group thinks as far as running the R10s on the front vs the pre bedded R12s? Steeda's concern was that the R12s can be a little difficult to modulate and can possibly overwhelm the Continentals, since they're just a performance street tire.

Any thoughts/input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

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[Hack]

I'm running R10s front and R8s rear, and the pedal effort is quite low and they are a little difficult to modulate on the street. I use Michelin 4S 300 TW tires, so not that sticky. The ABS seems to have a little trouble sometimes as I can occasionally feel the tires skipping/locking up on hard braking. But I think they are working exactly the way I want dual use track/street pads to operate.

I'm sure it's possible to run something more extreme in mixed use, but I think the R10s are plenty good enough for your purpose.

I'm pretty much a track novice, so hopefully others will chime in here. I have not used the R12s.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Street tires like the ECS02 brake pretty hard. Track tires corner better but in a braking zone dont underestimate the street summers.

But if you’re a novice chances are stock pads are fine for a few events. Personally I run the R12 front and R10 rear. Lots of us like to stagger the GLOC pads on the S550.

They’re probably gonna be noisy as heck and dust up your wheels quickly and try to bed them if they aren’t bedded ahead of time. Either pad is going to feel bitey when warmed up but then frankly so are the OEM pads and you get used to it fast. On track the brake pads feel will be the last thing on your mind, so dont sweat that for a moment.

You can usually do that pretty quickly on a highway feeder road as long as no other cars are around.

 

[Hack]

My experience and what I've been told by instructors is you won't be able to bed them in off track. I tried to bed mine in on the street and it didn't work for me. I was still able to drive the car fine, but the brakes were a lot more grabby on initial bite until I had some track use on them.

 

[WItoTX]

Use the R10s. More than enough pad for that tire grip level.

As for bedding. Meh. Just send it. If you are really concerned, find a business park, do a couple 60-0 hard stops, then drive around for a bit to let the brakes cool. Good to go.

 

[GTP]

The track is the perfect place to bed brakes. I don't worry about it, I don't think about it, I don't care about it.

I run takeoff oem pads to save money. They are not grabby, they are easy to modulate. Some instructors recommend that. I brake linear and hard up to sensing the ABS point. The brakes are strong enough to lock 200tw tires but they don't.

Now that I am better at braking i find that I close a lot on the car ahead and my windshield warning light goes off, lol. Then I know I'm doing it right.

 

[Optimum Performance]

Hi everybody! I need some input from the hive mind.

I am headed to Watkins Glen next week for SCDA in my 2021 mach 1 (NON handling pack - but I do have slightly wider RTR rims with 275s on the front and 295s on the rear. Tires are continental extreme contact sport 02s.)

I already had the brake fluid swapped for Motul high temp, and I'm going to be putting a set of g-loc pads on the front along with new OEM rotors as well.

My original order of pre-bedded R12s seemed to get lost in shipping, so I overnighted a set of non pre-bed R10s (which is what Steeda recommended after I talked with them to order a replacement set). Well - both orders actually showed up today, so now I have the option of running the R10s (which need to be bedded) or the R12s which are already pre-bedded.

I do have some prior racing experience back in my younger days on both dirt/asphalt oval track and some lesser experience running some supercar road course "experiences". So I'm pretty comfortable on the track, but this will only be my 2nd HPDE day. Also, I recognize Watkins Glen is a whole different level compared to anything I've done before.

Just wondering what the group thinks as far as running the R10s on the front vs the pre bedded R12s? Steeda's concern was that the R12s can be a little difficult to modulate and can possibly overwhelm the Continentals, since they're just a performance street tire.

Any thoughts/input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

What are you running on the rear?

 

[WItoTX]

The track is the perfect place to bed brakes. I don't worry about it, I don't think about it, I don't care about it.

I run takeoff oem pads to save money. They are not grabby, they are easy to modulate. Some instructors recommend that. I brake linear and hard up to sensing the ABS point. The brakes are strong enough to lock 200tw tires but they don't.

Now that I am better at braking i find that I close a lot on the car ahead and my windshield warning light goes off, lol. Then I know I'm doing it right.

I can't count on all my fingers and toes the amount of times I have outbraked objectively faster and more capable cars than my lowly Mustang...

 

[GTP]

Yeah, once you get pretty good at it.

Surprising how I catch up to obviously faster (bc lighter) braking cars in the brake zone. So much fun. And I wonder if they are surprised too!

 

[MNINBLK]

What are you running on the rear?

I have R10s for the rear if I run the R12s. If I go with the R10s on the front, then it can either be the same R10s on the rear or the stock pads/rotor, which are a slightly used but have plenty of life left.

I don't have a set of R8s to run on the rear if I put the R10s on the front.

 

[Optimum Performance]

I have R10s for the rear if I run the R12s. If I go with the R10s on the front, then it can either be the same R10s on the rear or the stock pads/rotor, which are a slightly used but have plenty of life left.

I don't have a set of R8s to run on the rear if I put the R10s on the front.

Do not run the R10's at the Glen, Run the 12/10's at the Glen. I run R10's on the street (for the past 10 years) Just sand the rotors with 80 grit paper to remove foreign pad material and the pre-bed pads will transfer to a clean rotor.

 

[MNINBLK]

Do not run the R10's at the Glen, Run the 12/10's at the Glen. I run R10's on the street (for the past 10 years) Just sand the rotors with 80 grit paper to remove foreign pad material and the pre-bed pads will transfer to a clean rotor.

Awesome - thank you!!

 

[Hack]

Yeah, once you get pretty good at it.

Surprising how I catch up to obviously faster (bc lighter) braking cars in the brake zone. So much fun. And I wonder if they are surprised too!

Braking zones are an area where I am terrible. I never want to use the car's maximum braking capability. I think if I ran track more and got good at memorizing braking points I would push it more. I always like to have a safety margin. I realize it's an area you can gain a lot, but my lap times don't matter to me. Maybe at some point I'll get to the track more and improve in this area.

 

[GTP]

Braking zones are an area where I am terrible. I never want to use the car's maximum braking capability. I think if I ran track more and got good at memorizing braking points I would push it more. I always like to have a safety margin. I realize it's an area you can gain a lot, but my lap times don't matter to me. Maybe at some point I'll get to the track more and improve in this area.

Well, braking is not the first thing instructors teach. It's something to work up to methodically.

At Gingerman I went into the advanced group on the second day. Had an instructor said he could vouch for me just from following behind me in the Inter group. But I invited him to ride with me in the first session anyway. Not a flinch or a word during hard braking at the end of the straights. His only advice? That I should let up a little earlier and roll into the turn even faster. I think that will require an extra courage pill first.

Though I run a Catalyst, I don't look at it until after the session. Sometimes not until I'm at the hotel.

 

[NightmareMoon]

My experience and what I've been told by instructors is you won't be able to bed them in off track. I tried to bed mine in on the street and it didn't work for me. I was still able to drive the car fine, but the brakes were a lot more grabby on initial bite until I had some track use on them.

heheh, well not with that attitude.

It does take some stops from higher speeds (100mph) in some cases, so sure that's fair.

Find a completely empty stretch of road where you can turn around and to pass without sitting at a light, then its possible to do it, but not so easy to arrange depending on where you live.

Bedding is a little flexible. You're working up the temps progressively, and as long as you get them hot enough, transfer good pad material to the rotor, and then park it to let it cool for long enough, mission accompllished.

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