Ecoboost Performance Pack Brakes for HPDE

[Kboeh]

Just ordered my wife a 2019 Ecoboost performance pack auto. She will be doing some HPDE events with me and I waas reading that the brake cooling tends to be a problem on the EB PP.

Is this really an issue? Can it be fixed with better pads?

What recommendations are there to fix it so it can be run on track without any issues? And don't say a GT PP brake upgrade, I am NOT going to do that. I am willing to swap rotors and pads.

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[BmacIL]

Well, first, how good is she? Will she be able to push the car to its limits (very experienced driver)?

If yes, you'll probably have some cooling issues even with a pad upgrade because of the inverted hat rotor. You can run cooling ducts to help but it just won't be near as effective. Dust shields will have to be removed for that. You can buy blank or slotted 2 pc rotors from Baer (the Eradispeed ones) that have the vent inlet on the inside. Those would work much better. At that point you're spending in the ballpark of getting the Brembos so keep that in mind (lightly used loaded calipers and the rotors can be had for $650-800).

For pads, I'd go with G-LOC. Probably R10 and R8 or R12 and R8. If you use their GS1 on the street you won't have to clean up the rotors before swapping to the track pads.

 

[Kboeh]

Well, first, how good is she? Will she be able to push the car to its limits (very experienced driver)?

If yes, you'll probably have some cooling issues even with a pad upgrade because of the inverted hat rotor. You can run cooling ducts to help but it just won't be near as effective. Dust shields will have to be removed for that. You can buy blank or slotted 2 pc rotors from Baer (the Eradispeed ones) that have the vent inlet on the inside. Those would work much better. At that point you're spending in the ballpark of getting the Brembos so keep that in mind.

For pads, I'd go with G-LOC. Probably R10 and R8 or R12 and R8. If you use their GS1 on the street you won't have to clean up the rotors before swapping to the track pads.

She won’t be pushing the car to the limits on the track for quite a while. But I definitely will take a few laps in it while we’re at the track. Are the eradispeed the only rotors that have the hats flipped to the right side? Is there a good pad for daily driving and mild track use? I don’t mind swapping pads before the track as I do with my Scat Pack challenger now, but would prefer not to have to do it on two cars. The biggest reason for not wanting to swap to the Brembo is that we both like the rims that come on the 2019 EB PP, and if I was to swap to Brembos I need new rims to clear them. Ideally I would like to just swap rotors and pads.

 

[Nagare]

Well, first, how good is she? Will she be able to push the car to its limits (very experienced driver)?

If yes, you'll probably have some cooling issues even with a pad upgrade because of the inverted hat rotor.

Wouldn't cooling issues also come up for inexperienced drivers? I'm just guessing because they wouldn't know the best times to brake and might be braking too soon, too long, too hard, and too frequently compared to an experienced driver that knows when and how to brake.

I don't think it'll be an issue for me with running Autocross in a month or two, but just wondering.

 

[ihasnostang]

can those dust shields be removed?

 

[Kboeh]

Wouldn't cooling issues also come up for inexperienced drivers? I'm just guessing because they wouldn't know the best times to brake and might be braking too soon, too long, too hard, and too frequently compared to an experienced driver that knows when and how to brake.

I don't think it'll be an issue for me with running Autocross in a month or two, but just wondering.

I don’t expect her to get to the point where she is threshold braking on every corner. And I definitely won’t be taking it out for more than one 20 minute session at a time, but just want to make sure that it will be able to handle the task. I know some people exaggerate about brake fade, and others just regurgitate what they hear from others, i.e. “4 pistons are crap you need the 6 pistons”

I wouldn’t mind a swap of rotors, but I hope the eradispeed isn’t the only choice for a brake rotor that is built right.

 

[Kboeh]

What about the DBA rotors? I see them on Steeda’s website, they look like they have the vents cut the right way, anyone have experience with them? Or seen if they are the correct way, I realize the stock photo could be wrong.

 

[BmacIL]

She won’t be pushing the car to the limits on the track for quite a while. But I definitely will take a few laps in it while we’re at the track. Are the eradispeed the only rotors that have the hats flipped to the right side? Is there a good pad for daily driving and mild track use? I don’t mind swapping pads before the track as I do with my Scat Pack challenger now, but would prefer not to have to do it on two cars. The biggest reason for not wanting to swap to the Brembo is that we both like the rims that come on the 2019 EB PP, and if I was to swap to Brembos I need new rims to clear them. Ideally I would like to just swap rotors and pads.

I'm pretty sure gou do not need to swap wheels to use the Brembos. Most of the 19" wheels available in the various packages are confirmed to fit.

By far the best combo street/track pad out there that I know of is the Ferodo DS2500, which is the stock pads for the GT PP brembos. A tad dusty but low noise and good for moderate track use.

 

[Kboeh]

I'm pretty sure gou do not need to swap wheels to use the Brembos. Most of the 19" wheels available in the various packages are confirmed to fit.

By far the best combo street/track pad out there that I know of is the Ferodo DS2500, which is the stock pads for the GT PP brembos. A tad dusty but low noise and good for moderate track use.

You may be correct. I have seen both answers. Would rather not install the brakes and go to put the rims back on and then not fit though.

 

[BmacIL]

What about the DBA rotors? I see them on Steeda’s website, they look like they have the vents cut the right way, anyone have experience with them? Or seen if they are the correct way, I realize the stock photo could be wrong.

Stock photo is wrong. I've been in touch with DBA on a design for the venting on the back side. They're investigating it.

I would find out if the wheels fit, myself. I'd be surprised if they didn't, rather than the other way around. The 4 piston calipers are massive and quite a bit larger than the 6 piston Brembo calipers.

 

[Grafanton]

I have a 2015 EB PP with the stock 4 piston calipers. I have done 10 HPDE events this year and haven't had any issues with brake fade or over-heating. I use DBA discs (I can confirm that the cooling vents are the same as stock), Hawk Street/Race pads and Motul RBF 600. I've heard that the Street/Race pads are similar to their DTC 60's.
Although I don't have any issues on track with fade or over-heating, I can say that I have fried two sets of dust boots on the calipers and the DBA discs show significant heat checking. The Hawk pads seem fairly aggressive on disc wear with the DBA's. This year I've gone through one set of the DBA discs (front only) and 2 sets of pads (front only), the rears still look almost new.
The DBA's are half the cost of the Eradispeed rotors and twice the cost of stock rotors. I'm not sure if they're actually twice as good as the stock rotors, but yes they are probably half as good as the Eradispeed rotors.

Why haven't I upgraded to the 6 piston Brembo's? This is my daily driver. In the winter I put on a set of skinny 18" winter wheels and tires. And yes, this set up actually works quite well in the snow. It ends up looking a little funny, but...

 

[Kboeh]

I have a 2015 EB PP with the stock 4 piston calipers. I have done 10 HPDE events this year and haven't had any issues with brake fade or over-heating. I use DBA discs (I can confirm that the cooling vents are the same as stock), Hawk Street/Race pads and Motul RBF 600. I've heard that the Street/Race pads are similar to their DTC 60's.
Although I don't have any issues on track with fade or over-heating, I can say that I have fried two sets of dust boots on the calipers and the DBA discs show significant heat checking. The Hawk pads seem fairly aggressive on disc wear with the DBA's. This year I've gone through one set of the DBA discs (front only) and 2 sets of pads (front only), the rears still look almost new.
The DBA's are half the cost of the Eradispeed rotors and twice the cost of stock rotors. I'm not sure if they're actually twice as good as the stock rotors, but yes they are probably half as good as the Eradispeed rotors.

Why haven't I upgraded to the 6 piston Brembo's? This is my daily driver. In the winter I put on a set of skinny 18" winter wheels and tires. And yes, this set up actually works quite well in the snow. It ends up looking a little funny, but...

That's the exact answer I was looking for. I know my wife won't be doing 10 a year. I know I will need a better pad, possibly a slotted disc for added cooling. I will try it out at a track day and see how it does before swapping anything, I also don't like how the eradispeed only come with a drilled pattern. I do not like cross drilled rotors due to the cracking possibility from stress concentrations.

 

[Grafanton]

I daily drive the Hawk Street/Race pads as well. They seem to work OK in all weather conditions and have good initial bit and staying power on track. If I were truly smart, I should probably swap them out over the winter, but even in sub-zero weather they work just fine. They are extremely dusty and they squeal a good bit in street driving. It doesn't bother me, but I'm pretty sure it would drive most people crazy pretty quick. And when I say dusty, I mean a 20 minute drive to work will leave a nice film of dust on the wheels, after a day at the track it looks like I've been driving on Daytona Beach.

I bought a set of take-off stock 4 piston calipers on Ebay for something like $150. Almost cheaper than a caliper rebuild kit, although I will probably start rebuilding and swapping out the two sets of calipers I now have. I will also say that the retaining spring for the pad pins is a truly annoying design. Having done a number of pad swaps on these calipers, getting that spring installed on the backside of the caliper is a nightmare. That alone might be worth switching to the Brembos.

 

[SVO MkII]

I have a 2018 EB PP, 6spd. I've been doing HPDE for over 20 years (Porsches). Went to Road America in May. First session, boiled the fluid after 5 laps, i.e., pedal went to the floor as I was braking into turn one. Fortunately I had scrubbed off enough speed to make it around, but that was the end of my day, and the end of the stock 4 piston brakes for me. I upgraded to the GT PP 6 piston Brembos (simple bolt on). Did a track day at Autobahn a couple weeks ago. No issues. These rotors are designed properly, with vents on the inside, so I will be able to add cooling ducts eventually as well.

As others have stated, if your new to this, the 4 piston brakes with upgraded pads and Motul 600/660 should be OK. But if you start to push hard, they will fail.

 

[Brooks_Church]

I love my Powerstop track day pads. For the money and what you get they are perfect for HPDE. Have had ZERO fade and i have done 3 HPDE's and 3 gridlife full weekends (Gingerman and Road Atlanta) and still have enough brake pad and rotor left for Mid-Ohio this weekend. Fluid upgrade is a must. I run stock brake

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