Bed your DTCs properly before hopping on track

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Mon Sep 14, 2015 8:15 pm

So, I bought some much improved pads for VIR this weekend, they worked great except I put them on last weekend and then bedded them, no problem.

The problem comes when I drive on them for a week and allowing them to basically un-bed themselves since DTC70s don't exactly get hot on the street. So of course I just hopped right out on track and they deposited pad all over the rotors resulting in some pretty good shaking in the big brake zones.

They performed awesomely other than that, I did smell them 2 or 3 times in turn one though.

Anyway, I think this photo can be proof that I made an accomplishment this weekend, if you look close enough through the pad material i'm slowly working off on the street you'll see some heat fractures. First time i've ever seen those on my car, so I think that means I gave them a good workout!

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:22 am

Not that you asked, but have you ever considered trying Hawk Blues? When I first got my Mustang I started with DTC-70s and after 2 sets they got expensive quick. I burned through a brand new set in one weekend at CMP and that did it for me. I switched to the Blues for cost reasons and have not noticed any real world stopping power difference. I'm on my 3rd set of Blues now, and have been getting about 4 events from them. As for their notorious 'corrosive dust', wash it off after the event (don't wait weeks) and it has no ill effects.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:42 am

The DTCs dust is supposedly corrosive also right? I intend to wash the car sometime this week.

I hadn't considered the blues, but might check them out. So far after this weekend they look to have plenty of pad left, but I do have Brembos and 14"+ rotors so perhaps they're a bit easier on the pads.

I mostly went with these because the Camaros are notorious for being hard on brakes and it was basically recommended I get the pads with the highest temperature range.

One thing is for sure, I do need some better tires, it's not hard at all to get into ABS with these and 300TW street tires.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:47 am

Chad Culbertson wrote:

I mostly went with these because the Camaros are notorious for being hard on brakes and it was basically recommended I get the pads with the highest temperature range.

That was the same reason I started with the DTC's on my Mustang (it weighs 3650 lbs not including me) but IIRC my DTCs were $230+ and the Blues were $170 and last the same amount of time.

Just food for thought when you are buying your next set.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:24 am

Please tell me that you aren't streeting the car on DTC-70s......??? Back and forth to the track, sure. Daily, bad idea. You will never get them up to correct usage temps on the street.

Did I misread the intent of the post?

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:54 am

steve remchak wrote:

Please tell me that you aren't streeting the car on DTC-70s......??? Back and forth to the track, sure. Daily, bad idea. You will never get them up to correct usage temps on the street.

Did I misread the intent of the post?

You read it the same way I did. I'd bed them, then remove the rotors and pads, put on the street set and put the track ones in the car until I got to the event. You'll get better life out of both and not ruin good pads/rotors. - AB

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2015 11:12 am

I learned (by accident) that driving to and from the track on the race pads removes the deposits and eliminates the shudder at the next event. I don't use my Mustang as a DD either.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2015 1:41 pm

I street drove them for a week, because the only time I was able to get them on the car was the weekend before the event. I have no intention on leaving them on for good.

I'm leaving them on for now to clean up the deposits before I remove the pads and put my street pads back on.

Honestly, I was surprised to find out even at 70* the DTC70s stop better than my street pads, maybe that means I need to buy some better street/autox pads, lol.

The fact that they don't get up to temp on the street is good if I intend to swap pads on the same rotors, obviously though if I left them on for good I would go through a set of rotors in no time, they are extremely abrasive, basically like using sand paper for brake pads when they're cold.

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Bed your DTCs properly before hopping on track

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