Racing pads for Toyota S12W calipers

[jgkurz]

Hi folks, I run the Toyota S12W calipers on my Z with Z31 vented rotors. On the street I use Porterfield R4S pads and have been very happy with their performance. I am attending a track day with my car next Friday and would like to temporarily install some much higher temp pads. Porterfield and Hawk do not have any pads above the R4S. It seems that because these calipers were originally used on a truck that no one really offers track pads.

 

Any ideas where I could buy some racing pads for the S12W calipers?

 

Thank you!

[jgkurz]

Ok, I did some more reading on the Porterfield site and apparently they can make custom pads. I doubt they could do anything before next Friday but If they can I think the R4 or R4-1 might be a good choice. I don't have any extra cooling mechanisms for keeping the brakes cool so I expect to be running quite hot on the track.

 

Anyone have an opinion of either the R4 or R4-1 pads?

[fhptom]

I am running the Toyo S12 rotors with standard solid rotors with Porterfield R4 race compound pads. I am not sure how different the pads for the S12s are from the S12Ws but they had the ones I needed in stock.

 

I have used them for about 5 track events with no problems yet. Brake fad one time but that was due to bad fluid bleed before event.

 

I think I need to run some cooling ducts to mine to help with temps.

 

Tom

[proxlamus©]

I love my porterfield pads!

[jgkurz]

I called Porterfield and they want 175.99 for the R4 front Toyota S12W pads. Wow... My rear 240SX pads will likely be in the same ball park. I think I'll pass on a purchase and just run some cooling ducts.

[Zmanco]

You might want to consider Hawk HP+ pads. I use them on the rear with 240sx calipers and I think they were about $75 IIRC. For the fronts with S12W calipers, you can use '84 300zx pads as long as you are willing to cut off a tab. (This is only for the calipers that have 2 large pistons. They will not fit for the caliper that has 1 large and 1 small piston.) That gives you a lot more choices for pads and I think (don't know for sure) that you can get the HP+ there too.

 

BUT ... a heads up, I have the same setup as you and found that when I run the same pad material front and rear that I don't have enough rear braking. I run a pad with a lower coefficient of friction in the front so that I can use the prop valve to fine tune F/R balance.

 

Also, with the exception of last weekend where I used pads with very little material left, I have not had any fade issues yet. In hind site, I should have replaced them before the track event.

[jgkurz]

You might want to consider Hawk HP+ pads. I use them on the rear with 240sx calipers and I think they were about $75 IIRC. For the fronts with S12W calipers, you can use '84 300zx pads as long as you are willing to cut off a tab. (This is only for the calipers that have 2 large pistons. They will not fit for the caliper that has 1 large and 1 small piston.) That gives you a lot more choices for pads and I think (don't know for sure) that you can get the HP+ there too.

 

BUT ... a heads up, I have the same setup as you and found that when I run the same pad material front and rear that I don't have enough rear braking. I run a pad with a lower coefficient of friction in the front so that I can use the prop valve to fine tune F/R balance.

 

Also, with the exception of last weekend where I used pads with very little material left, I have not had any fade issues yet. In hind site, I should have replaced them before the track event.

 

Excellent advice. Thank you everyone for your responses.