Definitely don't use DOT 5, use DOT 4.

 

Powerstop track day or track day spec. Motul 660 for brake fluid.

If you want something fancy, get ferodo's ds2500. They are a bit more street oriented, so they can fade if you're deep into your braking zone at every corners. Without knowing your skill level, I can't recommend track dedicated pads. Since track pads work in a specific temperature window.

Disclaimer : I'm a ferodo fanatic, so my recommendation on ferodo pads is a bit bias.

 

Powerstop track day or track day spec. Motul 660 for brake fluid.

+1 for these, PSA-1124 and PSA-1539 are the part numbers, you can get them on rockauto. I would stay away from the pads prefixed with PST, they are hybrid pads that are kind of terrible compared to the dedicated track pads. The PSAs are good for 5-6 track days.

Also I highly recommend changing back to your stock street pads ASAP after your track day, the powerstops are the dustiest mfs ever and will eat your wheels.

 

"Powerstop Track Day" pads are what I used for years. I buy them in bulk when on sale. For me it last 8 days on the front and double that on the rear. Plus or minus 2 days depending on the track. Easy on rotors and only noisy when the material is scrubbed off after a number of days not on track.

 

I am planning on tracking my car for SCCA track nights and maybe a couple of other events. Nothing too intense. I was looking into getting steel brake lines but I am honestly not sure they are even necessary.

Also, does anyone have good recommendations for good brake pads that will work for mild track days and not wear too much? should I put also use DOT 5 brake fluid?

just did steel brake lines on my car here: Learn from my mistakes: Steel brake line/Brembo install

steel brake lines have less of a chance to burst from "fatigue" lets call it. Also has a much improved feel. If you can afford it, go for it.

 

should I put also use DOT 5 brake fluid?

Do not put DOT 5 fluid in your car.

DOT 5 fluid is silicone-based, and is chemically incompatible with the glycol-based DOT 3 & 4 fluids listed in the car’s owners manual.

The practical differences between DOT 3 and 4 are boiling point and water absorption. DOT 4 has a higher boiling point, enabling it to handle higher brake temps better. But it can also be more water-absorbent, necessitating more frequent brake fluid changes.

There’s also DOT 5.1 brake fluid, which is glycol-based and compatible with 3 & 4. I don’t know offhand if there’s a reason it’s not approved for the BRZ/GR86.

 

There’s also DOT 5.1 brake fluid, which is glycol-based and compatible with 3 & 4. I don’t know offhand if there’s a reason it’s not approved for the BRZ/GR86.

should I put also use DOT 5 brake fluid?

You can in fact put dot 5.1 (NOT 5.0/5) into BRZ's.

Note the standards in the Manual:
Just make sure whatever dot 5.1 fluid you're looking at meets SAE J1703 and/or FMVSS No. 116

Motuls dot 5.1 meets both standards and is appropriate to use in our vehicles:

https://azupim01.motul.com/media/motulData/DO/base/DOT_5.1_en_FR_motul_27400_20221020.pdf

 

I used Ferodo DS1.11 and Motul RBF660 and worked great on track. You definitely won't need to replace the brake lines.

 

I used Ferodo DS1.11 and Motul RBF660 and worked great on track, and works on street too but makes a bit of noise but nothing horrendous. You definitely won't need to replace the brake lines.

 

I've been using Project MU PS series pads with Motul RBF600 fluid and stock rotors. There are better pads available for a track-only setup but I've had good experience running the project MUs for daily commuting and occasional track use without swapping back and forth.

 

How long do your brake pads last you?

 

I just got some gloc R10 (similar to carbotech XP10) for the track and prob won’t swap back.

 

Guys, what pad you use and how long it lasts will depend directly on how hard you drive your car. There are some folks who have used stock pads with no problem and other folks who have used aggressive track only pads that last 3 to 4 days on track.

 

Assuming the stock brakes brand spankin’ new, Is it worth it to change the brakes and fluid even if it’s just a daily?

 

Stock pads and fluid are fine for a street only car.

 

Would it make sense for us to put up spreadsheet in google docs or the like and edit accordingly for sound, torque, longevity? I’m very interested in something middle of the road until I get my RWD chops back. I used to swap pads and rotors after track days but until I decide whether I want to keep on with this car or stick to my dedicated, and absolutely unreliable, track car… would be better to upgrade.

 

This is a good starting point for comparing compounds.

 

Does anyone have recommendations of reputable online retailers for brake pads? I see some great recommendations of brands of pads (ie: Ferodo DS2500; Winmax W5; Project Mu..etc), but I'm new to all of these and so far I am not able to find a reputable online store that sells these pads. I am not a fan of shopping on eBay, but it seems like it is the only obvious option.

 

Amazon haha. But if you want to support the smaller guys counter space garage is a good option.

 

Counterspace, subispeed, essexparts, tirerack, etc.

Literally do a search for brz parts and a bunch of retailers will pop up.

 

I ended up using their C21/C11 combo which they stated would last longer then the compounds I had been using. They were not wrong. I got 3 days out of their pads instead of 2 with the others. But when you consider the cost of the pad vs. the others, it was still more expensive.
As for their performance, they worked great...albeit there were a tad too aggressive for the stock PS4. They were very easy to get into ABS and hard to keep on that edge just before wheel lockup. They are likely better suited to a 200TW tire.
Overall, i don't care what pads you use, the stock brakes are too small and cannot handle constant lapping without dumping major heat into all surrounding components. This is my opinion.

 

I used Hawk DTC60, Cobalt XR2 and CSG C21. Rotor temps were 1400+ and caliper temps were 550+. That is seal degradation territory.
No thank you. Very much enjoying my BBK.

 

I was also using DS1.11. No problems with them. Well till they wear down to cca 4mm of material - they like to completely disintegrate then. I usually have cracked dust boots on front calipers. They start forming after about 600 track kilometers. Have not observed any problem with the seals. I use only road legal semi-slicks with not that much grip and these are limiting factor for me. Brakes (with racing pads) can easily lock them anytime during the sessions. For more aggressive brake technique, grippier tyres or prolonged sessions - I don't know, have no experience with that. BBK is definitely better solution, if you don't consider money, daily use... Btw 86 cup racing series in Japan uses stock sized rotors with stock calipers.

 

It dep

It really depends on the track configuration. You can't compare VIR with TSUKUBA.

From what I can tell, Japan has a lot of technical tracks where they don't have a lot of long straights (beside Suzuka).

In America, it's hard to find tracks that don't have straights with the car going above 100mph.

Tbh, I think BBK will pay itself in a long run. Consumables last much longer than stock consumables. My 1.11 stopped bitting as hard when they got down to 1/3 of its life. That's 300+USD a pop per axel for 2 to 3 events. My front rotors last me usually 3 to 4 weekends, which they are relatively cheap if I'm buying centric blanks.

BBK's consumables can last you a season or two at least.

 

86CUP in US uses upsized front and rear brakes with Alcon 4 piston front and 2 piston rear

 

That's 300+USD a pop per axel for 2 to 3 events. My front rotors last me usually 3 to 4 weekends, which they are relatively cheap if I'm buying centric blanks.

How many km/miles are your 2-3 events? Looking into my records I usually get 1000-1500 track kilometers from one set of (front) pads (on big tracks with > 100mph top speed). Usually I changed (OEM sized) rotors together with the pads (they can last about 1,5 set of pads, use them more and risk cracked rotor on trackday). Pads for front axle are about 200-250 USD, rotors (chinese Brembo) about 80 per pair.

 

Unfortunately I don't track the distance that I usually do per session @Outtopasture can shine some light at this for 20 mins session at CMP.

For the state, we usually get DS1.11 for 330~USD

 

I started with HAWK DTC60 mainly because they were cheap at around $200. Ran these with HP+ rear pads.
29 laps x3.7 miles = 107 miles and more than half the pad was gone.

COBALT XR2 - $309. Ran these with XR4 rear pads.
43 laps x 2.2 miles = 94 miles and about half the pad was gone

CSG C21 - $450. Ran these with C11 rear pads.
45 x 2.2 = 99 miles
40 x 3.7 = 148 miles
Pads were gone.

BBK - Ferodo DS1.11 - $600. First track days with the C11 rear pad (too much front bias) so added DS1.11 rear pads for next 3 track days.
150 laps x 3.7 = 555 miles and still going.

This only shows the pad life. I went through 2 sets of OE size rotors in less than 300 miles of track work. The BBK rotors still don't know they have been on track.
Brake feel is worlds apart. PLUS I'm going waaay deeper into.braking zones lap after lap without issue.
For me, my driving style, my tracks, OE brakes are insufficient. Your mileage may vary.

 

Full disclosure, I hadn't really thought about how long the pads have lasted. Seeing the on track milage is eye opening.

 

Not OE pads. DS1.11 in OE size/calipers. In prev gen car on fast tracks and pushing as hard as the ABS/tyres (road legal semi-slicks) let me.

 

Understood...under my use conditions, no track pad will last any longer than 2 or 3 track days on the OE sized brakes. In speaking with locals who have been running Gen 1 cars for MANY years, the brakes have always been a weak spot for our local tracks when running TT times. Under casual use, that is a different story. if you are pushing hard, they just won't last long.

Sample Sebring lap

This is an example of a Sebring lap...had a strong headwind this weekend as back straight is typically 122-125mph and only saw 118 on this lap.

 

I went through 2 sets of OE size rotors in less than 300 miles of track work.

What happened to rotors - uneven pad deposit, too thin, too many (hairline) cracks?

 

Heat stress cracks or heat checking...rotors were also deformed (thicker on outside edge than inside edge...this happens with single piece rotors in extreme heat...there is no other way for them to expand.

 

Having talked with a few people that I've tracked with that have GR's (most from Sebring), all of them have mentioned race brakes and rotors not lasting more than 2-3 events. As has been mentioned, Sebring is very hard on brakes and obviously your results may very. These cars were also driven by instructors with lots of experience as well.

The picture below is not my picture as it was sent to me by a buddy whose friend has a GR. This is the wear of the rotor after roughly 2 days or so of tracking with race pads and 200tw tires at Sebring. I'm not sure if the driver is on this forum or not and can elaborate exact details.

 

Having talked with a few people that I've tracked with that have GR's (most from Sebring), all of them have mentioned race pads and rotors not lasting more than 2-3 events. As has been mentioned, Sebring is very hard on brakes and obviously your results may very. These cars were also driven by instructors with lots of experience as well.

The picture below is not my picture as it was sent to me by a buddy whose friend tracks his GR. From what I'm told, this is the wear of the rotor after roughly 2 days or so of tracking with race pads and 200tw tires at Sebring. I'm not sure if the driver is on this forum and could provide further details.

 

I'm going to guess those brake pads were never flipped. To avoid that severe grooving you can swap the pads left and right and inside and out. It's significantly helps extend the life of the brake pad and the rotor