My take on fixing noisy race pads

[fasteract]

Have enjoyed the bite and improved stoppage with Hawk HP+ and Carbotech A8 track day pads on my DD 08 MS3 but couldn't put up for long with the squealing at slow speed stops in town, or in my garage. Tried Permatex pad goo, the blue stuff and other remedies to a more or less poor result. After juggling things around, my best results, as in no squeak with the above pads, was with using them on cheap, soft eBay rotors with the Permatex pad paste and treating the rotors with CRC disc squeal spray.

If I used upgraded rotors like DBA slotted's, no amount of anti-squeal preps would work...but swapping in those softer rotors with the prep as above gives me no noise period and still nice braking. The pads will wear these rotors down to their minimum recommended thickness near the end of the pads life or even sooner but worth the lack of harmonics annoucing my arrival at the stoplight.

 

[WillD]

I wouldn't classify HP+ and A8 as true track pads. But they are noisy and dusty nonetheless. I use HP+ on my Miata and have had good results with Permatex on NAPA rotors. I've never been able to completely cure the noise, but it doesn't bother me because I expect some noise from an aggressive pad

 

[fasteract]

Agreed...used the term "track day", i.e. to and from the track. No noise here finally but dust remains..A8 residual dust plus water sets up like concrete!

 

[WillD]

Yeah I hate that. You really have to keep on top of it otherwise it can be a real PITA.