Me too. It happened the first time I got to late brake into turn 4 (Honda I think): http://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au/uploads/2006Circuit%20map_web200706.jpg Gave me quite a fright and I overshot the corner. I took it pretty conservatively in the braking department after that. The ceramics can definitely fade, I saw it on a 599 test video at Fiorano and I know a guy who had the pedal go to the floor on his 599 at the track. I think the "no fade" thing is a bit of an urban myth with ceramics. Oh, the pads and discs are STILL bloody expensive BTW. Front pads are $3.8k from the dealer and mine are pretty much shot with 7000km's of mostly road work on them. Long life is another urban myth it seems
Yeah, im not sure. I cant think of anything but dodgey/average brake pads! But the car is still like new, so ****s me. Unless the previous owner was "riding the brakes like an old lady"?
No doubt about it, something isn't up to scratch and needs investigation. I reckon it's the front pads and possibly the brake fluid. On the tyres, I was told you can't run really sticky tyres on the Scud or the ABS throws a wobbly and stops working. Sounds great There is no "Challenge ABS unit" to use either.
well there ya go. Live and learn. Just as I was going to change the 308 brakes to CCB too! I won't bother now. I think I remember hearing that there's a 'sports' pad that last much longer too. Don't recall who told me. it's a must have for what you're doing.
Apparently the pad break in procedure is critical for the performance and life of the pad. You can't do it on the road as it involves multiple stops from very high speed to zero and then cooling them right off to cold. A bit hard to do without using a race track, so I am guessing they were not broken in correctly when new; but I don't know for sure.
Interesting, but do you think perhaps the brake fluid was old on those two cars that experienced brake fade? Maybe even your car? They reckon replace brake fluid every 12 months or more frequently if you do track work. Especially curious of the 599 that had the pedal go to the floor. We all know what can happen when you have old brake fluid in the car, especially fluid that has experienced the heat of track work many times. Im sure you're always on top of things, just curious about your friend's 599. I have never read anywhere on Fchat where an owner mentions brake fade on their 430/599 with CCB. Not saying it hasnt happened, I just dont remember reading it anywhere and I read here a lot. I guess a search will soon tell us if there has been threads started in the past. May have some good info available and maybe some other alternatives. And yes. After so many years, one would think there would be a lot more alternatives and cheaper prices out there for CCB.
I asked Lenn Kench if there were any other pad options; but he said there wasn't. I also read that using road pads on the track can damage the discs due to pad material build up on the disc? I don't know enough about the ceramics at this point I am afraid.
I can understand. I have a bedding in procedure for 'normal cars' and their brake pads. Interesting info on how you bed in CCB. And you're probably right in saying they probably werent bed in properly to begin with which may be part of the problem you experienced.
Ok...now it's my mission to find out who said it. actually...I think it was PSW!!! if not, i'll keep thinking, but you know my memory.
The 599 at Fiorano was tested at the initial press release day, so one would assume the brake system was as good as they could make it. My friends 599 was bought second hand recently; but like my car, it's only 3 years old. No idea about fluid changes on his car; but my car had the brakes bled a week before the track day. According to the service records it was replaced in July 2009 at 3500 km's. I will be replacing the fluid now; but I have to do some research on what to use. Lenn told me not to use SRF as they had had problems? Will check it all out in due course.
Somebody in the 430 section said that there were ceramic pad options; but he may have been talking from Porsche experience and perspective. I will have to find the thread and enquire further. No immediate plans for another track day, so I have time to research it and get it all sorted. On another issue, I know I am not all that tech savy; but geez I can be dumb I have done 2000km's in the Scud now and I couldn't work out why I seem to sit "On" the car rather than "in" the car. Driving to Phillip Island I found myself looking half at the road and half at the roof- again. So I looked at the passenger seat and noted it sat a fair bit lower in the car. Hmmmm, this seat seems to be jacked up for some reason. When I got to the track I asked Joe Pinto (he sold the car originally and also to me) if the seat had been raised. He told me yes, it has the $5500 "seat adjustment device" and the original owner had it raised so his wife could drive the car. Then he pointed the expensive "device" out to me.......... just a set of rails with some holes drilled into the side. Just like these ones that sell for $200 ! http://www.jhpusa.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1837&idcategory=67 Insane options pricing!
but was it fade due to boiling fluid or pad fade from heat? surely not boiling fluid! that's almost a thing of the past for a Ferrari.
I caught up with Luke in Sydney yesterday, who was also down there and involved in that.. we talked many car things and part of the stream of stuff was the hard core Alfa 8C.. was that there on that particular day? Or maybe I got it mixed up which day it was at since we covered a lot of topics.. only 1 in Australia so probably was PI.
I'm looking forward to next week helping a mate out in his F1 car as far as set up and his 1st drive. One of my favourite cars of all time.
No Alfa 8C at Phillip Island. The convertible 8C was at the F1 a couple of weeks back though. I believe Crichton has a coupe 8C which was in Sydney a few years back; but he may not have it anymore.
Gotcha, thanks.. he's been quite the busy boy this week and I caught him day after and just got solid stream of events and catchup!
Luke's skid pan day Eastern Creek couple weeks ago or so.. interesting mix of machinery. Note to self: Don't expect to perform too well when only couple hours sleep in prev 36 and jet lagged from arrival day before.. Public album up at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=143546&id=1242073698&l=3ef73a620b Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
