Let’s Talk Brake Upgrades for Track Use

EZFK8

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Thank you for all the information, I just order the Paragon 2-piece rotor + R5 for the front and wondering if I can get away with the stock pad and rotor for the rear? I am super new to tracking. Only done one track day in Laguna, and planning to go back in 2-3 weeks.
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Thank you for all the information, I just order the Paragon 2-piece rotor + R5 for the front and wondering if I can get away with the stock pad and rotor for the rear? I am super new to tracking. Only done one track day in Laguna, and planning to go back in 2-3 weeks.
You'll love that setup, I ran the exact same in 2021 as you will be and didn't have issues. For 2022, I'll put stronger P3 pads at the rear and see how they perform with R5 front
 

REDRAGN

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Thank you for all the information, I just order the Paragon 2-piece rotor + R5 for the front and wondering if I can get away with the stock pad and rotor for the rear? I am super new to tracking. Only done one track day in Laguna, and planning to go back in 2-3 weeks.
100% you will be fine with that set-up...just add some quality hi temp brake fluid and you're good to go.
 

EZFK8

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one more question - how does the Paragon R5 holding up on the street? The CTR is my weekend car.
 


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bit loud around city. Initial bite are pretty strong no matter what temp.
I'll say its pretty manageable on street.
+1 a little noisy but not ear piercing. Initial bite and brake pedal modulation is super strong, and did well for me in both dry and wet. For the winter I run StopTech Sport, which are really good street pads but I definitely miss that feeling of truly stopping on a dime, and having more confidence in my braking on track than I've ever had before.

Would I run them if I didn't track my CTR? To be honest, no, I'd save myself some money and get longer rotor life, and would go Paragon P3 instead. Hawk 5.0, and EBC Yellowstuff are good runner ups as well for the weekend street driver
 

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Goodridge brake lines GDR-20039 front passenger brake lines rub. Does anybody else run the same line and have this issue? Are there any other brand brake lines that clear 18s no problem? I was told these would fit and clear and these were the updated versions. Thanks!

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Reverse the mount orientation of the end of your brake line. I also had this issue.
 

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Reverse the mount orientation of the end of your brake line. I also had this issue.
Yes common issue. Another thread covered this. Unfortunately, not fixed and I had no luck contacting Goodrich. Easy fix. Jus pull line back and zip tie or something. Check for clearance as well as full wheel lock to ensure you didn’t pull/lock too much. Maybe if Goodrich replies to you, you can send your old and get the updated ones? In fact, 18s will be closer to a lot of parts. Be aware.
 

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Just curious...why do you prefer the Paragon 2 piece rotors vs the Giro Disc?

I am having serious brake overheating issues and am looking at getting rotors that can cool better than oem...do you notice a difference between the 2 (Paragaon & Girodisc)?

I am going to try one of these 2 before I try other options like the AP Racing radical kit. I really don't want to spend the money on the AP kit if I don't have to!

I am using Raybestos ST43 pads and just tried Cobalt XR1. Both fade really bad after about 3 laps at Road America. If I can get the rotors temps down a bit, everything will be happier. I am currently running Titanium shims as well. SRF fluid. I have Raybestos ST45s on order.

Thanks for any feedback.




I tried finding more information on the other brake rotor / pad manufactures but I couldn't find much technical info on their offerings. If anyone has more info please do share! Let me know how I can make this thread better as well.

I'd like to share some of my personal insights and feedback on previous brake setups as well as my current setup.

Previous setups:

OEM 17-19 rotors - heavy, over heat easily, prone to cracking. I would not recommend.

OEM 17-19 pads - offer decent initial bite but overheat quickly and will leave uneven pad deposits. I would not recommend.

Girodisc 2 piece front rotors - much lighter than OEM, cools significantly better, offered better bite, increased longevity, etc. Solid rotors for track and would definitely recommend.

Project Mu Club Racer front pads - virtually no fade, strong initial bite, consistent bite, easy modulation, wears extremely fast. Would recommend for novice to intermediate drivers.

Raybestos ST43 - no fade, really strong bite, long lasting, decent/average modulation, expensive. Would recommend for advanced drivers

Current setup:

Paragon 2 piece front rotors - lightest rotor available, low replacement disc cost, great cooling, increased brake pad bite, virtually no chance of warping, endurance tested on team honda research west cars during Thunderhill 25 hours. These are by far the best rotors I've tested, even better than Girodisc IMO and have a much lower replacement rotor ring cost.

Paragon 2 piece larger rear rotor - increased brake torque, increased brake cooling/thermal capacity, lighter than OEM, improved bite, higher durability. I noticed a huge improvement in all aspects but primarily in terms of brake cooling and overall thermal capacity of the rotors. No pad overheating and no issues with brake bias.

Paragon R5 brake pads front - excellent brake modulation, very strong bite, no fade, long lasting. I really enjoy these pads and I would say they're a bit better than the ST43 and they're cheaper. Both pads are very good IMO but the R5 just makes more sense especially costing almost 100 USD less.

Project Mu Club Racer pads rear - long lasting, low dust, no squeal, high bite, no fade. A huge improvement over OEM rear pads since OEM wears like butter. Matches great with the ST43 and R5 front pads.

Future plans:

R7 front pads - wanting to give these a try to see if I can find a pad with a higher Mu and be more gentle on the rotors while being able to take more heat.

R5 rear pads - should pair well with the R7 front pads and maintain close to OEM brake bias. Independent testing has shown the R5 rear pads give an extra .2g in braking
 


AlphaDigital

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I dunno about the Cobalts, but the Raysbestos ST43 do not look seem like they are formulated for the type of brake beating that RA gives to brakes? and given your level of driving, im assuming that you need to step up to a very aggressive pad, especially for that back straight. Would the ST45 or ST47 have been a better choice?

When I emailed Danny at GLOC he recommended the R16, which is one step down from their most aggressive pad. Might be worthwhile to give this a shot?
 

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I went with the Paragon 6-piston 355x34mm kit with the R7 pads. These are larger than OEM size (And all other 2-piece kits), have Titanium Nitride coated pistons with no dust boots. In the long run this system will be far superior than the OEM calipers as they're designed to withstand heat much better and provide more consistent braking. I will report back once I get so seat time with these on track.

Honda Civic 10th gen Let’s Talk Brake Upgrades for Track Use IMG_4323


Honda Civic 10th gen Let’s Talk Brake Upgrades for Track Use IMG_4354
 

dsm_mikey

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I saw this kit and was interested, bummed though that they only offer 17mm thick pads. Not much of a change vs. oem for pad thickness. More brake pad thickness will allow you to run the same set of pads for a longer time between pad changes. If these ran 20mm or 25mm pads I would definitely get a set for my car. Certainly looks like a high quality kit though! Definitely should help vs. oem. Let us know how it works out for you!

I went with the Paragon 6-piston 355x34mm kit with the R7 pads. These are larger than OEM size (And all other 2-piece kits), have Titanium Nitride coated pistons with no dust boots. In the long run this system will be far superior than the OEM calipers as they're designed to withstand heat much better and provide more consistent braking. I will report back once I get so seat time with these on track.

IMG_4323.jpg


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b2point0h

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Just curious...why do you prefer the Paragon 2 piece rotors vs the Giro Disc?

I am having serious brake overheating issues and am looking at getting rotors that can cool better than oem...do you notice a difference between the 2 (Paragaon & Girodisc)?

I am going to try one of these 2 before I try other options like the AP Racing radical kit. I really don't want to spend the money on the AP kit if I don't have to!

I am using Raybestos ST43 pads and just tried Cobalt XR1. Both fade really bad after about 3 laps at Road America. If I can get the rotors temps down a bit, everything will be happier. I am currently running Titanium shims as well. SRF fluid. I have Raybestos ST45s on order.

Thanks for any feedback.
The Paragon kit uses 18mm thick pads, which are exactly the same thickness of the AP kit.

Paragon:

Specifications:

Pad Shape: 819SN
Width: 152mm
Height: 68.7mm
Thickness: 18mm
Pad Depth (D): 54mm

AP:
CP9660 calipers use a 18mm thick, commonly available brake pad shape
 

dsm_mikey

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There is a kit from AP that uses 18mm pads, I wouldn't want that one. I need to go with the CP9668 caliper which uses 25mm pads. Its $300 more than the 18mm version and will pay for itself almost immediately:

Part #: 13.01.10088

Brand: Essex & AP Racing

Reviews and Success Stories: Be the first to review this product

Complete front AP Racing by Essex Radi-CAL Competition Brake Kit for the 2017+ Honda Civic Type R
  • Features AP Racing CP9668 Radi-CAL six piston calipers, uses 25mm thick pad
  • 355x32mm, 72 vane AP Racing disc
  • Every component designed to resist the heat of extended track sessions
  • Pistons sized properly to allow for seamless integration with OEM master cylinder and ABS system
  • Designed to work with OEM rear brakes
Fits: Front (2020 Honda Civic Type R All)

The Paragon kit uses 18mm thick pads, which are exactly the same thickness of the AP kit.

Paragon:

Specifications:

Pad Shape: 819SN
Width: 152mm
Height: 68.7mm
Thickness: 18mm
Pad Depth (D): 54mm

AP:
CP9660 calipers use a 18mm thick, commonly available brake pad shape
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