brake fade?

[Winterracing]

This is the first time i've had this issue.  About halfway through practice i began to loose the feeling of having brakes in the corner (heavy braking track). I could tell my fronts still were working because i could smell the heavy smell.  Pulled off and took a look i bled all 4 quickly and didn't find any air in them.  I then proceded to check the rear drums. One felt loose so i adjusted it out for the race and hoped that was the problem.  I began the race and the brakes felt great but again about halfway through the same problem happened to me i finished and figured that the drum loosened up again on my but it didn't.  Not sure what to make of this i haven't had an issue like this at this track.  Not sure if i have some water in the system at all. All i did was put new pads on in the front last week.

Dan

[The Tank]

What DOT  brake fluid are you using?

[Winterracing]

I'm not i'm using the willwood high temp stuff

Dan

[Bigmil]

When you replaced the pads did you replace them same for same?
Having played with 3-4 different kind of pads I have found that some significantly fade at a heavy braking track while others do much better.
All other things unchanged it sounds like your pads are likely the issue.

[The Tank]

I'm not i'm using the willwood high temp stuff

Dan

Heavy braking can cause brake fluid temp to rise, just a possibility to think about.

[Winterracing]

Hmm could be i ran the same brand of pads at that track last year and didn't have an issue i wonder though that maybe i just got used to the other type i had.  But i still do wonder if it is in my drums because i could deffinantly smell the fronts working lol

Thanks for all the help

Dan

[justfreaky]

Dan,

Check this thread:

http://www.legendsracer.com/index.php?topic=358.0

Just a thought.

Steve

[Winterracing]

That thread actually got me thinking alot steve.  Between maybe i had water in my brake fluid and that caused it to boil. However also the part about bedding the pads.  I never did anything, just cleaned everything with brake clean and put the new pads in.  I guess i'll take my rotors off to have them turned and thats all i'll have to do correct?  Has anyone turned brembo rotors before?

Thanks,
Dan

[justfreaky]

It might be worth replacing the fluid. That way you would know that it is fresh and uncontaminated.

Steve

[Winterracing]

I'll try changing it tomorrow. Do you think i should resurface the rotors since i put new pads on? How to i make sure they properly bed in?

Thanks,
Dan

[justfreaky]

Here is one on turning rotors when installing new pads.
http://www.legendsracer.com/index.php?topic=385.0

To bed in the pads try this:
Usually, some warm up laps with easy braking, and then a few laps with periods of heavy braking will do the trick.
Thing is to let the brake pads and rotors cool in between rounds of heavy braking.

Steve

[knoxracing]

Do your wheels spin freely(front) after this occurs? Are the rear wheel cylinders free in moving side to side? What brand of pads and shoes are you running? If you smell front pads I doubt your problem is the fluid, they are getting way to hot.

[Winterracing]

Yup everything spins freely like it should i figured that the reason i smelled the fronts were because i was loosing rears and was just over using the fronts to get the car to stop

Dan

[knoxracing]

What brand of pads and shoes?

[Winterracing]

Not sure on the brand of shoes but the pads are just the 600 pads.  The problem seemed to have been fixed last race so i'm assuming the new fluid or turning the rotors must have solved it.

Thanks for everyones help.

Dan