Road course brake fade question

[Spike Engineering]

Ruslow and anyone else:

After reviewing all the data from the four different sessions at Laguna Seca, there are two things (one minor) that don't make sense.

Here's the information:

As you know, the brakes faded. But on the cool down lap (fast enough to not use brakes the entire lap), I had ZERO brakes at the end of the lap entering the pits. This scared me a bit during my first pit because the corner entrance is sharp! Once I used them in the parking lot, they came back.

I guess the heat isn't removed from the brake system unless you use the brakes. So, the fluid boiled on the cool down lap. Correct?

I removed the lid, tailgate and bedrug and the brakes performed better the second session. I was braking a little earlier but accelerating ealier too. That helped, I think.

Here's the big quandry:
I think my rotors were warped by the third session and got worse during that session. The brakes on the fourth session NEVER faded and the fluid never boiled. Could the warping aid in cooling? It sounds crazy, but it's a "poor man's brake upgrade" if it's true!

Azeem said it was because I was driving better and using the brakes more efficiently. Although I'd like to believe that and maybe it's partly true, there was better bite on the last session EVERY corner, EVERY lap.

Thoughts?

Spike
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those interested, warping the rotors was my fault and may have been avoided. Stupid me didn't check the lugnut torque AFTER each session AFTER everything cooled down. One of the lugnuts was not as tight as the others from the heat cycling. REMEMBER TO CHECK YOUR LUGNUTS!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Ruslow]

You did boil the fluid,but to boil it you had to get the calipers atleast that hot.so untill the caliper dissipate the heat the fluid will still be atleast that hot.Some of the heat is transfered thru the backs of the brake pads to and thru the piston to the fluid.
As for the rotor warp no that will not help the dissipating of heat.What it could be is that the warp could be knocking the pads in and away from the heat sourse[the rotor]thus keeping them cooler.but more than likely what you experienced was "green" fade.And after you seasoned the pads that eliminated that problem.stan

PS anyone who does these type of events MUST retorque their wheel or atleast check torque after each sesion.But first let the rotors cool down then retorque.

 

[Spike Engineering]

Is it possible that the seasoning would have taken over 400 miles of driving (I seasoned the pads during those 400 miles per HAWK's specs) plus 3 track sessions?

Spike