Back home from school for six weeks of winter break so I can finally work on and drive the roadster more (when it's not on fire California has its perks
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Engine is pulling strong and with the new (old) Konis and Mike Young comp springs she handles great. BUT...after breaking hard for 2 or 3 corners or even one 80-0 freeway off ramp, the fun is all over! I have all stock brakes and would like to keep it that way but if there are any tips or trick for helping with fade I would love to know. My MC and front pistons may well be original to the car, all lines are stock and I think it's running dot 3 right now. I switched from stock organic pads in the front to semi-metallic after the organic ones basically caught fire following some hard downhill driving (coming down the top of hw9 for those who know). The semi-metallics bite a little better and don't squeak, dust or catch on fire (hardly even smoke) however they still fade very badly. Once, in a moment of shockingly poor judgment, I tried to keep driving after they got really bad (coming down page mill). 3/4 of the way down I was having to give them three pumps before each corner and by the bottom the pedal would go straight to the floor under its own waight like there was an open line or no fluid or something...Thank goodness for parking breaks and first gear! after cooling off for ~ 25 minutes they came back and when I start the car uo in the mornings the pedal is always high and firm.
So really, is this just the reality of stock, non drilled rotors? Or:
would some kind of little air tubing directing cooling to the rotors do the trick?
or dot 5?
or race pads? (I seem to remember Will C was saying good things about some very very expensive performance pads that supposedly did not fade. But did dust, squeak and generally not really work when cold)
Thanks!