The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

Best HPDE Tires and Pads for a Beginner?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

539
687
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
SoCal
Looking for what people think are solid HPDE tires and brake pads. I'm new to track driving so still learning my way around. I'm looking for good track performance while being cost effective and having good life. Again, being a beginner, I'm not looking for the fastest options available as they would be wasted on my skill level. Just looking for something that will last me awhile and I can learn from.

My current setup is GLOC 12 front and 10 rear and Bridgestone S007A 285/35 tires. I know these aren't super well known tires for the track but I got the set for a great price. I actually really like these pads and have no issues with them but I've read that GLOC's don't necessarily last as long compared to others.

The options I'm considering for tires are:
RS4, Supercar 3 (non R), or NT01. Though NT01s are a bit pricey for 19" wheels

For pads: I could stick with GLOC, or ST43 (I've read great things), Ferodo, or Pagid. Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
6,363
8,187
There's a lot of recommendations on here if you hit the search feature. I'd just run some 200 treadwear tires and have fun. I personally am a Hawk brake pad person, but I'm sure you can contact some of the vendors on here and get a recommendation.
 

JDee

Ancient Racer
1,797
2,001
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
5 miles from Mosport
Vredestein Vorti R in 305/30/19, 220TW about $230 a tire. Not many people run them but they are a very good HPDE tire. Wear like iron and are fast, they will likely heat cycle out before they wear out though I haven't run into either problem yet. Just stay off the curbs and run lots of negative camber.

I run Hawk DTC50 front and DTC30 rear. Work well for me, a full season of track days and they are still useable, not down to the cut line yet. Fairly rotor friendly assuming you have good cooling for the brakes. Many people buy the DTC60 but the DTC50 can actually take more heat. All the pads you mentioned are at least as good and some are better though I think the Hawk beats them on price?
 
2017 GT, 6 speed manual, performance pack w/Brembo 6 piston brakes up front...I run Carbotech XP10 pads front and rear and Continental ContiSport Extreme Contact tires in 275/40zr18. (Replaced stock 19" wheels with Apex EC7 wheels - 18x10; et43 square setup.) Tires aren't the most grippy I've used, but certainly grippy enough for me and durable enough for me to use for daily driving and HPDEs - worlds better than the stock Pirelli P-Zeros!

P.S. Brake cooling ducts are critical if you want pads/rotors to function optimally and not wear out prematurely. I'd also suggest high temp fluid. Just be sure to change it frequently.
 
1,163
2,121
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
SoCal
The options I'm considering for tires are:
RS4, Supercar 3 (non R), or NT01. Though NT01s are a bit pricey for 19" wheels
I think you’re on the right path with tires. I started with RE71-R’s that came with the car. Great tire but gets greasy on track when it’s hot. Moved to the BFG Rival S 1.5. Also a great tire, and like it even better now that I figured out that it likes a much higher hot pressure than the RE71’s. Much more consistent on extended sessions and warmer days, but they wear pretty quickly. I’m hoping this improves now with the higher pressures, but still convinced there has to be a better wearing 200TW for track use. My next 200TW will be the RS-4. Biggest challenge is actually finding them available - seem to always be out of stock at Tire Rack.

You’re absolutely right about the strange price gap on the NT-01’s - low $300s for the 315/30r18 up to $475 for the 305/30r19. Doesn’t make sense. Also not available from site sponsor Tire Rack. I have a set of 18 x 11’s on backorder with APEX - mostly to continue my quest to find the best track option. Based on feedback from @PaddyPrix on the 18” NT-01’s, they’re definitely in the mix, however a bit short on overall diameter and a bit concerned on gearing.

Ultimately the 18 x 11’s combined with a new Leroy Engineering tire trailer has me leaning toward 18” take off slicks (cheap), or DOT slicks like the BFG R1S or Hankook Z214. I guess it’s part of the fun to chase the unicorn, but the consumables cost of tires keeps way too many people out of this hobby.
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
725
1,081
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
San Diego
You’re absolutely right about the strange price gap on the NT-01’s - low $300s for the 315/30r18 up to $475 for the 305/30r19. Doesn’t make sense. Also not available from site sponsor Tire Rack. I have a set of 18 x 11’s on backorder with APEX - mostly to continue my quest to find the best track option. Based on feedback from @PaddyPrix on the 18” NT-01’s, they’re definitely in the mix, however a bit short on overall diameter and a bit concerned on gearing.
You say that like it's a bad thing -- 315/30/18 NT-01's are $304! Save your Purple crack for the races and beat up on your NT-01's when you're trying to get that seat time. Depending on what you're coming from, the gearing isn't that bad; If you have 3.55's, dropping the tire height to 25.4" essentially gives you 3.73's... if you're already on 4.10's, well, enjoy your frequent shifting. Sure, you have to discover/re-learn your shift point muscle memory, and you could argue that the tire selection is better with the 19's being much more common, but definitely do your own research. I was plenty happy with what tires/brands were available for the 18's, and coming from 20" Pilot Sport Cup 2's, I enjoy being able to pay rent.

I've had good success with G-Loc R12 up front and R10's out back, which is a popular combo that I thought had good, strong initial bite, and good pedal feel. Didn't shred the rotors and lasted for plenty of events, so yeah, I'm a fan. I'll be honest, other than the Ferodo (DS2500?) that came with the 6 piston Brembo's, they're the only ones I know of with the s550, but they've been so good for me that I just don't have reason to leave, dependability and reliability goes a long way for me.

Of course, your mileage may vary. The Supercar 3's come highly recommended, especially at their pricepoint if you can get 2016/2017 takeoffs, stock with the Camaro SS 1LE's I believe.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,356
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
I think part of the reason some folks find the G-Locs wear a bit faster is because a 12 is about as low as I would suggest for the front. I use 18s up front , but I am hard on pads and as you go faster you will want to move up also -- maybe not to an 18 though. You have KNS Brakes and Optimum Performance as site sponsors and they talk to plenty of folks about pads and likely can better ascertain your best bet after chatting with you about your driving style , overall desires and costs.

I do heavily suggest getting pre-bedded pads , since it always seems like one needs them while at an event and not that easy to run off and bed them then.

Never been a big fan of Nittos, especially if someone is driving to the track on them , and they are a decades old tire. If one wants a 100 TWR tire there are many newer and better choices in my mind. If you have a second set of tires for the street and are looking for stickier rubber look into used racing tires , as they can be acquired cheaply and for HPDEs it can cut down cost and you will be faster.
 

JDee

Ancient Racer
1,797
2,001
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
5 miles from Mosport
Thanks for the advice. I reached out to the site vendors too.

The Hawk pads are definitely the best cost effective route. I've read they tend to be harsh on rotors but don't know how factual that is.

I get a full season out of a set of front PP Ford OEM rotors with the DTC50s, that would be 10-12 track days. Rears just seem to last forever, the DTC30s wear at less than half the wear rate of the fronts. I'm happy with the Hawks, but I am not hard on brakes coming from an endurance racing background and the track I run most often is not tremendously hard on brakes.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,356
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
JDee has some good points , but this is one of the reasons I often suggest newcomers call and chat with KNS Brakes or Optimum Performance and discuss key items ;

1. Level of experience
2. Tires being used
3. Tracks commonly run on.

There are other questions they may ask , but in contrast to JDee a lot of the tracks I run on are fairly hard on brakes. Therefore what one uses in one part of your Country ( US or Canada for example ) may be different than other areas.

Good luck .
 
If Raybestos makes pads for your year model/brake setup, buy them in the ST47 version for the front and ST43 in the rear. You will not regret it! The ST47s are their most aggressive compound, but they're very easy on rotors (not like AutoZone pads, obviously, but for a racing pad).

I use them for AutoX and HPDE on O'reilly Auto rotors. They work fine when cold. They are noisy (obviously), but they make up for it by stopping.
 
31
15
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Arizona
anyone running Federal RS-R ?

I'm running 285 35 19 super sports now but I wanted something more affordable (18x10 Apex wheels) than NT01 and CUP 2 and i've seen many recommendations for the federals but I've never run any federal tires
 

ChrisM

Mostly harmless.
1,180
1,419
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
South Carolina
There's a lot of recommendations on here if you hit the search feature. I'd just run some 200 treadwear tires and have fun. I personally am a Hawk brake pad person, but I'm sure you can contact some of the vendors on here and get a recommendation.

This. Run whatever you brung. If you haven't found the limits of your current set of tires and pads and they still have life left in them, keep using them until you've found the limits and/or have worn them out.
 
296
349
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
NC
anyone running Federal RS-R ?

I'm running 285 35 19 super sports now but I wanted something more affordable (18x10 Apex wheels) than NT01 and CUP 2 and i've seen many recommendations for the federals but I've never run any federal tires
I've used the 595RS-Pro, 275-35/18 on the 2015GT I used to own. Can't compare them with any other tires since they are the only one's I've used. I ran them at autocrosses and HPDE's. They appear to wear really well and have pretty decent grip
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,356
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
The advantage many see with the Federals is they ultra mega cheap, after that I personally see it as a somewhat negative road unless you are just into drifting. If you are to the stage you are getting faster and want to do track time then in my estimation it is time to get a decent tire, a reasonably sticky tire and one that has a solid track record.

The reason is super simple , we will talk all about brake pads, lower control arms, short throw shift kits, cold air intakes, headers, big brake kits, lowering springs, shocks , etc. and yet the single biggest and best improvement for your car is tires. This is where you will find your quickest improvement , your easiest improvement , and the best change to help you learn your car.

I have always recommended to students when Instructing that the simplest changes are usually what will help them go quicker and have the biggest gain. More aggressive pads, really good tires, good high temp brake fluid, etc.

I often recommend a new set of rims for Mustangs because I am a firm believer Ford undertires this car for perceived Corporate Safety Reasons.....put them little dinky donuts in the front and institute push!! GM crams big rubber under their wheel wheels and it almost always shows up in magazine tests showing better grip , yet some of us stuff wide tires under our steeds and we gallop away from Crummaros.

So, you can see why I am not a fan of Federals...................see alot of guys on tires autocrossing being so close to Lincoln, Ne. Instructing with NASA and two tracks the same thing is true, no one quick on them , just a few guys telling me how long they wear. I guess I am too competitive and assume most are on here, because lasting the longest while always being last has little appeal to me and most of the Track Rats I know.
 
plug here.. hit up @OPMustang Tim, I try to give him my money and still no response. I get it with COVID but damn dude... you just must not like me or my cash.
One person, 4 different platforms messages come in through, 100+ questions a day in email, endless VM that just suck time and I never remember what I said 3 weeks later when the order comes in, plus building hubs, control arms, source parts that are running low or not available, designing new parts, driving to pick up parts, driving to the anodizer, packing parts, beating up 100's of vendors to get my stuff made first, keeping track of shipping supplies which constantly runs out, or delivers a week late.
Busy, that is all it is, non-stop busy. We like you Byron, and happily relieve you of your money anytime but come on, give me a day or two to respond.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,356
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Weird situation out there for Aftermarket companies , as so much stuff is shipped overseas from Europe, China, etc. and things are getting pretty delayed. I know Woodhouse Auto Family was having problems with certain parts even a month or more ago before I left , so it is a madhouse.

Heh, OP , understand your predicament , maybe you should put on your Company Voicemail that you are working long hours trying to source materials , chasing parts that are getting delayed due to Worldwide shipping issues, and busy designing new parts, etc. and suggesting folks send emails since you check there more often with your hectic schedule.

Might help you a little and feel for you , but maybe trying to check one venue will help keep things a little more streamlined?
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top