Jim, you can always just trim the pad edges to a 45 degree angle to reduce surface area. I have done this many times with good results.

I am currently running Blues in front and HT10 rears. Seems evry car is different.

Mr. B. I have been cutting the rears to get better balance. My goal is to find a combination that does not require cutting, if I can. If not, I will take the angle grinder out and start cutting again. I am just getting lazy as summer heat starts to come on.

One question though. Why would you cut the pads using a 45 degree angle? It seems to me that, as the pads wear (perhaps you do not use the brake hard enough to actually wear the pads), the 45 degree angle would start adding more pad surface back in and would disturb the balance, over time.

Your Friend
The Honorable Mr. Big Dog

45 degree angle may allow for the pad to compensate for heat transfer better. The narrower the surface when the pad is new the more material you have. As the surface gets wider, the material depth gets thinner causing the pad to heat faster and subsequently over heat/fade faster.

Just a guess.

As much as I would like to say I took all of that into consideration I didnt.

I have noticed through the years that at certain tracks I would end up with too much rear brake. Infineon is one of those tracks for me.

So if I did not have an optional rear pad to install I would trim the pad.

The rear pad seems to wear so slowly that the issue of the pad gaining friction based on surface area was minimal.

It would be great to have the option of a bias valve but I can see the beauty of leaving this factory system alone.

It would also be possible to just put a couple of slots in the pad to reduce total area with the same results. This would most likely help with off gassing.

Well, thanks for the honesty, Mr. B.

I am going to continue to try to find a combination of pads that do not require cutting. When/if I give up, I will go back to the angle grinder brake bias of old.

Speaking of Sonoma, the bias there is tricky and having a different set of rear pads for there may be the only good solution. I have a set that I have trimmed already so they may be the pad of choice for Sonoma.

Your comment on a bias system may, Mr. NO NEW RULES, have merit. It does seem that a brake bias valve would make some economic sense for our class. If it was installed one time, the cost is over and then we would not be spending much more money for $150 (or more) pads to experiment with and then throw away when they don't work as desired. (I have done that more than once and am now doing it again. )

Guys could get a combination and tune them for their car without the cost of multiple pad combinations during the testing phase. Interesting to think about for the future as it seems like it could be a less expensive way for many guys to go, especially new guys.

Big Dog