MStach

Are there any race brake pads available?
How can one install 6 point harnesses without drilling holes ?
Are there any 19" wheels for rear ?

rsalco

For pads, contact Carbotech in NC; 1.877.899.5024. You'll likely need to send him pics of the OEM pads to match up correct backing plates. He'll make recommendations for best pad material, fr. & r.


For a 6-point, you'll need to consult a race shop to see if the existing seat mounts can be used as belt anchor points. But, I'm not sure the OEM rear shock-tower brace can be used to tether the shoulder belts; it looks too high to me [I've also considered putting 6-points into my car]. You need a minimum angle to the belts from the tether point for effective safe restraint. Again, consult a race fabrication shop such as Phoenix Performance in PA.


You'll need to go into the aftermarket for 19" wheels; 61 and 68 offsets needed for brake clearance.

California John

Not sure about the seat mounts - it would be nice to take care of four of your points this way...but I wouldn't trust the shock-tower brace. I don't have information that says it can't take the load - but I'd want to be 100% sure...and doesn't take into account the angle.

rsalco

Agreed 'bout the brace. I kinda wonder tho' if it's engineered to be a tether because of the pass-through in the seats. However, I note the statement in the owners manual that use of "race-type" seatbelt restraints "may compromise safety...". That may just be the lawyers talking.....

MStach

So there is not know track brake pad?
I like PFC 08 compound .
As far seat belt mounting goes I always go trough chassis with big backing plate.
I was just wondering if there is anyone who track their GTSregularly and did research.

Mike

descartesfool

I recently ran a set of Carbotech XP12 pads on track, based on recommendations from Mike at Carbotech. The pads wore down more than half-way in one open track day, and basically could not be used again for a another full track day. The OEM pads I used for 2 track days, plus 3600 kms on the street, and I was able to use them again for another 1/2 day open lapping event, at which point they were done. Rear OEM pads were also pretty much done. Unbelievable that the Carbotech track pads lasted less than half as long as the OEM pads. Never buying those again.


Pagid currently makes pads for the GT-S, but they cost $675 a set for the front. They are in the RS29 yellow compound, which is an endurance type of pad, and they have been very good on other cars I have run. I just bought a set of OEM pads from an online MB dealer for $224. Front pad is an FMSI shape 1291. TRW for example makes an OEM replacement.


I have a contact at Hawk brakes, and he e-mailed me that they will have pads for the GT-S in the spring, in their DTC compound, which are very good.

descartesfool

Berndt and me





Berndt's F1 safety car





Safety car seats and belts





Belt bar can be seen below the carbon fibre tower brace. Trunk is full of electronics for communications with F1 control





I drove the Montreal F1 track for 2 hours in various AMG cars including a GT-S on the Wednesday before the F1 race as part of a special AMG event. Berndt Maylander, the F1 safety car driver was there with us to show off the F1 safety car, and I spoke to him for quite some time. The safety car has no roll-cage, but they did replace the seats and added a belt bar below the carbon tower brace for the belts. No way they would use the tower brace for the belts.

rsalco

Thanks for the information regarding the tower brace re. shoulder-belt anchor. I'm not surprised. Did you notice whether the belt anchor bar was custom-made or an after-market piece? And what the ends tied in to in the car? Lastly, I assume the seats were replaced in order to have a pass-through for the anti-submarine belt?

AMG 17GT

Those are GTR seats right? I would bet factory will have setup for harness, except you will have to wait.

descartesfool

I couldn't see where the belt bar was anchored, nor if the piece was aftermarket or custom. I did discuss with him the issue of the roll cage, and he said they had considered it and felt it was too hard to fit a steel road cage into the aluminum car, and that after discussions with Charlie Whiting from F1 they felt that it being the Safety Car and not a race car that it did not need a cage. That was pretty surprising to me. The seats were changed for safety to FIA certified seats to have proper belt holes as you can see in the pictures. Perhaps German tuners have parts for the GT-S that are not available here yet.


I also asked about the modifications to the car, and aside from what you see in the photos, he said pretty much the only thing was that they added brake cooling, and that the rest of the car is stock. I tried to see how that was accomplished but could not see around the tires or under the car. Most of the discussion was about all the electronics fitted to the car for its function as the Safety Car.


I also asked him about which tires they run, and he said the MPSS because they have to be ready within seconds to go out, and if it's torrential rain, they can't go out on PSC2's and they have no opportunity to do a pit stop to change tires before being called out on duty.


Berndt also told me that he likes the car so much that he bought one for himself. I then asked him if he got the carbon ceramic brakes as fitted on the Safety Car, and he said: "When it's your own money you are spending, there is no need to pay for those". I though the same thing and ordered my car with the iron brakes for track use. I found Berndt to be a super nice and friendly guy, very easy to talk to. It was great meeting him and talking to him about driving the GT-S at the F1 races.

descartesfool

They are very similar, but not identical, just look at the opening for the regular seat belt on the GT-R ones.

descartesfool

Just got an e-mail from my contact in the Motorsports division of Hawk brakes and so far they do not have any track pads for the GT-S. Here is what he e-mailed me:

"We offer the front pads:
HB731x.620

Available in compounds:
1. HPS 5.0
2. PC

The rear pad is schedule to release in June."

I asked him if they had plans for track pads lie their DTC series, so I'll report back anything I get.

descartesfool

I received a further e-mail from my Hawk contact, and we will have track/race pads very shortly for the GT-S.


"We will offer DTC-80, DTC-70, DTC-60 and DTC-30 for the AMG GT(-S) by the end of Q2. We will be racing an AMG GT3 at WC this year. "


and then this:


"We should the front pad available in DTC compounds by month end. The ETA for the rear pads is end of June."


Nice to see that Hawk will be racing an AMG in the Pirelli World Challenge this year.

DriveAMG

what about titanium backing plates as a start???

Guilty

Porterfield. Had a full track day with them and they barely looked used.

descartesfool

Porterfield makes pads for the GT-S? I didn't know that.


What is the model of the pads front and rear and where can you get them? I could try them as the Hawks are not yet available for my first track events.

Guilty

I was actually talking about my C63S. It's easy for them to create pads for any models. They just your old pads. That's how I got mine done.

AMG 17GT

Any updates on pads?

More interested in what recommendations anyone has on brake fluid for high temps that could run street/track.

DriveAMG

Use Endless RF 650. You need to bleed it often but it's the best.

emericr

A bit off topic but how about dust free pads? anything out there?

Guilty

I'm using Porterfield and dust is about 50-60% less than OEM pads

AMG 17GT

After spending an hour a week cleaning wheels even after I had them ceramic coated I'm going with the porterfields as akebono are not available.

R4S pads. High performance Street
For the GT
AP 1873 Fronts $249.95
AP 1681 Rears $119.50

GTS
AP1291 fronts $299.95
Rears same

949-548-4470 main

AMG 17GT

Depending on use say 2 track days / yr and 10k miles, how often is often?

descartesfool

Here are quotes I got from Porterfield for my AMG GT-S

Raybestos ST47 compound

Fronts R1291.16 ST-47 $399.00
Rears RC1681 ST-45 $279.00

Hawk DTC compound

Fronts$399 in the DTC-70 compound
Rears$299 in the DTC-60 compound

Also this:
We found a front production pad that will fit right in with no issues HB649G.605it is $310.47 I can do it for $299.00. The rears will still be made to order.

I had them custom make me some rear pads in DTC60 compound and got the Hawk production pad that fits the front. Virtually same pad as on a Nissan GT-R which is also a Brembo 6 piston like the AMG GT-S caliper.

Pad prices depend on the compound you get. If you want real track pads like the ones I listed, those are the prices. If you want street pad compounds, then prices are much lower as is the track capability in terms of high temperature capability.


My contact at Hawk brakes said they should have pads for the GT-S sometime this summer. But they are typically late with pads for newer cars.

DriveAMG

You should be ok 2x/yr, depends on how hard your track days are