We recommend the 1521 compound for the Model S Plaid. This would be equivalent or better to the Tesla 'Higher Thermal' brake pad option they now install. Please note that calipers have NOT changed on the refreshed 2021 Model S. Just the color of the brake caliper changed. The Tesla Model S/X Plaid and LR are amongst the fastest and most powerful street cars that you can buy. Both are capable of going very fast very quickly and embarrassing sports cars on the racetrack and drag strip. For customers who would like a simple drop-in pad upgrade that works with the standard caliper and rotor. Equivalent or much better than Tesla 'High Thermal Brake Pads'. Fits 2021 Tesla Model S, and X, ALL. Interior refresh cars only. No Raven cars.
XP8 is a great choice for drivers that are very aggressive on the street but should NOT be used for the track in our opinion on PLAID cars!!!
If you are going to the track you should first have air moving to the brakes. Then select XP24 for front and rear and we wish you luck.
High Temperature brake fluid is highly recommended. Motul RBF660 or 700.
Brake Compound Chart and Bed In Procedure - SCROLL DOWN!
COMPOUND |
DESCRIPTION |
USE> |
|---|
|
1521 |
The Carbotech™ 1521™ is our high performance street compound. The 1521™ compound is known for its release and modulation, along with unmatched rotor friendliness. 1521™ is also a very low dusting and low noise compound with an excellent initial bite. This compound’s excellent linear torque production provides incredible braking force without ABS intervention. Carbotech™ 1521™ operating range starts out at ambient and goes up to 800°F (426°C ). 1521™ is suitable for ALL street cars, perfect for your tow vehicle or fleet vehicle. Carbotech™ 1521™ is NOT recommended for ANY track use. | Street |
| AX6 |
The AX6™ is specifically engineered for Autocross applications. A high torque brake compound delivering reliable and consistent performance over a very wide operating temperature range of 50°F to 1000°F (10°C to 537°C ). The advanced compound matrix provides an excellent initial bite, high coefficient of friction at lower temperatures along with very progressive brake modulation and release characteristics. NOT FOR STREET USE! |
Auto Cross |
| XP8 | A high torque brake compound with a wide operating temperature range of 200°F-1250°F (93°C to 676°C ). Carbotech™ XP8™ is the first of our racing compounds. It provides good initial bite at race temperatures, high coefficient of friction, excellent modulation and release characteristics. XP8™ offers extremely high fade resistance and is very rotor friendly. It’s perfect for track day use with any tire. NOT FOR STREET USE! | Performance and Racing |
| XP10 | When Carbotech™ unleashed the XP10™ to the general public it immediately gathered multiple regional, divisional, and national championships. The XP10™ has a very strong initial bite with a coefficient of friction and rotor friendliness unmatched in the industry. Fade resistance is in excess of 1475°F (801°C). XP10™ still maintains the highly praised release, excellent modulation and rotor friendliness that have made all Carbotech™ compounds so successful. NOT FOR STREET USE! | Performance and Racing |
| XP12 | Another highly successful XP™ series compound with an excellent initial bite, torque and fade resistance over and above the XP10™ compound. XP12™ has temperature range of 250°F to 1850°F (121°C to 1010°C ). The XP12™ has that excellent Carbotech™ release and modulation that has made all other Carbotech™ compounds so successful. The XP12™ is more rotor aggressive than XP10™, but compared to the competition the XP12™ is still very rotor friendly. NOT FOR STREET USE! | Performance and Racing |
| XP20 | XP20™ is the latest iteration of the highly successful XP™ series of compounds. With an extremely aggressive initial bite, linear torque curve and excellent fade resistance the XP20™ is another major step in progression of the XP™ series of compounds from Carbotech™. XP20™ has a temperature range of 275°F to 2000°F (135°C to 1093°C ). Carbotech™ XP20™ maintains our tradition of having the outstanding release and modulation that has made all other Carbotech™ compounds so successful. NOT FOR STREET USE! | Performance and Racing |
| XP24 | XP24™ is the pinnacle compound of the extremely successful XP™ Series of compounds engineered by Carbotech™. This compound is based on the same fundamentals that exist in all other Carbotech™ formulations. XP24™ has even more initial bite, more overall bite, and more torque along with the most linear torque curve we have ever offered. The thermal characteristics are of the highest Carbotech™ offers along with one of the highest coefficient of friction ratings offered by anyone in the braking industry. This compound is the longest wearing compound Carbotech™ offers as it was originally engineered for endurance applications at the highest pro racing levels. This revolutionary new compound has been extremely successful with open wheel, closed wheel, sprint and endurance applications. XP24™ has a temperature range of 400°F to 2000°F (204°C to 1093°C ). NOT FOR STREET USE! | Performance and Racing |
| RP2 | The RP2™ compound was engineered for endurance racing based on our highly successful XP™ Series formulations. RP2™ has strong initial bite, a little less modulation than our XP12™, but still maintains the rotor friendliness of our XP™ series compounds. RP2™ has great fade resistance with a temperature range of 250°F to 1450°F (121°C to 787°C). RP2™ is as rotor friendly as our XP™ series compounds. NOT FOR STREET USE! | Endurance Racing |
| 913 | A D.O.T.-approved high-performance compound for brake shoes on high performance street vehicles and race cars. Carbotech™ Kelated Metallic (CKM) achieves a very high coefficient of friction (approx. 0.48 to 0.50) by taking advantage of a chemical reaction within the friction mass, which creates a tri-alloy metallic film at the liner/drum interface when subjected to heat and pressure. Designed to overcome the shortcomings of other liner materials, CKM is very versatile and provides excellent braking performance in a wide variety of applications. This compound demonstrates excellent wear characteristics and a very high resistance to lock-up under hard braking. Optimal recommended operating temperature range is from ambient to 750°F. | Brake Shoes |
Please note: The 1521 compound does NOT require bedding in. Put the pads on a clean rotor surface (like new) and drive normally for the first 300 – 400 miles. No special procedure is required. “JUST DRIVE THE CAR”.
All new brake pads require a bedding process. The proper way to bed your brake pads and brake discs (rotors) is to bed them on the racetrack, NOT on the street. Start this process by pumping your brakes a few times to assure proper installation. Once on track perform several moderate (medium) near stops (to a very slow rolling speed) to thoroughly warm up the pads and rotors. This should take 1-2 laps. This allows a thin layer of the pad material to be transferred into the micro-grooves of the rotor.
After the pads/rotors are warm, perform a series of hard near stops (to a slow rolling speed) until some brake fade is felt. This process should take about 2-4 laps (depending on the track). Once this occurs, then stay off the brakes (as much as possible) and bring your car into the pits/paddock to completely cool. Do not lock the tires during this operation.
Allow brake pads and/or rotors cool down to ambient temperatures; no less than 30 minutes. The total bedding procedure should not take more than 5-6 laps or about 10-15 minutes. Failure to properly bed in your pads could cause friction material to chunk and break up resulting in poor pad performance and pad life. Improper bedding can also lead to overheating your pads and causing them to glaze over, resulting in the car not being able to stop or slow properly.
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Engineering brake systems to handle high temperatures is essential. The four key elements to consider when designing a system to handle high temperatures properly are: surface area, thermal mass, material selection and cooling air.
Surface Area: The more surface area on a brake system the better heat dissipation will be. Cooling internal veins are used in systems for reducing operating temperatures, greatly increasing performance.
Thermal Mass: A properly engineered brake system must be sized appropriately for each individual vehicle; to have the ability to provide enough power for a vehicle and to have enough material mass to properly handle the temperatures that specific car can create under heavy braking situations. To remove material from a rotor for size and weight reduction purposes, will also remove material that would have helped diffuse heat generated by braking. This is not recommended by Carbotech.
Material Selection: Material selection is important in trying to control where the heat goes once generated. Using insulators can help prevent heat from being conducted to the brake fluid. Also in saying that, heat conductors can also be utilized to draw heat away from critical components.
Cooling Air: Getting air to keep flowing on the brake system can also dramatically help reduce operating temperatures as well as improve performance. Open bridge calipers are becoming more and more popular due the ability to allow air to flow through the caliper and remove heat from the braking surface.
