Terry (mini_racer), he's the one with pad material smeared thick on his rotor and contemplating machining it.
I realize it is impossible to determine from the pics, but the bad areas on the rotors are actually indentations, not material built up on top. Sorry if I was not clear in the earlier post. So yeah, will be shopping for the perfect machine shop tomorrow to get some resurfacing. And yes on Blanchard grinding as opposed to lathe turning, if I can find the right shop.
Are the pads wearing evenly, from the pics the outside pad looks like it's wearing more close to the hub and where the rotors are pitted. The inside pad looks almost like it is crowned. Bushings or something maybe not keeping them flat to the rotor? Closest thing I've seen like that is when a club member had, had someone mistakenly install the wrong size CT pad and they were not hitting the rotor squarely. .... Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
Yes, wearing evenly, I mean as much as is possible with some pitting of the rotor surface. The extreme heat has made things a little messy between the rotor and the pads
Race pads run cold on those rotors will clean 'em up in a few days. Easier than getting 'em machined. Those pads definitely smeared, no doubt. Try XP-12s. I'm still on the fence about Carbotechs. I just ran some ST-43's on my MDM kit for the first time last weekend at CMP, and they worked really well. The downside of a true ceramic pad like the XP's is once you overheat them, things go downhill real quick. The ST-43s hung in there, and when I did overheat them late in the session, they recovered nicely with a couple slower laps (still at speed in the tight sections, but slower on the straights). Plus the ST-43's are much cheaper, so it's easier on the wallet. Also, I can vouch for Sneed's ducts. You'll have to do a little "tolerancing" if you want to fit the rotor brackets around a BBK (thanks Paul), but they work great. Some cutting of the plastic bumper/radiator support (black ABS plastic thing) is required - a Dremel will suffice - but you can't see it unless you have the fender liner off. If you use zip ties around the ducting near the bumper, you don't have to rivet on the bumper brackets, and you can stuff fog lights in there in the off-season without having to remove the ducts. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2759/4238565000_b0cc1219ef.jpg (more pictures here: MINI Cooper S - a set on Flickr)
I'm not an expert, but I slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Those "pits" are uneven pad deposits. A race pad, when cold, will act as an abrasive and clean off the rotor. I've done it many many times on my own rotors after they looked just like yours do. Here's an expert's take: Avoiding Brake Judder at the Track
Hey, those pics look familiar. While I do not have the rotors with me, I do have the original higher res pics, and to be honest........I am starting to come around to your view, and Keith's, etc. Indeed, it kinda does look like some pad material melted and smeared on the rotors. If that is the case, then that is a great reason, in and of itself, to move to XP-12s, or something, other that the XP-10s. Then again, even the XP-10s will provide better service with the addition of the ducts. Oh and thanks for the link, good info.
Sorry, don't mean to keep piling on, but a friend just emailed around this link. I figured I'd post it 'cause it's relevant to this discussion. Essex - Learning Center - Know Brakes 2: Swapping Between Street and Race Brake Pads
Resurrecting with some updates 1. I never did get those rotors resurfaced by a machine shop. Instead I resurfaced them with the XP-10 pads and relatively cold street driving, as some of you suggested. They look much better now, thanks 2. I am finally finishing my ducts now, and know that will help with the heat. 3. The original issue I reported in this thread has now been identified as an ABS action/intervention known as ICE-MODE. There are a few ways to address, but basically, I was asking too much of the brakes for the amount of grip available. This is not directly a heat related issue.