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Brakes from FCP Euro Guaranteed for Life, but... Can we use them?

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motormatt

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Joined
Jul 15, 2026
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16
Location
New Jersey
V-Series Cadillac(s)?
2026 CT4V Blackwing
So I regularly track my 2026 CT4-V Blackwing and go through brakes like crazy. 3-5 track days before I am getting a little worried about not having enough friction material left for the day. Getting expensive as you can imagine. FCP Euro guarantees their brake pads for life even with track use. Amazing, but they only provide for European cars. They don't carry the front brake shape FMSI D1405 which is what the 4BW takes. However, with some research I found the FMSI D1405 is sometimes recommended by brake manufactures to be used in the Brembo brakes on the Audi RS6 (C6 / 4F, ~2008–2010.). The RS6 OEM front FMSI is D1291 or Hawk brakes HB649, however performance sites will sell the D1405 for the RS6. Stands to reason the D1291 or Hawk HB649s can be used and are sold on the FCP Euro Website guaranteed for life. Has anyone tried this?
 
Sounds too good to be true. I looked at the guarantee and while it does state what you said, it also states that customers with an “excessive” return rate or “frequency” will be ineligible. My guess is if you are trying to get free replacement brakes every couple months, they will add you to the ineligible list. But only one way to find out. Sorry I did not answer your question, I have not tried them on my BW but question the policy.
 
I've had a few german cars, and FCP is awesome. People who take advantage of their sweet setup can ruin it for others. They've had to adjust their guarantee over the years from abusers

if you're going to track your car you are going to do a lot of wear and tear on it. You gotta pay to play if you're going to track/race a car. The cost associated with racing is why I stopped, it got too expensive and it is even pricier now.
 
A lot of guys at the track use FCP with no issues. I think the abuse is people who try to sell the replacements. You now have to buy a second pair of brakes and then they will refund the original price of the brakes when you return the old ones. They don't say what the limit is before they cut you off, also keep in mind they are selling different brakes than the OEM ones I am burning through. I would be getting track brakes that don't wear at all when you drive on the street (they also don't stop LOL). They will hold up a lot better on the track since they don't start working and start wearing until you heat them up under track conditions.

But has anyone tried using the FMSI D1291 or Hawk HB649 on the front of a 4BW? From what I can tell the rears are unique to Cadillac and not interchangeable with any foreign cars.
 
CT4 BW uses the same front pads as SL63, AMG GT, and many other cars. I have used FCP Euro a LOT including for replacing several sets of pads and rotors on my SL63. This ferodo 2500 pad set is a slightly different shape, but will work as I have used it.

Mercedes Performance Brake Pad Set - Ferodo Racing 0054201120

Mercedes Performance Brake Pad Set - Ferodo Racing 0054201120
www.fcpeuro.com

ECS tuning has the same program as FCP Euro and I got them to add the actual correct pad shape


The issue is that Essex (they are the importer for all ferodo pads and is where both ECS and FCP get their pads from) only imports 10 sets of pads at a time in this shape and they are totally out right now with the next shipment not arriving until October. Essex also added the DS1.11 version if you have stickier tires and are really pushing hard on track.
 
Carguyshu said:
CT4 BW uses the same front pads as SL63, AMG GT, and many other cars. I have used FCP Euro a LOT including for replacing several sets of pads and rotors on my SL63. This ferodo 2500 pad set is a slightly different shape, but will work as I have used it.

Mercedes Performance Brake Pad Set - Ferodo Racing 0054201120

Mercedes Performance Brake Pad Set - Ferodo Racing 0054201120
www.fcpeuro.com

ECS tuning has the same program as FCP Euro and I got them to add the actual correct pad shape


The issue is that Essex (they are the importer for all ferodo pads and is where both ECS and FCP get their pads from) only imports 10 sets of pads at a time in this shape and they are totally out right now with the next shipment not arriving until October. Essex also added the DS1.11 version if you have stickier tires and are really pushing hard on track.
Click to expand...
hmmm, not sure about the wait. I do have 200 tread wear tires and it is a relatively heavy car. NJMP is my go to track at the moment and at over 130mph on their Lightning straight I am working those brakes harder than a ten cent hooker on nickel night. Are the DS1.11s more readily available?
 
if you want to run 2500's and don't want to wait or be concerned with availability, then use FCP Euro and the slightly different pad shape. 2500s should be better than the oem pads as oem pads cant use copper and the 2500s can. i use them on my nearly 4100 lb sl63 and have no issue with them. the tracks i go to also have straights where i'm getting to 140+. the BW should have better brake cooling than my sl63 too. the caveat is that i'm just running conti sport contact 02+, so if you're going with a 200tw they may not be enough. essex would likely tell you to use the ds1.11.

ds1.11 will eat rotors if you're driving your car much on the street, but will have a lot longer life on track. they're also more expensive. ferodo says both the ds1.11 and 2500 are compatible compounds so you can switch them back and forth without having to rebed them.


i just continue to run 2500s b/c I don't care how long they last since i am only out the return shipping to get another set with the lifetime replacement. if you want to know what availability will look like in the future for the ds1.11 then you need to call essex at (704) 824-6030 and ask how many they usually import and how often as that is the supplier for US distribution of ferodo regardless of the retailer you use.
 
That is a good point. No problem switching them out. I have used OEM pads with 5mm left on them that I didn’t trust bringing to the track that I could swap in. I’ll have to think about it a little. With the warranty the 2500s also seem like an option. I guess it is how much brake swapping work I want to do. But you don’t think there will be any problem with the shape of the SL63 pads?
 
Also any thoughts on the rears and am I asking for trouble if I don’t have the same compound rear pads
 
How many track days are you doing on that 2026 car?

I got 15k street miles plus 11 track days out of the OEM rears. Changed the OEM fronts at probably 60% worn and have about 50% wear on the replacement fronts over the same 11 track days.

I'm using Porterfield AP2444 R-4 and AP2445 R-4's. Around $600 for the set. Big gain in bite! They are a track pad, but I find them to act completely normally on the street. I don't know how they might act in the cold of winter.

These are the OEM rears that were just replaced.

Break pad 2.jpg
Brake pad 1.jpg
 
motormatt said:
That is a good point. No problem switching them out. I have used OEM pads with 5mm left on them that I didn’t trust bringing to the track that I could swap in. I’ll have to think about it a little. With the warranty the 2500s also seem like an option. I guess it is how much brake swapping work I want to do. But you don’t think there will be any problem with the shape of the SL63 pads?
Click to expand...
SL63 pad shape is identical to CT4 BW, c7 z06, c8 z06, AMG GT, and lots of other 63 mercedes. The alternative shape is what Essex suggests for AMG GT even though it is not the factory pad shape. I ran the alternative pad shape on track on one set and they were fine.
 
I did 3 track days and 6K of street driving. Maybe I am braking too much 😁. Mine were a little thicker than this but not much in the front. Did your squeeler tab hit? It looks a little worn. Mine had not yet.

The rear weren’t as bad but I changed both because at the last track event someone’s brakes failed and he hit a hairpin at 80mph and flew out of the park and into the parking lot of a kids’ soccer field across the highway rolling over four parked cars. No one was hurt, thank God. He had an old cop auction impala with a corvette engine in it. Long story on the failure. So I went home and changed the brakes $$$.

I now have three track days and another 3k miles on the new brakes and tech inspection and my instructor before that third day this past weekend said they thought I should change them after that event. I still haven’t switched my wheels back since then but will measure again when I do. Car is in the garage until then.

The car does have electronically assisted brakes, maybe that has something to do with it? Also, I am just starting in HPDE and the Blackwing has essentially 5 levels of nannies which I have been sitting in the middle of, acknowledging this might be too much car for me to learn on. I wonder how much is governed by braking and how often it is helping because I get significantly higher top end speeds each level up.
 
Carguyshu said:
SL63 pad shape is identical to CT4 BW, c7 z06, c8 z06, AMG GT, and lots of other 63 mercedes. The alternative shape is what Essex suggests for AMG GT even though it is not the factory pad shape. I ran the alternative pad shape on track on one set and they were fine.
Click to expand...
What year?
 
2026 CT5-V Blackwing, 2024 Durango Hellcat, 2022 Audi RS6, 2017 SL63 AMG, 2000 Firehawk
 
motormatt said:
Now just double checking here. Do the brakes on your AMG match your CT5-V Blackwing or my CT4-V Blackwing?
Click to expand...
They match the ct4. The ct5 brakes are significantly larger.

Stick with PTM mode sport. That’s what they run at spring mountain. With everything 100% off the lap time by the best instructors was a couple of tenths vs PTM sport. The only downside to the ptms is that it can cause you to have bad habits bc the car can do so much.

OEM brakes or 2500s should be more than enough until you get more time and experience.

Once you’re really cooking you may have the same issue that i do with pads tapering their wear. In that case they may not hit the squealers. It’s hard to really hear the squealers on track too. It’s important to check your pads after each session. Typically the inside pads will also wear faster than the outside and you can’t easily see the inside. It’s why the OEM sensor is on the inside.
 
Carguyshu said:
They match the ct4. The ct5 brakes are significantly larger.

Stick with PTM mode sport. That’s what they run at spring mountain. With everything 100% off the lap time by the best instructors was a couple of tenths vs PTM sport. The only downside to the ptms is that it can cause you to have bad habits bc the car can do so much.

OEM brakes or 2500s should be more than enough until you get more time and experience.

Once you’re really cooking you may have the same issue that i do with pads tapering their wear. In that case they may not hit the squealers. It’s hard to really hear the squealers on track too. It’s important to check your pads after each session. Typically the inside pads will also wear faster than the outside and you can’t easily see the inside. It’s why the OEM sensor is on the inside.
Click to expand...
Yeah, Sport is where I usually run at. Maybe I’ll try the 2500s. The problem is I am burning through the OEMs way too fast. I do check the inside pad everytime I change the wheels before and after track days, definitely wears faster. I have a ton ton ton of things to learn on the track but taking the speed to the last minute and braking hard doesn’t seem to be one of them which is why I need a more economical brake solution. That is why I am trying to find a comfort level with using something from FPC Euro for it.
Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it.
 
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