Pagid RSL1 on Track: The Step Up From RS29
RSL1 is the answer most Pagid dealers give when an RS29 owner asks for more bite. It sits in the same RSL endurance family as RS29 and RS19, so it keeps their long pad and rotor life, but Pagid rates it a full step higher in friction. Owners like it. The trade-offs are cost, street noise and a little more care at bedding.
This article is part of our guide to Pagid pads for track cars. Every shape we list is in the RSL1 collection.
What Pagid says
| RSL1 | |
|---|---|
| Family | RSL — endurance racing |
| Friction | "High friction coefficient"; "good friction stability vs. temperature" |
| Life | "Long pad and disc life" |
| Intended use | "Used in GT cars, Touring cars and prototype endurance racing. Due to the high friction and good modulation, often used in sprint races as well." |
| Pairing | Pagid pairs RSL1 front with RSL 19 rear on heavier GT cars |
Pagid also makes RSL 1E, a longer-life version for race calipers. Pagid publishes no operating range for RSL1; its curve sits clearly above RS29's across the temperature range.
What owners say
More bite, still long-lived
The best report we found is from an F82 M4 owner on f80.bimmerpost: "The bite and release characteristics on the RSL pads are better than the RS29," and "After three days at Mt. Tremblant, they were only 50% worn...pretty amazing. In fact, after two seasons, my rotors are still within thickness tolerance." Another F8x owner "consumed slightly less than 2mm of brake pad and the rotors showed no observable wear." A 997.1 Turbo owner on Rennlist runs "RSL1 square" and rates them highly: "Not cheap however."
The downsides
Noise is the main one: "terrible terrible squealing noises on the street," one M3 owner wrote. Bedding needs care: in the same thread an owner reported that "people had reported issues bedding in the fronts, with unending vibration as the outcome," adding that "RS29's don't have this sensitivity." Follow Pagid's bedding procedure exactly (it is in the hub article). And on carbon-ceramic discs, one dealer warned that RSL1 "will dust/make noise and be hard on the brakes" — use RSC1 there.
RSL1 front, RS29 rear
On Porsches the most common way to run RSL1 is at the front with a Yellow behind it. "RSL1 front and RS29 compound rear has proven to be very popular," a Porsche parts vendor wrote in a 981 GT4 thread. Pagid's own pairing for heavier GT cars is RSL1 front with RSL 19 rear. Spec Boxster racers who want more than RS29 at both ends can go RSL1 all round: the same vendor stocks "both the fronts and rears in RSL1 if you're looking for more bite than the 29 and longer life than 14."
Which cars run it
| Car | How it's run | Our RSL1 pads |
|---|---|---|
| Porsche 981 / 718 GT4, 991 / 992 GT3 (iron) | RSL1 front, RS29 rear; or square. | Front U4924 · rear U4925 |
| Porsche 986 / 987 / 981 Boxster & Cayman, 996 / 997 | RSL1 square for more bite than RS29 and more life than RS14. | Front U2405 · rear U2406 |
| BMW F80 M3 / F82 M4 | The step up from RS29; "The RSL-1 are the better pad, in my opinion." | Rear U4933 |
| GT4 and GT3 race cars | Pagid's endurance front pad. | M4 GT4 / M6 GT3 front U2019 · 570S / Vantage GT4 rear U1607 |
RSL1 pads ready to ship
 RSL1 Front — GT4 / 991 / 992 GT3 (U4924) $792.59 Shop on Enzuca → |
 RSL1 Rear — GT4 / 991 / 992 GT3 (U4925) $648.49 Shop on Enzuca → |
 RSL1 Front — Boxster S / Cayman S / 997 (U2405) $501.75 Shop on Enzuca → |
 RSL1 Rear — Boxster / Cayman / 996 (U2406) $451.98 Shop on Enzuca → |
 RSL1 Rear — F80 M3 / F82 M4 (U4933) $432.32 Shop on Enzuca → |
Browse every shape in the RSL1 collection.
The Bottom Line
If RS29 feels soft and you do not want to give up its pad and rotor life, RSL1 is the next Pagid to try — at the front with RS29 behind it on a Porsche, or at both ends. Bed it in carefully, expect squeal on the street, and budget a little more per set.
Not sure of your shape? Tell us the car and caliper and we will confirm before you order.
Related guides
- Pagid brake pads for track cars: which compound, car by car
- Pagid RS29 / RSL29 on track, car by car
- Pagid RST3: front or rear
- Pagid RS14 Black: bite, and the rear-pad split
- Pagid RS19 / RSL19: endurance and the rear axle
- Pagid RSC1 for carbon-ceramic rotors
- Best Pagid brake pads compared
- PFC brake pads for track cars, car by car
- Hawk brake pads for track cars, car by car
- Track day brake fade: prevention and recovery