Quote:
Originally Posted by z4m_06
Questions:
1) How do my brake pads look?
2) Do they need to be replaced based on wear and tear? (assuming no track driving)
3) Are the DS2500 recommended for my type of use (occasional track, daily driving, AutoX)?
4) Is it normal for the brake pad contact surface to be so uneven?
5) How do the rotors look?
6) Should I do a Stainless Steel line upgrade while the car is in for a brake flush?
7) Does taking photographs of the pad work? Is it enough to draw a few conclusions?
Thanks all!
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1.
They look fine. Besides the fact the fronts are near the end of their life, and the rears are just about to get there.
2. No. Not immediately.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.
5. You'll need to take a micrometer to the rotor to tell for sure.
6. If it makes you feel better, sure. My experience is stainless steel braided lines on this car doesn't do much. The little bit of gain you get for pedal stiffness can easily be overcome from the inconveniences of having stainless steel braided lines.
7. Sure. It's enough for me to tell you why you're having that weird sensation in the brakes. You're now at below 40% of pad remaining. Which means the cup of the piston is in the extended position. On a sliding caliper design, this CAN introduce some longer pedal travel symptoms, especially during high performance applications. What you described is normal based on what I see in the pictures.
In the picture the front pads appear to have about the same thickness as the backing plate. Here's a good illustration between what fresh pads look like vs. worn pads:
You probably still have a few thousand miles of use on the street out of those pads, but I would not take them to an AX or track event in the near future, that's for sure. Once you replaced the pads (and pumped the brakes a few times), that solid pedal feel should come right back with a fresh set of pads.