Thoughts on Brake Pads

[gferil]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

No noise. Like I said, less dust than OEM, better feel, good price. If you want to throw in an AutoX or track day, you're golden. I use these on all our cars--wouldn't drive a the DD w/o them.

^Yep, what this smart guy said, I switched over to them and do a couple of track days a year (still in beginner group) and they have held up more than just fine! My M is my daily driver so they see lots of street time and they are perfect for DD.

[PrinceMiro]

No one has mentioned Cool Carbons. Is this generally an average pad? When I purchased them, I was under the impression that they were great. I don't exactly have any complaints about them, but now I'm wondering why no one on here mentioned them.

[avsbmw]

So how are the HP+ on the street as far as noise is concerned? I am not concerned with the dust. I just don't want it to sound like race pads for street use.

I am looking for an improvement over stock for the track but something I can run all the time.

[zubydafa]

looks like a couple votes here already for akebono ceramics

they are a zero dust pad. no noise. alright for street.

horrendous initial bite, but you don't particularly need it for street. they will fade and overheat if you abuse them or do canyon runs.

if you're doing any autox or track, consider hp+ as your entry level performance pad. advance to dtc60 after some good experience when you feel you've exceeded the capabilities of the hp+. then you can become a brake pad snob and try the advanced stuff and pick one that caters to your liking.

[zubydafa]

Originally Posted by avsbmw

So how are the HP+ on the street as far as noise is concerned? I am not concerned with the dust. I just don't want it to sound like race pads for street use.

I am looking for an improvement over stock for the track but something I can run all the time.

pretty awful as far as noise goes. when up to temp, i didn't hear them that much.

[Kgolf31]

Originally Posted by avsbmw

So how are the HP+ on the street as far as noise is concerned? I am not concerned with the dust. I just don't want it to sound like race pads for street use.

I am looking for an improvement over stock for the track but something I can run all the time.

They sound like race pads when not up to temp.

Bite is perfectly fine, sounds worse than a school bus.

I'm going to need to upgrade to dedicated track pads, towards the end of my sessions my last track day (2nd weekend overall) you could smell the material and I started kicking in ABS

[avsbmw]

Would I be better off with dedicated track pads? And switch back to stock after the session? I do run pretty fast when I go to the track. The stock pads last time I was out were fading pretty bad.

[Shipkiller]

Originally Posted by PrinceMiro

No one has mentioned Cool Carbons. Is this generally an average pad? When I purchased them, I was under the impression that they were great. I don't exactly have any complaints about them, but now I'm wondering why no one on here mentioned them.

Most people go with what other people are using...I have a theory on this but will not go into it here.

I used Cool Carbons for almost three seasons, street and track. Very good cold bite. They don't need to be warmed up like a dedicated race pad. They are also a 1200' pad so it takes a lot of heat to cook them, but it can be done .. They also dust a lot. This is to be expected from a good combo pad. I also ran several sets of experimental Cool Carbons. One's where they were/are tweaking the formula, trying to get more out of the pad.

To my mind, they are the best of both worlds (street/track) but, they do dust, and they cost more than a dedicated street pad.

I have moved my track pads to PFC-08's and I talked to Dave Zeckhausen on a good street pad that:

1. Does not dust (much..)
2. Good stopping power
3. Will never see the track.

Dave talked me out of the Centric Semi-Metallic's and sold me on the Centric Ceramic's. He even uses them on the street on this Corvette. They have very good initial bite and good overall feel. Very little dust.
At $55.00 an axle, hard to beat.

[Finnegan]

Good post and info Ship!

I'll add that braking technique has a lot to do with brake fade. Pads are only part of the equation. They can help--especially the higher MOT of track pads--but even with a greater MOT they can still fade and it's still possible to boil fluid.

Thanks to The Hack I was able to go from "fade" to "no fade" with the same pads. Ultimatelly I dropped 10 seconds off my times, and using things I learned in his braking education session. , was able to avoid fade. Point is that managing the brakes is just as important as equipment.

[Shipkiller]

Originally Posted by Finnegan

Good post and info Ship!

I'll add that braking technique has a lot to do with brake fade. Pads are only part of the equation. They can help--especially the higher MOT of track pads--but even with a greater MOT they can still fade and it's still possible to boil fluid.

Thanks to The Hack I was able to go from "fade" to "no fade" with the same pads. Ultimatelly I dropped 10 seconds off my times, and using things I learned in his braking education session. , was able to avoid fade. Point is that managing the brakes is just as important as equipment.

Yep,

The session that I overdid my brakes, after bleeding all four wheels at the track, I thought about my technique, and changed a few things. Fade gone and I picked up a second.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

Most people go with what other people are using...I have a theory on this but will not go into it here.

I used Cool Carbons for almost three seasons, street and track. Very good cold bite. They don't need to be warmed up like a dedicated race pad. They are also a 1200' pad so it takes a lot of heat to cook them, but it can be done .. They also dust a lot. This is to be expected from a good combo pad. I also ran several sets of experimental Cool Carbons. One's where they were/are tweaking the formula, trying to get more out of the pad.

To my mind, they are the best of both worlds (street/track) but, they do dust, and they cost more than a dedicated street pad.

I have moved my track pads to PFC-08's and I talked to Dave Zeckhausen on a good street pad that:

1. Does not dust (much..)
2. Good stopping power
3. Will never see the track.

Dave talked me out of the Centric Semi-Metallic's and sold me on the Centric Ceramic's. He even uses them on the street on this Corvette. They have very good initial bite and good overall feel. Very little dust.
At $55.00 an axle, hard to beat.

I ran into a problem with CC pads this year on my Stoptech BBK.
First few cold laps were fine, then as they warmed up more I was getting judder. (2-3 laps)
As they heated up more it got better and almost gone by end of session.
This happened each session.

I went back to Stoptech pads and judder went away.

[inTgr8r]

completely agree about braking technique.
its the main thing I work on each session.

[Shipkiller]

Ian, I had severe judder when I changed compounds, within the CC family. It seems the new pad compound did NOT like the old compound. We had to pull the rotors and clean them with a rotory wheel and brake cleaner (this was at the track....)

This was the worst I have ever experienced. You might have had a milder form...

I learned too.. When I change pad compounds, I rigorously clean my track rotors before I leave for the track. I do not want to EVER have that happen again...

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

completely agree about braking technique.
its the main thing I work on each session.

Me too. It's entirely different from typical street driving technique or navigating in traffic.

[Phishman]

Originally Posted by jdoublehcubed

Great discussion in this thread, thanks to everyone for their input. I've got a set of Stoptechs on the way for the insane price of ~$85 for both axles from RockAuto.

You'll love not having to clean the brake dust off your wheels every other day. I can't tell much of a difference between them and the originals.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

Ian, I had severe judder when I changed compounds, within the CC family. It seems the new pad compound did NOT like the old compound. We had to pull the rotors and clean them with a rotory wheel and brake cleaner (this was at the track....)

This was the worst I have ever experienced. You might have had a milder form...

I learned too.. When I change pad compounds, I rigorously clean my track rotors before I leave for the track. I do not want to EVER have that happen again...

Mine were installed on clean rotors when I did that review for them.
So no cross compound issue with mine.
They were fine last year. Judder started this year.

Interestingly I put the Stoptechs in w/o cleaning the rotors and the were fine.