Brake Pad Poll.

[Steve]

Right, I'm just about to place my order for new front discs and pads, I've decided on Brembo High Carbon discs, as they are a cheaper and better alternative than the OE discs (which are often specified as these discs anyway), but after trawling through all the brake posts, I'm still bloody confused as to which pads to go for. Money is a factor but not the most important one, I want a set of pads that will be good for day to day driving but also not fade after a few laps on a track day. They must not produce excessive brake dust that welds to the wheels. Please give your opinions and name the other pads and why if not listed.

Many thanks, hopefully this will be a useful poll for everyone.

 

[oliie]

I've only used PF97s and have found these to be more effective than OEM.. so I have selected it I am sure there are better compromises out there (e.g. 2500s) but none will be as effective when it comes to stopping your car time and time again

Just my two cents.

Cheers
O.

 

[160dmb]

Fantastic, I want exactly the same thing, but haven't replaced the pads yet.....Watching with interest.

 

[jezza l]

I'm still running the stock items so i won't vote but will be interested to see the results as i'll be upgrading in the next month.
Regarding the DS2500s a friend on bmwtrackdays told me people have been giving them bad write ups. With them depositing pad material on the disk which causes localised heat spots which can cause disk cracking.
Although obviously these will be fitted to heavier cars than ours. It's the first bad thing i'd heard about them.

 

[bakedbeats]

DS2500 seem to work for me - good on the road anyway - they'll be going to the track in the summer.

I bought them as I suffered from fading on the track with some 10k mile OE pads.

It worked out at a similar price (for me anyway (with no VAT!)) to get the ferodos and some brembo HC discs as it would have done for my reno dealer to replace the OE parts.

Also bought on the advice that the Ferodo was a good compromise (i.e. not as strong performance wise as the PFs but less agressive, with less wear and dust).

 

[chiefbadger]

Nice thought Steve. I'm thinking that I will probably plump for the Ferodo's as I can't see how I'm going to get round to any more than one trackday this year. I'm also going to go with the Brembo HC's.

Slightly off topic, but where are you going to get them fitted? Can I come with and are you going for braided hoses as well? :?

 

[Steve]

Nice thought Steve. I'm thinking that I will probably plump for the Ferodo's as I can't see how I'm going to get round to any more than one trackday this year. I'm also going to go with the Brembo HC's.

Slightly off topic, but where are you going to get them fitted? Can I come with and are you going for braided hoses as well? :?

It was wasn't it? I'm such a helpful chap. I'm going to mail order them from Yozzasport or K-Tec (whoever gives me the best quote on the day) and get donkey at racecardoctor to fit them, yes you are coming with me as I understand it, maybe the weekend after next (Sat 3rd March)? I'm not going for braided lines as it's an unecessary expense according to donkey as OE hoses are internally braided anyway, I know Yoz thinks they're essential but he's selling them! I will be getting new brake fluid though, obviously. Probably Castrol dot four but I'll check with donkey first.

 

[Cue]

Nice thought Steve. I'm thinking that I will probably plump for the Ferodo's as I can't see how I'm going to get round to any more than one trackday this year. I'm also going to go with the Brembo HC's.

Slightly off topic, but where are you going to get them fitted? Can I come with and are you going for braided hoses as well? :?

It was wasn't it? I'm such a helpful chap. I'm going to mail order them from Yozzasport or K-Tec (whoever gives me the best quote on the day) and get donkey at racecardoctor to fit them, yes you are coming with me as I understand it, maybe the weekend after next (Sat 3rd March)? I'm not going for braided lines as it's an unecessary expense according to donkey as OE hoses are internally braided anyway, I know Yoz thinks they're essential but he's selling them! I will be getting new brake fluid though, obviously. Probably Castrol dot four but I'll check with donkey first.

There's a group buy coming up for goodridges on CS in the next week or so. Everyone who's had these fitted has given postive responces, i've not heard from one that has said it hasn't improved pedal feel.

i haven't had them done so i can't comment form personal experience - G40steve has just bought some though and he should be a god test bed as I think he's still running OEM disks and pads. So any improvement will be noticable.

Regarding the disk and pads combo - i'm glad you've set this thread up. I've been in the same senario for about a months of if and buts.... there doesn't seem to be one overiding winner of best all round combo for road and track....

 

[Luke335]

I word of caution against the EBC yellowstuff. I fitted them to replace the original pads. They are much better, but I think they take too much to heat up for everyday use. Had a couple of scary moments when you get to the first roundabout and nothing happens! :shock:

As someone mentioned before. Make sure you replace the fluid too.

 

[George K]

Last year I got involved in posting about wanting pads with better initial bite - which is what I require for hill climbing - fade is not an issue with only three or four stops per run. Eventually Fred mentioned that one of his customers had found standard pads best in this application.

As I was experiencing a lack of bite on the first big stop from 75 mph in 3rd (90 degree right between a wall and a tree after a slight hump) I wondered why I was not getting such good results from the standard pads. I then wondered whether the limited road driving that I do had glazed the pads/discs as the Trophy handles so well that on slow Devon roads there is not much need for heavy braking. I found a quiet road near home and carried out some very heavy braking from about 70 - by the 5th time the pedal had gone soft, but once I had allowed things to cool off the initial bite was transformed and is still good. Nice simple bit of pre-season preparation will be to repeat the process!!

Also did not cost anything!

 

[George K]

Sorry - another thought - to check for road use you need to look at the coefficient of friction when cold - iirc it should be well over 0.4. Most pad manufacturers give this information.

 

[andrewhewitt]

just my 2 penny worth but

i have run RS4 -2'S in a no. of cars now (none of them a trophy) but i have been more happy with them inital bite is great from cold spec is:

FRICTION LEVEL WHEN COLD 0.40
@ 100 degs = 0.42
@ 300 degs = 0.43

so basically very stable

 

[ducks butt]

I've done 26k on the set of pads i got with the car. I drive like a granny :-(

 

[Steve]

I've done 26k on the set of pads i got with the car. I drive like a granny :-(

Cool, when you finally do swap out the front discs you'll be able to use them as ash trays!

 

[Nik]

I'm a big fan of the PF '97s as Yoz will tell you, i've certainly bought enough of the things. However from an all round day to day usability point of view, my vote goes to the DS2500's.

I haven't tried RS4-2's yet, but i'm hoping for good things from them, hopefully they will sit somewhere in between the DS2500's and PF97's

 

[Day]

The PF pads are the most expensive pads known to man.

Each set costs around £450 when you consider the 2 new turinis required after use!

 

[Steve]

I'm a big fan of the PF '97s as Yoz will tell you, i've certainly bought enough of the things. However from an all round day to day usability point of view, my vote goes to the DS2500's.

I haven't tried RS4-2's yet, but i'm hoping for good things from them, hopefully they will sit somewhere in between the DS2500's and PF97's

Thanks Nik, I was hoping you would add to this soon, I'd already decided to go for the Ferodo's so this is getting done next weekend now;

Brembo High Carbon Discs x2
Ferodo DS2500 Pads
Moquip SS Braided brake lines
Dot 5.1 brake fluid
£200 from Yozzasport including postage and packing (Bargain IMO)

Then I'm going to Race Car Doctor in Lewes to get them fiited at the same time as my suspension geometry check.

Then I'm putting my shiney new Exaltos on and I'm going to enjoy driving my car properly again. Found some fabulous roads on the Isle of Wight this weekend (God, they all drive like nutters there!) and really had to drive like a Granny, I even got wasted by a Skoda Octavia VRS out of a roundabout because of my lack of traction and found it hard keeping up with a rustbucket 1.4 RT Clio around some twisty roads I didn't know. In my defense both of them were obviously local and utterly insane. And I had the silly speed limiter enabled (GF in the passenger seat).

 

[donkey]

Pagid Rs42s

with castrol SRF fluid - 3 trackdays with very late braking - still loads of pad left

only problem I had was at Rockingham - very heavy on brakes - when I was keeping up with a 997GT3RS* I started to get some fade, recovered with lighter braking





* I guess he can't have been trying that hard

 

[Steve]

when I was keeping up with a 997GT3RS*

* I guess he can't have been trying that hard

Pah! Nonsense! No way that overweight, overpriced nasty orange Beetle with it's engine in the wrong place could get away from a Trophy!

Donkey - you've got PM (about this Saturday).

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

I quite fancied the Brembo High Carbon Discs and Ferodo DS2500 Pads but i must say i'm put off by hearing about the squeeling that Steve is suffering from - is this normal? Is anyone else running these pads and how do they find them?