Brake Pad Discussion Thread
 

Let's talk about brake pads!

What kind of brake pads have you used?

What's your feedback on them?

Let's hear them! :burnrubber:

You can also follow the track brake pad discussion here:
Track Brake Pad Discussion Thread

I'll start first!

Brake Pad Manufacturer: OEM
Compound (F/R): OEM
Tires: 215/45/17 Michelin Primacy OEM

Feedback:
The stock brake system works pretty well from the factory. There is sufficient braking force and modulation available with minimal brake dust and brake squeal. Spirited driving has been met with sufficient capacity to slow down for those corners or come to a stop. Fading begins after consecutive hard uses, but overall, it's pretty good for the street.

Hoping to try project mu oem/street pads when I upgrade in the spring.

So, I mangled the retention clips when I replaced my pads. Everything still works, but I get the annoying clack-clack over bumps. Anybody know the part#, or if replacements can be had?
BTW, StopTech street performance pads will lock up 225 star specs when cold. Dunno about sustained track use, but I like them for autox.

I'm pretty sure you can order the retention clips from the sales department. There should be a part # associated to it.

StopTech street performance pads are not recommended for the track. Although I have heard several instances that users were happy on track, most grow out of them rather quickly and require upgrade after about 1-2 sessions in the day. Generally, upgraded OE brake pads or street performance brake pads work well for autocross settings where minimal warmup is required with some cool down time in between runs.

Keep them coming! :)

Brake Pad Manufacturer: Stoptech
Compound (F/R): Street performance
Tires: 235/35/18 BFG Gforce TA

I ran Stoptech street performance pads for a full track day and really liked them. They didn't fade and I had OEM fluid in the car and I didn't boil it. Granted it was my first time beating on the car at the track and the track wasn't that demanding on brakes. No abnormal wear either. They dusted quite a bit, but nothing excessive.

still on OEM pads rotors and fluid, going to change in the spring for track use. Fluid and pads going to rock stock rotors till they are KO'd. any recommendations on pads for street/track use? ill pay $ for better parts rather than whats good enough and cheap.

Ferodo ds2500 seems to be a popular choice.

From my knowledge and experience, a true crossover/hybrid pad can be found in the Carbotech AX6 or a Project Mu HC+800 brake pads. Some others have talked about the Ferodo DS2500 or the Hawk HP+. More importantly, brake fluid will need to be swapped out for sure. :) :burnrubber:

I haven't run them in the FR-S, but just before I sold my GF wagon I swapped in Stoptech street performance pads and upgraded to WRX size rotors. The brake feel was great and they were basically silent. For street use, I'd recommend them 100% over the OEM pads as I didn't really feel there was a downside and they're CHEAP.

Probably okay for light track use but I'd limit their on track use to mid level grip tires. Anything super super grippy will likely overheat them.

Nathan

ANYBODY USED Good pads or brake set up for daily and track?

Ive used EBC yellowstuff on my mk3 turbo Supra. its a very heavy car and they work well. good cold bite and great feel. Anyone used these on the FRS?
http://ft86speedfactory.com/ebc-yell...s-brz-583.html

Track brake pads are great daily brake pads for safety purposes. If you did not bed them in properly, or are losing that bed-in transfer layer, the brakes will get fairly audible. Street pads will never be good track brake pads. The moment you get a little faster than your perceived limit, everything changes. :burnrubber:

I melted EBC Yellow Stuff after a lap on the track while warming up the tires and brake pads while providing driver instruction in a student's 350Z. Personally, I would not run these pads on my own vehicle. Others may have a vastly different experience. :thumbsup:

I'm not a fan of EBC.

Brake Pad Manufacturer (F/R): WORKS
Caliper (F/R): OEM/OEM
Rotor Size (F/R - IE OEM or specify): OEM
Compound (F/R): WORKS Blue Pads Street/Track Useable
Tires: OEM

Feedback:
As advertised in there website it is street/track able pads. I got the chance to ran these brake pads in an event at Sonoma Raceway, here in California. It's an HPDE and it was cold in the morning but got hot during the afternoon runs so I got to see the difference running them between cold and hot weather. First on the track, in the first run of the morning, I did not really make hard stop braking because of it's the first laps but going at about 70-80 mph and braking to enter a corner it has that bite in a push on the pedal even after 4-5 laps the feel was still the same. As I progressed through the day of the event and the weather got warmer, I pushed the car a bit more aggressive and did some aggressive stopping 95-60, 95-40, 90-30 for a whole 20mins session, but still the brake did not give any sign of fading considering that I have stock tires, no feel of it lacking in stopping power. Street use, having cold weather for the last couple of days. The brakes impressed me because of its "no noise". I actually expect that a performance brake pads being used in Evos, it will be noisy in streets and on the track but it lived up to the claim that it's a street able brake pads. Even in my runs in the track I can't hear any squealing noise in hard stops. no sign of rotor problems.

Brake Pad Manufacturer (F/R): Ferodo / OEM
Caliper (F/R): OEM/OEM
Rotor Size (F/R - IE OEM or specify): OEM
Compound (F/R): DS2500 / OEM
Tires: Yokohama 215/45R17 A048 Semi Slick

I had a recent track day at Sandown in Melbourne which is pretty hard on brakes. It was about 35C (95F). We were running 20 minute sessions and I ran every lap as hard as I could and didn't get a hint of brake fade.

By contrast there was an other identical GTS86 there with OEM rubber and pads. He could only get 2 hot laps before having to run a cool down lap due to brake fade.

I think it will be a while before my skill level forces me to upgrade anything other than pads.

Perfect, that's the set I m looking for for Just now. Thx.however,any feedback for the tires while running on this kinda of set up?

What Ferodo did you use? DSUNO?

You will expect a lot of tire noise (squealing noise) If you're not careful you will slide the car but it has little grip on it. It's surprisingly a prius tires. :thumbsup:

This thread is great. Those WORKS pads sound perfect.


I've never upgraded brakes before but I had terrible luck with my evo brakes. Never could break them in properly and they were horrifically loud.

Higher performance brake pads generally have more dust and noise when not bedded in properly. Properly bedded in track pads don't make a squeal on the street. :)

We contacted Brian @Fastbrakes.com and picked up some hawk DTC-30 pads front and rear. We headed out to Willow Springs (big Willow) for some base line testing. Only upgrades other then the breaks is a TRD air filter, TRD aero kit and a set of Toyotires R1R size 235/40/17.

The breaks were amazing no fade problems even after a 15minute session. The car is super balanced and had no problems stopping. We turned a 1:38.0 during the time attack.

let me know if you need a set! :thumbsup:

DS2500.

I'm a huge fan of DS2500's over may years, but i'm not convinced they're the right pad for street use on a GT86. Performance is pretty poor when cold. Seems to need a good 3-4 seconds or so of hard braking before they really start to bite. This is not my experience of DS2500's on other cars, they've always been exceptionally good even when cold.

I've not used them on a track yet so can't comment on that usage.

However, there is a slight chance they are not bedded in properly and/or glazed. The weather here has been crap for the past couple of months and trying to do some 100-0 bedding in procedures just results in the ABS going nuts. Once it warms up a bit i'll be swapping on the AD08's and should be able to get considerably more bite into them. I'll report back if this noticeably improves things.

ive used both Project Mu HC+ and Carbotech XP10. Both are geared toward abusive track use with temps up to 800 celcius, however they can be streetable too.

They both stop very well even with an OEM caliper setup. the HC+ had very good initial bite but less modulation vs the XP10. XP10 stop equally as well, less initial bite but easier to modulate.

if you bed them in properly with a proper layer of pad on the rotor they will not squeal. however if you daily your car often, the pads are abrasive and will remove the pad layer resulting in squeal.

I prefer the XP10 as they are slightly cheaper and also seem to last longer than the HC+.

I'd definitely try bedding them in. I think that's what's going on. The DS2500's generally have great feel/bite from cold to fairly toasty.

I was looking for this thread and need to research what pads would be best for autocross. Dont care about rotor life or dust, I want results!

Track Brake Pad Discussions

We have a sticky in the track subforum discussing the different brake pad compounds that other users have been using on their cars for the track. Although not recommended due to potential misuse, track brake pads are definitely great street brake pads. Some brake pads may require you to do a 30-10mph slow down (like slowing down for a right hand turn) to bring them up to operating temperature, but that doesn't mean you get absolutely no braking in cold temperatures. :)

I've driven full blown track brake pads with an operating temperature between 200-800ºC in snow conditions. I got more than enough bite than I needed. :party0030:

Don't hesitate to PM me or post up some inquiries about brakes. We love to test the limits of brake pads and practicalities for the track and for the street. :)

Project Mu B-Force or HC+800 or Carbotech AX6 or XP8 would be a good autocross brake pad. They bite well and warm up quickly for your autocross application. :)

Mind shooting me a PM for pricequote on the XP8 w/ SS Lines?

it take alot to bed them in! alot...

Stops Sharper now
 

HEL Braided Lines
AP Racing 600 Fluid
Carbotech XP10 Front and Back

still on original rotors I had a set of DS 2500 on the car but
found they would go off after 10 - 15 minutes of track time.

will test the XP10's at Phillip Island Next Weekend.

Brake Pad Manufacturer (F/R): Winmax / Winmax
Caliper (F/R): Stock / Stock
Rotor Size (F/R - IE OEM or specify): OEM / OEM
Compound (F/R): W1 / W1
Tires: Michelin Primacy HP 215/45/17 F/R & Hankook RS3 245/40/17 F/R

Feedback:
Good upgrade over OEM brake pads. Great for the street yielding little to no noise at all. No bedding required to get the pads to work well. Good for spirited canyon, but fade is experienced at high speed runs. Pads were tracked on to see the limitations of the compound. Fade was experienced, but the brake pads never gave up so it is capable of being tracked, but not optimal. Very low dust levels. The bite is significantly better than the OEM in cold and hot situations, but nothing compared to a full track pad in both situations. Modulation is consistent and predictable.

Winmax W2 may be necessary for a higher grip setups, high speed canyon runs, and some tracking.

Scores:
Dusting (1=high-10=low): 10
Cold bite (1=low-10=high): 5 (OEM is about a 3)
Hot bite (1=low-10=high): 4 (OEM is about a 3)
Modulation (1=low-10=high): 7 (OEM = 4)
Noise (1=extremely loud-10=quiet): 10
Pad Lifespan (1=short-10=long): (estimate/actual) 10 / (2 if you track it)
Does the brake dust with this combination damage the wheels/paint if not cleaned immediately? (Y/N) N
Brake ducts: (Y/N) N

Brake Pad Manufacturer (F/R): Winmax / Winmax
Caliper (F/R): Stock / Stock
Rotor Size (F/R - IE OEM or specify): OEM / OEM
Compound (F/R): W2 / W2
Tires: Michelin Primacy HP 215/45/17 F/R & Hankook RS3 245/40/17 F/R

Feedback:
This is a good brake pad for additional bite and heat capacity over the W1 and definitely a good upgrade compared to the OEM setup. Bed-in procedures weren't required to get the pads to work well straight out of the box. Noise is minimal to none, but sometimes shows up from time to time. Fade is experienced during high speed canyon runs and track settings, but the brake pads yield confidence during those experiences. Dust levels are still minimal, but still a little more than OEM (expected). Cold bite is stronger than OEM and modulation is very consistent and predictable.

Scores:
Dusting (1=high-10=low): 9
Cold bite (1=low-10=high): 6 (OEM = 3)
Hot bite (1=low-10=high): 5 (OEM = 3)
Modulation (1=low-10=high): 7 (OEM = 4)
Noise (1=extremely loud-10=quiet): 9
Pad Lifespan (1=short-10=long): (estimate/actual) 10 / (4 if you track it)
Does the brake dust with this combination damage the wheels/paint if not cleaned immediately? (Y/N) N
Brake ducts: (Y/N) N

Brake Pad Manufacturer (F/R): Winmax / Winmax
Caliper (F/R): Stock / Stock
Rotor Size (F/R - IE OEM or specify): OEM / OEM
Compound (F/R): W4 / W4
Tires: Michelin Primacy HP 215/45/17 F/R || Bridgestone RE11A 225/45/17 F/R || Hankook RS3 245/40/17 F/R

Feedback:
This is a good competitor to the HC+800 brake pad. Bite is not as strong as the HC+800, but the modulation is very linear and predictable. The friction coefficient from cold to hot is consistent with no surprises. Dust is much higher than the W1 and W2 due to a performance grade compound and noise is to be expected. Noise is still less than HC+800. Great entry level track pad that can handle the heat and an excellent way to learn how deep the car can go into braking zones. The compound is forgiving and a good way to keep yourself from fading your brake pads. Under long sessions and time attack situations, brake pads can possibly fade, but the pad never loses its composure.

Bite is still better than the W1 and W2 and much better than the OEM. Noise can be reduced with proper bed-in. It can either be completely silent, or sometimes a little squeaky after long track sessions.

Scores:
Dusting (1=high-10=low): 5
Cold bite (1=low-10=high): 6 (OEM = 3)
Hot bite (1=low-10=high): 6 (OEM = 3)
Modulation (1=low-10=high): 8
Noise (1=extremely loud-10=quiet): 6
Pad Lifespan (1=short-10=long): (estimate/actual) 10 / (5 if you track it)
Does the brake dust with this combination damage the wheels/paint if not cleaned immediately? (Y/N) N
Brake ducts: (Y/N) N

Brake Pad Manufacturer (F/R): OEM / OEM
Caliper (F/R): Stock / Stock
Rotor Size (F/R - IE OEM or specify): OEM / OEM
Compound (F/R): OEM / OEM
Tires: Michelin Primacy HP 215/45/17 F/R || Hankook RS3 245/40/17 F/R

Feedback:
I wanted to revisit the OEM brake pads since we have the 2nd BRZ to play with. The OEM pads are good for what they are. Quiet, very low dust, and smooth operation. The pads lack bite after having a taste of performance brake pads. They are designed to be incredibly smooth so it is very easy on the driver and passengers (comfort as its foremost importance).

OEM brake pads during track situations has been scary. The pads faded in 3 corners on track with mushy pedal after 1/3 of a lap on Buttonwillow. This is not good for performance driving for us, but it's a great learning tool to learn the importance of getting the right equipment for the intended application. These will hold up with some fun canyon runs with minimal braking requirements, but don't expect these pads to help you stop on a dime when it's needed.

Scores:
Dusting (1=high-10=low): 10
Cold bite (1=low-10=high): 3
Hot bite (1=low-10=high): 3
Modulation (1=low-10=high): 6
Noise (1=extremely loud-10=quiet): 10
Pad Lifespan (1=short-10=long): (estimate/actual) 10 / (1 if you track it)
Does the brake dust with this combination damage the wheels/paint if not cleaned immediately? (Y/N) N
Brake ducts: (Y/N) N

Brake Pad Manufacturer (F/R): Project Mu / Project Mu (PMU)
Caliper (F/R): Stock / Stock
Rotor Size (F/R - IE OEM or specify): OEM / OEM
Compound (F/R): NS400 / NS400
Tires: Michelin Primacy HP 215/45/17 F/R || Hankook RS3 225/40/17 F/R

Feedback:
Before the W1 came into our lives, NS400 was the brake pad to go to for an upgrade to the OEM brake pads. PMU has its trademark friction qualities that entice the user with excellent bite and feel. Modulation with PMU has always been a pleasure to work with. The upper limits of the NS400 is its downside for obvious reasons. It is developed to be a full street pad with little to no dust and noise qualities.

The bite is strong enough for confident canyon runs that require some braking. Overall feel is better than the OEM equipment and very comparable to the Winmax W1. Fade is more noticeable with the NS400 over the W1 pad due to its formulation. Which is not a bad quality at all. NS400 is good at dictating the limitations. This allows the driver to understand how much the car can be pushed without

Scores:
Dusting (1=high-10=low): 10
Cold bite (1=low-10=high): 5 (OEM = 3)
Hot bite (1=low-10=high): 5 (OEM = 3)
Modulation (1=low-10=high): 7
Noise (1=extremely loud-10=quiet): 10
Pad Lifespan (1=short-10=long): (estimate/actual) 10 / (2 if you track it)
Does the brake dust with this combination damage the wheels/paint if not cleaned immediately? (Y/N) N
Brake ducts: (Y/N) N