so, i have to replace my brake pads according to my 30K check-up. since i have little knowledge about upgrading, i was wondering if you all could suggest a brand/material i should look for (ceramic, etc.).

i want to upgrade on stock to accomodate my spirited driving with one or two days out of the year of track/auto-xing. i will by upgrading springs with H&R's. and looking to upgrade with volk rims in the future.

thanks for the suggestions.

~jp

 

Definitely stick with the same type of brake material as the stock pads, in this case ceramic. I highly recommend switching over to more aggressive street performance pads. I've switched to Axxis Ultimates on all four corners and I must say, the braking performance is much improved. I don't do any autocrossing so I can't say how these pads will perform on the track. I've also heard good things concerning the Hawk brand of pads, I believe Tire Rack has the specific applications for our car on their site. Anyway, I guarantee you will not miss those stock pads with any upgrade you choose to go with.

 

I have the Axxis Ultimate on the rears and haven't put the fronts on because I noticed that dusts accumilates significantly more than oem. I'm looking to replace all 4 corner pads with something that doesn't require cleaning everyother day without compromising performance.
for Axxis Ultimate, Oh by the way I have O.Z. Superleggeras and they look nasty when they're dusty

 

How about a pix of those Superleggrsas?
Thanks

 

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/view...ra~TSX~~~.html

 

Good luck finding good performing pads that don't dust and won't squeal. I personally don't mind it, good braking is more important.

 

Hawk is pretty cheap.

 

i have met several BMW 325 owners who are fairly satisfied with the axxis ultimates. as for the hawks, i guess the hps is the way to go. i don't think i get my brake temperature high enough to get the most out of the hp-plus (as hawk suggests).

any hear anything about promaster(nja), rotex, or ceramicool??

thanks.
~jp

 

I have the EBC GreenStuff pads all around and I love them. They do have more dust then the stock pads but the performance of them makes up for it. They are not ceramic like the stock pads, they are a organic material. I'm not sure how long they're going to last but they were fairly inexpensive. About $60 for the front and like $45 for the rear. Oh...and I did not put the outside shim on the pad, so you can see the green pad through the caliper ....bling...bling

 

Will the axxis or ebc chew up the stock rotors faster than stock pads ? on my AV6, you can't use aftermarket pads with stock rotors.. i'm assuming its similar ?

 

Word. Heard nothing but good things from a few SCCA racers on the Hawk pads.

 

Hawks are the bomb...we have them on multiple cars and everyone loves them (even me in my Odyssey!)

 

How about dusting compared to oem?

 

I think any aftermarket pad will have a bit more dust, and those that don't will squeal when you are braking. You gotta give to get.

 

I know several peeps who have Hawk HPS pads which are good for street and occasional track use. They don't seem to generate much more dust than stock. When my pads are close to toast, I'll replace with HPS.

 

Hmmm..be careful about generalizations like that. It is as much up to the car as it is up to the pad and driving conditions.

I have not noticed any more dusting than normal (even though there may be). And they only smake a little noise if I don't clean them. Basically, hose them out when washing the car and you will be tight

 

What are the stock brake pads made of???

I called my dealer earlier to find out what the stocks pads were made made of.
I asked if they were ceramic and he said
"No, they're not ceramic. They're probably made of some kind of organic compound and maybe some semi-metallic stuff."
I just said "Ohh ok, Thanks."

I knew the forum would be a better place to find out.

So what is it guys?
What are they made of and how do you know?

Thanks

 

Tirerack also sells the Satisfied brand of pads. They are cheaper than Hawk, but I have no idea if those ceramic pads are any good.

 

What do you guys think about these?

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brake...ads&perfCode=P

 

I stopped by the dealership today and got a look at it with the parts girl...stock pads are definitely semi metallic composite.

 

i went with the axxis ultimates and just after a few weeks of driving i can feel that my brakes are "grabbier"...the guys who replaced my brakes saved the stock ones for me. i'm looking at it and i have no idea if it's a ceramic type or metallic. it does have some shiny-ness to it tho...i was told, if you start braking on ceramic, you meld a layer of it onto the rotors which aids in the stopping. therefore, if you do end up upgrading brake pads to higher performance material, you shouldn't go back to the metallic brakes. does that sound right to you guys?

on the downside, i do notice more brake dust in the rear. my guess is, that is the nature of ceramic/ceramic-blend, i can live with that.

i will take my car out to willow springs, ca next friday and i'll let you know how it handles under high stress situations. i also have the car equipped with HR sport springs, so i'm guessing that should help me with stearing and braking as well.

stay tuned...
~jp