Grabbiest brake pads

[cp3]

Trav, What brand are those? They do look good and I usually paint the caliper and hub too, looks nice. I might try something recommended on my car, the wife is harder on the pedals than I am, which could add to the problems on the 6. I'm not having the same issues on the 5 (same brake system) but it is a lighter car.

I do wish pads were only $20 up here, wouldn't mind putting a new set on every spring...lol

 

[Bladecutter]

EBC Brakes go in this order for pedal performance:

Ultimax - OEM Quality
Greenstuff - Slightly Better than OEM quality
Redstuff - Light colored dust, better than OEM quality - long break in period.
Yellowstuff - Much better than OEM quality. Dusty.
Bluestuff - evil track rated pads. Require warm up.

I've used greenstuff on my '07 Nissan Altima, and Redstuff on my gf's '08 Chrysler Crossfire (because of how horrible the stock pads blacken the wheel each week).

The greenstuff on the Altima removed the very grabby initial bite the OEM pads had, but were still very strong pads even when bringing the car down from high speeds in a hurry.

For what you are looking for, the yellowstuff might be worth trying first.

BC.

 

[Trav]

http://stores.ebay.com/Brakemotive?_trksid=p4340.l2563

Chinese castings for sure but they seem as good as any with machining done in USA.The plating is excellent,the ones on my Expedition still look new even after this past winter which was horrible.

Granted they are throw away units meaning you probably wouldn't want to machine them but for the money and the time i keep them on the car i'm okay with that.
So far no cracking,warping or rust on any of them.
I probably would race them but for the street they are fine.

 

[Johnny248]

Originally Posted By: jonnythan
I am interested in using EBC pads, but can't make heads of tails of how their green, red, and yellow lines actually compare to one another. They're also pricey.

Trav, an upgrade looks very interesting. I'm concerned about pedal travel, and also I notice that your car looks like a 99+ which is significantly different from a 96-98. I'm only working with 14" wheels, and yours look like probably 15s.


For your car Green Stuff would prob be the best bet. The Red Stuff are ceramic based, but they are designed for higher performance cars, but they are ok for regular cars. I wouldn't even look at the Yellows.

 

[jonnythan]

I keep hearing good things about Hawk HPS. People using phrases like "unmatched stopping power" and whatnot. At first I thought they didn't have a part for this application, but it looks like their database just isn't updated. The part is available for several other cars with the same application including the '97 GA which is virtually identical to the '98.

 

[SteveSRT8]

The very same material that has instant 'grab' or bite will likely fade the quickest as well. I my experience a low dust formula typically gives up a lot of torque at the rotor. So it's generally pretty hard to get low dust AND great stopping power.

Be very careful delving into the aftermarket, there's good and bad.

Maybe EBC has changed, but they used to be well known for squealing terribly.

And there is no proof anywhere that a simple slotting of the rotor shortens pad life. Maybe if the slot was an inch wide?

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Slotted rotors increase pad bite at the expense of pad life. Avoid drilled or dimpled.

Your options for grabby brakes may be limited since the car isn't using a performance braking system. Bleed your fluid well, it can help a lot.


How does the brake pad know if the 'hole ' it encounters is a slot, dimple, or a drill hole?
None of these help brake grab at all. They are their for possible cooling and weight reduction, and a big part is for looks!

AS to brake pads, there is a rating on the SIDE of the pad. Leters like EE, EF,FF, and so on. These correspond to warm and hot brake friction [kinda like motor oil].
So EE is less grabby than FF warm or hot.

 

[Trav]

I read this at Brembo.
Quote:
The main advantages of drilled and slotted discs are the same: increased brake "bite", and a continuous refreshing of the brake pad surface. Drilled discs have the additional advantage of being lighter and running cooler. However, there are certain pad materials that should not be used with a drilled disc.


I maybe wrong would assume the pad take a slight hit in the wear dept.
I agree that drilled are a mostly a looks thing with today's modern pads.
But IMO there is nothing wrong with something decent looking in a huge wheel opening where the whole wheel brake system is exposed.

 

[PandaBear]

Axxis or PBR Ultimate is the grabbiest pads I've ever had. Hawk HPS feels like a sponge in comparison. However, Ultimate does have a lot of dust and chew through rotor quite well. It is a street pad, so no warm up necessary.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
The very same material that has instant 'grab' or bite will likely fade the quickest as well. I my experience a low dust formula typically gives up a lot of torque at the rotor. So it's generally pretty hard to get low dust AND great stopping power.


What he said. This is why the most old-tech "organic" compound pads often stop the best, but also are dusty and wear out the fastest.

An analogy- soft organic pads are like scraping a block of rubber on the sidewalk- it grabs the sidewalk, but it grinds off chunks of rubber. Ceramic pads are like scraping a block of steel on the sidewalk. It doesn't wear out fast, but it doesn't grab as hard, either.

 

[Johnny248]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
The very same material that has instant 'grab' or bite will likely fade the quickest as well. I my experience a low dust formula typically gives up a lot of torque at the rotor. So it's generally pretty hard to get low dust AND great stopping power.

Be very careful delving into the aftermarket, there's good and bad.

Maybe EBC has changed, but they used to be well known for squealing terribly.




I never said they are super clean. They claim that there pads are dust free, but they are just as dirty as any other premium pad. I when through two sets front and rear of reds on one of my cars and never had any squealing problems. I believe that most of the time brake squeal is related to other things such as hardware, slides, lube, etc instead of pad material.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Axxis or PBR Ultimate is the grabbiest pads I've ever had. Hawk HPS feels like a sponge in comparison. However, Ultimate does have a lot of dust and chew through rotor quite well. It is a street pad, so no warm up necessary.


Or StopTech 309. They are going to be cheaper than the EBC, PBR or Hawk pads and work better. The Stoptech 309s are a new generation of high-performance pads.

 

[steve20]

do yourself a favor-stay away from the Wagner Thermo Quiets-I put a set on my Accord-for about 1500 miles-- ripped em off in disgust and put AutoZone Duralast ceramics on-huge difference-not as grabby as OEM, but more than adequate.
Braking with the Thermo Quiets was like braking with wood pads-am I gonna stop in time, or not?


Steve

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Or StopTech 309. They are going to be cheaper than the EBC, PBR or Hawk pads and work better. The Stoptech 309s are a new generation of high-performance pads.


Interesting. I don't know the actual number but Stoptechs are on the Chrysler and are EXCELLENT! Since the factory Brembo pads are ridiculously expensive they were a bargain, too.