R-Spec, High Friction brake pads...

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Simple question, what are these? What are the advantages of pads like these, what are the disadvantages?

The reason i am asking, is i am looking at a new vehicle and these pads are an option. I am trying to figure out how these R-Spec pads are any different from the normal pads that would come on this type of car (infiniti g37).
 
Mike , dont no much about those pads, but if you after a better brake, the try some intex 1144,s

these bite forom cold, and do not fade

if you going to give it some real stick, then go for the 1155,s

these need a little heat to get them going good, but still bite well from cold

Ferodo, ds 2500,s are really good, but a bit more loot

advantages from a better brake, !! stops quicker, , does not fade as much, , some times less dust,

disadvantages, some do not like to work from cold, dearer, may well wear your discs away, may well wear out faster, some give off a lot of dust

but i stick with the above ones, v v good

regards Marcus
 
Originally Posted By: mikeinaustin
Simple question, what are these? What are the advantages of pads like these, what are the disadvantages?

The reason i am asking, is i am looking at a new vehicle and these pads are an option. I am trying to figure out how these R-Spec pads are any different from the normal pads that would come on this type of car (infiniti g37).

Sounds like sport/racing pads, yes?

You'll want to confirm that, but IF that's true, then they will give you better stopping power when hot, and less tendency to fade when really hot. This will come at a cost, which could be any combination of the following: more brake dust, more noise, shorter pad life, shorter rotor life, and/or reduced brake response when cold.
 
Unless you drive your car very hard, 'performance' brake pads and extra-large rotors/calipers are a waste of money. The pads/calipers/rotors are never the limiting factor in stopping distance except in racing apps; it's always the tires. Otherwise cars would have no need for ABS
 
Originally Posted By: tonycarguy

Unless you drive your car very hard, 'performance' brake pads and extra-large rotors/calipers are a waste of money. The pads/calipers/rotors are never the limiting factor in stopping distance except in racing apps; it's always the tires. Otherwise cars would have no need for ABS


If you're talking about raw stopping power, I agree with you 100%.

Big brakes do have two advantages other than that:

- If they're set up correctly, they feel better and are easier to modulate.
- They let you use low-dust, low-noise pads without compromising stopping power, cold bite, or fade resistance.

That said, it is typically VERY expensive to get bigger brakes that are effective and set up well.

Performance pads on their own (i.e. without bigger calipers and rotors) are a mixed bag. There's always some kind of compromise. I agree that stock is probably best in 99% of cases.
 
Hard to say based only on a description from a brochure, but you should expect high performance "high friction" pads to stop a little harder for the same pedal effort. They should be more resistant to fade under high temperatures, which would only be a concern in very aggressive driving or track work.

On the downside higher performance pads will be noisier, dustier, and wear themselves and your rotors faster. They also will probably have less friction at cold temperatures - like if you've been cruising on a highway and need an emergency stop with cold brakes.

On my WRX, I found a switch to quality high performance pads (Endless SSS) was worth the downsides. I have no idea how those from Infinity would compare.
 
Mike, yes i meant Mintex, these are very very good, got them on my own cars, and the actuall brake bite is way way better than the standard pads [ MX 5 GT 6 ]

the 1155,s i use if im on a track day, but have to be really giving it some stick to get the 1144,s to fade,

I think that the DS 2500, is some where in between,

just got these not so long ago, but bite from cold, unlike some really hot pads

I tend to disagree with Tony , the brakes are the limiting factor, as well as the tyres.

because, if your brakes ..cannot.. generate the stopping force, then there ..is.. no need for the ABS to start to work

so it does no matter how hard ye push on the pedal, ye wont stop!!!!

ohh , keep off all of those so called ..coloured stuff.. if ye no what i mean

regards Marcus
 
Originally Posted By: mikeinaustin
Simple question, what are these? What are the advantages of pads like these, what are the disadvantages?

The reason i am asking, is i am looking at a new vehicle and these pads are an option. I am trying to figure out how these R-Spec pads are any different from the normal pads that would come on this type of car (infiniti g37).



I am running these pads on our 09 FX35 with the Akebono BBK (did the upgrade myself)
smile.gif


I have the standard pads on my '11 G37s and these sport pads on the FX and here are my thoughts:

The standard pads have better cold bite and dust a bit less. They are also a lot less noisy at low speeds due to their low temperature operating requirements. I haven't pushed the standard pads too hard yet, but they have seemed to work quiet well in the variety of conditions that I have exposed them to over the past 2 years.

The sport pads have ok cold bite, but not as good as the standard pads for sure. They are a little noisy when going very slowly (crawling with brake applied) due to their low friction when they are cold. The sound you hear is basically a groaning sound that you might hear from cheap brake pads, but if you get on them and get them hot, this noise goes away entirely. I've pushed these quite hard over the past few months and I haven't seen any brake fade or loss of performance - quick precise stops every time, even after a canyon run. They do dust significantly more - after about 2 weeks of daily driving they wheels are coated in dust. Another benefit of these sport pads is that since they have a higher operating temperature, you are less likely to get uneven pad material deposits on the rotors, which will lead to less judder/vibration in the event that you hold the brakes down when they are relatively hot. Given that they are on an FX35 equipped with an automatic transmission, holding the brake pedal down with significant force at stops is somewhat unavoidable.
 
Here is some official literature off Infiniti's website:

Quote:
Infiniti R Spec™ High-Friction Brake Pads are manufactured with a carbon metallic pad compound that is designed to help reduce brake fade during highly repetitive, high speed stops
Best used during competition driving events, on road courses or in driving environments where mountainous or steep grade conditions are common.

R Spec™ High-Friction Brake Pads are covered by the Genuine Infiniti Accessories Warranty, which excludes coverage for wear and tear and normal maintenance service and parts replacement (other terms and conditions apply, see warranty booklet for details). They are intended for high-performance driving and for driving conditions requiring added braking demand. Depending on your driving habits, you may experience increased brake dust and noise as well as faster wear of the brake pads and rotors, resulting in more frequent replacement of these components. These components are not covered by the new vehicle limited warranty.
 
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Nissan/Infinity has had some real problems with their brake pad selections lately. Car and Driver wrecked their test 370z due to complete pad fade, and other rags have complained re: other models as well.

If under warranty I would consider the R-specs.

If not go to Stoptech. They have a proprietary blend used on their pads which is completely unique in my experience over 40 years of track work. Nice street manners and exceptional performance as well. Both low noise and low dust. Exceptionally rare qualities in the same pad!
 
What he said. The Akebono brakes are great until they get hot, they fade so fast, it is amazing. If you are going to track the car, or do more than a couple high speed brake applications, get better pads and better fluid flushed regularly.

I have the older brake system and have run every race pad/disc combo known to man and have not found a set that doesn't fade too fast (car is too heavy), but they fade gradually and predictably. The new G37 brakes work better longer, but when they fade, they are gone. And you hit a tree/wall, etc.

I have considered doing the Akebono upgrade to my G35 along with better pads, but they won't fit inside my 'little' 18 inch wheels, so I live with EBC Bluestuff NDX pads and DBA rotors and take it easy on the brakes.

I suspect the problem could be minimized with some airflow (ducting) to the rotors.
 
Look on the side of the pads for the letter designations.
It will be EE, EF, FF, FG, - something like that.
These are friction coefficient ratings.
Kinda like oil grades - a warm and hot rating.

E is less 'grabby' then F, F less than G, etc..
Some motorcycles have H ratings - really sticky hot. It makes small brakes work better.
 
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