Brake pads with good bite

Looking for pads that have good initial bite with the OEM rotors.

I'm looking to get as close as possible to that "on-or-off" feeling which I realize with the spongy brake set-up we have is impossible to achieve to perfection with pads alone.

The OEM set-up was meh.

I am now running a set of Hawks HPS and they feel great when they are hot but the majority of time it feels like I am driving them "at the wrong temp spectrum" and they feel like they drag and takes a good amount of braking force to get them to bite.

I'm almost right at 100K and am also wondering if I'm needing new rotors at this point.

I've gotten some suggestions in another thread but they were very mixed.

Give stop tech a try. They're as popular as the hawks you have. Performance really varies with whatever your current brake set up is. Ie better fluid, ss lines, good set of rotors.

stoptechs had great initial bite with low pedal travel when i first got them, dont know if something went wrong or i got used to the feeling. stoptechs make my rims super dirty really really fast. i mean like 30 miles of driving and theres already a visible layer of brake dust

 

same thing with the mc brace, felt really good then meh...

 

you can prob bring it to someone to check the rotors if they are still good, autozone/oreilly.... some have a lathe and suppose to check thickness but most push you to get new ones... just all depends how you drive

brake fluid since thats 'suppose' to be replaced every 2 years

never tried ss lines but hear they help w/ pedal feel

grease all moving parts

do a proper bed din

 

*do bed in by what your pad manufacture recommends, never ever come to a complete stop during bed in

I've used good fluid so far, BG, Valvoline, whatever. Currently have BG in it and it has worked great. Otherwise my brake set-up is bone stock.

I've made my peace with the fact that I will have dusty brake pads. From what I've experienced is dust free = sucky bite, dusty = great bite.

At least that explains why most Bimmers, Lexuses and my wife's Mini stop great and have charcoal-colored rims within a week of washing

 

What about Carbotech?

I still like my Stop Techs with master cylinder brace, stainless lines, & oem disks.

I am adjusting my wheels for the dusting. Got Bronze rims for summer and going to spray my stockers black for the winter.

 

What got put on the Mini after the outcome of your last brake thread?

 

Uh oh, hope the Hawk hawks don't get their feathers ruffled again.

I've used good fluid so far, BG, Valvoline, whatever. Currently have BG in it and it has worked great. Otherwise my brake set-up is bone stock.

I've made my peace with the fact that I will have dusty brake pads. From what I've experienced is dust free = sucky bite, dusty = great bite.

At least that explains why most Bimmers, Lexuses and my wife's Mini stop great and have charcoal-colored rims within a week of washing

 

What about Carbotech?

 

im running dba 4000's with bobcat pads, stoptech lines, and ate super blue. i like my current setup a lot for the street - def get fade on the track, but youll not likely come near the limits on the street.

 

centric/stoptech blanks and bobcat pads would be a great street setup.

some people like pfc z rated.

 

i may get xp8 or xp10 (or a pfc race pad) for the track with blanks.

 

consider getting good tires too - i have pss' on for the track season.

I still like my Stop Techs with master cylinder brace, stainless lines, & oem disks.

I am adjusting my wheels for the dusting. Got Bronze rims for summer and going to spray my stockers black for the winter.

 

What got put on the Mini after the outcome of your last brake thread?

 

Uh oh, hope the Hawk hawks don't get their feathers ruffled again.

 

you think the gs mc brace helps?

im considering it.

Gets rid of the feeling that you're stepping on a marshmallow when you first step on the brakes that I hated, hated, hated. Made them seem more consistent / controllable / and firmer. Worth getting your knuckles skinned up for IMO, ymmv.

I got the Stoptech Streets for my Brembos. Meh. I'm not THRILLED with them. They dust like a bastard, and while they work when cold they aren't great. For my daily highway commute, I simply do not seem to get them hot enough for them to be in their temp range. They never, ever, feel as though the car won't stop, though.

 

I don't dislike them enough to change them out. I'll wear them out, then maybe try the Project µ B-Forces or a modded set of VW Taureg pads.

I had Hawk HPS pads on my race car... They sucked... the dust was unbearable and the car sat for a month waiting on some parts (overnite from japan my ass ) and they rusted to the rotor, leaving a nice imprint that gave me a brake pulsation.

 

and it wasnt the rotors that rusted. the rotors had minimal rust but the pads were almost red from corrosion

 

.02

hawk hp+ if you dont care about dust or squeaking.

What got put on the Mini after the outcome of your last brake thread?

OEM BMW pads and they rock.

hawk hp+ if you dont care about dust or squeaking.

I am not buying Hawk anything ever again.

I am not buying Hawk anything ever again.

 

dont let the HPS pads sour your tatses. HP+ is worlds better performance wise. trust me

I'm not letting HPS sour my taste, but the lack of the company's willingness to stand behind their product.

OEM BMW pads and they rock.

 

OEM pads are often best for street use. That's why I want the Toureag pads for my Brembos. They are a friction rating above the OEM pads, quiet, and low dusting. They are about .5mm thicker than OE pads, so I'll shave them on the mill.

I agree but the Subaru pads didn't blow my hair any.

True.

 

I always liked Carbotech pads for Subaru sliding calipers.

I switched to Stoptech Streets, love them.

 

If I had the money, Porterfield R4S low dust and awesome bite at any temp.

So it sounds like it's a tossup between Stoptech and Carbotech

I'll also look into a mc bracket and looks like I'm due for new brake fluid.

Without a doubt, do the MC brace. It made a noticeable difference.

 

I'm not unhappy with the Stoptechs, I just think they are a little over-rated.

Axxis Ultimate pads, when looking for a pad with great cold bite to stop our drag race car from 150+mph these were what were recommended.

 

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&sclient=psy-ab&q=axxis+ultimate+brake+pads&oq=axxis+brake+pads&gs_l=serp.1.1.0j0i7j0j0i7.0.0.1.12594.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0.MVnYpUmilZM&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1014&bih=592&emsg=NCSR&noj=1&ei=U8ntT9fKLKn80QXyzviUDg

I bought Stoptechs and they were great at first. Good initial bite, not a ton of dust. They gradually got dustier and started leaving pad impressions on my rotors. I ended up switching the rotors to Stoptech/Centric premium blanks and the impressions came back. All these impressions were causing my steering wheel to shake (rotor 'warp'). I could go through a bed-in process and clean them up for a while, but they always came back. I don't know if the 5EAT has anything to do with this.

 

I'm running the Carbotech AX6 pad now. That's the autocross pad, what used to be called the Bobcat, I believe. First stop of the day is always meh. But once you get that little bit of heat in them they are positively sticky! As in 'don't pull the ABS fuse unless you want to flatspot your tires' sticky. DAMHIKT! I run autocross with Toyo R1R tires and these pads are awesome with seriously sticky rubber. I obviously don't drive as agressively with my every day tires and the pads are great. A little squealy, though. I'm going to try without shims soon. Carbotech says they'll be fine all winter, too, or I wouldn't have bothered with them. We'll see.

 

If you're interested, we can work out a deal on my old Stoptechs. They're evenly worn to 60% rear/70% front. That way you get to try them out without paying full price. That's pads only, so shipping from Canada to US isn't going to be too bad.

Here do some research on these pads.

 

http://www.importrp.com/product.php?productid=343906&cat=0&page=1

 

The PBR Axxis Ultimate brake pads feature a special Kevlar® and ceramic-strengthened formula with a high co-efficient of friction and excellent high temperature wear and fade resistance. Designed for ultra-high performance driving and hard-braking applications, PBR Axxis Ultimate pad users will benefit with extreme stopping power and high resistance to brake fade at high temperatures, meaning the decrease in friction over repeated heavy duty stops, as the temperature increases, is minimal. PBR Axxis Ultimate pads boast a maximum continuous working temperature of 550° C (1022° F degrees). Consistent throughout its operating temperature range, you’ll get dependable, predictable stops time after time while maintaining a solid pedal feel.