Brake pad suggestions? [Archive]

ff

01-06-2008, 03:17 PM

Any suggestions on some good brake pads to purchase? I want to improve braking performance on the Honda, and wondering if there are specific brands that I should be looking at?

- Improve performance over stock pads
- Don't care about brake dust
- Don't care about longevity
- Don't want pads that are prone to squealing
- Reasonably priced
- Car won't be tracked, so these don't have to be anything terribly special

ff

01-06-2008, 03:20 PM

Tirerack is listing the following for my car:

Akebono (ceramic)
ATE (ceramic)
Hawk (ceramic)
Satified pro (ceramic, composite, or OEM)
Hawk HPS (composite)

clyde

01-06-2008, 04:29 PM

If by "performance" you mean minimum possible stopping distance where heat isn't going to be a factor, you're looking at the wrong part.

ff

01-06-2008, 04:51 PM

If I was to just replace the pads with something "better", is the improvement generally pretty negligible?

BahnBaum

01-06-2008, 05:31 PM

If I was to just replace the pads with something "better", is the improvement generally pretty negligible?

I think most people would say that for street driving you'll rarely if ever reach the limits of a stock pad. What you can improve over stock pads with a good aftermarket solution is a pad that performs just as well, but dusts much less and lasts longer.

Alex

ff

01-06-2008, 05:40 PM

So there's no improvement in stopping distances with a better aftermarket pad?

clyde

01-06-2008, 05:53 PM

So there's no improvement in stopping distances with a better aftermarket pad?
read dis (http://forums.carmudgeons.com/showpost.php?p=169458&postcount=3) k thx bai

ff

01-06-2008, 06:20 PM

Just seems odd that changing pads won't do anything to improve braking performance, that's all. Reading through the pad ratings and descriptions on Tirerack would lead a person to believe otherwise, for example: "Hawk Performance HPS pads offer 20-40% more stopping power and higher resistance to brake fade than most Original Equipment or standard replacement pads."

If there's no difference, then it sounds like a person would be a fool to buy anything but the cheapest OEM replacement pads.

BahnBaum

01-06-2008, 06:28 PM

Well, how often do most people drive such that they experience brake fade on the street?

I think that for the most part OEM pads offer good stopping power and cold bite for general street driving. Safety concerns and magazine testing prolly requires that. What they care less about is dusting and longevity, two of the other tradeoffs when it comes to brake design.

Alex

Nick M3

01-06-2008, 07:45 PM

Guys, ff has a japanese car. While I can't say anything about the S2000 brakes specifically, my experience is that they come with unbelievably bad pads.

bren

01-06-2008, 07:51 PM

Hawk HPS will occasionally violate criteria #4.

Plaz

01-06-2008, 09:45 PM

Hawk HPS will occasionally violate criteria #4.

Yeah, I had to go apeshit crazy with anti-squeal compound to keep my hawk pads from screaming like my wife with a spider in the shower on my old E46.

Nick M3

01-06-2008, 10:27 PM

FWIW, my Hawk Ceramics have been dead silent with minimal dust and really good brake feel/stopping power.

clyde

01-07-2008, 12:00 AM

Just seems odd that changing pads won't do anything to improve braking performance, that's all. Reading through the pad ratings and descriptions on Tirerack would lead a person to believe otherwise, for example: "Hawk Performance HPS pads offer 20-40% more stopping power and higher resistance to brake fade than most Original Equipment or standard replacement pads."

If there's no difference, then it sounds like a person would be a fool to buy anything but the cheapest OEM replacement pads.

On Tire Rack are you talking about the customer reviews? You mean the ones written by the same kind of people quoted here (http://forums.carmudgeons.com/showthread.php?t=8298)?

Sharp11

01-07-2008, 12:24 AM

Yeah, I had to go apeshit crazy with anti-squeal compound to keep my hawk pads from screaming like my wife with a spider in the shower on my old E46.

:lol: Your wife too, huh, jeeze, I always tell her a spider is a good thing to have around the house.

Ed

ff

01-07-2008, 09:06 AM

On Tire Rack are you talking about the customer reviews?

No, the professional ratings and descriptions. For instance Hawk HPS (http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?make=Hawk&model=HPS+Street+brake+pads).

I don't put much faith in the customer reviews.

clyde

01-07-2008, 09:18 AM

I don't put much faith in the customer reviews.

Yeah, I'm with ya. Marketing regurgitations (http://www.hawkperformance.com/performance/hps.php) are much more reliable.

:neener:

ff

01-07-2008, 09:26 AM

You know how much I like the stuff that spews from marketing's mouths... :D

So the main benefit for switching to a better pad material is primarily fade resistance and lower dust. Neither of which have ever been a big concern for me, so I'll just keep what I have on the car now.

I appreciate the info, guys :cool:

bren

01-07-2008, 11:54 AM

You can get a different "feel" to the brakes by changing pads. Some pads are more "grabby" than others.

lupinsea

01-07-2008, 02:22 PM

:lol: Your wife too, huh, jeeze, I always tell her a spider is a good thing to have around the house.

Ed

Same here. Every time my wife sees a spider it's "kill it, kill it". Doesn't matter that I point out that the spiders are eating other bugs . . . those are ok, I suppose, just hates the spiders more. :dunno:

Pinecone

01-10-2008, 05:40 PM

As long as you can lock them up or get into the ABS< pads won't help stopping distance. Better tires are needed then.

Better pads may dust less, feel nicer (pedal pressure and modulation), etc.

I always like Axxis Deluxe for street. I have been running the Repco/PBR/Deluxe on various street cars since the mid 70s.