Good brake pads?

[Jonboy_t]

I've just bought a 2004 M3 and I really want to get some decent brake pads on it. The rears still have a bit of meat left on them and the fronts have even more, but they're at the point where if I drive it a bit harder than I should (on track, obviously!), I don't have the confidence that I need to have in them!! The disks are all pretty mint, grooved and drilled, and were replaced about 2000 miles ago, so don't need them.

I've heard yello/green/red stuff pads are good, has anyone got any experience with them at all? I'm going to ask Santa for them for Christmas, so the budget could be pretty flexible, depending who Santa choses to forward my request to!

[Jonboy_t]

I doubt I'll be doing a great deal of track driving, but there will definitely be some involved in the very near future!

Hadn't thought of Mintex ones as it happens, haven't heard great things about the Ferrodo ones from friends though...

This will sound very picky, but I'm intending on keeping my car as close to absolutely mint condition as possible all the time, and I've heard that the redstuffs don't give off brake dust and 'black up' the wheels, which can be a pain in the backside to clean. Don't know if this is true or not?

[HellDiver]

The owner of EBC was giving out free Yellowstuff pads a while back. I've a set on my Mondeo, and they're very, very good. Better than OE when cold, but they'll suck the eyes out of the sockets when they're warm or hot.

[Robatr0n]

I have Ferodo DS2500s on the S2 and have done for some time. I think they are great pads and work very well indeed.

[aka_kerrly]

Havent found a reason to fault the Feredo DS2500, mine have done 6-7K including 1 or 2 pretty heavy sessions and a few emergency stop situations and have maintained a good bite and not faded too noticably.

Id say they are better than the EBC Greenstuff pads and Pagid pads i had before them.

dave

[CraigyMc]

I love Pagids, but I've only ever had them on elises.

C

[rhinochopig]

doogz said:

I personally don't rate EBC at all, i'd rather have pads made from pressed weetabix tbh.

What complaints have you heard about the Ferodo stuff? Is it specifically the DS2000-3000 range? As i know some of their "lesser" brethren aren't anything like as good.

I'd seriously reccommend Mintex though, used them on many cars on road and track, love them.

Have you tried them in the last 3 months? All compounds have or are being replaced as the new MD acknowledged they were poor. They have developed new friction materials and the new compounds - especially blue-stuff NDX pads - are getting very very good reviews for road and track use, by racers and road drivers alike. Good enough for me to give them (bluestuff NDX) a try after having some bloody awful green-stuffs on a Pug in the 90s early 00s. Not fitted them yet so can't comment personally.

Certainly worth considering.

Edited by rhinochopig on Monday 29th November 14:08

[HellDiver]

I've had Greenstuff, and I wouldn't touch them with doogz's or 300bhp/t's. They're a downgrade from OE spec Apec pads which are 1/3 the price of the Greenstuff.

[zakelwe]

doogz said:

Jonboy_t said:

This will sound very picky, but I'm intending on keeping my car as close to absolutely mint condition as possible all the time, and I've heard that the redstuffs don't give off brake dust and 'black up' the wheels, which can be a pain in the backside to clean. Don't know if this is true or not?

I've heard this before, it makes me laugh.

If you know how brake pads work, you'll be happy that they give off dust. It means they are wearing, ergo they are working.

Also, greenstuff, worst pads i've ever used on anything, ever.

Terrible bite when cold, really appallingly bad, and they overheat after literally a couple of presses, that was on a 800kg tin can Citroen.

Slight exageration me thinks in the last paragraph, I used them for 3 or 4 laps in August at a track day at a time and all though they got hot they didn't fade. I think they are the most road orientated though? No doubt there is better though.

Andy

[kambites]

The Lotus had Greenstuffs on when I got it and they were dire. I could only just lock the wheels up when they were cold, I very much doubt that the OH could have done.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Sounds like a trip to the BMW shop to buy some BMW discs and some BMW pads.

[rhinochopig]

It's pointless commenting on EBC pads of old as they are different compounds now. Yes they were poor, but they are getting very good reviews now. Eg.

http://www.lancerregister.com/showthread.php?t=345...

OP I suggest you google blue-stuff pads, and do some reading. You'll find reviews on here, Evo fit opinions, Scooby fit opinions, and Porsche fit opinions.

[Matt_N]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Sounds like a trip to the BMW shop to buy some BMW discs and some BMW pads.

And some decent fluid too.

[rhinochopig]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Sounds like a trip to the BMW shop to buy some BMW discs and some BMW pads.

Really, every review I've read about BMWs over the last few years has pointed out how poor their brakes are for spirited driving or track work.

[anonymous-user]

Pagid
Hawk
Carbone Lorraine
Ferodo

One of those will have what you need.

[Jonboy_t]

rhinochopig said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

Sounds like a trip to the BMW shop to buy some BMW discs and some BMW pads.

Really, every review I've read about BMWs over the last few years has pointed out how poor their brakes are for spirited driving or track work.

My best mate is a top tech at a main dealer garage (albeit, not BMW) and is under the impression that the ones on the rear are still the originals, judging by the amount and type of dirt that is stuck around them! The fronts are new, but if the rears have done 71k, I'd be surprised.

They seemed pretty strong still when I test drove the car - did a couple of heavy stops to see it and it felt as good as others I'd driven. Still do want to replace them, but starting to doubt that anything other than the BMW originals are really worth it? £88 for a new set of both rears or £140 for all four corners, just don't know if it's money well spent to shell out ~£150 just for rears?

The whole cleanliness of the wheels point I made above is kind of a picky thing really. I can always (and probablt will) wash it fully once a week to keep it gleaming.

[bigdods]

Can I suggest that if you have drilled disks you check them for cracking regularly. On the TVR I checked my black diamond disks every time I took it out for a run (toy not daily driver) and one day a load of spiders web cracks appeared around the drilled holes prompting a quick trip to the garage for them all to be replaced.

FWIW I dont do track days and had the drilled/grooved disks with redstuff pads (admittedly an old compound) replaced with standard disks and standard Ferodo pads and the increase in braking performance was amazing. Probably overheat on track but on the road they are excellent.

[rhinochopig]

bigdods said:

Can I suggest that if you have drilled disks you check them for cracking regularly. On the TVR I checked my black diamond disks every time I took it out for a run (toy not daily driver) and one day a load of spiders web cracks appeared around the drilled holes prompting a quick trip to the garage for them all to be replaced.

FWIW I dont do track days and had the drilled/grooved disks with redstuff pads (admittedly an old compound) replaced with standard disks and standard Ferodo pads and the increase in braking performance was amazing. Probably overheat on track but on the road they are excellent.

"Drilled Disks" should have the holes cast, not drilled as a drilled hole acts a stress riser for cracking. It's a when not if prospect.

[rottie102]

Just get rid of those st ebay grooved/drilled discs, get a set of Mintex pads and discs, change the brake fluid to some reputable Dot 5.1 and Bob's your uncle.