Rxmfn7

iTrader: (4)

I need to replace the pads on my FC, and I was just wondering if there is a noticable difference in performance between the cheaper pads, and the more expensive ones? Im on a fairly tight budget right now, and I wanted the to order a set of hawk pads but I just cant swing spending that much on pads. Anyway, my local parts store has either the generic "wear-ever" pads, for about $17/set. And then they have Bendix pads for about $30/set. And while I want to spend as little as possible, I dont want shitty brakes on my FC. Has anyone had experiences with different pads and could tell a major difference?

C. Ludwig

iTrader: (27)

There is a real difference and you generally get what you pay for. This will probably turn into a 90 post thread with everyone chiming in on their favorites. Hawk, Porterfield and Carbotech come to mind. I've had good luck with EBCs but IMO too many others have not liked them for me to recommend them.

Evil Aviator

You can use the cheapie pads on the street with no problem because the 2Gen RX-7's came stock with an excellent braking system. There IS a difference in pads, but it doesn't really make much difference unless you are autocrossing, racing, or if you drive around town like a maniac. A nice set of pads like the Hawk HPS would stop your car a little better, but the generic pads will usually work as well as the stock pads. The really nice race pads like the Hawk Blues are awful at low temperature, and are actually worse than generic pads until you heat them up.

razorback

just bought a new set of hawks hps. but have not installed them because i am waiting for my rotors to arrive before i install them. i hear you can tell a difference in stopping difference

Evil Aviator

Yes, I put some on my 1Gen a few months ago. You can tell a difference, but it's not much. The feel is better.

I used some generic organic pads on my 2Gen once, and they worked just fine for driving around town. They didn't feel any worse than the trick carbon autocross pads I was using prior to that, but I'm sure they wouldn't have worked worth beans on the track.

razorback

well the rotors on my fc are fucked. so i ordered some brembo drilled rotors for all 4 wheels from poor_college_student hopefully those together will help alot.

dr0x

Ive noticed cheap pads wont even come remotely close to locking up brakes on anything Ive ever put them on. Where as a better race/street pad will do it no problem.

BDoty311

Generally stronger brake pads can increase performance, but can also be known to warp rotors over time. So for the street you should probably stick to some organic or semi-metallic pads. And 4-piston brakes are damn good brakes so you should be set with new brake pads.

Evil Aviator

The drilled rotors are for looks, but I'm sure they will work better than your worn-out original rotors, lol.

The main difference is the coefficient of friction. Race pads have more of a bite, especially at higher temperatures. Race pads also have less fade.

n4ji

iTrader: (1)

If you do heavy brakeing, or AutoX, definately go with better quality brake pads. but for normal driving, go to autozone and get the semi-metallics with the lifetime warranty. They may squeek on occasion from being semi-mettalic, but they save $$$

razorback

i thought that the holes had to do with cooling down the rotors/pads quicker?

Evil Aviator

Solid rotors actually dissipate heat better because they have more surface area. Venting (vanes and holes in the edge of the rotors like ridges on a quarter) is what cools the rotors faster. The original reason for the cross-drilling was to relieve something called "gassing", which no longer occurs in modern brake pads. The primary reason for cross-drilled rotors on today's street cars is for looks, but it does have the added effect of reducing rotational weight by a small margin.

See the Baer and Wilwood FAQ. They have less BS than the Brembo FAQ.
http://www.baer.com/Support/FAQ.aspx
http://www.wilwood.com/faq.asp#question7

Rotorific

iTrader: (1)

Can anyone recommend a pad that wont eat up rotors ( i got a set of crossed/slotted rotors) and still preform as well or better than stock.

dr0x

I know. Thats why I dont use cheap pads anymore. Ive had too many close rear enders because the brakes wouldnt bite hard enough, despite the more than adequate following distance.

Edit: Get hawk hp.

Evil Aviator

Hawk HPS are pretty good street pads that you can also use for autocrossing. The Hawk HP Plus are better for serious autocrossing, but they wear rotors faster. One thing for sure, don't use the Hawk Blue race pads on the street unless you don't mind replacing your rotors every month or two, lol.
http://www.hawkperformance.com/product_features.cfm

I just put some PFC Carbon Metallic pads on my F-150, but I haven't driven on them long enough to tell you if they are as easy on the rotors as they are supposed to be. They feel really good on the street.
http://www.performancefriction.com/pages/faq.htm

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

I know that I can lock up the wheels with my generic pads the first few times I hit them, so I'd think for day to day they'd be fine. As mentioned earlier, the better pads really shine once you get some heat in the brakes, as they'll fade SIGNIFICANTLY less then the cheapies.

neevosh

The Hawk HP Plus's are great track/street pads, but they will wear your rotors and they make a lot of dust. They also like to squeel.

bingoboy

o yeah definately. my buddies hp+ pads both dust and squeak much more than my hps pads. he had to get new brake hardware sets and load them with anti-squeal goo to quiet them down where as i just re-used my old ones. my rears actually don't even have the squeal plates on them at all. after a couple weeks the hp+ pads give his meshies this nice black powdercoated look though .

my car with the hps pads stops excellent, and give me more bite than the oem pads did. i'm happy with them. using hp+ pads on the street isn't worth the extra effort/maintenance involved for me.

kevinparton

I work as a dynomometer technician and test brakes for a living. I'm usually testing material for developmental purposes. The company I work for makes the "wearaver" pads you get at Advance. They also make pads for Midas, NAPA, WIX, Ford, and others. They go down the same line and go into different boxes. That being said, The pads are made to customer specifications, so pads may be a bit different. The biggest difference is the code stamped onto the pad, but sometimes it may be different friction material formulation. Basically ANY pad you buy aftermarket will perform better than stock. This is a government regulated thing. There are differences though. A pad with an organic friction material will be a little quieter, grab a little better in wet weather, and not put as much nasty dust on your wheels. A semi-metallic pad will be more resistant to heat and fade. Probably a better choice for an RX-7 user. They are a little harder on rotors, but not as bad as a full-blown race pad. Advance has basically 3 pad sets to choose from. Wearever "silver", "gold", or "thermoquiet". "Silver" is a good aftermaket pad. "Gold" is the same pad with a metal shim attached to the back. "Thermoquiet" is the same friction material with a patended shim/insulator molded to the backplate during the initial pressing. It makes the brake quieter. Get the sales guy to get out a couple different sets of pad. Look at the edgebrand stamp. It's a code with some important info. It will look something like "WAG LMXXXXX FE". The first 3 letters are the "manufacturer"(wag=wagner,mid=midas). The next bunch of letters are factory codes designating month,day,year,shift,line and stuff. The last 2 letters are important(ie. FE). These are ANSI required letters designating the Coeffecient Of Friction range. The higher the letter the better. "F" is higher than "E". The first letter is "normal" braking. The second letter designates COF after the pad has been heat-soaked. Like at the bottom of a mountain or the end of a twisty track. BUT, the letter designates a range of COF. An "F" could fall at the top or bottom of the range and stiil qualify as an "F". Even if a pad has a lowly "EE" designation it isn't necessarily bad. A lot has to depend on the manufacturers braking sytem design. Mazda designed a great braking system. 4-piston calipers compared to single-piston or maybe dual-piston calipers. And have you noticed the cooling vanes? That crazy design channels air through the rotor to cool it down in a hurry. Not to mention the aiir ducts aimed at the brakes. On my personal 86 N/A I run cheapie pads with stock rotors turned down below spec(because new rotors are $$, not for any performance reason). I don't have any problems.