brake pads

[zen]

what brake pads are you guys running or recommend? debating what to get for my 951. it is a daily driver, but will see occasional auto-cross days. so streetability is the primary requirement (90%) with max performance in mind (10%). i have thrown in a few options i have been looking at. if you have other suggestions, vote "other" and let us know what they are.

[kdanie]

I would go with Porterfield R4S pads, very grippy even cold, low/no dust, very rotor friendly, great modualtion, last well, good pedal feel. I think they are about $100 per axle these days but well worth it.

I ran a set on my wifes mini van when we moved to Puerto Rico, they saved us from several accedents (driving is a full contact sport). I replaced them with some carbon metalic pads from Raybestos ($75), my wife thought there was something wrong with the brakes! These pads suck! Especially at that price. I will put a set of Porterfields on my BMW 320is at the end of summer.

ken

[hot66]

On m yold company car ( a peugeot 306 TD ) i always cooked the brakes to the point of full on fade when driving on my local country roads (very windy narrow UK quality roads). My garage suggested using the ebc greens ( they used them in some of their competion pugs) to solve the problem.

The greens took a bit of warming up, the brakes fely very wooden at the 1st junction / stop I came to, but once I got a bit of heat into them they performed really nice. For a very hard driven road car I would not want to move up the temp range of brake pads due to lack of flexibility at low temps

[Ron Roberts]

Kdanie, Do you have a link for Porterfield? Do they make pads for stock brake systems, or the CB rear discs?

Thanks
Ron

[lightning bug]

Yes. porterfield makes stock pads. Never used 'em but heard mostly bad things about EBC. Never used 'em either, but I'll be using Hawk HP's. Street Compound. They make a HP Plus, but I have 993 brakes, so no need. Some links:

Porterfield--- www.porterfield-brakes.com

Hawk--------- www.hawkperformance.com

[samcat]

EBC greenstuffs all the way. You can get them in STANDARD bug fitments too :)

Sam C

[zen]

well so far this is about as across the board as it can be. :D

i guess i also need to consider a set for the 944NA brakes that are going on my bug. but those have a different application. some how i have the feeling they will be driven even harder.

[hot66]

why not just fit standard porsche pads & see how you get on. Porsche brakes are well known for their perfomance & considering your bug weighs less than the porsche the brakes came off originally you should be ok

[lightning bug]

Porsche is the best braking car in the world... you do have a point. Plus the greens you have to warm up. They are pretty much a light track pad. Might start to be a pain having to get them warm to perform. Again, thats why I'm going with a street compound. On the street I'm sure you'll drive your car hard, but how much really?? Also as said above.. stock Porsche pads would probably suit you more than enough. You're only stopping 1800 lbs.

[Shad Laws]

Hello-

One potential problem with carbon/kevlar pads...

At least in my very limited experience with them (i.e. only one car... VW T3 w/ 944 na setup), when they are wet, watch out!!! You go to hit the brakes, and you'd swear that they were gone. Then, about ~1 second later, they're "dry" and you are okay. But, 1 second of braking, if you aren't prepared for it, can be disasterous.

This is based on my limited experience with them. YMMV.

Take care,

[kdanie]

Shad, I never experienced that with my Porterfield pads, even in the heavy tropical rains in Puerto Rico. I did find that with those pads and stainless brake lines I could invoke the ABS in the wet more easily than I liked. I guess the sudden rise in pressure shocked the system...
ken

[craazy Cooter]

Bendix pads are crap. Low quality, wear out too fast. Try raybestos ceramic. good grip cold no fade hot. Try lightening the rear half of your car too.

[MattKab]

Pagid o.e. replacements.

~12,000 miles in 15 months, no visible wear at the 'pad, a little more so on the front discs.

Hot/cold no difference!

(DOT4, Goodridge hoses, 4x 951 calipers on HEAVY Bug).

Matt

[Pillow]

EBC Green is what I like. Very nice pads. Low dust. Need a hair of warm up but not much. Insane grip over stock pads and never had a fade problem.

I have heard good things about Hawk as well on 944s.

No experience with Porterfield.

I have tried Mintex a few times but am not overwhelmed. Pay more for a better pad.

If you get stock the Pagids are good, not EBC good though.