Time for front brakes.. which pads are best?
04-28-2005, 06:27 AM
#1
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Posts: 95
Time for front brakes.. which pads are best?
Guys, sorry if this topic has already been addressed in another thread, but it's time to do my front brakes and I wanted to ask for experiences with the different types available. I'd like to avoid brake dust if possible, so the ceramic pads are attractive in that respect. Can anyone tell me what their experience has been with them? My second choice would probably be the semi-metallic stock pads. Possibly a noise issue there. Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks
Thanks
04-28-2005, 06:37 AM
#2
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Also another great issue with semi-metallic pads as well. I was discussing this with a friend of mine who works at the Nissan dealer.
Supposedly, Nissan installed a softer style or rotors than on usual cars... and semi metallic will eat them up. I blew it off... I mean come on
:
Those semi-metallic tore up my rotors... I went from fresh turned rotors to having groves all over the rotors. That, and they sounded like a dumptruck when I stopped.
I don't know if anyone else has had the same problem. I swicthed over to my Brembos... fixed that problem straight up... now if I could get the rotors to quit eating the brake pads...
Supposedly, Nissan installed a softer style or rotors than on usual cars... and semi metallic will eat them up. I blew it off... I mean come on
: Those semi-metallic tore up my rotors... I went from fresh turned rotors to having groves all over the rotors. That, and they sounded like a dumptruck when I stopped.I don't know if anyone else has had the same problem. I swicthed over to my Brembos... fixed that problem straight up... now if I could get the rotors to quit eating the brake pads...
04-28-2005, 06:37 AM
#3
depends on the driving you do as well..
for around-town driving, Wagner, Bendix, or OEM.
spirited driving.. bump up to Axxis MetalMaster. they're a bit noisier than the others, but they work up to much higher heat ranges. not a lot of dust.
very aggressive driving.. Hawk HP, Axxis Ultimate, Porterfield R4S.
for around-town driving, Wagner, Bendix, or OEM.
spirited driving.. bump up to Axxis MetalMaster. they're a bit noisier than the others, but they work up to much higher heat ranges. not a lot of dust.
very aggressive driving.. Hawk HP, Axxis Ultimate, Porterfield R4S.
04-28-2005, 06:39 AM
#4
Originally Posted by kcidmil
Supposedly, Nissan installed a softer style or rotors than on usual cars... and semi metallic will eat them up. I blew it off... I mean come on :
Those semi-metallic tore up my rotors... I went from fresh turned rotors to having groves all over the rotors. That, and they sounded like a dumptruck when I stopped.
: Those semi-metallic tore up my rotors... I went from fresh turned rotors to having groves all over the rotors. That, and they sounded like a dumptruck when I stopped.Nissan does use very soft iron in their rotors. I've found them to be softer than most other brands, and brembo are very hard. this lets you use more aggressive pads on the brembos without severe rotor damage, but they also make a bit more noise..
04-28-2005, 06:44 AM
#7
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Posts: 95
I was thinking auto-zone for the "like oem" pads for about $17 and getting the rotors turned. I've got 187k on the car, so who knows what sort of rotors are on there now. Was also thinking about AutoZone's $24.99 lifetime rotors. Anyone tried these?
04-28-2005, 07:17 AM
#8
matt - Axxis ultimates are a ceramic.
personally I'm not fond of ceramic pads, they are quiter and dust less, but they suck at stopping compared to a good set of semi-mets.
"Like OEM" does not even come close to OEM and I don't trust $17 pads to last me or do 75% of my stopping. Lifetime on a brake rotor? talk about a load of sh"eye"t they warranty it against failure not wearout so it's just another BS warranty designed to give the little guy like me more problems.
get some brembo rotors, yes they're more money but they are better quality. next time I do front pads I'll be doing the metal master pads, and if I ever need rotors i'll probably get brembo, depends on how sad the car is by then
personally I'm not fond of ceramic pads, they are quiter and dust less, but they suck at stopping compared to a good set of semi-mets.
"Like OEM" does not even come close to OEM and I don't trust $17 pads to last me or do 75% of my stopping. Lifetime on a brake rotor? talk about a load of sh"eye"t they warranty it against failure not wearout so it's just another BS warranty designed to give the little guy like me more problems.
get some brembo rotors, yes they're more money but they are better quality. next time I do front pads I'll be doing the metal master pads, and if I ever need rotors i'll probably get brembo, depends on how sad the car is by then
04-28-2005, 07:27 AM
#9
Brian, you can't just use a blanket statement like that about ceramic pads..
there are hundreds of different ceramic compounds out there as well as thousands of semi-metallics.
the OEM are semi-metallics and suck *****. the Wilwood Q series I was using is a ceramic and stopped better, dusted less, and lasted longer than many of the brands I've tried (and I've used roughly 15 brands of pads on my car in the last 5 years)
look at the friction curves and temp curves on the pads.
the Axxis ultimate is a higher friction pad with a smoother temp curve than the Metalmasters.
Their site says they are a "kevlar and ceramic strengthened, low metallic-content" pad. So it's still technically a semi-metallic pad. These pads have been proven over and over on the street and track and are what StopTech sends as stock pads with their $$$$$ brake kits.
so don't knock a pad just because you hear one tiny thing about them being metallic or ceramic based. they're all a combination of them and there are good designs and bad ones.
there are hundreds of different ceramic compounds out there as well as thousands of semi-metallics.
the OEM are semi-metallics and suck *****. the Wilwood Q series I was using is a ceramic and stopped better, dusted less, and lasted longer than many of the brands I've tried (and I've used roughly 15 brands of pads on my car in the last 5 years)
look at the friction curves and temp curves on the pads.
the Axxis ultimate is a higher friction pad with a smoother temp curve than the Metalmasters.
Their site says they are a "kevlar and ceramic strengthened, low metallic-content" pad. So it's still technically a semi-metallic pad. These pads have been proven over and over on the street and track and are what StopTech sends as stock pads with their $$$$$ brake kits.
so don't knock a pad just because you hear one tiny thing about them being metallic or ceramic based. they're all a combination of them and there are good designs and bad ones.
04-28-2005, 10:14 AM
#14
Raybestos makes about 40% of the friction material in the country, including wilwoods compounds.
there is absolutely nothing wrong with ceramics, including the Raybestos..
The Wilwood Q series street pad is the same as the Raybestos Quiet Stop stuff for regular cars.. As I said above, I've had very good luck with them.. they don't dust much, if at all, they last an incredibly long time, and they have good performance- albeit slightly lower friction than other brands.
what do you have to complain about other than "I don't like ceramics" ?
there is absolutely nothing wrong with ceramics, including the Raybestos..
The Wilwood Q series street pad is the same as the Raybestos Quiet Stop stuff for regular cars.. As I said above, I've had very good luck with them.. they don't dust much, if at all, they last an incredibly long time, and they have good performance- albeit slightly lower friction than other brands.
what do you have to complain about other than "I don't like ceramics" ?
04-28-2005, 10:20 AM
#15
they (raybestos QS) have such a crap pedal feel and my stopping distance went up as compared to the pads I had on there before, I won't use them or recommend them for use on a car with sporting intentions.
04-28-2005, 09:02 PM
#18
Brian, they have a lower coefficient of friction, so it requires more pedal effort. that doesn't mean the car won't stop... I could still lock the brakes at will with them on there, and it's in fact easier to modulate the pedal as you have more force to play with it.
dalton, the Bendix are fine.. that's usually what I use for my customers when they want a regular brake job. I've only ever overheated one set of them, and it was on a Lincoln Mark VIII after a dozen or so HARD stops from 80mph.. you'll never see that kind of abuse on the street. if you do, don't let the cops see it cause you'll be in jail afterwards.
dalton, the Bendix are fine.. that's usually what I use for my customers when they want a regular brake job. I've only ever overheated one set of them, and it was on a Lincoln Mark VIII after a dozen or so HARD stops from 80mph.. you'll never see that kind of abuse on the street. if you do, don't let the cops see it cause you'll be in jail afterwards.
04-28-2005, 09:04 PM
#19
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I'm using Semi-Metallic Carbon Fibre disc brakes made by KVR. Alot of us here in my local Maxima group are using them with great sucess.
http://www.kvrperformance.com/index.html
http://www.kvrperformance.com/index.html
04-29-2005, 06:34 AM
#20
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
Brian, they have a lower coefficient of friction, so it requires more pedal effort. that doesn't mean the car won't stop... I could still lock the brakes at will with them on there, and it's in fact easier to modulate the pedal as you have more force to play with it.
dalton, the Bendix are fine.. that's usually what I use for my customers when they want a regular brake job. I've only ever overheated one set of them, and it was on a Lincoln Mark VIII after a dozen or so HARD stops from 80mph.. you'll never see that kind of abuse on the street. if you do, don't let the cops see it cause you'll be in jail afterwards.
dalton, the Bendix are fine.. that's usually what I use for my customers when they want a regular brake job. I've only ever overheated one set of them, and it was on a Lincoln Mark VIII after a dozen or so HARD stops from 80mph.. you'll never see that kind of abuse on the street. if you do, don't let the cops see it cause you'll be in jail afterwards.
they're on my wife's van anyhow, we were much happier with the bendix that were on their before.
now a s far as the launch to excess speed and haul down manuever, I did that on the max. Dam stop signs every block or 2.
Does she just not want to give it up?
04-29-2005, 07:46 AM
#22
yeah, we've still got it for the moment.
it's paid off and up for sale now.
we did do the trans again (3rd time we've replaced it).
it'll go up on ebay an a couple of weeks once the title comes in.
Now we're hard on the search for another one looks like a Montana or Silohette this time.
it's paid off and up for sale now.
we did do the trans again (3rd time we've replaced it).
it'll go up on ebay an a couple of weeks once the title comes in.
Now we're hard on the search for another one looks like a Montana or Silohette this time.
04-29-2005, 10:53 AM
#24
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,105
Originally Posted by Matt93SE
very aggressive driving.. Hawk HP, Axxis Ultimate, Porterfield R4S.
now if they ever come in, i'll get to use them :ahem nopi:
04-29-2005, 12:17 PM
#25
I'm using bendix IQ pads right now and they don't stop anywhere near my last set of Axis metal Masters. The bendix are silent which is what I wanted since the metal masters had a grunting sound, but I miss the breaking performance.
04-29-2005, 12:21 PM
#26
Originally Posted by MaDMaX024
that makes me happy, i ordered a set of PBR ultimates for the front of my car as my powerslots have pretty nasty uneven wear, the slots are almost gone, and most of the friction surface looks like a flywheel with alot of hot spots (for referance i'm using 1993 Q45 calipers with PBR metal masters).
now if they ever come in, i'll get to use them :ahem nopi:
now if they ever come in, i'll get to use them :ahem nopi:
04-29-2005, 12:29 PM
#27
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,105
Originally Posted by DaWifey's90
sorry...newbie question alert...why the q45 calipers?
reading and talking to those in the 240sx camp, the Qs should have the same overall braking power but should be easier to modulate (important for us Non-ABS have'ers). none of that really mattered so long as i had a frugal brake upgrade that made a considerable difference. coupled with the Z31 rear rotors/stock calipers, and stainless lines, i couldnt be happier with the overall power of the system, but the pedal feel is garbage.
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