Before you break out the flamethrowers, I have searched and read just about every thread on brake pads. I have narrowed down the list, but am a bit torn, so just looking for some of your thoughts before spending $$$

Whatever came on my recently purchased 8 are probably uber-cheap. While they are quiet and dust-free, they have no initial bite and require a lot of pressure for sudden stops.

My old 8 had OEM pads and I was happy with the performance, though they squealed all the damn time. I *WILL* take some noise and dust if the performance is there. What I want is nice initial bite and linear performance. My 8 is daily driven and done so pretty aggressively. I have thought about doing a track day, but that would only happen once every year or so at most.

With that said, I have narrowed my short list down to:
- OEM
- Racing Brake ET500
- Racing Brake ET800
- Hawk HP Plus

I am also still researching CarboTech 1521 or AX6's. Any thoughts on those are appreciated.

BTW - Does anyone know anything about the MazdaSpeed brake pads? They are pricey and I can't find any info on them that's worth a damn.

Based on everything I have read, I have ruled out the Hawk HPS, Hawk Ceramic, and EBC pads.

I am not overly worried about brake disc wear as I plan to upgrade them when the new set of pads wears out.

Thoughts? Any other recommendations that I should add to my short list?

Thanks,
Mike

 

why did you rule out the HPSs and Ceramics?

 

Based on the zillion threads I read, the Ceramics seemed like a step down from OEM in terms of performance and the ones on my short list seemed to have more favorable reviews over the HPS.... both based on the way I drive.

 

Why aren't Axxis Ultimates on the list? Plenty of good reviews on here about them.

 

You will lose some initial bite with the pads you've listed as they require SOME heat for the nice OEM initial bite. I have the ET500's.

 

I didn't see those mentioned often, but I will double check to see what other's say and do some research.

Is that what you use? If so, how do they compare to others listed (if you have tried them)?

 

HP+ are noisy and dusty for street use...and don't really work on the track either...so I would rule them out

OEM...not bad really...pricey?

Not a huge fan of the Racing Brake pads for street use either.

Strictly street...I would get the Hawk Ceramics..they work well at street temps and are quiet

 

I have not tried them yet, but based on the feedback I have read, they will replace my OEMs when needed. My OEMs are surprisingly holding up very well to track/autocross use, and I still have around 7-8 mm of pad left.

I know Rock Auto has the front Axxis Ultimates super cheap.

 

I haven't tried the rest that you have mentioned, though I have done quite a lot of research on the ET800, Hawk HPS and HP+ before settling for the ET500. Read various forums including Rx7club, Racing Brake's forum, and other AutoX forums.

I would put the ET500 on par with the HPS in terms of all out braking performance. The ET800 is comparable with the HP+.

From what I've read, the ET500 does provide a bit more friction compared to the HPS pads all while having much less brake dust. I can attest to that as I have less dust than factory pads with my ET500's and HPS are known to dust significantly more than factory pads.

I AutoX on the occasion and the ET500 are fine for VERY light track duty and spirited driving with Kumho Ecsta XS' (extreme performance summers). They do require a touch of heat to get a good bite. After they warm up (takes one good stop), they have equivalent initial bite to OEM pads and do bite harder with more braking force.

From what I remember, the HP+ and ET800's are light track duty pads. In other words, they are fine for the AutoX and light track duty (provided you are not running DOT). More than what you need for the street. They will stop harder at the expense of rotor life and will result in heavier (corrosive) dusting. From what I have read, the ET800 dust less than the HP+, similar differences with the ET500 VS HPS comparison.

Keep in mind that all these pads will have the tendency to squeal a bit when up to temp. My ET500's will squeal a bit after a good spirit drive or a few heats at the AutoX. Nothing ear splitting though.

 

if youre against the HPSs get the 500s anything more will be overkill for the street, dust, squeak, and require higher temps
you just cant use the same pads for street AND track and be effective
no single brake pad is going to fill all the blanks youve listed
unless you mean autoX instead of track

 

Then again, I would say if he were to hit an actually road course, he wouldn't have a problem with something that is the level of ET500/HPS. It takes a good amount of *****/experience to cook even factory pads on anything short of performance oriented tires.

 

Just for clarification, I was referring to autox.

 

If it's instant bite on the street you want, I doubt you'd be truly happy with the ET500. I drive daily with them, and they lack in instant bite when cold compared to the OEM pads, which are excellent in that respect. As others have said above, the ET500 need some heat in them to fully realise their potential. I haven't found the ET500 to make any noise whatsoever.

The OEM pads will withstand autocross, as I did so several times, but they wear very fast when used hard and produce a lot of brake dust. Not sure if they'd make it through a day of full-on track use. But, then again, I know of someone who burned through a brand-new set of ET500s on the front in one day on the track.

 

The other thing I noticed is how damned expensive the ET800's are... $400 for a full set. The 500's are less than half that.

So.... OEM it is?

 

I was in the same boat as you. I mainly street drive my 8 but I do go to deals gap every year and I'm going out for my first track day next month. I wanted something slightly better than stock that doesn't squeal. I recently put on stoptech 309 pads and have out about 1000 km's on them and I think they're great. Slightly better feel than stock and no noise and minimal dust. They're also pretty cheap. If its mainly a street car if recommend them.

 

How does the initial bite compare to OEM?

 

if youre only doing autoX/daily driving get the HPSs

 

I cooked my pretty much new HPSs in one weekend at the track and they REALLY held me back
HPSs are NOT a track pad but, for autoX they'll work just fine...that what I used to use

 

Very similar to oem, I didn't notice much difference if any, definately not worse.

 

I think I'm going to go with the Racing Brake ET500's

 

I don't know, i just want the oem's. I try to stay away from aftermarket parts, maybe because of warranty issues.

 

You won't have warranty issues when it comes to standard maintenance items (tires, wiper blades, brake pads, light bulbs, most fluids, etc)

 

Big Mike, he must be joking, since I'm pretty sure that cut springs aren't covered under warranty....




I can't recommend Hawk Ceramics highly enough for street driving at this point. They won't hold up on a road course track, but should even be fine for the ~1 minute auto-cross runs. Their initial bite is VERY good, not too severe but definitely grabs quickly and predictably, and stays linear. I do lots of highway driving so my pads are typically plenty cool when I find I need pad grip. And when I need it, I need it NOW. I opted for Hawk Ceramics over OEM for my last pad change, and I'd say that as good as OEM are for the street, the Hawk trumps it due to noise, dust, and stellar cold grip. If you actually get to the track, you will want another set of pads to swap in for the day, but then, if you got a set of pads that you "didn't have to swap", you will be hurting both street and track driving.

The price and lifespan certainly won't hurt either

 

I just ordered the ET500's this afternoon. Once they are on, I will let everyone know how they perform.

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

I just ordered some Hawks HPS to replace my OEM. I needed some brake pads and they seemed like a great value. They were about $150 total front & rear. My pads are worn out totally.