I know this has been addressed before but I am going to do some brake work soon and was wondering the pros and cons of pads.Semi-metallic,ceramic etc what is the best choice for spirited street driving and once in a while track visit?Any suggestions on where to get them?

 

I've had really good results with HAWK pads. I'm not exactly sure what model they are as I got them in a big trade brand new but they totally changed the way my car stops. Especally with powerslot rotors.

 

I remember people liking the Hawk pads what are they made of?

 

Have no idea, Like I said, i don't know if they come in different stages with different materials or what. I would love to know exactly what I got.

I got SS braided lines, powerslot rotors, and hawk racing pads. I put the pads and the rotors on at the same time and had HUGE gains as far as braking goes.

We got a set of those Ebay rotors on our 00 LS1 and I don't like them for much more than thier looks. They roar and howl when you come to a stop.

 

I had NAPA Ceramix and now have Hawk.

The Ceramic pads tend to be a bit more durable than the rotors, so you may get premature rotor wear. NAPA states this in their literature.

The HAwk HPS I have work very well, but I also put on the Baer Eradispeed rotors, so it's hard to tell which setup is superior(although the Baer over stock certainly should be better).

 

Does anyone else have an opinion on brakepads?

 

Hawk HPS... 125 MPH to 10 No problem. all day long at the track.

 

I have AutoZone PFC's Z rated pads. They work with heat, are non-dusting and have a lifetime warantee. After over one year, I never have brake fade due to the heat. They are a great place to start looking.

 

I thought those above mentioned pads were to expensive. I got normal semi-metallic pads from http://www.vbandp.com/ they have higher priced pads to. I am very happy with the pads, they stop much better then what was in there. The pads I changed out were at about half. I wasn't to happy with the stopping so decided to change them at half 'cause I was sick of it. I chose VBP because they had all the parts I would need as I didn't have time to shop around IRL. It was quick to surf their site and order online. Get anti rattle clips, pins, pads, and new C clips. The pins on mine were worn causing the breaks to pulsate. After I bedded the pads with repeated breaking, I could smell the breaks but not find any dust. The pedal now is responive but not touchy. I'm happy!

FYI Maybe change the fluid to? I used a squeeze bulb to empty and added new DOT 4 in.

 

I installed PFC Carbon Metallic pads from Auto Zone on both front and rear about 3 months ago. Very happy so far.

 

The Hawk HPS pads are a carbon metallic pad and work well for street and autocross use. The HP+ pads have more or a semi-metallic makeup and might be considered closer to a autocross/track day pad. Hawk pads work great with cold initial bite and will haul the car down quickly. The downside to the Hawks is DUST! The HPS pad will turn a chrome wheel to nearly black after about 30 minutes on a road course.

I'm currently running EBC Greenstuff pads (Tire Rack has them) on my 87 autocross car and they work well for me. Like the Hawks, they have great cold bite which is great for autocross if you only get one run an hour!! They have two track days on them and they did work fine at Portland Int'l Raceway. These pads do not dust anywhere near the Hawks and they are about the same price. There is a "Redstuff" pad which is more of a track pad.

PFC Z-rated pads have a good rep here and there are other PFC compounds available for different uses. Try the autocrossing and road racing section and search for "brake pads".

If you are going beyond pads, do a complete fluid flush with a high quality DOT3 or DOT4 fluid. The Ford HD Motorsports fluid works fine and is available at any Ford dealer. Castrol LMA is another good choice. Consider stainless flex brake lines from Earl's (Summit Racing has them for around $80) or Goodridge. Also install a set of Speed Bleeders so you can bleed the brake fluid by yourself. Get a set of p/n SB1010 bleeders from www.speedbleeder.com

If you need rotors, the Baer Eradispeeds are good for street and autocross but if you are going to do something like 2-3 track days a season, stay away from the low-end drilled rotors that have had the holes drilled after being cast. The drilling will create weak spots and they will crack and possibly fail. I use plain everyday replacement rotors and just toss them when they show signs of deep grooving.

BTW, the PFC pads from AutoZone no longer have a lifetime warranty. AutoZone dumped that at the end of last year. They are now a 2-year warranty.