Called autozone and they told me they have ZRated brake pads for $69 and Performance Friction brake pads for $55. Which ones should I get for a daily driver that never sees autocrosses, but is abused daily on the streets?

 

Craig,

I believe that the Z-Rated pads are Performance Friction too, they are carbin fiber. Have these Z-rated PF on my 90 vert.

The other ones I would consider are the NAPA cermaic ones. Put them on the truck. Very nice.


[Modified by Flame Red, 5:15 PM 2/11/2002]

 

Carbon Metalic, not carbon fiber I believe. Anyway, I have the Performance Friction Z-rated pads. They seem to do a very good job, they don't fade at all. I boiled my fluid at the track before I felt the first bit of fade.

 

PF are great pads ... but the one thing I've noticed that I don't really like is that if you do just normal everyday around town driving for a little while, they will start to squeak all over the place because they glaze up. You have to go out every once in a while and get up to 100 and slam the breaks and burn that stuff off. I'm going to try a different pad next time to compare with these.

 

I've seen both, but not in the same pad. I have a set of the PF Z-Rated ready to go in. Heavy on the carbon and heavy on the metallic! Come with the clips too.

I bought my son a set of the standard PF pads for his TA, they looked a little cheapo, but he says they work fine. For the couple of bucks I would probably go with the Z's. I would use some of that brake goo on the backs and replace and lube the pins.

I'm trying out a set of carbon / kevlar pads right now, but they cost a lot.

Good Luck,

Pete

 

I have the Performance Friction on my '97 S-10 Blazer (daily driver). They resist fading well but, they are extremely dirty...lots of dust! :yesnod:

 

You'll get too much dust buildup if you don't clean your car as often as you should :crazy: I see almost no difference in dust compared to stock.
I have run the Zrated for five years now in my 1991 and 1996. Never had any of the issues mentioned here. Great all around pad for street and autoxing. Autozone has great price on these pads. They sell for list everywhere else.

 

I use EBC Greenstuff... they are VERY nice!!!

 

I have VGX pads on mine. I am not very impressed. THey don't have an initial bite like I hear the EBC GreenStuff pads have.

I would go with the EBC Greenstuff(might have to wait a couple weeks as they are normally backordered)...

The thing about most performance brake pads is that some are made for super high temp which takes away from their bite at normal operating temps (ex. the first second of a panic stop)...keep this in mind.

 

Love the EBC greenstuff...never sqeal or dust. Got them from Tirerack

 

Let me play Scorp for a minute, if it dosen't dust, it doesn't stop. True there are degrees of dust, but a dustless pad is a stopless pad.

 

I love both of PF's street pads, the Z Rated and the regular ones. The regular ones are a big improvement over stock. The problem with the Z-Rated pads is that the are meant for street and auto-xing. The like to have some heat running through them before they start to work well and don't like to be driven normally for very long without giving it a good hard stop. The Z-Rated pads last longer, except for the fact that they chew up rotors. I wouldn't put a set of Z-Rated pads on a turned rotor. I warped my rotors in my S10 (heavily modified for autocrossing) in less than 6000 miles. New rotors lasted around 10k or so. On my Trans Am, I run the regular PF pads and I have had nothing but good experiences with them. They are just about as good as the Z's for stopping distance, but they work well cold and your rotors will last a whole lot longer.
Both types of pads will produce a little bit more brake dust, but it isn't the nasty kind that clings to the wheels, it cleans off pretty easily with water and a soft brush.
Cool thing is that both types have a free replacement guarantee. If your pads aren't even near being worn out, they will still replace them free of charge. Autozone puts your name in the system and logs when you buy them, so if you go back, you don't even need a reciept. I bought a set in Georgia and replaced all four corners' brakes in Texas before I left for Japan after only 5 or 6 thousand miles and they didn't even question why in Autozone. They also carry rotors that have the same guarantee. Except brake cleaner and anti-squeal compound, brakes are done for free on the Trans Am.

 

I tried the PF pads from Autozone. They squeeled so bad and covered everything with black dust I took them off, returned them to Autozone for a full refund and went back to the General for nice quiet and cleen stock pads
C44EVER

 

mine have dust. the fact is, the dust washes off easily.

 

I have PF on mine.......they do squeak.......but when you need to stop.....YOU STOP!!! As mentioned before.......a high speed stop will clean them up! Or do as I do......just AutoX!! :yesnod: :)

 

:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:

 

Amazing how the same pad can vary so widely on some one else's vette. these the z-rated?
Are you sure you were not driving around with your foot on the brake? :lol: :lol: :cheers:


[Modified by ConeKLR, 11:02 PM 2/12/2002]


[Modified by ConeKLR, 12:02 PM 2/13/2002]