I've been searching the web for some sort of up to date brake pad comparison for autoX type pads (not full race pads) and haven't been able to find anything. You think you could do an in depth comparison of some of the most popular compounds in an upcoming issue? I always have a hard time picking out pads and it's always based on others opinions or trial and error, never any real good hard scientific evidence
Thanks!
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Sept. 8, 2009 3:04 p.m. egertk None
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Sept. 23, 2009 8:28 p.m. P71 SuperDork
That is a very good question! For example, Hawk HP Plus is advertised as an autocross/track day pad. Well pads designed to last for track days don't have great cold bite, which is a requirement in short autocross races. So would the HPS be better for an auto-x only car?
What about the other brands? Performance Friction has a "CarbonCeramic" that I'm using now, it seems great. Conversely EBC is considered excellent yet John had a nearly new (less than 10K miles) Yellow Stuff pad break in two and fall out, with NO warning!
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Sept. 23, 2009 9:14 p.m. Gearheadotaku New Reader
Yes, I'd like to see this test!
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Sept. 24, 2009 7:43 a.m. Bobzilla HalfDork
I lvoed the bite of the HPS, but after the initial bite, the pedal was kinda dead feeling. Once they locked, there was no easy way to modulate out of it.... but never had fade. I do not like my EBC Redstuff's on the Swift. They need too much heat and those first few hits on the pedal are soft.
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Sept. 27, 2009 3:59 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director
Brake pad testing is one of those deals where it sounds easy, but in reality is just about impossible on our editorial budget. Simply put, braking performance winds up being more a matter of surface, conditions and tires, rather than actual brake pad material.
What's worse, it's really hard to separate the subjective from the objective. Everything from how quickly you mash the pedal and with what force to the braking system itself all play a role.
The best we've come up with is to try different pads on project cars and let you know how they work. Right now I'm comparing the Axxis to a Stoptech compound on the Golf. Axxis is good, but seems to require a bit to much pedal pressure to create good braking force.
So far, my favorite autocross-specific pad is the AX series from Carbotech, but the Porterfield R4S is pretty good as well.
YMMV. And that's the truth.
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May 18, 2010 7:28 p.m. chknhwk Reader
P71 wrote:
Conversely EBC is considered excellent yet John had a nearly new (less than 10K miles) Yellow Stuff pad break in two and fall out, with NO warning!
Do you have any more information on this failure?? What kind of car, type of driving, etc? I stay away from Hawks because of how they crumble at the track so I don't want to purchase something else with similar problems...
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May 19, 2010 8:38 a.m. 93celicaGT2 UberDork
chknhwk wrote:
P71 wrote:
Conversely EBC is considered excellent yet John had a nearly new (less than 10K miles) Yellow Stuff pad break in two and fall out, with NO warning!
Do you have any more information on this failure?? What kind of car, type of driving, etc? I stay away from Hawks because of how they crumble at the track so I don't want to purchase something else with similar problems...
Heh. Seems between P71 and i, we can always nullify each other's experiences.
The internet is so fun, isn't it?
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May 19, 2010 8:46 a.m. skruffy SuperDork
I used some HP+ on my GTI at mid ohio earlier this year. I hated them. Cold initial bite is awesome, but it's all they've got. While they didn't fade in any sort of scary way, they didn't work very well after they were hot. All feel went away and I was getting a lot of vibration that would go away as they cooled off. I'm sure they'd be better at an AutoX where heat shouldn't be an issue.
On the street? Awful. That wicked initial bite makes driving in traffic exhausting. The initial bite on these is probably equal to about 70% of the total braking available. Barely breathing on the pedal still results in pretty violent braking for the street, especially with Sally soccer mom on the phone in her suburban behind you. And the noise... like a city bus. Ugh. And yes, I lubed the pads and bedded them correctly. Also, dust like crazy!
I'll probably use them up at the track for the rest of the year, I'd hate to throw away pads that still work even if I don't like them. However, I'll keep switching back to stock pads for street use. Next year I'll be on a dedicated track pad for sure.
