so my daily needs new pads and rotors. i have not been happy with any parts store pads that i have tried on anything. i havent tried them all, though.
its a 99 camry 4 cyl LE.
ive found hawk , and EBC brakes. biothe are expensive, and the hawks are on bacck order right now from summit.
what im looking for is good initial bite, linear pedal, and decent lifespan.
i LOVED my PFC Z compunds on my old S10 track truck, but they dont make them for the camry. if they did, i wouldnt be writing this post.
so, what pads should i get that would fit my bill? the cheaper and easier to get, the better. i really dont understand the EBC red, greeen, etc. so i have no idea what to expect.
im open to all comers, though. this car is my daily, with black steelies. so brake dust and noise arent a concern.
if a readily availible parts store pad compound would fit the bill, id do that too. but it needs a good initial bite and linear pedal like my old PFC Z-compunds.
fire away with pad suggestions.
michael
Just what are you doing with this Camry?
I have the same car, 97 Camry LS with a 5SFE. Thermo-whatevers from O'Reilley's. They work fine and have a life time warranty. I'm on my 3 set, actually. I typically get >60K out of them and I'm still on the original rotors. 200K on the car.
i dily it, run autocross when my autocross car is down, etc. just your standard beater.
dont need a trrack pad, just love the characteristics of them. looking to get the same feel from my daily.
i run PFC Z-compunds on my auto-x/weekend car. i just want the same feel for the camry.
how are the thermo-whatevers on itial bite? is is "right there" braking, or a soft initial bite with a steadily increasing pedal?
First stop of the day is the same as the 100th stop.
I have EBC Yellowstuff on my Esprit. I know all about first stop taking more foot.
Have you tried OEM pads???? As in Toyota pads
If something of a bit more is required, try Project Mu NS pads... great initial bite, great feel
what are the driving characteristics of the hawk HPS vs HP plus? they list both for the camry at a reasonable price.
ive used hawkpads on customer vettes, but never had anything more than seat time during bed in.
i've never used HP Plus so can't make a comparison. HPS squealed a little bit at low speed / low force conditions, but only for about a month. i liked the porterfields better, but for the difference in price i'm pretty happy with the HPS. both the R4S and the HPS will have more bite than the OE pads, and probably more than the typical parts store pads.
ordered hawk hps pads. for 18.10 from pep boys, i can afford to experiment.
I am a big fan of the Hawk HPS..
I have the pbr metals on my miata. I'm very happy with them, but it's far from a scientific comparison.
Dusterbd13 wrote:
what are the driving characteristics of the hawk HPS vs HP plus? they list both for the camry at a reasonable price.
ive used hawkpads on customer vettes, but never had anything more than seat time during bed in.
HP+ are a little too out there for DD use. I left em on my Focus since a track day early last summer. They squeal, and when cold eat the rotors. This summer I will need new rotors.
On track, now, they are fantastic.
