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Are performance brake pads worth the cost?

Broncitis

MEB Founder
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
5,267
Have any of you used performace pads from companies like EBC, Hawk, etc. and if so, did you see any noticeable braking performance?

I'm getting ready to order some parts today for one one of our Broncos and a customers and will be doing the T-Bird caliper and slotted/drilled rotors on them as well.

Any first hand input from using performance pads on your EB or other vehicles and any specific recomendation is appreciated.
 

73azbronco

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
7,796
Yes, on a BMW M3. Worked great. Every other vehicle, no noticeable difference for the price..
 
OP
OP
Broncitis

Broncitis

MEB Founder
Joined
May 18, 2004
Messages
5,267
What about semi metallic versus ceramic of the various moderatly priced common versions (as opposed to some of the other specific performance compounds of some of the brands like EBC)?

I've run the ceramics that come with the slotted and drilled rotor kits for years on my F350 both front and rear. I was getting continual vibration issues after several thousand miles which I assumed was warpage. The cost of getting new rotors was not much more than having them all turned at my local shop, so I got new a couple times over the years.

The last time I took a used set of 4 rotors I had laying in the shop to be turned assuming they were warped, but he said they were within spec. He also told me that in a recent brake class he took, they said the ceramics can tend to grab. He used the analogy of a set of pads with sand paper for a friction surface verus certamics acting more like duct tape and grabbing causing the vibration.

It sounded like it made sense so I went back to premium heavy duty semi metalics this last time, and I am again getting vibrations several thousand miles later (but not as bad yet since the loose change still stays in my ash tray!).

On EBs, I have always just run standard semi metallic pads, generally the cheapest I could get assuming most were mostly the same, but on two I am working on now I was wondering if there was any actual improvement to be gained by one of the pricier options.
 

bronconut73

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,916
I just get the low brake dust pads. They are usually ceramic. Seems fine but don't think it brakes better, it is just cleaner....no more brake dust.
 

Specracer

Full Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
250
It all boils down to heat tolerance. Yes on a track, I've noticed HUGE differences in pads. HUGE. In this application, I also avoid drilled rotors, as with the heat they can crack. I use slotted.

So now on topic for an EB, it is going to come down to your driving style and application. If casually driving on the street going to be hard pressed to see a difference. If your style is more aggressive, and you have multiple hard stops, or a situation where you may have a long application of the brakes (coming down a mountain), then you will be generating heat that will cook a cheap pad.

I would never bother to have a rotor turned. Replace them.

As other mentioned, low dust might be a consideration for a street application.
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,833
I ran some Wilwood Polymatrix-D pads a long time ago. Got a really good brake feel out of them. I let Todd Z take it for a drive and he commented how good the brakes felt along with a mustang hydroboost.

Brake pads are a huge tuning point that are often overlooked in the brake system. I remember going from some long life pads to a set of cheap organtic on a Camaro. Day and night difference between the pads. Friend had an F150 that was flat out scary to drive. Had a recent brake job. Everything looked right. Changed the pads and the brakes came back to normal.

Now you have to read the performance details of the pads. Some are garbage until you build heat in them. You need to look for street performance or cold performance characteristics.

What I really despise these days is the lifetime pads. Typically they are super hard, but still aggressive. This takes brake rotors and turns them into the consumables.

So yes different pads can make a difference. I've had catalogs from places like Speedway Motors and Racer Warehouse that listed various brake compounds and what they were good for, and more important what they were not good for. I've only done this for the GM disks (better selection then Ford pads). It would take more time to find what materials are offered up on the Ford brakes. But I remember there were a few selections a long time ago. Besides the parts store stuff.
 

sykanr0ng

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
5,363
It all boils down to heat tolerance. Yes on a track, I've noticed HUGE differences in pads. HUGE. In this application, I also avoid drilled rotors, as with the heat they can crack. I use slotted.

So now on topic for an EB, it is going to come down to your driving style and application. If casually driving on the street going to be hard pressed to see a difference. If your style is more aggressive, and you have multiple hard stops, or a situation where you may have a long application of the brakes (coming down a mountain), then you will be generating heat that will cook a cheap pad.

I would never bother to have a rotor turned. Replace them.

As other mentioned, low dust might be a consideration for a street application.

Current thin iron Chinese rotors are not worth turning.

OEM Ford rotors are worth turning since they are much thicker and better quality.
 

SteveL

Huge chevy guy
Joined
Jun 24, 2001
Messages
11,608
Loc.
Hawthorne ca
I remember posts of guys having problems running slotted rotors on their ebs. I don't remember what g the issues were since I just run the standard off the shekf stuff.
 

markw

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
2,047
I put EBC slotted rotors and yellow compound pads on my 2001 SD chase truck. Significant improvement in braking feel and power. Brakes on those trucks are minimal at best.
 

661buster1963

Full Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
287
I put EBC green pads on turned rotors on my expedition, supposedly low dust perf pads at near 90$ for the front set. Never saw a more black brake dusted set of front wheels than that ride, seemed I was cleaning wheels every 2 weeks. Finally after about 6 months I had enough and went to pull the pads and they were razor thin already, gad multiple cracks, just looked like junk. I put new ceramic pads in and have been running fine for over 3 years. Would never intentionally run any EBC product going forward.
 

Apogee

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 26, 2005
Messages
6,033
I put EBC green pads on turned rotors on my expedition, supposedly low dust perf pads at near 90$ for the front set. Never saw a more black brake dusted set of front wheels than that ride, seemed I was cleaning wheels every 2 weeks. Finally after about 6 months I had enough and went to pull the pads and they were razor thin already, gad multiple cracks, just looked like junk. I put new ceramic pads in and have been running fine for over 3 years. Would never intentionally run any EBC product going forward.

Green Stuff pads eh? That's an NAO pad designed for light-weight imports, and not something I would put on a whale like an Expedition, so I'm not surprised you didn't like them and they didn't perform well for you. That said, I've run various EBC pads on my four-wheeler, mountain bike and a few different vehicles, generally with good results, but you need to pick the right compound for the given application.

To the OP, most of our rigs aren't sports cars and are significantly tire limited when it comes to braking and aggressive driving, so running some exotic pad that is designed to take that type of abuse isn't usually beneficial. Look at the intended use and then buy a pad that is marketed towards that use...if you prefer something with less dust, go with a low-dust option. If you prefer something with more initial bite (I'm looking at you guys with manual brakes), then go with something that has a higher CoF at ambient temperatures (Hawk HP Plus, EBC YellowStuff, etc) and live with the dust/noise/wear. There area reasons most of us run an over-the-counter semi-metallic type pad on our rigs...they're inexpensive and they work reasonably well.

I wouldn't get too hung up on "ceramic" or other marketing terms, as it doesn't always mean what you think it does. In general, modern "ceramic" pad compounds are marketed towards low dust/noise/wear applications, but the reality is that any pad with more than a certain percentage of ceramics by weight can claim to be a "ceramic" compound. Some friction manufacturers, like Satisfied (Canadian) and Carbotech, every compound they make is technically a ceramic compound...and some are aggressive enough to chew up your rotors in a weekend and spit them out.

Tobin
 

englewoodcowboy

Lick Creek Restorations
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
4,200
I run ceramic on our builds and it is a noticeable difference. For starters the brake dust goes way down and the stopping distance is reduced as well. As far as the drilled, slotted whatever rotors, unless you are track driving or plan on very high speeds braking you will never notice anything other than your wallet being a little lighter.

Drew, what year is your SD that you are having this problem with? I only ask because my 02, I had warpage one time and it was after the stock rotors were turned. Since then I have been running the lifetime warranty Bosch rotors from Oriellys along with their brake best ceramic pads etc. Now being I am in the mountains I am replacing pads every other year and when I do I replace everything, pads and rotors front and rear and it only costs me my time and a little for brake cleaner etc.
 

73azbronco

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
7,796
"warped" brake disks are most likely improperly seated or gummed up pads. Bed the brake pads for proper operation. To warp a disk you need to be racing it.
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,833
So much like a performance camshaft, picking the right pad matters. One compound does not fit all needs. You can get a performance cam that has a stock powerband, or one that is a high RPM powerband. get the right one for the application, it works great. Get the wrong one, it is horrible.
 

73azbronco

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
7,796
Be careful as noted above, "performance" could mean they work great after the 5th or so application from 120mph.

I would only buy a "premium" pad, non slotted and not drilled rotors for our application. Some debate on ceramic or not. My premium pads do have some ceramic, I guess I'll see how they work someday.
 

ntsqd

heratic car camper
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,224
Loc.
Upper SoKA
Used to be that I fit all 4X's with CarQuest's "Fleet Service" brake pad. Had all of the same performance characteristics as the wilwood 'D' compound, only with less dust and they lasted longer. Only pad I've found to work better in a 4X was OEM Toyota, but that won't work here. Then CQ changed vendors and no longer offer that same pad. That is the general pad type that I still fit my 4X's with. Good cold bite, decent heat-fade resistance, reasonably low dusting, and last decently long.

The wilwood 'E' compound is supposedly a better pad for our application, but I didn't like it quite as much as the 'D's.

Times eleventeen on drilled rotors. The days where those were beneficial, when pads out-gassed badly and needed the holes to be rid of to prevent fading the pads, have been gone for over 20 years. I can see a slotted rotor for use in really sloppy, grimy conditions as they will 'clean' the pad as they pass by but I don't spend the money on them here in the Coastal Desert. I've had people point to late model Porsche's with drilled rotors and say "they've got them, yer full of it!" To which I ask if they think that Porsche's marketing dept is filled with morons.
 
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