breaaaak pads

[e30slidewayz]

I'm due for some new break pads, wear sensor are starting to chirp at me. The thing is, I have so much break dust. It covers my black K1's and they always look dull. I'm running cross drilled/slotted rotors. I'm looking around and haven't really found any that would suit my needs yet. Anyone know of high performance pads that have low dust?

[jlevie]

You can have high performance and dust, or low performance and reduced dust. Take your pick.

That said, most high performance street pads produce a bit less dust than either OE or track rated pads. Hawk HPS pads aren't bad.

If brake performance is important to you, lose the cross drilled rotors and install plain rotors. The holes in cross drilled pads reduce swept area and thermal mass, thus reducing brake performance. Furthermore the holes are stress concentrators and will accelerate the tendency of the rotors to crack under hard use. Basically the holes are initial cracks of large radius.

The only purpose the drilling has is bling.

[e30slidewayz]

That's my understanding as well, about the pads. Thanks for the suggestion on the Hawk HPSs. As far as the drilled rotors go, it helps reduce heat better than plain rotors. And it helps remove water in wet conditions better than plain rotors. Used to you could argue that it helps to remove gas buildup as well, but with todays pads gas buildup isn't really a problem anymore. I don't regularly go to the track, so cracking isn't an issue. That said, I think slotted is the way to go.

[Wh33lhop]

You can have high performance and dust, or low performance and reduced dust. Take your pick.

That said, most high performance street pads produce a bit less dust than either OE or track rated pads. Hawk HPS pads aren't bad.

If brake performance is important to you, lose the cross drilled rotors and install plain rotors. The holes in cross drilled pads reduce swept area and thermal mass, thus reducing brake performance. Furthermore the holes are stress concentrators and will accelerate the tendency of the rotors to crack under hard use. Basically the holes are initial cracks of large radius.

The only purpose the drilling has is bling.

Well, not ENTIRELY bling, as it reduces unsprung rotational mass as well, which is why racing teams have drilled rotors. I am not a proponent of cross-drilled rotors. Stock sized rotors need all the heat-absoribing mass they can get, and the holes do NOT help with cooling as everyone seems to think. On top of all of that, 98% of stock sized x-drilled rotors look retarded, just like people who paint their single-piston sliding calipers (or drums) red.

So basically, I agree wholeheartedly with the message but cross drilled rotors do have a functional purpose in some scenarios.

[e30slidewayz]

Given that they are vented too helps with heat issues...

[Danny]

Stock front plain rotors are vented too retard.

Just not the rears.

[jlevie]

Well, not ENTIRELY bling, as it reduces unsprung rotational mass as well, which is why racing teams have drilled rotors. I am not a proponent of cross-drilled rotors. Stock sized rotors need all the heat-absoribing mass they can get, and the holes do NOT help with cooling as everyone seems to think. On top of all of that, 98% of stock sized x-drilled rotors look retarded, just like people who paint their single-piston sliding calipers (or drums) red.

So basically, I agree wholeheartedly with the message but cross drilled rotors do have a functional purpose in some scenarios.

In my years of club racing and hanging out with pro teams at races I've never kown anyone to use cross drilled rotors. If you walk the paddock at a pro race you might find a very few that use slotted rotors, but what you'll find on the vast majority of race cars will be plain rotors. The reduction in swept area and thermal mass is just to high a price to pay to gain for a slight reduction in unsprung weight. And to that the fact that rotors on a race car have a very limited life (I get about three weekends out of a set of front rotors) and to some extent (especially in club racing) cost does matter. There are much larger gains to be had from very lightweight (read really expensive) wheels.

[jlevie]

That's my understanding as well, about the pads. Thanks for the suggestion on the Hawk HPSs. As far as the drilled rotors go, it helps reduce heat better than plain rotors. And it helps remove water in wet conditions better than plain rotors. Used to you could argue that it helps to remove gas buildup as well, but with todays pads gas buildup isn't really a problem anymore. I don't regularly go to the track, so cracking isn't an issue. That said, I think slotted is the way to go.

The only reason to run slotted rotors would be if you are having a problem with glazing of the pads. Otherwise they serve no useful purpose.

[CabrioPunk]

Break. Brake. Their. There. They're. WTF.

[e30slidewayz]

lol, geeeez... guess every thread can't be a winner

[xxlbimmer]

I have used Akebono pads on quite a few cars and found more than adequate braking with virtually no dust!!!

[Frog]

Break. Brake. Their. There. They're. WTF.

x2