whats a good ceramic pad?

[5Toes]

^ I liked them on my e30. I only had them in the fronts though, couldnt find the rears

[lcoleman]

The newish Hawk Performance Ceramic pads sound like the best of both worlds:

General info:

http://www.hawkperformance.com/performance/ceramic.php

Specific E30 part:
http://www.hawkperformance.com/parts/

I ran these, they're ok. Overheat easily if you push your car, not totally dust-free. A good compromise on a DD, I would say.

[ELVA164]

^ Are there totally dust-free pads? Or do you mean they aren't as dust-free as expected?

[lcoleman]

I had Akebono ceramics (I think) on an e46 once, and I recall them being less dusty than the Hawks. That's all I really have to base it on. All pads dust, naturally.

Like I said, for a DD they're fine. For anything spirited, I would deal with the dust and enjoy solid brake performance.

[ELVA164]

So I just did a TON of reading about all different kinds of pads, and this is the nutshell version of what I learned:

The Hawk Ceramic Plus appear to have a bit more initial bite than the Akebono Euro ceramics, but also have more of a tendency to squeak. Both pads produce very little dust, with the Akebonos slightly edging the Hawks. As far as fade, all ceramic pads are tough to keep in operating temperature during regular street driving and as a result can feel a bit underwhelming. ALSO, it appears that only front Akebonos are sold for E30's.

The best DD pad I found while researching appears to be the StopTech Street Performance pad. They produce more dust, but appear to have a good initial bite, great operating temperature range (600-1300deg F, compared to 600-800 or 600-900 for Hawk HPS and HP+ pads), no noise, and little bedding if any required. I think these will be my choice when I refresh my brakes. They are not ceramics, so the dust issue would remain.

Hope that helps!

[PNWDan]

Again I'll say it

I have the akebono euros on the front, daily drove my car 60 miles a day for over a year until about a month ago. Partial freeway and partial city. Rain or shine. Never had a squeak, dusting, or fading. Best pads I've owned

[bastianshaw]

Again I'll say it

I have the akebono euros on the front, daily drove my car 60 miles a day for over a year until about a month ago. Partial freeway and partial city. Rain or shine. Never had a squeak, dusting, or fading. Best pads I've owned

Message received