Upgraded Brake Pads ?

[gipraw]

Search didn't turn up much, especially recent.

Has anyone found a replacement pad that is an improvement of the stock PP pads?

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

Have you checked AutoAnything &/or TireRack?

I got Power Slot Rotors (today) from TireRack & EBC Red Pads (back ordered) from Auto A. for my Brick.

 

[RonPorter]

Have you checked AutoAnything &/or TireRack?

I got Power Slot Rotors (today) from TireRack & EBC Red Pads (back ordered) from Auto A. for my Brick.

EBC Reds are good if you are willing to put up with some noise & dust. Dunno if EBC Yellows are available for the SHO yet, but they are a step down from the Reds, and work well for non track use with little-to-no dust or noise.

For the street, Carbotech Bobcat, Porterfield R4S, Hawk HPS, are good. Again, dunno about 2010 SHO availability.

For some track use, as well as some more noise & dust, the field opens up a LOT.

 

[gipraw]

I am not so much worried about dusting, as long as it is not horrible. I am looking for the best balance of wear vs stopping power on the street, to fight the stop and go commute idiots I deal with on a daily basis in Houston.

Sounds like maybe the Yellows are something to look into.

 

[mjhpadi]

I got Power Slot Rotors (today) from TireRack & EBC Red Pads (back ordered) from Auto A. for my Brick.

Bob, wish you would have asked about Power Slot rotors before buying, I had them on my 98 F-150 and they were terrible, they fell about (literally) within 30K miles. I never saw a rotor disintergrate (sic) like the Power Slots did on my truck. I replaced them with EBC rotors and they lasted for the rest of the time I owned the truck. I would suggest you consider sending back the Power Slots and order ANY other brand.

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

The rears are not slotted. I only decided on rotors as I have 24K on Brick, and felt I shouldn't just add EBC pads. The fronts are directional.
Freight from TireRack's Delaware warehouse was over $60. Mason @ the TireRack has become a friend. Within reason, they will take care of me, as I have purchased many sets of tires & wheels over 25 yrs.

EBC only offers rear rotors for Flex. They are dimpled & quite expensive. Would have gotten however, if they also had fronts.

Thanks for the info though!

 

[mjhpadi]

Bob, I hope you have god luck with the Power Slots, could be I had a defective set. I really liked the EBC Slotted/Dimpled Rotors a lot. I will try to find a picture of the bad rotors, just so you can see the problem I had with them, but I certainly hope they work great for you.

 

[RonPorter]

Bob, I hope you have god luck with the Power Slots, could be I had a defective set. I really liked the EBC Slotted/Dimpled Rotors a lot. I will try to find a picture of the bad rotors, just so you can see the problem I had with them, but I certainly hope they work great for you.

You must have gotten a bad set. IMO they are for looks only, no performance gain there. We use generic cheapo rotors on our earlier SHO cars on the track with great success.

 

[mjhpadi]

Hopefully, this address will take you to a picture of the old rotors. The nicks that look like hammer marks are just that, we really had to beat on the rotors to get them off, remember these rotors were only on for about 30,000 miles, less the 4 years:
http://fordtruckworld.tenmagazines.com/NewGallery/2/1787/1027095.jpg

 

[RonPorter]

Over 3 years and 30K miles? Twiced as long as I get!! But I do tracks.

If that was your beef with 'em, IMO they held up just fine, and for a reasonable period.

Corrosion can happen to ANY rotor. Wish Ford did like Subaru (and others) and have two tapped holes in the rotors to crank in bolts to pop them off the hubs.

 

[mjhpadi]

I don't do tracks or hard braking, this was on a daily driver, that was driven pretty easy, and it's not just the corrosion, but the machined surface of the rotor was actually "eaten" away. No there was never metal to metal contact. For a rotor that was almost 100 per, I don't think it held up at all. Especially considering that both the stock and the EBC rotors after that worked and lasted much longer. Well, the stock rotors did warp which was why the got replaced with the Power Slots. Anyway, I guess my point is that there was no time that these rotors sat unused for more then 1 or 2 days, so there was no reason for corrosion on the braking surface. However, I do understand them corroding to the hub, and the 2 tapped holes would sure make removing the rotors much simpler.

 

[RonPorter]

I don't do tracks or hard braking, this was on a daily driver, that was driven pretty easy, and it's not just the corrosion, but the machined surface of the rotor was actually "eaten" away. No there was never metal to metal contact. For a rotor that was almost 100 per, I don't think it held up at all. Especially considering that both the stock and the EBC rotors after that worked and lasted much longer. Well, the stock rotors did warp which was why the got replaced with the Power Slots. Anyway, I guess my point is that there was no time that these rotors sat unused for more then 1 or 2 days, so there was no reason for corrosion on the braking surface. However, I do understand them corroding to the hub, and the 2 tapped holes would sure make removing the rotors much simpler.

IMO, you are making an assumption that, since you paid ~2X (my guess) the cost of a standard rotor for the privilege of having them put some grooves in them, that they should last longer.

I don't think so!! I'll bet they used a $25 Aimco rotor as the base stock. Not knocking Aimco, I've had those $25 AutoZone rotors on a number of older SHOs, running pads that cost 2x as much per corner.

Unless you like the "bling" of holes and/or slots, but they cheapest rotor you can find at the parts stores. You aren't running NASCAR or a 24-hour endurance race.

And chances are those other rotors weren't warped. 90%+ chance that they had uneven pad deposits, and a cleanup pass (plus some new pads) would have corrected it.

 

[mjhpadi]

And chances are those other rotors weren't warped. 90%+ chance that they had uneven pad deposits, and a cleanup pass (plus some new pads) would have corrected it.

No the stock rotors were warped, the were checked and also recut to bring them back into specs, before they became unusable. Also, in my experience, Ford rotors have a tendency to warp or wear very quickly. Also when the stock rotors were redone, they also had new pads put in the calipers. BTW, I also did not use ceramic pads, they are just too hard IMO and are harder on the rotors then a non-ceramic pad.

 

[mjhpadi]

IMO, you are making an assumption that, since you paid ~2X (my guess) the cost of a standard rotor for the privilege of having them put some grooves in them, that they should last longer.

I will give you that I probably did assume the rotors would last longer then a less expensive rotor, and I have found that some of the less expensive rotors work well and are not having any problems. Lesson learned that more expensive doesn't always mean better. But I did expect a rotor to last more then 30,000 miles.

 

[SHOZ123]

As far as the EBC pads Yellow stuffs are the track pad, Red stuffs are a ceramic pad. I'm a big fan of the Yellow stuffs. Have them all the way around on the Coupe.

 

[RonPorter]

No the stock rotors were warped, the were checked and also recut to bring them back into specs, before they became unusable. Also, in my experience, Ford rotors have a tendency to warp or wear very quickly. Also when the stock rotors were redone, they also had new pads put in the calipers. BTW, I also did not use ceramic pads, they are just too hard IMO and are harder on the rotors then a non-ceramic pad.

Well, folks have called them "warped", but over the years, there is plenty of evidence to show that a street machine, even one with track use, is NOT gonna warp the rotors. Pad deposits have been proven to be the issue by many sources.

Civilian ceramic pads frpm a parts store have so little ceramic in them that they are almost false advertising. Get the $25K true ceramic-pad-and-rotor combos on expensive European cars to get the real thing.

Ceramic in parts-store pads are to keep the dust away from folks who care more about that then how their cars stop.

I'm currently procrastinating from doing the brake job this afternoon on my '89 while I catch up on Forum stuff. New, cheap rotors, with $300+ worth of Carbotech XP track pads going on, as well as Valvoline Synth brake fluid. Yes, they will be harder on the rotors, but I'll but by this time next year the rotors will still be fine when I go to replace them again.

 

[RonPorter]

As far as the EBC pads Yellow stuffs are the track pad, Red stuffs are a ceramic pad. I'm a big fan of the Yellow stuffs. Have them all the way around on the Coupe.

Paul, I had been under the impression (and I believe true at the time) that the Redstuff were similar to Carbotech Panther Plus (now AX6) and Hawk HP4 and Porterfield R4, with Yellowstuff being the ceramic, less-dusty pad.

Seems they have changed the compound to Yellowstuff being as you describe:

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/automotive/yellowstuff_brake_pads/yellowstuff_brake_pads_4000_index.shtml

And it looks like they backed off the Redstuff to be between the Green & Yellow:

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/automotive/redstuff_brake_pads/index.shtml

They now claim Redstuff is the lower dust, but no mention of ceramic in them.

On a side note, I found their comments about their Bluestuff to be VERY interesting:

http://www.ebcbrakes.com/automotive/ebc_disc_pads_for_racing/index.shtml

where they discourage use in single-piston factory brakes, saying that they work best in multi-piston factory or aftermarket calipers.

I may have to revisit EBC in the future. I like the way they think!! Carbotech has also been my favorite for a few years now.

 

[steve142857]

I'll be due to change the pads soon as they start to make a squealing noise... Should I change the pads only or go for the whole package (disc and pads)? How much are we looking at more or less for complete job with improved performance?
Thanks!

 

[SHOZ123]

I think the only other pads I have used Hawks, maybe what ever AutoZone was selling for high performance. They might have been the carbotects. Not impressed at all with the HPS pad.

On the Coupe the EBC Brimbo pads for the rear are for a Subaru WRX and the front is a Lotus Espirit.

EDIT: I should add the carbotechs were on the '93 with stock brakes, rear were fine as is most any pad. The HPS were on my Coupe. On the V8 the OEM Ford pads were my first choice with the OEM calipers. The Yellowstuffs I used with the Mustang GT calipers in front on the '97.

 

[RonPorter]

I'll be due to change the pads soon as they start to make a squealing noise... Should I change the pads only or go for the whole package (disc and pads)? How much are we looking at more or less for complete job with improved performance?
Thanks!

If the rotors look good, just have them do a cleanup pass on them (usually $10-$20). FWIW, I always have a cleanup pass done whenever I change pads. OTOH, I always have two sets of rotors for my cars, to have one set ready.

Get with Kirk @ NESHO, he's doing some upgraded pads for his 2010.