Brake Review/Opinion Database

[TRex]

As a companion to the brake database I wanted to collect everyone's thoughts and opinions on their brake setups to help others make choices. Please fill out form below and add anything else that you see pertinent.

Year
Mileage
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect)
Current Rotors (Front/Rear)
Current Pads (Front/Rear)
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?)
Impressions (try to compare to last set)
Last set
Life of last set (in mileage if possible)
Driving Style
Tracked?
Other comments

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 2009
Mileage 26K
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) 1st
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) OEM
Current Pads (Front/Rear) OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes (I would like to hope so anyway)
Impressions (try to compare to last set if applicable) Overall I feel the OEM setup is stellar on this car. Good bite and braking power. Only downside is short life and lots of dust.
Last set N/A
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) N/A
Driving Style Spirited, highway accelerations followed by heavy braking to avoid the po po
Tracked? Not yet
Other comments OEM front set is on its way out, starting to get squealing and pad is worn down very far, I would say they lasted very well given my driving style

[Design]

I'll bite.

Year 2009
Mileage 50,000
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) 2nd (fronts)
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) OEM
Current Pads (Front/Rear) OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes
Impressions (try to compare to last set) Widest operating temp I've driven to date. Good initial bite with consistent grip as you apply pedal pressure. Little to no brake fade under spirited driving. Previous comparisons include driving MS3's with EBC Green and Hawk HPS on OEM rotors.
Last set OEM
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 42-45K
Driving Style Moderate
Tracked? Yes, but only 1-2/yr
Other comments Changing out the pads I noticed an immediate loss in brake feel. Pedal traveled further to the ground in order to stop, although braking performance remained unchanged. Some pedal firmness returned as the brakes adhered to the new rotors. After having several "pros" evaluate the condition I'm told it's normal.

[dkapetansky]

Year 2007
Mileage 26,000
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, etc.) 2nd (front)
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) Rotora/OEM
Current Pads (Front/Rear) Carbotech Bobcat/OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes
Impressions (try to compare to last set) Completely silent operation, pads polish rotors rather than scoring them, almost invisible brake dust, no observable fade, initial bite slightly less than OEM but very livable.
Last set OEM
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 21K, but replaced at my convenience, not when worn out.
Driving Style Moderate DD
Tracked? Never
Other comments None

[magicka]

Year: 2009
Mileage: 42900
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect): 1st
Current Rotors (Front/Rear): OEM/OEM
Current Pads (Front/Rear): OEM/OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?): Yes
Impressions (try to compare to last set): Dusty, but otherwise very good. In the last 1,000 miles or so there's been an occasional squeak from the rear, but I've still got plenty of wear left.
Last set: N/A
Life of last set (in mileage if possible): N/A
Driving Style: Way too much highway, not enough fun. Hope that changes soon.
Tracked?: No
Other comments:

[obijack]

Year:2009
Mileage:48,356
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect):1st
Current Rotors (Front/Rear):OEM
Current Pads (Front/Rear):OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?)Yes at least 50 miles
Impressions (try to compare to last set):Same stopping power as when new.
Last set
Life of last set (in mileage if possible)
Driving Style:slow, until a nice race or corner presents itself.
Tracked?: No
Other comments: Have a minor squeak when stopping. Very infrequent, maybe one out of ten red lights, have not been able to put a pattern together to identify the squeak. My brake pads get checked every oil change. SHIT TON OF BRAKE DUST!

[Nliiitend1]

Year - 2008

Mileage - ~40,000

No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) - 3rd Front; 2nd Rear

Current Rotors (Front/Rear) - OEM (2nd front set; 1st rear set)

Current Pads (Front/Rear) - Hawk HPS (front & rear)

Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) - Of course!

Impressions (try to compare to last set) - Slightly less initial bit than OEM, but they hold up at least as well to abuse and dust WAAAAAY less than OEM, while providing good feel/modulation at the limit. The fact that they cost less than OEM is a plus too.

Last set - OEM; Hawk HPS

Life of last set (in mileage if possible) - I got ~14K miles out of the OEM fronts and ~30K out of the OEM rears. The first set of HPS fronts lasted me about ~16K miles (though they had less open track time on them than the first OEM set). I'd say they hold up comparably to OEM.

Driving Style - I use my brakes.

Tracked? - Yes

Other comments - If I tracked on a more regular basis or tracked the car with R-comps, I'd definitely go with something a bit more aggressive for the track, but I find the HPS to be almost perfect for the street, yet perfectly capable of handling the occasional track abuse.

[meelo88]

Year: 2007
Mileage:34,780
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect): 2nd Full Set
Current Rotors (Front/Rear): Centric Premium
Current Pads (Front/Rear): Hawks HPS
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?): Yes
Impressions (try to compare to last set): May still need some breaking in time, but the stopping is smoother just not as quick as OEM.
Last set: OEM/OEM
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 34,780 (Had a fair amount left actually, but eh)
Driving Style: Generally tame, spirited driving every so often
Tracked? No, not yet
Other comments: Nothing right now

[Graham]

Year 2007
Mileage 34000
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) 3rd front 3rd rear
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) Nitrac Grooved Discs/OEM
Current Pads (Front/Rear) Ferodo DS2500/OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes
Impressions (try to compare to last set) Superb. Couldn't be any happier with the setup, just discs are a problem really as I just seem to ruin them but these seem ok so far (done 2k miles)
Last set Same except with standard front discs, they were awful and the discs lasted 3k miles before being cracked, even though there was no wear on the lip.
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 3000.
Driving Style Fast when I need to be, I like to make use of my brakes at times
Tracked? Loads.
Other comments: I would like a big brake setup to be more openly available for a not too ridiculous price.

[event]

Originally Posted by meelo88 Year: 2007 Mileage:34,780 No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect): 2nd Full Set Current Rotors (Front/Rear): Centric Premium Current Pads (Front/Rear): Hawks HPS Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?): Yes Impressions (try to compare to last set): May still need some breaking in time, but the stopping is smoother just not as quick as OEM. Last set: OEM/OEM Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 34,780 (Had a fair amount left actually, but eh) Driving Style: Generally tame, spirited driving every so often Tracked? No, not yet Other comments: Nothing right now

Supposedly there is a coating on the centric rotors that inhibit rust formation. Hawk has said that their pads dont like that coating. I installed my Hawk pads 300 miles ago, and after bedding they had very little initial bite. Each day they have gotten better though. You just need to burn off that coating for the pads to work properly. Alternatively, you could sandpaper the rotors. I'm just going to let nature work its course and let the coating burn off naturally. I have the same setup as you and the brakes feel great now. Very progressive pedal feel and easy to modulate braking speed.

[Buck D System]

Sorry, but what do you mean by `centric`, and my car has 27,000 m on it now, is there still some coating, I don`t understand how that could be.

[Nliiitend1]

Originally Posted by Buck D System Sorry, but what do you mean by `centric`, and my car has 27,000 m on it now, is there still some coating, I don`t understand how that could be.

Reading comprehension fail.

He wasn't quoting you...

[magicka]

Originally Posted by Buck D System Sorry, but what do you mean by `centric`, and my car has 27,000 m on it now, is there still some coating, I don`t understand how that could be.

Centric Premium is the brand of rotors event and meelo88 have.

You have OEM rotors. No coating, no worries.

[TRex]

^wow you go through them fast, must be a result of the tracking haha

[Graham]

I do go through them real fast, it annoys me so much. Just have the problem that being in the UK everything has to be imported = high cost. So I tried a new company here in the UK which cryogenically freezes discs which is supposed to prevent cracking/warping. Fingers crossed they work this time, or I'm going to have to find a big brake kit!

[Buck D System]

2010 MS3 : Signed up fro my 1st track day with this car at the end of April at Mosport International Raceway, been tracking Rsx Type S and 4 BMWs for the past 10 years. Want to change OEM pads before I go. Something for daily use but will not fade too much at the track.
What should I go with

[TRex]

it has been said many times...but oem pads = best pads (in terms of bite)

too bad about the centric rotors and hawk pads...was going to try that set up...might go with stock pads and centric rotors instead...

you sure the coating isn't just the packing goo?

i will give centric a call tomorrow and ask them how they differ...i didnt expect there to be much variation between blank rotors....while we are on the topic is there anything particularly special about the oem rotors?

ok did some reading...centric rotors have what is called an e-coating, e-coating is basically eletromagnetic painting...and for the centric rotors only applies to the black painted part...not the rotor face (http://www.brakewarehouse.com/centric_e_coating.asp)

think about it...why need special protection for the rotor face? it is constantly being worn away due to brake application

[event]

Originally Posted by TRex it has been said many times...but oem pads = best pads (in terms of bite) too bad about the centric rotors and hawk pads...was going to try that set up...might go with stock pads and centric rotors instead... you sure the coating isn't just the packing goo? i will give centric a call tomorrow and ask them how they differ...i didnt expect there to be much variation between blank rotors....while we are on the topic is there anything particularly special about the oem rotors? ok did some reading...centric rotors have what is called an e-coating, e-coating is basically eletromagnetic painting...and for the centric rotors only applies to the black painted part...not the rotor face (Centric Parts - Brake Rotors Black Electrocoating / E-coating) think about it...why need special protection for the rotor face? it is constantly being worn away due to brake application

Yes, I used brake cleaner to get the machining oil off the rotors. The GeoMet coating doesn't like Ferro-carbon pads, I guess, according to this thread: Fourtitude.com - Attention!! Hawk hps initial bite issue

they recommend sanding with 120grit before installing the rotors. The coating will wear off eventually.

[TRex]

Originally Posted by event Yes, I used brake cleaner to get the machining oil off the rotors. The GeoMet coating doesn't like Ferro-carbon pads, I guess, according to this thread: Fourtitude.com - Attention!! Hawk hps initial bite issue they recommend sanding with 120grit before installing the rotors. The coating will wear off eventually.

oo didnt see anything about GeoMet...i will have to read up on that

what about Hawks ceramic pads?...typically i have heard that semi-metalic>ceramic in the fact that abrasive stopping power > adhesion stopping power....thoughts?...you think the ceramic pads would perform better with the GeoMet?

it is strange that Hawk would say that their pads won't do good with GeoMet coating...when their own rotors also have GeoMet coating

more info: WHAT IS GEOMET®?

GEOMET® is a proprietary water-based coating dispersion containing metal oxides, metallic zinc and aluminum flakes. The zinc and aluminum platelets align in multiple layers forming a metallic silver-gray coating. Applied as a liquid, the coating becomes totally inorganic after curing at 575-600° F (300-315°C).

http://www.buybrakes.com/hawk/rotors.html

here is another bit of info stating that their is no significant difference with the geomet coating....but then again it is a product brochure http://www.metal-coatings.com/pdf/Ge...orBrochure.pdf

[event]

Originally Posted by TRex oo didnt see anything about GeoMet...i will have to read up on that what about Hawks ceramic pads?...typically i have heard that semi-metalic>ceramic in the fact that abrasive stopping power > adhesion stopping power....thoughts?...you think the ceramic pads would perform better with the GeoMet? it is strange that Hawk would say that their pads won't do good with GeoMet coating...when their own rotors also have GeoMet coating more info: WHAT IS GEOMET®? GEOMET® is a proprietary water-based coating dispersion containing metal oxides, metallic zinc and aluminum flakes. The zinc and aluminum platelets align in multiple layers forming a metallic silver-gray coating. Applied as a liquid, the coating becomes totally inorganic after curing at 575-600° F (300-315°C). http://www.buybrakes.com/hawk/rotors.html here is another bit of info stating that their is no significant difference with the geomet coating....but then again it is a product brochure http://www.metal-coatings.com/pdf/Ge...orBrochure.pdf

Well it rained last night and when I woke up my rotors were covered in rust. I am confident that the GeoMet coating is 90% gone now, and it hasnt even been 500 miles. I wouldn't worry about avoiding the ferro-carbon pads. Break in is a little longer or you could sand the rotors before you install them. If you want ceramic pads and are willing to put up with ceramic's drawbacks, get them because you want ceramic pads, not because of the increased break-in time of the ferro-carbon which surface preparation can prevent.

Honestly though, even after the geomet coating is gone, I've noticed that initial bite may actually be less than OEM, but the increased stopping power that can very easily be modulated precisely is absolutely worth the decreased initial bite. The pedal feels awesome now. I am very satisfied with these pads. I can't yet say anything about dusting, because I have yet to wash my wheels since the brake job.

[Nliiitend1]

Originally Posted by TRex it has been said many times...but oem pads = best pads (in terms of bite) too bad about the centric rotors and hawk pads...was going to try that set up...might go with stock pads and centric rotors instead... you sure the coating isn't just the packing goo? i will give centric a call tomorrow and ask them how they differ...i didnt expect there to be much variation between blank rotors....while we are on the topic is there anything particularly special about the oem rotors? ok did some reading...centric rotors have what is called an e-coating, e-coating is basically eletromagnetic painting...and for the centric rotors only applies to the black painted part...not the rotor face (Centric Parts - Brake Rotors Black Electrocoating / E-coating) think about it...why need special protection for the rotor face? it is constantly being worn away due to brake application

The reason I went with OEM over Centric is because there were some guys real early on who complained about some manufacturing defects with Centrics being a problem (specifically, some of the rotor vanes weren't cast properly and were "closed off," leading to premature part wear/runout issues).

I just didn't want to take any chances.

[meelo88]

wow interesting...i will say i agree that it doesn't bit as hard initially but then again i haven't put a whole lot of miles on my car and generally i only tap the brakes on my normal routes.

I guess i'll have to burn them down a bit more to see if the initial bite gets better..

Thanks for the heads up!

[mtlms3]

I just bought rotors from Brake Rotors Discs Pads Brakes Cross Drilled & Slotted. I am not sure how they will work but they look great. I will be installing them with EBC red stuff pads. After their break-in I will write a review.

In the mean time, has anybody else bought rotors from brakeperformance.com? If yes, what is your experience with them?

[TRex]

got a response from Hawk Regarding the GeoMet coating


Matt,

Thank you for the good question. I reviewed the thread you sent and my response concerning the GeoMet coating is that a black 7 white answer is not applicable here. Manufacturers who have quality control in place and place a consistent amount of GeoMet coating onto the disc (avoiding overspraying) will not require sanding down of the coating. The pads will do the work for you during the bed-in process. At times there are issues with brakes that are difficult to conquer and all variables need addressed. In this case, it appears Justin went through all of the other possibilities to address and finally concluded that perhaps the coating could have been the issue.

Regards,

Jerry DeMarino
Director
Hawk performance
6180 Cochran Road
Solon, OH 44139

(original email)
Hello, I was looking install new pads and rotors and have centered on Centric blank rotors and Hawk HPS (semi-metallic)pads. During my research I came across a possible problem between Ferro-Metallic pads and the GeoMet coating found on the Centric pads. On my forum (www.mazdaspeedforum.org/forum) I was pointed to this thread (Fourtitude.com - Attention!! Hawk hps initial bite issue) regarding issues between HPS pads and rotors with GeoMet coating. I went on to read several pieces of info regarding GeoMet coating and was assured that it DOES NOT interfere with braking ability. I also found that Hawk branded rotors also come with the GeoMet coating and figured why would Hawk state there is an issue between their pads and GeoMet rotors when their own rotors are also GeoMet?

So my question, is there and issue with running your semi-metallic compound pads on GeoMet rotors? Should they be sanded down prior to installation? Would proper bedding be all that is neccessary to remove the GeoMet from the friction area?

Thanks for the info


tl;dr version: if the rotor manufacturer is doing a good job, it shouldnt be an issue

[TRex]

Year 2009
Mileage 29K
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) 2nd in front
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) Hawk HPS/OEM
Current Pads (Front/Rear) Centric/OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes
Impressions (try to compare to last set if applicable) As many have said it lacks the initial bite that is very prominent in the oem set up. However, the braking power is great. Smooth and fast stops. Dust has been cut down as well.
Last set OEM
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 29k
Driving Style Spirited, highway accelerations followed by heavy braking to avoid the po po
Tracked? Not yet
Other comments
edit 7-7-11 had an emergency stop today....they really came through with flying colors....great bite...great response...stopped way ahead the other car that went into the intersection....great set of pads

[spin-ms3]

Good idea. Here's my take:
(Sorry for the long response...)

Year 2007
Mileage 48,000
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) 2nd set in Front, 1st in Rear
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) OEM Front(2nd set)/OEM Rear (1st Set)
Current Pads (Front/Rear) OEM/OEM
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) I sure hope so...
Impressions (try to compare to last set)
The current pads (new in front, original from the dealer in the rear) are working well - good modulation, smooth feel, quiet, and good initial bite. Brake dust is noticeable, but not excessive.
It seems like the new set requires a bit more pedal pressure when braking - I suspect due to the chamfers (?) in the new pads.

I am very happy with the OEM pads/rotors, overall.

Note: I installed the front pads (along with new OEM rotors) about 3k miles ago. The rears are the original pads/rotors that came with the car when new, and still have about 50% material left.

Last set
OEM from the factory.
The first set of front pads were pretty much worn down to <10%, after about 45k miles, and had developed a lot of brake pedal pulsing (warping?) The front rotors had worn pretty significantly, too. So I replaced the front pads and rotors. The original rears pads and rotors, however, are still going on strong - about 50% pad material is still left, so I have not replaced them

Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 45k miles front, 48k miles and still counting in the rear.
Driving Style City and freeway, not too spirited
Tracked? Nope
Other comments
The OEM pads and rotors work very well for our kind of driving (daily driving, city/freeway.) It is interesting that the rears didn't wear much at all, relative to the fronts. Not a bad thing - I just had to replace the front pads and rotors 45k miles, which saved me some money.

It seems the OEM pad compound is somewhat aggressive, and thus, rotors tend to wear down along with the pads themselves. I am expecting having to change rotors every time I replace the pads. Not necessarily a bad thing; just something to plan ahead for.

BTW, the "official" bedding procedure for OEM seems to be "drive easy for the first 500 miles." I could not find any good/solid instructions from Mazda. However, my first drive after installing the front pads involved doing about ten 60mph-10mph braking runs to get the new pads warmed up, followed by a cool down drive (freeway) for 15 miles. I then drove easy for the first 500 miles. Seems to have worked fine.

Again, I am very happy with the OEM pad. I'll probably stick with this pad/rotor combo for a while.

[TRex]

^hmm if i were doing oem again i would use the same bedding process as hawk

[VRed MS6]

Year 2006
Mileage 69752
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) 2nd Front, 1st rear
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) StopTech
Current Pads (Front/Rear) EBC red
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes, definitely
Impressions (try to compare to last set) Much less dust than OEM
Last set OEM
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) 40K
Driving Style Sprited (w/o kids in car)
Tracked? No
Other comments

[MATT DAMOND]

For Daily Driving:

Year 2006 MS6
Mileage 74k-2k on pads
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) I think no 3
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) Centric Blanks
Current Pads (Front/Rear) OEM Pads
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes
Impressions (try to compare to last set) Better initial bite than the HPS pads. Great linear pedal feel. More dust than HPS
Last set Hawk HPS
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) Only ran for 15-20k miles, 50% of pad left
Driving Style Sprinted, hard on the brakes.
Tracked Not on these
Other comments I always recommend the OEM pads for anyone looking for a great brake pad, and willing to put up with the dust. I personally hated the initial bite of the HPS Pads, and I was able to get the HPS's to fade at a lower temp than the OEM compound.


For tracking:

Year 2006 MS6
Mileage 74k-1k on pads
No. of brake set (1st, 2nd, ect) 1st
Current Rotors (Front/Rear) OEM Blanks
Current Pads (Front/Rear) Carbotech XP12/Carbotech XP10
Properly bedded (yes, no, wait what?) Yes, it was fun
Impressions (try to compare to last set) Amazing initial bite when cold. Extremely good bite when hot. Great linear pedal feel, and feedback. Zero fade. Tons of dust, and sounded like a freight train.
Last set N/A
Life of last set (in mileage if possible) N/A
Driving Style Road Track, HPDE style
Tracked Yes, 2 times
Other comments For tracking, these Carbotech pads were well worth the money. The car felt very controllable under braking, with these, Nitto NT05's, and my old suspension set-up. Bedding in requires track time(or a 20min trip on the highway with a lot of braking lol). Also, they have a pretty decent amount of life in them.


Here's a pic after bedding in the Carbotechs(20miles) lol: