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Old 09-09-2009, 11:13 AM   #1
J Ritt
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Default Article: How to Choose Street and Track Brake Pads

Hi Guys,
I wanted to post a link to an article I recently wrote about how to choose street and track brake pads. I know this has always been a popular topic on this forum, and one that creates a lot of confusion.

This is NOT an article promoting a specific brand or brands. It is intended to lay out the thought processes and variables that go into choosing a pad for any street or track condition.

As a representative for some of the top brake manufacturers in the aftermarket for the past 7 years, I've had the chance to address this topic in countless conversations with customers online, over the phone, or in person. Until now though, I've never had the time to pull my thoughts together and present them in a cohesive manner.

My hope is that this article will prevent some of the repetitive "what are the best brake pads?" questions we've all seen a million times. With a fundamental understanding of this topic in hand, we can hopefully elevate future conversations on this topic to a higher, more productive level.

I'd post the article here in its entirety, but it would probably take me 20 posts!

Thanks and enjoy: CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE
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Last edited by Scooby921; 11-12-2009 at 04:42 PM.
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Old 09-09-2009, 02:02 PM   #2
Scooby921
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Fantastic article!!! I read through the article pretty quickly...its pretty much everything we all try to explain whenever anyone asks about brake pads.

Will this article be hosted on that website long-term? If not I'd love to get a copy of it to host elsewhere so its always available to the members of this forum who are looking for brake and pad information. Or if you don't mind me copying and pasting I'll just create its own thread and take care of those 20 or so posts necessary to post it all...and sticky it at the top of the page for all to see.
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Old 09-09-2009, 03:49 PM   #3
J Ritt
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Thanks Scooby921. I appreciate the feedback. I put some hours in writing that thing, so I'm really glad it will be of assistance to forum members.

The article will remain on the Essex site, so no worries. Also, I'm working on some other brake-related material as well...stay tuned. Thanks again.
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Old 09-09-2009, 04:05 PM   #4
ProDarwin
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Good read.

Somewhat on topic: When a pad manufacturer lists the material as "composite" (i.e. Hawk HPS on Tire Rack), what are they referring to?
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Old 09-09-2009, 05:54 PM   #5
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This is a damn fantastic article. Thank you '921 or whoever stuck this. Definitely worth the read.
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Old 09-09-2009, 08:14 PM   #6
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Great Article, just started autocrossing. Answered many questions I've been asking in my head...
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Old 09-09-2009, 09:58 PM   #7
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Thanks for the writeup. I've worked through many of the same points by considering information from a variety of threads on several forums, and it's good to see it put together coherently in one place.

I've come across what may come close to being the universal pad we'd almost all like to have. I'm now running PosiQuiet semi-metallics, and they're flat amazing. They're quiet (squeaked once during initial break-in) and dust moderately (black, but wipes off easily), have good hot and cold bite and a relatively constant coefficient of friction. They do require conditioning; the maker "scorches" them, but I got a lot of smoke during the first few hard stops; however, the bite was good out of the box. They may not stand up to full-on track use, but there was no detectable fade after six back-to-back 65-5 mph stops. Best of all, they're inexpensive - not much more than OEM-replacement organic pads. I'm happy with them to say the least.
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Old 09-09-2009, 11:02 PM   #8
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awesome dictation
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Old 09-11-2009, 02:35 PM   #9
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Thanks for the positive feedback guys...glad you're enjoying it!
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Old 09-11-2009, 04:55 PM   #10
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Sweet Write up!!
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Old 09-15-2009, 12:00 AM   #11
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Thanks, i am now more educated.

Quick Question... as a spirited non track driver, i recently, as in tonite upgraded my 93 leg turbo to 04 wrx stock fronts with 04 wrx stoptech slotted rears with hawk hps pads.
i'm thinking of new pads all around. do hawk pads have good cold bite, hp or hps?

i'd hate to hit the brakes hard on the highway on some semi metallic pads with no cold bite.

I'm also wanting a bit more rear bias, maybe i want different pads front and rear?

Thanks, much appreciated.
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Old 09-15-2009, 01:46 AM   #12
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Nice article... we really need the next step though... categorizing the pads available on the market with the categories listed in the article. Otherwise, we just have to decifer the brake pad manufacturer's marketing.
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Old 09-16-2009, 09:29 AM   #13
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Joynt93,

HP+ on the front of your car will give you substantially more bite than HPS. That said, you'll also have a lot more noise and dust with the HP+. If you're looking at these two compounds, you need to decide which of these traits are more important to you. Do you want less noise, less dust, and less bite...or do you want more noise, more dust, and more bite. That's the situation with those two pads.

As for front and rear bias, why do you want more rear bias if you're only driving on the street? Usually you would only want more rear bias if you were trail braking into corners and trying to get the car to rotate.

If you really do like the feel of more rear brake, I'd suggest going with the same pad compound front and rear (in this case, HP+ both front and rear). If you like a slightly more stable feel under braking, go with a more aggressive compound in the front (HP+), and a slightly less aggressive compound in the rear (HPS).

You definitely do not want too much bias shifted to the rear, which puts the car in an unstable situation...which means that the rear end can swap ends with the front (spin). The back end will dance all over the place under heavy braking. On your car you could get away with HPS front/HP+ rear without any major issues (car will still be front biased overall under braking due to drivetrain/engine layout/brake rotor diameters & piston sizes), but for what you're doing, I don't think that's the setup you'll enjoy.

Stick with the same compound front and rear, or slightly less bite in the back and you'll be happier I think.
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Old 09-17-2009, 10:49 AM   #14
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Just wanted to say thank you for the excellent write up.

Very educational...definitely saved me some pain/$$$ in the future.

edit: Let us know when the brake rotor section is completed as well
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Old 09-22-2009, 09:53 AM   #15
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Great article and perfect timing. Just had my first track event and my brake pads (or lack thereof) were a hot topic. Thanks!
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Old 09-30-2009, 10:35 AM   #16
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That article is perfect!!!! Except now I have to weigh in my options and decide what to get....Apparently I fall under the DD & Aggressive Street Driver (probably like most wrx owners) So I should choose sintered or semi-metallic, but they both wear the rotors faster, and sti rotors aren't necessarily cheap

Last edited by ed10; 09-30-2009 at 10:41 AM.
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Old 10-11-2009, 04:59 PM   #17
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this is a good write up
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Old 11-09-2009, 03:59 PM   #18
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Its been brought to my attention that the link isn't currently working. I'll see what I can do to contact J Ritt and get the link fixed or the article copy and pasted into here.
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Old 11-12-2009, 04:35 PM   #19
J Ritt
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Hi Guys,
We migrated to a new server. I apologize for the inconvenience for those who have tried to view the old link! The article has a new home here:

http://www.essexparts.com/learning-c...ose-brake-pads

Also, I'll be putting out some cool new video content in the next week or two. I think you guys are really going to enjoy it.
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Old 12-21-2009, 09:48 AM   #20
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Thanks J Ritt. That is a large amount of very helpful information. I hope some day I will actually get to use some of it. As of right now I am sitting on stock everything, but enjoy throwing my car around canyon and other deserted curvy roads. I haven't ever pushed my brakes to the point that I have felt any type of brake fade, but maybe someday I'll sprout big enough balls to push her to a point that I will need better brakes.

Yes, when I get to that point I will make sure that I do it in a controlled environment ie. track day, driving classes.

Hal
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Old 01-22-2010, 06:53 PM   #21
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Awesome article! It gave me a better perspective on what to look for in brakes based on the type of driving I do.
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Old 01-22-2010, 10:53 PM   #22
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def awesome article
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Old 01-28-2010, 07:02 PM   #23
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Thanks a lot defiantly helpful article.
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Old 02-01-2010, 12:33 PM   #24
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It sured helped me! After reading some info, I've decided to try changing my brake pads to ceramic to help the noise issue in my STI. Thanks!
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Old 02-24-2010, 11:29 PM   #25
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Great post! Getting ready to change the brakes on my car for the first time and now I know what I am looking for! Thanks!
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