What pads do you use?

[Robinson]

In the past i have tried a fair few pads and found DS2500s to be best all round giving good cold braking and not fading when they got really hot, M1155s weren't as good cold but were very good when hot.

My E30 has some pagid pads of some description fitted at the moment, they don't seem very good on the road, guess i will have to wait and see on track.

But i need to replace the tarox discs, probably going for plain replacements as i will warp them quick anyway. So i need to replace the pads too soon.

What do you use, what can you compare it to, and what is your opinion on the matter?

Cheers
Alex

[handpaper]

Agree with you about DS2500s, my only problem is that they don't seem to last very long - I pretty much killed a set in about 35 'Ring laps
Pagid Yellows (RS29) are awesome, but need to be used with high-quality discs to avoid warping issues (apparently OEM BMW discs are good enough - and only £35 each!)

[Weeman]

Ds3000's front and back for me, and all I can say is WOW! Brakes like a mofo, no fade even after continous ring laps, love em.

[Robinson]

Yeah i tried a fair few pads in my 4 pots on the ring in 2005 and 2006, now i have an E30 i guess i will have to see how it goes.

I might get bmw discs then, can get 30% off as a mate works there

35 ring laps is actually a good effort for pads tbh, lower quality pads would fall apart and also not work anywhere near as well.

Hmmm pagids or DS2500s

got a track day next week so will see how the pagids that are in there fair, although i know the ring is far more demanding on brakes than a 1.4 mile sprint track lol

[Robinson]

Cheers guys BTW

[oldbimmer]

Well, here's my two pence worth...

Firstly, I have ATE powerdiscs, ATE superblue fluid and brand new BMW flexible hoses. I only use my car for trackdays, so my choice of pad generally needs a bit of warming up.

On a recent trackday at Brands Hatch I tried Mintex 1155, which I wasn't too impressed with - they seemed to fade much quicker than expected and would only last 3-4 hard laps before needing a cooldown . I was at Mallory Park a couple of weeks ago and tried EBC Yellow stuff, which seemed to take the punishment all day without a problem. They did however seem to take a long time to bed in though (over 200 miles) - they also seemed to get better after they had been through a few serious heat cycles (i.e they felt better in the afternoon than they did in the morning). They are also relatively good value at around £50.

The only other pads I have tried are the Ferodo DS2000 (in my E36 road car). These are absolutely superb for road use, so I can only assume that the DS2500 and DS3000 would be a great choice for track use (not cheap though!).

[Robinson]

my only problem with EBC products is the amount of pics i have seen of crumbling pads, i know of some serious track dayers who use them just because they are very good value for money, they however replace the discs and pads every few track days as the discs warp and the pads fall apart, they have tried M1166 and 1177s and said the ebc were as good. i'm still not sure.

my e30 sits covered up, only got it recently, i will drive it to and from track days and probably the odd random outing so road performance isn't of great importance. DS2500s at trade price come out to not much more than EBC, maybe £15. so i will probably stick with them.

Will let you know how it goes

[AlpineAde]

EBCs are fine pads as far as I am concerned. There were a couple of issues a few years ago with some dodgy bonding. You can bed pads for the track in no time if you are on track. Check their site for info. 200 miles is something that sounds far more like bedding on/for street. I use Yellows on the front and Greens on the rear and love 'em. Monster stopping power. A lot of the E30 race guys here in Australia use EBC pads (many go for Blues at the front a and get multiple race meetings out of them,

I use ATE Powerdiscs front and OEM rear rotors and AP Racing fluid.

No issue with rotors or pads.

Here's the track bedding procedure for the EBC site:

"Bedding in for trackday or race use …
We remind you there is NO WARRANTY on any EBC product for race use due to the very varying conditions that can be seen. However, care bedding pads in and monitoring wear will get the best from our products.
Most EBC pads including Yellow range pads now have the brake in coating. If possible and using a street based car, fit the pads before the race use and bed in as above for street use. Try to get 200-300 miles urban driving on the pads before racing them. If this is NOT possible and you fit at the track bed like this.
Drive two laps steadily applying the brakes every few seconds and then coast for a full lap without any unnecessary braking to allow pads and rotors to cool down. Drive a third lap applying the brakes slightly harder each time and again drive a cooldown lap. Do NOT pull up and park the car with the brakes red hot, try to let them cool as much as possible before coming to a rest. It is also important to understand that the pads must be geometrically matched to the rotor (flat and parallel) before they will bed in chemically. If you do the above bed in and get violent fade first use you MUST repeat the bedding procedure. We get lots of new customers calling in saying my brakes have faded and when they send a digital the pad is only touching on 70-80% of its surface area. Fade early in a pads life is almost a good thing. It is called GREEN fade and will disappear so if you suffer Green fade (you will notice this by smell), you are on the right path and this is not a negative. If you are getting fade after 20 laps and the pads are part worn, then something else needs looking into such as material choice, bleeding of the system, driving style etc …"

And bedding on the street:

"In Street use situations …
Bedding in when the red EBC surface coating (marked on the pads as Brake In) is applied.
Best procedure is to drive gently avoiding harsh braking unless in an emergency for first 100 miles. In the second 100 miles (up to 200) you can use gently increasing brake pressures when using the brakes.
Only after 200 miles urban driving (not 200 miles on a freeway where brakes are almost unused) should you attempt to apply heavy load and heat to the brakes. To do this final bedding on a QUIET ROAD in safe traffic apply the brakes and slow from 60 to 10 MPH five times in a row. Then drive slowly for a few minutes if safe to do so to allow the brakes to cool. Try to avoid coming to a rest whilst the brakes are heated.
A smell may be noticed from the warm brakes, this is normal. Repeat this procedure a second time after the brakes have TOTALLY cooled down. EBC pads get better with miles. Even after this bed in procedure it can take up to 1500 miles before the pads are at their best. In the meantime the pads will be good and safe but true potential not realised. EBC makes performance pads that last, they do not bed in within 5 minutes driving. Noises will be more likely during the first 1000-1500 miles use whilst this chemical bedding takes place."

Taken from: http://www.ebcbrakes.com/assets/typicalq%26a.html

Mind you, this is my opinion only, YMMV, etc., etc. I have had NO issues with EBC pads and would recommend them without reserve.