ADirtyLegacy Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Obviously, that was NOT funny..anyway, I have found some EBC Greenstuff Pads for my '02 LGT. Anybody have any feedback on these? I'm looking to purchase soon and am open to other pads. I just need to make a choice soon. Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Kenda, did you see the brake pad thread I responded to B4_Maniac? Anyways, I never liked EBC Green, not much of a performing pad, it's like a last-resort kind of pad that is just slightly above stock pads. Look into Porterfield, Pagid, Ferodo, Carbotech and some of the JDM pads. I have a sponsorship with Carbotech and have nothing but good things with 4 of their pad types. I'll find the thread for you on the pads and put the link here on my post. [url]http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4617[/url] Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 Thanks resident guru! I checked out the other post and I'm going to call on Porterfield and Pagid b/c I didn't see any prices on their site (unless i over looked them!). I'm really not looking for super high performance as I don't auto-x, so I'm trying to keep it under $100 for a set of fronts and under a $100 for a set of rears. Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I have a set of Porterfield R4-S pads on my GF's Mazda6, and they are a good street performance pad. On the plus side they have great bite and fade resistance. On the negative side, they are noisier, seem to wear the rotors signifigantly more than the stock pads, and are pretty dusty (although better in that respect than the dust monster stock pads!). They also lacked squeel tabs, so you have to check your pads often to make sure you are getting even wear and you don't get to the point where you score your rotors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 [quote name='ADirtyLegacy']Thanks resident guru! I checked out the other post and I'm going to call on Porterfield and Pagid b/c I didn't see any prices on their site (unless i over looked them!). I'm really not looking for super high performance as I don't auto-x, so I'm trying to keep it under $100 for a set of fronts and under a $100 for a set of rears. Kenda[/QUOTE] Funny, cuz if you are looking for the higher street performance, Auto-x type brakes are EXACTLY what you are looking for (high friction coeff. and zero-warm up tempetures).. of course, there are higher operating temp brake pads, but most street pads need to be around 0 degrees F to 500 degree F for street use. That's where a good pad will come into play for street use. In autocrossing, there is no place for "brake/tire warmup" so the car has to be able to perform from a cold start. Unlike track pads, they operate with a higher temperature range and they do need some heat in them to work properly. Some as much as 200 F for starting and can withstand heat up to 1600 F. If you happen to be a fast(er) driver on the road and tend to jam on the brakes or at least do 7/10ths worth of braking (like me) you'll also want a pad that can withstand all those heat cycles to prevent the pad from glazing over (overheat) and becoming as slick as ice. Most Autox pads have a higher fade resistance and as well as glaze resistance. Another way to battle the glazing problem is having slotted rotors (the grooves in slotted rotors to peel away the layer of the pad material to prevent the surface from glazing). Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I also forgot to mention, swap out your brake fluid for better higher WET boiling temperature brake fluid.. I was able to boil my stock brake fluid under 2 autocross events. The pedal will feel very mushy, but the car stops just fine.. you'll know when you boiled the fluid, you'll have to use more effort on the pedal and push further to stop the same amount of distance. My choice is ATE Super Blue (or ATE Super Yellow for the other color, same stuff, just different color to know when the old brake fluid is flushed out and and the new fluid is in, hence the color change). A Bottle of Super Blue can change out all 4 corners and top it off. A cost of a bottle can be anywhere from $10 to $15. If you want to know what is the better stuff (but I think it's a waste of money for folks that dont race or track the car) would be Castrol SRF ($80/bottle). I also change my brake fluid out every 6 months or before every track event. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 I was definately gonna upgrade the fluid. I will look into the ATE fluid. Since I am a "safely fast" driver, I will have to reconsider pad choice. Thanks for all the advice...I will continue to research. Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 So, after some researching (ok i sent an email) i think i'm going to opt for some CarboTech Bobats (since I can get them shipped for free!!). Now to find a place to get them installed!! Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkkwan Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Kenda - Subaru brakes pads are very easy to swap. It's pretty hard to screw up. There are at least a few posts on this forum or nasioc.com about how to do it. Don't waste money to have somebody do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 Oh i know it's easy to do. I did it on my honda when i had it (damn those theives..yes i'm still bitter!), but I don't have the space (apt. complex) or range of tools. plus i want to get the rotors turned (yeah i know 'buy new ones!', but damn i JUST got my job..not trying to dump my entire paycheck on the car....yet!). Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 why do you need your rotors turned?! Anyways, all you need is a 14mm ratchet to get the one bolt undone.. you can even use your scissor jack to get the car off the ground. A travel set of tools from Craftsman cost me only $25 (metric from 8mm to 16mm with 3/8" ratchet and screwdriver bits). Worth the price of investing in tools instead of paying someone to do it, especially when you have the money and knowledge to do the work yourself. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkkwan Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 That's right. Just a 14mm ratchet to get that one bolt. I also usually have a can of brake cleaner, some lube for the new pads/clips, and also a clamp to push the pistons back. And while I had jackstands before, now I just use the scissor jack. But that's it. I'd suggest you only get your rotors turned if it's really necessary. Each time they do it, they take out a few mm of your rotors - decreasing the usable thickness of them significantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 figured i'd turn the rotors since i bought the car used and don't know how agressive the previous owner was. i know im moderately agressive (damn you people in this town that cut me off going 40mph!) and also b/c i'm over 50k and on the original pads still and can hear the indicator when i apply the brakes. i was gonna get them checked to see if i needed them turned when i get an oil change, but if the rotors don't need to be turned then i'll forgo it. i guess i should have been more clear...i have a tool box with sockets, rachets, screw drivers, wrenches, etc; i just don't have an impact (to take lugs off), a torque wrench (to put lugs back on), or jack stands. i'll try and see if i can get in the shop at my old school or either a shop up the road and do it myself. Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkkwan Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Kenda - If you still have the original pads on the car, then the previous owner cannot be using the brakes too hard. As I mentioned in my Barber thread on the motorsport forum, I used up about 45% of the pads in 2 track days - about 250 miles - and I wasn't even braking hard. But the OEM pads are very gentle on the rotors, and the rotors still look smooth and new. Unless you're getting vibration, I seriously doubt you'll need to have them cut. It's a totally different story with other brake pads. I used Porterfields R4 on the track, and after a couple of event, you can SEE and FEEL the part of the rotor that indented - which was in contact with the pads. And I was throwing out rotors almost as frequently as brake pads. It's totally not like that with the OEM pads, even if you brake hard. Anyways, I think a torque wrench is a must have for all car enthusiasts. I always retorque mine every time I know anybody has touched my wheels. So many shops just use impact wrench on them, and totally over-torque the lugs.l Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 14, 2004 Author Share Posted December 14, 2004 very interesting guys. thanks for the info. as far as turning the rotors, i do have a vibration at braking and i didn't know if new pads alone would fix that...like the new tires fixed the vibes at highway speed. only thing is that i want to have this done be4 i hit the road to GA for Christmas (sometime next week), but the only day i have free to do the work is this coming Sunday and i usually like to have a spare free day in case something goes wrong, ya know? i don't mean to sound like i'm giving excuses left and right, but i would really hate to tear it all down and then something goes wrong and have no time to fix it. either way if i do it or not, i will invest in an impact and a torque wrench and some jackstands by mid Jan. so I can start doing my own tire rotations. i gave up most of my tools when i moved off to college and was renting apts. i will be building them up again!! Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 the vibration that someone else had on the boards while braking came from the defective metal pad retainer clips. The dealer swapped it out for him and he's working fine now. You might have that same problem, might as well check out all the possibilities. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 14, 2004 Author Share Posted December 14, 2004 thanks again. something i will ask about. can u pick up the ATE brake fluid at a parts store or does it have to be ordered onlne? and how many bottles is recommended for a system flush? Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkkwan Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 I've usually ordered my ATE fluids (both Blue and Gold) online, but I've also bought them from a BMW-tuner in Massachusettes when I was living up in New England. Try local German car tuners. But online ordering will be cheaper. I think I usually pay about $10-11 per can (a liter), plus shipping. If you just do a simple flush, it should take less than a liter. But I'd recommend you get two cans, just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 you can order ATE Super Blue and Gold here at [url]www.ogracing.com[/url] since I am sponsored by them and I get them at cost. You shouldnt pay more than $15 a bottle, and it comes in 1-litre bottles, which you only need 1-litre to flush the whole system and still have some remaining. You can try and check local stores, but normally they wont carry it. The typical car stores carry those pint sizes, which you need like 3 to 4 bottles to do a full flush and top off. 2 bottles of ATE 1-litre is a LOT. You should be to bleed it with one bottle and have leftovers. Oh yea, dont use any fluid after it has been open for more than a couple of weeks old, most likely it has already absorbed moisture from the air and it will be a worthless brake fluid. PS. since I drive and use the brakes that much, I always have 3 bottles of blue and 3 bottles of gold in the garage. I always take a bottle with me to the track in case I need to flush it out. I bring all my brake tools with me. Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franklin Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 FYI As for the EBC Greenstuf pads I had some on another car and the brake dust on the wheels was Zero ! I was never too hard with the brakes but this feature ( no dust) really did work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 It really comes down to how you drive the car when it comes to brake dust, of course some compounds will dust more than others. I have driven with pads that say they have no/low dusting, but I still manage to coat my wheels gray after a drive to work. While other pads I used in the past would say it has mild dusting due to a soft compound, but because they bite very well, I didnt have to drag the brakes out and little dusting became of it. I always say "you can clean brake dust off so I never skimp out on brake performance." A decent pad will require some kind of bedding process. Most stock pads dont even bother to go with this process because the compound is soo soft to begin with. I dont mind the brakes making a little bit of noise (a squeak here and there.. as I know the brakes are just a bit dirty from all the brake dust built up on the surface of the pad and rotor). Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 14, 2004 Author Share Posted December 14, 2004 how are the CarboTech pads on dust....not that i really care. i'm doing good if i get in one wash a month! Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted December 14, 2004 Share Posted December 14, 2004 Carbotech Bobcats didnt dust as much as I thought it would for an autocross pad. The pad actually comes out to be tinted red (since the whole pad is painted red to begin with). I would say just rinse the dust off once a week to keep the wheels clean and safe from killing the clear coat. Heat and brake dust on rims will kill the shine and clearcoat on the rims. The Carbotech track pads like the XP8, XP9, and new XP10s are really dusty if you get on them (ex: 130 mph stops down to 30 mph turns 40 times (2 minutes a lap, 80 minute track session). Keefe Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADirtyLegacy Posted December 20, 2004 Author Share Posted December 20, 2004 well finally got the Carbotech's today. one problem...i ordered front and rear and only got the front's sent (only got charged for the fronts too). looks like i'll try to put these on be4 hitting the road for the holidays, then order the rears and a panel filter after the holidays. :( now, to find a place to install the fronts... Kenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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