StopTech Street Performance brake pad review

[brad_houck]

the variation in the thickness of the rotor causes the pulsation but its not going to push the piston back in. if the piston was pushed back in there would be no vibration. the fact that the piston doesnt get pushed back in is why you see the steering wheel shake.

[Boost_addict]

Yes rotors warp. Maybe it should be stated differently… non-uniform graphite distribution, alloy segregation, and incorrect heat treatments can result in geometrical/dimensional changes to a rotor when its thermally cycled in service. Localized transformation of iron phases due to thermal cycling can result in volumetric increases (or decreases) that will change both the rotor thickness and effectively “twist” the rotor due to the stress distribution if the metallurgy is not uniform. This is pretty common knowledge among rotor manufacturers. That isn’t to say that pad material can’t build up on the rotor surface and cause vibrations just like the stoptech article states, but junk rotors are more prone to this than people think.

[Shotokan1509]

Old thread but dropping in my recent review

 

Good initial bite, not noisy, but dust quite badly.. like clean your wheels every couple hundred miles

 

This is with Centric premiums and a good bedding (had them smoking)

[Dispatch20]

I'll drop in my .02.

 

I have a 2.5i with centric premium rotors and Stoptech pads. I also have a 3.0R with centric premium rotors and Hawk HPS pads. Obviously the rotor and pad size is larger on the 3.0R, so it's not apples-to-apples. However, I much prefer the Hawk HPS pads because they don't leave any deposits on the rotors. My 2.5i Stoptechs leave noticeable deposits on the rotors, and I've read that these deposits are typical in many reviews. At some point I expect these deposits to give some extra vibration during braking.

 

Both pads are superior to the OEM pads in performance although they do dust quite a bit. If I were to buy pads were either the 2.5i or 3.0R, I'd prefer the Hawk HPS pads over the Stoptechs.

[Shotokan1509]

I'll drop in my .02.

 

I have a 2.5i with centric premium rotors and Stoptech pads. I also have a 3.0R with centric premium rotors and Hawk HPS pads. Obviously the rotor and pad size is larger on the 3.0R, so it's not apples-to-apples. However, I much prefer the Hawk HPS pads because they don't leave any deposits on the rotors. My 2.5i Stoptechs leave noticeable deposits on the rotors, and I've read that these deposits are typical in many reviews. At some point I expect these deposits to give some extra vibration during braking.

 

Both pads are superior to the OEM pads in performance although they do dust quite a bit. If I were to buy pads were either the 2.5i or 3.0R, I'd prefer the Hawk HPS pads over the Stoptechs.

 

I have HPS on my Brembo'ed 06 Mustang, another not apples to apples, they make small amount of noise but immensely better on dusting, versus both the stoptech's on teh Subaru and the factory gt500 pads which were horrible.

 

I do think next go around I'd go HPS over these stoptechs

[shadowsports]

I swapped out my stock rotors and pads at 53k to hawk HPS and DBA4000 slotted. This was one of the first upgrades to the car. Have enjoyed perfect performance. I have put well over 55k on them and the rotors have just started showing wear.

 

I replaced the pads with stoptechs about 10k ago. Like others have said, they do dust more, but I did notice a small improvement in braking power. After bedding, and break-in they are a marginally better pad IMO. Good initial bite, and no fade even if they get hot. I've started to wax my wheels every month or two which really helps with dust build up. They are not noisy or are no louder than the hawks. I haven't noticed any build up on my rotors and have zero vibration in the pedal or steering wheel. I could go either way hawk or stoptech, but am not unhappy with the decision to try them. I would buy them again.

[Dispatch20]

I swapped out my stock rotors and pads at 53k to hawk HPS and DBA4000 slotted. This was one of the first upgrades to the car. Have enjoyed perfect performance. I have put well over 55k on them and the rotors have just started showing wear.

 

I replaced the pads with stoptechs about 10k ago. Like others have said, they do dust more, but I did notice a small improvement in braking power. After bedding, and break-in they are a marginally better pad IMO. Good initial bite, and no fade even if they get hot. I've started to wax my wheels every month or two which really helps with dust build up. They are not noisy or are no louder than the hawks. I haven't noticed any build up on my rotors and have zero vibration in the pedal or steering wheel. I could go either way hawk or stoptech, but am not unhappy with the decision to try them. I would buy them again.

 

You reminded me of a few things I forgot to mention in my comment.

 

I also agree the Stoptechs do have better initial bite and definitely brake hard and fast, and tend to be quieter than the HPS. I can't speak to their true performance since my cars are just daily driver grocery getters. I think my biggest issue with the buildup on the Stoptechs is due to short drives (<5 miles) and occasionally parking in the rain. It seems like the pad material fuses a little bit to the rotor as the rotor rusts. And then if I leave the car parked for a few days in the garage after being in the rain the pads leave a distinguished mark where they rested on the rotor. It really takes some spirited driving to clean them up, and I don't seem to get the same effect with my HPS.

[covertrussian]

I haven't been impressed with my StopTech pads so far, about 500 miles on them and bed them in once already. Initial bite is just not as good as Hawks HPS on my other cars. I wonder if I need to bed them in one more time.

[Shotokan1509]

This is a week/300mile/tank of gas worth of dust

 

http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag1/Shotokan1509/365/72635CB0-8775-49C1-820A-2E92BFD9C299_zps5pmtftpz.jpg

[tom_kauf]

Hi everyone,

Anyone know how to fit the Stoptech Brake Pads? Not a lot of owners here in Aus have StopTechs, so I thought I'd ask here.

Replacing pads should be easy - I've never had a problem on other cars. But my new StopTech pads arrived with the clips a bit bent. Nicely packaged, no damage to the box, but the clips bent a bit out of shape.

 

My question is about the clips on the inboard side of the front pads, that the stock ones do not have (see pics below).

Should the tab on the Brake Pad ('X') be inside or outside the retaining clip on the caliper ('Y')?

 

In other words, you can see the Pad's metal tab 'X' can either go inside or outside of the metal tab on the caliper side underneath ('Y'). In this pic, the pad's tab is outside the caliper's tab.

 

You can see the tab better in picture 2. The stamped indent makes me think that it should go outside the caliper's tab, so the raised part of the indent makes contact with it.

 

Clip 'A' was also a bit bent, and when fitted was off the little metal pad on the caliper - almost fouling the rubber sleeve beside it. It looks good now I think.

 

http://i60.tinypic.com/99dh93.jpg

 

http://i62.tinypic.com/24cbatv.jpg

[umirinaesthetics]

^mine were also bent when i got them shipped like a year ago, i was gonna try and return them but too much hassle and i really needed them asap, so i just tried to bend the metal tabs with some pliers

from the picture yours look like they are fine.

[Phillip J. Fry]

from my brief research on pads...you can not have performance and no dust. iirc a softer pad ie more friction outputs more dust.

 

ive had hps and wish i never experienced them.

 

stoptechs are simply better in every way. i too run them with dba 4000.

[Nightmaresmk]

I have hps 5.0+ and have liked them so far. Dusting is usual. no noise and morning cold bite is there.

I swapped the fronts stoptech pads due to when it's single digits or below their is no bite. I left them on the rear. Running DBA 4k slotted rotors.

Stoptech's ate my cryo treated rear rotors bad i didn't change them with the fronts. I replaced them at 45k miles.

The HPS 5.0+ are not a track pad. stopping a 3600+Lb car with LGT brakes driving agressive with sti's,evos and wrx's it is pushed to far.

My next setup is going to be Cryo solid rotors all four and I'm going to try ebc next time. I like their bedding compound.

[covertrussian]

I noticed that my rotors were being eat, I thought it was the centric rotors themselves (I usually run brembo blanks on my other cars and they last way longer racing). But I also run Hawk HPS with the Brembo blanks, in this case StopTech pads with Centric rotors.

 

After driving my Infiniti for a week with the above HPS setup, it's painful going back to the mushy non responsive brakes on the Legacy. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one and that it's probably the StopTech's themselves.

[Phillip J. Fry]

I haven't been impressed with my StopTech pads so far, about 500 miles on them and bed them in once already. Initial bite is just not as good as Hawks HPS on my other cars. I wonder if I need to bed them in one more time.

 

you are giving a review of 2 different pads on different cars?

 

im not a fan of how many cars have brow power waaaaaay over boosted the second you tap the brake then not much goes on after that.

 

i love the legacys progressive braking. east to modulate and get to thresh hold. tires make a difference too.

 

i think your review is invalid.

[Phillip J. Fry]

I noticed that my rotors were being eat, I thought it was the centric rotors themselves (I usually run brembo blanks on my other cars and they last way longer racing). But I also run Hawk HPS with the Brembo blanks, in this case StopTech pads with Centric rotors.

 

After driving my Infiniti for a week with the above HPS setup, it's painful going back to the mushy non responsive brakes on the Legacy. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one and that it's probably the StopTech's themselves.

 

strange. i have dba 4k and stoptech pads and i have complained that the pedal is too firm. have had 2 different shops do full sets of this combo. pedal is firm.

[Dispatch20]

strange. i have dba 4k and stoptech pads and i have complained that the pedal is too firm. have had 2 different shops do full sets of this combo. pedal is firm.

You don't have problems with the stop techs leaving deposits and briefly seizing to the rotor after parking the car wet? On my LGT, it leaves black marks on the rotor surface and seems to etch out rotor material. Maybe the centric blanks I use are a lower quality metal than the dba rotors?

 

On my two cars that use the same exact braking system (3.0r, LGT), they have quite a different feel for daily driving (never tracked). The HPS on centrics are pretty firm and feel great (except when wet) and leave no deposits. The stop techs on centrics are squishier. Both cars are bled well. However I'm not sure the pad compound is the reason for the brake feeling difference in my cars. With many of our cars around 100k miles, I wonder if other things can come into play (master cylinder seals, brake lines, etc) that affect the pedal firmness.

[Phillip J. Fry]

You don't have problems with the stop techs leaving deposits and briefly seizing to the rotor after parking the car wet? On my LGT, it leaves black marks on the rotor surface and seems to etch out rotor material. Maybe the centric blanks I use are a lower quality metal than the dba rotors?

 

On my two cars that use the same exact braking system (3.0r, LGT), they have quite a different feel for daily driving (never tracked). The HPS on centrics are pretty firm and feel great (except when wet) and leave no deposits. The stop techs on centrics are squishier. Both cars are bled well. However I'm not sure the pad compound is the reason for the brake feeling difference in my cars. With many of our cars around 100k miles, I wonder if other things can come into play (master cylinder seals, brake lines, etc) that affect the pedal firmness.

 

stock rotors rust. dba 4k do not.

 

i live in Mukilteo which is ~20 miles from Seattle. i get my fair share of rain.

 

anyways...on stock rotors its a bit of grindage for a few stops or so to clear them off.

 

i should say i tried the hps years ago. the may have changed compounds since then and i have no idea.

 

but currently my pedal is stiffer than ever but still progressive. ive heard there is a valve in a hose that supposed to release pressure. ive suspected maybe the valve in that hose isnt working well. i dont recall the name but 2 shops say my system is fine.

 

hmmm. im no expert nr do i do the work. are there shims installed? i agree with you. compound alone probably wont make that much if a difference at all for firmness.

 

ive had high temp fluid and stock fluid. firmness is always there. ive braked the car several times and can smell it inside but the brakes never stopped working.

[parad1mg]

There's one now in the reviews section.

 

I've tried hawks, NAPA and StopTech's.

 

I like Stoptech's the best from the bunch. Keyword would be "I". Others may not like them as they dust quite a bit but these pads gave me the best all around bite and feel. I have them paired with centric premium BLANK rotors.

 

No warped rotors with them after having them bedded in properly. Wear is acceptable and noise is non existent. Plus they're cheap and available at amazon.com

[covertrussian]

you are giving a review of 2 different pads on different cars?

 

im not a fan of how many cars have brow power waaaaaay over boosted the second you tap the brake then not much goes on after that.

 

i love the legacys progressive braking. east to modulate and get to thresh hold. tires make a difference too.

 

i think your review is invalid.

 

We are reviewing pads and their material which stays consistent between cars . My brakes were gripless on the Infiniti too before HPS's pads.

 

I hate how expensive HPS's are, especially for a daily driver, but these StopTechs almost got me into a wreck after driving my other car with HPS's. I bedded in the StopTech twice already, maybe third time is a charm, but that still doesn't change the fact that they are eating my rotors

[Phillip J. Fry]

We are reviewing pads and their material which stays consistent between cars . My brakes were gripless on the Infiniti too before HPS's pads.

 

I hate how expensive HPS's are, especially for a daily driver, but these StopTechs almost got me into a wreck after driving my other car with HPS's. I bedded in the StopTech twice already, maybe third time is a charm, but that still doesn't change the fact that they are eating my rotors

 

im not sure what to tell you.

 

stoptechs on dba 4k on pilot sport a/s 3 on my car work. tires make a big difference too.

 

ive had stock rotor with hps. had stock rotor with stoptechs. had stock rotor stock pads. have had dba 4k and stoptechs. all on this same gt. nothing is better than stop tech and dba 4k from what ive listed.